tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21990707006853818232024-03-14T16:53:14.246+11:00Critter AwayWith reviews and critiques on everything from books to movies to games to foot balm, Critter Away provides a light view of the entertainment world.The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-8649580284801233742012-07-06T16:11:00.000+10:002012-07-06T16:16:05.927+10:00Barry Humphries' Farewell Tour - Review<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOBkJeeF5QdnRkEwBw2C8v13mJifGh0d1OyNyzoOdT1Cnph-98DrEbOdgkHubnvKSfehJW4wtJW8jum-SAOP4qhMryPoucdGjskSGuKgUIzR6p85uJnxvzcuJjkS54eA5ZJeua4_YZaM/s1600/barry-comingsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOBkJeeF5QdnRkEwBw2C8v13mJifGh0d1OyNyzoOdT1Cnph-98DrEbOdgkHubnvKSfehJW4wtJW8jum-SAOP4qhMryPoucdGjskSGuKgUIzR6p85uJnxvzcuJjkS54eA5ZJeua4_YZaM/s320/barry-comingsoon.jpg" width="226" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Barry's back for a final laugh...</i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Barry Humphries’
Farewell Tour: Eat Pray Laugh!</i> Is Barry Humphries’ (supposedly) last
touring show of Australia, featuring his most infamous characters including the
ever-intoxicated Sir Les Patterson, the posthumous Sandy Stone and Australia’s
favourite Dame, Edna Everage. In his prime, Barry was known for his sharp tongue
and clever satire of Australian culture; now at the ripe old age of 78, after almost half a century on stage and screen, I am
glad to say that Barry still has it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Born in the 1930s, Barry bore witness to the rapidly
changing face of Australia in the 1950s and 60s, which is doubtlessly where
much of his satire grows from. Melbourne housewife ‘Edna Everage’ is perhaps
his most renowned creation, allowing Humphries a platform to famously criticise
Australian culture and language through her irreverence and manner. My main
concern going to the show was whether the laughs gained from a stereotypically
1960s icon would transfer to the present day, what with the development of
technology, empowerment of women and general broadening of Australian culture
and self-image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Surprisingly, it did.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjQfCyWF-iIumbQ93blRpegIJ3t8XleYotqLtZHH6t4WLyzdz_sEJ31vd5yZRMMZcYYBSJ95ePxkFSpExchqAxihYlNkU8ArydVH8xkB56z7Z8u-oDBxCDGUwxB49DOd467LDUE_Uows/s1600/svHUMPHRIES_narrowweb__300x315,0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjQfCyWF-iIumbQ93blRpegIJ3t8XleYotqLtZHH6t4WLyzdz_sEJ31vd5yZRMMZcYYBSJ95ePxkFSpExchqAxihYlNkU8ArydVH8xkB56z7Z8u-oDBxCDGUwxB49DOd467LDUE_Uows/s1600/svHUMPHRIES_narrowweb__300x315,0.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The man inside Dame Edna... care to compare?</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Despite the fact that my friend and I seemed to be the only
patrons under the age of 30, the updated jokes and re-envisioned satire of Australiana
ran over quite well with the more mature members of the audience. I
particularly liked the continuous slagging off of Gina Rhineheart, the mocking
of the modern aged care system and Dame Edna’s thoughts on motherhood. Having not
seen a live Humphries production before, I was pleasantly surprised to be met
with not only traditional stand-up comedy by Barry Humphries’ characters but
also Broadway-style special effects sequences and burlesque satire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Barry’s characters launched onto the stage to tumultuous
applause and left with a similar reception. When <i>the real</i> Barry Humphries walked onto the stage after the finale I
felt the Capitol Theatre shake with applause as the legend himself waved out to
us. Hopefully this won’t be his last farewell tour…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Bottom Line:</b> A
thoroughly enjoyable night of laugh-out-loud satire and still fresh Aussie
icons. Considering this might really be Barry Humphries’ farewell<i> </i>tour, I would strongly recommend buying
a ticket and waving a gladiola for the last time.</span><br />
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<img alt="" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAANAAAAAvCAIAAAAdAtPvAAAHk0lEQVR4nO3d609TZxwHcP6LJVv2QrQtbc+1Pb1yUZiimG1Zdp/GuRmzOeecU+fcli0b2ZZMk12ym3MqSAstAgqWlipXodDSNsDEC1pgFJxlFIRZaUuhffYCZAiFHk7P3Cl5fvm+45wnnyf5Btqe00MSgAPnIU5S/Ev43O7w5GT868Q/ULJwuCMBAPjc7ngLNxkM/n7owNiNG6yAoGSlSsB9TLyFG7lypUVGuvU6VkxQslIl4D4m3sL1nDhu5a3qfG9vmBUUlKxQCbiPiatwoVCoY+cOOy62r88c6+tjSwYlK0wyFxNX4YY7O1vT1U6lzEZiffoitnBQssIkczFxFa772C82AnWmqewkdnnv21Ph/+03N5RwWTIXw7xwoWCw/fVX7RTpSFc7VPLWrHWjLheLRChZGZJ5GOaF87a1WdNUdrXCka52pKtbSLRXq2FRCSUrQwIA8Lb/i2FeONdPPzQTSGuaajpWCd6++83JqSkWoVCyAiQAANfPPzbjMxiGhQv6/c5tW6wUaUtTzUQpa8nMGLl+nV0rlCS0BAAwEQg4X91qlRLTEoaF+8tht6gVLWqFNU01k1RlE4F2nzrBLhdKEloCABhyOiypyhaVfFrCsHBd335zCRc3pyrnponEnDt3hEIhdsVQkrgSAEDXd99cwpFZBpPCTYyPt255qVFKWFKVD0Qpa0xXD1/pZB0NJYkoiYphUri/Wm0NCqpRKWtUK+alDhff+PUY624oSURJVEySf2DAP9Dv93joJODx+AcHO7/MrcORS2rFwtRLcNu2LXf7+wODgzTX9P/553hfX3giCCVclgAAWMEkdZ7Or9+U3ZSZYcnJtmzeaMlZMps3WjZvbEhT1avkDWpFlKjk9Sp506YNsZeaXm19ZkNmhv2LXL/PByVclgAAWMEkecfGLFpNVU52jYhfS6C1FFErjZE6BVWnki8apYzOIrUSvEYkMKeq6o4e6R8YCAMAJVyWAJYwSQCA8alwZ0dH9cEDF2WSWhKrVcr+81BkNYFe2LbVXn3xTiA4+ycfSrgsYQUz86YhAsAt73Bj3qmqnOyLmLhaLq1Wyv6TKKhqHDGnqmq/+vJmT8/EgpeZUMJlSfyYB96l3p2cbLfZzLt3mUnsAoldVFAshyLNmNj0/LPWigrvvXvRtgMlCSCJBzP/Y5EwAH23PXU//mDMWmvGRGa5xKyg2AmOGOXSCx9/dO3atcDSu4ESzkuiYGS0MNE/hxudmHDW15t2bDdiiInEquTSOEKZpIQRFVY+/WSTrsgzNkZvO1CSAJI5mNeMOC3Moh/8TgLQ7XbXHPnakK6uREVGmcQolzIJjhikhHn/vsttbeOM7gGEEi5LpjE9bnfNUVqYGFcahv1+m8lU+fKLBhyplEkq5dJlxYAj57OfaDh5YsDrjTDbDZQkgoQ+JvalrSAAXS5X9aefGCjSQJEGmYRmzhNI1Y7t7Varj6Uv4kIJlyU0MXSvpV43nD+HIxVSokImoRWKPCvkW7/IZf2WPyjhsiQmhm7hHB9+UJLCK6dI+ilDhNXPPBVc/utQKElcSUwMrcL5PJ7K9ZmlqOislKCfMglWiggH6mpZ3AyUcFlCB0OrcL0V5cVCfqkEL5US9FMmJfT81Y7PPmFxP1DCZQkdDK3CNe/fV8RfXSLBo4TEzqCiEgKN+lO9WGDM2egfGWFrP1DCZQkdTOzC3b01UL4uQ4cIiyX4vOhxRI8IS7LWFpOYHhVFOYBEdYiw74KZlc1ACZclNDGxC3ezpFgrWKMjUD2JzUZHYkUigQ5HjIfetzc313z/XbFaUZTCm3eYnsQ0vFUtHx1mZT9QwmUJTUyMwkUikYY9b53mJReR2GwKcUQrWFO8Ias+P+/28EgYgDuBgM1sLnv5hcIUXiEqnHuwRiQo35A1PjQU52aghMsS+pgYhRv744+SNJUGERaS2HQ0IoEWEZbv3tVht9+b88XaEAA3Xa6q3NwimUSTwisk0OnjtThSIOT1Vp6Pcz9QwmXJUpi3dnW0ts5iYhSuq0ibz0/W4IiWQDWYuIC/Wrc2rebnn/o9nqgX3rw+X/O5s2eeebqAv7oAEWoJVEugeWtWNR3cH+d+oITLEvqYpQoXiURq3th5kpdcQKCnxYLTQn7Z69udDQ1/T0S9M29mggBcu3rVcPiQhsDyU3gFOJInEpRmZvhu32a8GSjhsmRZmKUKN9rt0impU0J+Hi9Zo6DMR4/09PfTufAWAcAzOtpYqNVtys7jJ+eJU07ykl3nzjLeD5RwWQIAGO3u1illczBfL4ZZqnBX8/N+ffzRk7zk4hees5lMdwI078ybmfFw+HJb27m9e/LFKccee6T+3XeWdTqUJIoEAHC1IP8BjH9RzKKFC09NmV558biAZ/z8s5suF7MHBIQBuDU0VPfb8fxUpZbE/2b04E8o4bJkBrPlJZqYRQs31NFe+vyzjWeKvT4fM8fs+EKhNovlzNZXrmsLGJwOJVyWLBezaOEGXa6ujg4/S8/pnAKgt6en1+mIRJZ9qx+UcFmyXMyihZsCIP67QBeuyewsKFl4FkckYJkYFv71ERw49AcWDs5DHVg4OA91/gEyDQqvhZAUigAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/D5o6rxt0NsM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Tickets are selling
fast for </i>Barry Humphries Farewell Tour,<i>
so get in quick and visit <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Barry-Humphries-tickets/artist/776290" target="_blank">Ticketmaster</a> for shows in Sydney, Melbourne,
Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast and Auckland. For Sydney performances, best availability
is from the 11<sup>th</sup> of July. For more details, visit
<a href="http://dameednafarewell.com/">dameednafarewell.com</a></i></span></div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-3019272899100426532012-06-27T20:22:00.000+10:002012-07-06T16:11:46.250+10:00L.A. Noire free download!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Well, not quite a <i>free download</i>, per say. But almost!</div>
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I reviewed L.A. Noire <a href="http://critteraway.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/la-noire-review.html" target="_blank">a little while ago</a> and it's a wonderful game being offered for next to nothing by everyone's favourite online game store - <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/110800/" target="_blank">Steam</a>. The folks at Valve (owners of Steam) have reduced the L.A Noire download to an almost insane level: $3.74 USD! So make sure you get in quick before the sale ends.</div>
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If you do miss the sale, the game's pretty cheap anyway for the value you get... Check out the Amazon link below:<br />
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'Till next time,<br />
<br />
<i><b>Critter</b></i></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=critaway-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=B002I0J5UQ" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-52761132583156901142012-06-26T21:29:00.000+10:002012-06-27T20:41:16.382+10:00The Departed<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's back and he wants blood...</td></tr>
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This movie was INTENSE. About twenty people were shot,
others violently mugged and many more verbally and physically assaulted. And
this movie was directed by the same bloke who did<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Hugo</i>!?</div>
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This 150-minute, epic styled thriller stars Jack Nicholson,
Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo Di Caprio and Matt Damon: quite the line-up. Their
performances were great, which is especially important as they were playing
characters very adverse to the kind of roles Hollywood usually dishes out for
them. Even Jack “type-cast” Nicholson’s role felt like a breath of new air.
Their voices and demeanor were captivating and felt very real.</div>
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I mentioned the director: his name is Martin Scorsese and I
think his overall style was very well-executed: enough of the sinister to
captivate, whilst still keeping at bay an over-use of dialogue to explain the
plot – as is common nowadays with lazy filmmakers. Although the movie was
complex in scope, I did feel that it was over-doing the macabre aspects of the
film. As a result, the ‘shock’ that the audience was supposed to feel at the
very final murder of the film was somewhat dissipated. In fact, I really didn’t
feel that the ending was particularly satisfying; I could only help but think, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What was the point being made by this movie?</i>
Only by watching films such as this does one realise how important it is for a
film to convey some kind of clear, defined message: Scorsese was sending me
very mixed messages.</div>
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Also, the plot was somewhat too complicated. It wasn’t that
I had trouble following (as I said, Scorsese explained it well), rather that
the film suffered at the hands of an entwining screenplay. The messages in the
film were undermined because the film refused to ‘relax’. I think most of this
issue comes from the fact that there is no one to sympathise with in the film:
i.e. everyone is an antagonist. The audience is thereby not invited to engage
in the film, but merely spectate, be horrified by the crimes being committed
and events unfolding onscreen, but never empathised with.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Bottom Line: </b>Solid acting, solid direction, perhaps an
unnecessarily complex script detailing overtly macabre themes, but generally a
well-shot and thrillingly performed action film.</div>
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<i><b>- Critter</b></i><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=critaway-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000NGTJTY&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-4926422003550133152012-06-26T21:10:00.001+10:002012-06-27T21:30:00.540+10:00L.A. Noire - Review<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAuHAyaMWuzgt3PexvXknzW8DKqoKJNayxbLoffLiAfiMG-_146pgfWRrH9kjM5UDGg452iggORYdW-70kKakkj0kkaq0FZZFvBjLj2d_oxlHFa-QXhKobau0aGtfNhruQOblREcKFz0/s1600/250px-LA-Noire-Box-Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAuHAyaMWuzgt3PexvXknzW8DKqoKJNayxbLoffLiAfiMG-_146pgfWRrH9kjM5UDGg452iggORYdW-70kKakkj0kkaq0FZZFvBjLj2d_oxlHFa-QXhKobau0aGtfNhruQOblREcKFz0/s320/250px-LA-Noire-Box-Art.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>No, it's not another GTA...</i></td></tr>
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Wow. A game review. What a new experience! I know it’s been
a while, so I thought I’d have a look at a very interesting game from Rockstar.</div>
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This game was HUGE when it was released – but don’t get me
wrong, I didn’t buy at cover price, OH NO - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>I</u></i>
had a friend who worked at the game store and I managed to snatch it up at 50%
off. So after a weekend of cheapskatey-gamer-goodness I can sit down and ponder
on a most curious experience. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A. Noire</i>
is a game set in Los Angeles (big shock there) and styled as a 1950s ‘noire’
film. The story and gameplay concerns a good-hearted, WWII veteran’s life as
policeman and detective, an occupation in which the he (and the player) are
tasked with solving crimes by means of deduction, logical reasoning, fierce
interrogation skills and thick American accents. Funnily enough, most of the
voice actors actually come from Sydney, Australia.<br />
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I say, ‘voice’ actors with a hint of mistruth because the
game doesn’t use just use the voices and animate 3D models to mouth the words –
the clever people at Team Bondi (the co-developers) used some of the most realistic
facial recognition technology I’ve ever seen – every twitch, glance and
expression was displayed in perfect detail. I felt this really added some great
elements to the gameplay; being a detective game, when you interrogated
suspects or witnesses, you were asked by the game to make a judgement on
whether they were telling the truth or not by use of previously uncovered
evidence and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their facial expression</i>.
You can’t do this in many games because the animation just isn’t real enough.
The finer points to this technology also showed up in more subtle parts of the
story – when you ran past people in the street or fired a gun in public, the
reactions were genuine and made the experience more realistic. Definitely a
thumbs up there.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIdcX9EpEkjURkHoutbjrJjnAczfYpzoSCyplC4cmt4rgmHDpT_7NByjZfTy55DpjnoCyVqjuObP23jCg1nkwqSWzt8iOYYkInfpPz7Yyt1xbLpfI78RP-VAG2QF80uNWF7OIumRUvq4/s1600/la-noire-john-noble1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIdcX9EpEkjURkHoutbjrJjnAczfYpzoSCyplC4cmt4rgmHDpT_7NByjZfTy55DpjnoCyVqjuObP23jCg1nkwqSWzt8iOYYkInfpPz7Yyt1xbLpfI78RP-VAG2QF80uNWF7OIumRUvq4/s320/la-noire-john-noble1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The face-capture technology in action...</i></td></tr>
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The gameplay itself was good also, but I couldn’t help but think
it felt a lot like GTA, but from the police’s perspective and set in the 1950’s.
The traffic mechanisms, driving system and action sequences all seemed exactly
like Rockstar’s GTA counterparts. Even the ridiculous things that the people
who you hit with your car scream were the same rubbish – “You jackass”, “Mind
the road” and “You could have killed somebody” were some examples. But the
biggest fault of the game lay not in these trivialities but more so in the
repetitiveness of some of the missions. True, the story was highly engaging and
the cases you were faced with were generally interesting, but the means by
which you found evidence and interviewed witnesses didn’t change and the whole
shebang got fairly uninteresting for long periods of time during cases. But
after the first six ‘cases’, I found this happened less and less and the game
started to mix things around a bit.</div>
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Generally a truly wonderful experience, especially
considering the perfectly executed 1950’s L.A. open world environment and the
face recognition technology. The story was awesome, I loved interrogating people
and the game didn’t baby you along – If you made a bad call, didn’t catch the
criminal on the run or charged the wrong suspect, the story changed and you as
a player had to face the consequences. This aspect particularly made the
detective aspect of the gameplay more realistic and satisfying.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Bottom Line:</b>
An original and well-executed story meets polished and engaging gameplay – with
occasional flaws. A truly unique and fun game.</div>
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<i><b>- Critter</b></i><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=critaway-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002I0J5UQ&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-70974314670733747502012-05-17T16:57:00.004+10:002012-05-17T17:28:09.704+10:00Interview: Tim Burton on upcoming film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQg34h0vmlCwoerBreqRMUXKzuKaUPUSBY1tiTL_LToDg-ny-QARwDNdV2Ndb66-3e7yocj5crg0ClimvEDVuErbgl2D23O9JzKUQM74tqFxVBRaR7UR72yza7pLCaYCAS3xVJHvxbZo/s1600/frankenweenie-First-Look-option_10_10_07_Mamp_S_LG283_toned_rgb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQg34h0vmlCwoerBreqRMUXKzuKaUPUSBY1tiTL_LToDg-ny-QARwDNdV2Ndb66-3e7yocj5crg0ClimvEDVuErbgl2D23O9JzKUQM74tqFxVBRaR7UR72yza7pLCaYCAS3xVJHvxbZo/s320/frankenweenie-First-Look-option_10_10_07_Mamp_S_LG283_toned_rgb-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I love Tim Burton's stop motion films - the style of his works are great, but the Gothic designs are what makes the films so extraordinarily intriguing. His upcoming film (set for a Halloween release) <i>Frankenweenie</i> is one that I am looking forward to with great anticipation. <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tim-Burton-Talks-Striving-Imperfection-With-Frankenweenie-30853.html" target="_blank">Here's a nice interview with Burton</a> I found recently on CinemaBlend.com<br />
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<b>Time Burton's most recent film, <i>Dark S</i><i>hadows</i>, is being reviewed and will be up (on this site) next week. Remember to subscribe!</b>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-53842851909899037362012-05-17T16:51:00.001+10:002012-07-06T16:13:32.509+10:00Trailer: The Dictator<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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Ah! Another S-B-C film - it could be great, it could be terrible: I am definitely seeing this one!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cYplvwBvGA4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-21088108013355834972012-04-24T16:59:00.000+10:002012-04-24T17:54:40.811+10:00The Hunger Games - Review<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqKRzxrEEvkP8y-56WVndROA_B7u1JrNUS6DehWm4y8kxsQME-OZh1KDUuHAg59dbmfSxsHuoqa9aROqBVCUXlehIlF0L6Kn0DctHZy1zxwtzlyNovjPJ81j55Awi-wb7D4CIlkrrtXU/s1600/thehungergames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqKRzxrEEvkP8y-56WVndROA_B7u1JrNUS6DehWm4y8kxsQME-OZh1KDUuHAg59dbmfSxsHuoqa9aROqBVCUXlehIlF0L6Kn0DctHZy1zxwtzlyNovjPJ81j55Awi-wb7D4CIlkrrtXU/s320/thehungergames.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Right between the eyes...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Youth entertainment is usually pretty formulaic in
Hollywood: adapt a popular teen’s book series into a dramatic series of soppy
films featuring various topless models and terrible screenwriting. Although I’m
not pointing any fingers (at Twilight), this safe approach is detestable from
an artistic perspective and I’m glad that Lionsgate’s most recent foray into
adolescent fiction adaptation has been more admirable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Hunger Games</i>
is based off the controversial and, understandably, wildly successful book
series by Suzanne Collins and is based in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic United States
where children from various oppressed states (named ‘districts’) are made to
fight to the death in a purpose-built arena to provide entertainment for the
wealthier citizens of the empire and so the government can maintain the fear by
their oppressed citizens of the authorities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Gripping though the story sounds, it was surprisingly short
(the novel itself was about half the size of the first Harry Potter book) and I
found that the film did a great job of narrowing the scope of the film’s
setting. Many movies fail in trying to encapsulate too much content into their
message and not focusing on the simple things – like good storytelling – and
this film keeps it very simple. On that note, the film does come across as a
little narrow-minded at times, as though the small plot was being overly
expanded. I like to call this ‘Rowling-Syndrome’, when a franchise is awaiting
its finale for most of the answers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Although based on a premise, it’s worth noting that the
movie avoids becoming a ‘concept-film’ by stressing characterisation and
genuine storytelling over all else. Rarely have I noticed such a strong
ensemble cast portray so many contrasting individuals with the vigor that it was
done with in this film. Although the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ were clear,
the obvious contrast and ample screen time per character enabled the viewer to
really observe each of the performances in exquisite detail.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfJioK3Oh66clYEOa3WYlbHo6Y47ECytSfm-BqIZ5ydpc9gAwOJo45zQTfMVAPXEzJAcsLQU09FU7GIzskmTw42DYNeEFNOI1fSvb5S4Tlf7VMs_V2XMHt2YG6-5D-NfvTRMpEMd0Dc0/s1600/thehungergames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfJioK3Oh66clYEOa3WYlbHo6Y47ECytSfm-BqIZ5ydpc9gAwOJo45zQTfMVAPXEzJAcsLQU09FU7GIzskmTw42DYNeEFNOI1fSvb5S4Tlf7VMs_V2XMHt2YG6-5D-NfvTRMpEMd0Dc0/s320/thehungergames.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My favourite line :-)</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The cinematography was well-suited to the film and
well-executed, the acting by all was of a high standard (especially the younger
cast) and the screenplay was excellent, especially considering that it was
adapted from a children’s novel. I’ve found plenty to rave about and can’t
think of any more substantial negatives of the film so it’s time to wrap it up,
I think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Bottom Line:</b>
A very well-executed and entertaining offering, I would definitely recommend
this to anyone with the mindset for a film with a twist of the macabre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-63999534964688560242012-04-06T22:36:00.002+10:002012-04-24T17:37:12.606+10:00The Muppets Movie - Review<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pLksdU4IitdFABYz0t6pa4QiM_uAWuKjXHOy99lc2T1rHxNQWhhWdmgY2Bp-r3xbqin_1POMhwifThIPouxhKmRmPe2Wgq9YC0grw3M7p6oLUPtjDQR0muJ3uBPcGR5Fr6go2AKYUe0/s1600/themuppets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pLksdU4IitdFABYz0t6pa4QiM_uAWuKjXHOy99lc2T1rHxNQWhhWdmgY2Bp-r3xbqin_1POMhwifThIPouxhKmRmPe2Wgq9YC0grw3M7p6oLUPtjDQR0muJ3uBPcGR5Fr6go2AKYUe0/s320/themuppets.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At least the poster looks good...</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Remakes are one thing, but ‘nostalgia movies’ are an
entirely different genre. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Simpsons</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Addams Family</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Pie</i> have had their own attempts
at rebooting their franchises or instilling an old set of characters into a
young audience. Late last Christmas, Jim Henson’s most famous creation joined the
ranks of franchise sell-outs the world over in Disney’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Muppets Movie</i>.</div>
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I’ve seen a number of Muppets films and never have I been
more disappointed with such a memorable group of characters then I was with
this film.</div>
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It must be admitted that the movie did yield some excellent
gags, but the key issue with the film’s humour was its attempt to entertain an
older audience. Cameos from Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Office</i> star John Krasinski
all hinted at this but the real nose-clipper was the nature of the hilarity. It
simply tried too hard. The film’s ‘campy’ theme wore out its welcome after the
first few allusions and when the actors (particularly Jason Segal) broke the
fourth wall it seemed lazy and predictable. Irritatingly, the disappointing screenplay
failed to even bring humour to the Muppets themselves. True, there were more
enjoyable moments with them than anyone else on screen, but the original charm
and deviancy of the Muppets had been lost amidst a sea of reminiscence by the filmmakers.
There wasn’t a huge focus on plot, cinematography or dialogue, only the
characters.</div>
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The musical elements of the film disappointed me also.
Although I usually enjoy musicals, the songs in this picture really just felt unnecessary
and clichéd. Disney managed to spit out at least ten songs a film almost every
year from 1937 till now and every one of them is unique and original. But with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Muppets Movie</i>, there was an
emotional song, a profound ballad, a cheery opening number, and a heart-warming
finale: the usual bunch.</div>
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As mentioned, the lack of charm in the film was not only disappointing,
but a direct result of the movie being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for
kids</i>. Studios don’t take risks any more with children’s movies because it
doesn’t always yield the best financial performance. It’s sad really, how so
much of broad cinema these days is mostly just based around numbers and
statistics. Instead of art, that is.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Bottom Line:</b> Overall
a disappointing endeavour, boasting mostly mediocrity and near-misses.
Although sometimes funny and beguiling, Miss Piggy just doesn’t bring home the
bacon this time.</div>
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<b><i>- Mr Critter</i></b></div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-84316865841853509052012-04-05T17:50:00.004+10:002012-04-24T17:31:16.533+10:00The Iron Lady - Review<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBPlN-xqiIm3yYj0wbd_ecV3opJDRgzvt2IGvBggi7zjiEnsR1ioiEt7wbhoGxLiGLQJl8xCCdZKe9_uAA4clPS6rsqsOnU3aLD-WADkYvnmPDzFum60Ctuu3nJdCkhHyhnOWknj3lKg/s1600/theironlady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBPlN-xqiIm3yYj0wbd_ecV3opJDRgzvt2IGvBggi7zjiEnsR1ioiEt7wbhoGxLiGLQJl8xCCdZKe9_uAA4clPS6rsqsOnU3aLD-WADkYvnmPDzFum60Ctuu3nJdCkhHyhnOWknj3lKg/s320/theironlady.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Still going strong, Meryl...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If the recent academy awards prove anything, it’s that Meryl
Streep hasn’t given up. I mean, why should she? She’s intelligent, very
talented and beholds a net value higher than half of Hollywood put together.
But although her third academy award for ‘Best Actress’ was well-deserved, this
film does raise an interesting critical point: how can a brilliant performance
survive within such a heavy-handed film?</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Iron Lady</i>
encircles the life of controversial British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who,
although successfully winning almost four successive federal elections, was
widely despised by much of the working class of England. Her extreme right-wing
economic and social policies rocked the world and certainly drew up a new page
in political conservative history. The film’s take on the political issues of
Thatcher’s reign is somewhat disappointing. Although definitely avoiding the
didactic, the pathetic thing is that director Phyllida Lloyd tries as hard as
she can to be as politically and artistically persuasive as possible, but
instead imparts a sense of uncertainty and a feeling that she (Lloyd) had no
solid opinion on Thatcher at all.</div>
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This hindrance is particularly evident when
Lloyd uses disgustingly stylised cinematic techniques to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">symbolically portray</i> Thatcher’s emotions (in my opinion, you can
stoop no lower than use obvious symbolism in a motion picture). Half the time
the film presents Maggie as an emotional, thoughtful person and for the rest of
the film she’s Hitler reincarnated. This is why the film was not merely being
objective or un-biased, just hopelessly confused.<br />
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But Streep’s performance becomes all the more amazing as a
result. Although the flashbacks, slow motion sequences, montages and
symbolically chosen colours – yes, that’s right, symbolic colours – devalue the
film itself and cause the work to seem all too desperate to make itself plain,
Streep’s Thatcher doesn’t so much reason with the viewer then it does disclose.
Rather than saying “Here’s my imitation of Thatcher’s persona, deal with it”,
her portrayal subtly divulges a personal will and struggle of an infamous
woman.</div>
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And it is here that the film earns merit.</div>
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Not only in Streep’s performance, but through the splendid
supporting cast, the emotional and psychological background to Thatcher’s dominance
takes precedence (as it should) in this sometimes surprising biopic. Although
the director tried and failed to convey any kind of artistic or political
perspective, the cast and decent writing return the film to gloriously solid
foundations.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Bottom Line: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Iron Lady</i> is undoubtedly the
Weinstein Company’s latest grab for a ‘Best Picture’ nomination (amongst its
more successful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The King’s Speech</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Week with Marilyn </i>projects), but although
a poor choice of director makes this impossible, a sound cast and script certainly
bring to the film </div>
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certain credit.</div>
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<b><i>- Mr Critter</i></b></div>
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</div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199070700685381823.post-77131404922565149732012-02-18T13:59:00.002+11:002012-04-24T17:10:42.185+10:00The Office - Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">
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<br /><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">As a fan of Steve Carrel, I was shocked to discover an 8 series mockumentary go unnoticed beneath my watchful eye. I had seen the Ricky Gervais BBC edition, but had no idea of the e</span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">xistence of this little number. So I sat down with my iPod Touch and watched the first episode. Then I watched another. Then another one. Soon I was spiraling into that vortex of watching every episode until the current series. After stumbling from my dark bedroom to a house that I had forgotten about for six days, I realised that I had watched more than 64 hours of pure hilarity. This stuff was worse than drugs!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Better than OK Michael...</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The nature of most American comedy television these days is manifested through the studios that create them: lazy, irritating and repetitive. Popular shows like <i>How i met your mother</i> and <i>The Big Bang theory</i> mostly rely on fans and a pre-determined age-based market to succeed. Simply put, quality becomes irrelevant in the long term. The latter shows both came onto our screens with good humour and importantly, artistic integrity: but the plots soon became repetitive and writers relied on shocks and predictable story arcs to keep things somewhat interesting. So why do millions of viewers watch these shows? Because of the characters. Even though the writing behind these shows has become cyclical, Barney (HIMYM) still entertains using his irreverent attitude and Leonard (TBBT) still acts like an antisocial goofball.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Office</span></i></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> avoids these pitfalls simply because of the vastness of the cast and constantly-changing roles within the narrative. The ensemble nature of the cast also protects against boring narrative arcs and predictability. Whenever I began to sense a pattern, the show spiced things up by removing characters, changing roles and, to my shock, getting rid of the leading man in season seven. Yes, Steve Carrel's character 'Michael Scott' became engaged and left the office permanently! This is where the show faced it's greatest test: would it be able to survive when the most central character on the program left? A resounding yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Office</span></i></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> perfectly executes an authentic yet side splitting, satirical mockumentary with feeling and integrity. The performances are incredibly delivered as well as heartfelt and, as it should be, funny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span><img alt="" src="data:image/png;base64,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" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>- Mr Critter</i></b> </span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Office <i>airs on NBC, Thursdays 9/8c</i></span></b></span></div>The Critterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17394655145944403323noreply@blogger.com1