Let’s start with something you don’t see in a lot of video game reviews: an accessibility disclaimer. There is unprecedented depth to the number of accessibility options within The Last of Us: Part II. This is intended for those visually/sonically impaired, those with physical disabilities (something that I personally am glad is being addressed), or people that simply don’t play video games enough to properly work a controller but that still want to experience a riveting narrative. With that said, I strongly urge someone to read this review even if they have never played a video game before, as maybe this would be a good starting point and that, from this point forward, games will further keep inclusivity in mind and eradicate gatekeeping.
With that out of the way, it must be set upfront that the bar is already set astronomically high for Game of the Decade, as Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us: Part II (directed by the sole writer of the first game, Neil Druckmann, scribing the decidedly more female-focused sequel alongside Westworld‘s Halley Gross) delivers on its mountainous ambition.
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Welcome to another edition of Gaming Bits, the column where I quickly present some of the hottest topics in gaming culture regarding narrative titles, property tie-ins, and other things of that nature. This installment is a little lighter than usual considering there’s been a shortage of news due to the holidays, but there are still some tantalizing tidbits to talk about, so let’s get right to it!
In this edition of Gaming Bits:
- Star Wars gaming news
- Resident Evil 3 Remake action concerns
- PT/Silent Hills exploration mod
- The Witcher released on Netflix
- Xbox Series X update
- And more!
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Alex Wolff can be seen in theaters now as Spencer in Jumanji: The Next Level, but the son of actress Polly Draper has a lot more going on equally worth talking about. He recently wrote and directed his debut film, The Cat and the Moon, an unflinchingly honest portrayal of rowdy teenagers with Wolff himself playing a troubled youth who moves to New York City to live with his father’s best friend following his mother’s admittance into rehab and the death of his musician father. It’s an emotional watch that cements him as a filmmaker on the rise. Naturally, I also had to ask him about his work in Hereditary when we sat down to talk about his recent work.
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(This article is part of our Best of the Decade series.)
The importance and expansion of representation and diversity continue to reverberate throughout the film industry. So now feels like just as good a time as any to reflect on a personal area near and dear to my own heart; disability in cinema.
However, one doesn’t need to specifically hone in on the past two years or so (when representation and diversity were really pressured to improve), for the entire decade has a sampling of terrific films studying a wide array of disabilities, ranging from blockbuster films to French cinema. So let’s get to the list, and please take a chance on something if it sounds interesting. There’s nothing better than enjoying a great movie and educating oneself on vital topics.
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Welcome to the inaugural edition of Gaming Bits, a continuation on columns such as Star Wars Bits, Superhero Bits, and Theme Park Bits. Every couple of weeks, I will be highlighting intriguing industry stories and breaking news. Seeing as /Film is primarily a film website (duh), the focus here will primarily be on narrative-driven games, interactive drama, and IP tie-ins. Nevertheless, let’s get into our first roundup, which is a big one considering The Game Awards took place a few days ago and provided a number of tantalizing stories.
In this first edition of Gaming Bits:
- The Game Awards
- Cloud Chamber developing a new Bioshock
- Ghost of Tsushima gets an impressive new trailer
- Resident Evil 3 Remake in development and already has a release date
- Information on new consoles
- And more!
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Video games are not required to be fun in a traditional sense. They just aren’t. So, if the entertainment medium is ever going to evolve artistically rather than stagnate and regress with the zombified fad of online competitive multiplayer, money pit loot boxes, time-wasting mobile games, and the first-person shooter obsession that has oversaturated the market more than superhero films could ever do for the movie industry, it’s going to take an awakening from consumers that gaming, even at 61 years old, is still in its infancy having nowhere near tapped into its unprecedented potential as a legitimate art form.
Not to go on a lengthy detour regarding the mixed critical and commercial reception Hideo Kojima’s (instantly recognizable for the iconic Metal Gear Solid franchise and his status as one of gaming’s only true auteurs) latest masterful accomplishment Death Stranding has received, but it’s difficult to accept that many of its naysayers went in to the 50-plus hour experience with the notion presented above: gaming does not and should not be limited to conventional methods of entertainment or whatever is trending, or what’s to be expected from a mainstream AAA blockbuster title.
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It’s a given that biopics adhere to real life closely but also take creative liberties in order to (hopefully) streamline the experience for great dramatic effect within a two-hour running time. Fighting With My Family is no exception, and it is very accurate, with only a few understandably tweaked elements.
Written and directed by Stephen Merchant (and based on the Channel 4 documentary of the same name that should absolutely be sought out after watching the movie and reading this), the professional wrestling-centered film tells the story of the Knight family, an unorthodox bunch of eccentrically charming British performers from Norwich, Norfolk who run their own independent wrestling league (World Association of Wrestling). The film specifically focuses on daughter Paige (birth name Saraya-Jade Bevis), who finds herself entering the world of professional wrestling.
Let’s take a look at the fact and fiction of Fighting With My Family. What actually happened? What was created for a the movie?
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Putting it bluntly, it’s difficult to get excited anytime Hollywood wants to trot out a narrative on disabilities nowadays, especially as someone born and living with Muscular Dystrophy Type 2. They are stubbornly set on staying the feel-good course without necessarily saying anything meaningful or relevant. If you thought Green Book had nothing but safe and obvious observations, tackling race relations with the force of bopping someone on the head with your finger, well, the disabled community doesn’t currently have any better stories with movies like The Upside.
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