The Music of Bioshock: Infinite

A while back, I posted about the music of Portal 2, and talked about how composer Mike Morasky tapped into the rich environment of Aperture Science’s labs to create an immersive gaming experience. Well, I’m here to say that Bioshock: Infinite, like Portal 2, owes a significant amount of its appeal to its ingenious soundtrack.

Columbia: a city in the sky

Quick summary: The year is 1912. Booker DeWitt, a former member of the Pinkertons, receives a mysterious message telling him to retrieve a girl in order to wipe away his gambling debts. He soon finds himself in the floating city of Columbia, a seemingly idyllic society founded on a deified version of American history. The longer Booker stays in Columbia, the more he dark secrets he uncovers about the city and about himself.

The music is the work of Gary Schyman, the composer for Bioshock and Bioshock 2. And, like the soundtracks for the first two games, Infinite’s soundtrack is a pleasing mélange of atmospheric, mood-setting pieces and clever adaptations of modern songs.

Two original tracks that stood out to me in particular were “Lutece” and “The Songbird.” The first plays whenever the Lutece twins appear, and invariably signals a quirky, enigmatic twist in the game’s plotline. The bouncy accordion notes and playfully plucked strings match the witty repartee between the two characters. “The Songbird,” on the other hand, has a discordant, pulsating beat that sets the listener on edge, which is exactly what it’s supposed to do. This percussive alarm is first heard during an intense mid-air battle and crops up again in different fight scenes.

The game is also filled with a stunning variety of modern songs that are inserted into the game in clever ways. Whether you walk past a barbershop quartet performing The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” or catch a calliope version of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” at a carnival, you’re bound to be floored by these brilliantly re-versioned songs. The delightful thing about these contemporary songs is that they directly tie in to various themes and characters in the game, making it clear just how much thought went into the song selection.

What strikes me about Bioshock: Infinite’s soundtrack is that it didn’t have to be nearly as creative and inventive as it was. As a first-person shooter, music isn’t exactly the game’s focus. Regardless, Gary Schyman pulled no punches, and the result is a thoroughly nuanced score that adds another layer to an already complex game.

-Alyssa

May: The Month of Movies

Let’s talk about how I absolutely cannot wait for May to get here.

This feeling of dizzy anticipation is nothing new to me. As a child, the month of May was a promise of wonderful things to come: the end of the school year, my birthday, and the beginning of summer vacation.

But there is another reason I have always welcomed the coming of this glorious month: the start of the summer movie season.

As we all know, summer is a time to retreat into cool, dark theatres and take refuge from the sweltering sun. It’s a time to relax, sip sodas, and enjoy a mindless action flick.

This year’s outlook is promising, as there appears to be a slew of exiting movies ahead. Here are the ones debuting in May that have caught my interest.

Iron Man 3
I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of Iron Man 2. The villain bored me, the minor characters grated on my nerves, and Tony’s character shift from loveable jerk to outright asshole was not an enjoyable experience. However, the trailers for the newest installment have gotten me intrigued despite all this. I’m pleased that the director and writers are building off of the events of The Avengers in order to develop Tony’s character further. After a near-death experience and an alien attack on Manhattan, he is understandably shaken and driven to protect what he cares about. We shall see whether Ben Kingsley’s turn as the terroristic, growly-voiced Mandarin works or just feels like a knock-off of Bane, a DC villain with some similar traits.
Release date: May 3 (USA)

Star Trek: Into Darkness
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely ecstatic about this one. I adored Abram’s first stab at the Star Trek franchise in 2009 and cannot wait to see what he’ll do with the sequel. Each trailer looks more intense and dire, thanks largely to the glimpses we’re getting at Benedict Cumberbatch’s villainous character.  With its all but perfect casting, brilliant scoring by Michael Giacchino, and gorgeous action sequences, this one is sure to please nerds like me (and everyone else, too, I suppose).
Release date: May 17 (USA)

The Great Gatsby
I’ve had my eye on this movie for quite some time. It was supposed to come out last year, but got pushed to May. As one of the few people I know who actually enjoyed reading the book, I was appalled by the uninspired 1974 version starring Robert Redford that my high school English teacher made us watch. The trailers for this new film promise a flashy, glamorous Baz Luhrmann experience, which is truer to the spirit of the Roaring 20’s and the outrageous parties that the title character hosts at his manor in East Egg. Leonardo DiCaprio has the talent to capture the depth of Gatsby’s character and Luhrmann is passionate enough to make this work.
Release date: May 10 (USA)

So, yeah. I’m stoked. Just one more month to go!

-Alyssa

St. Patrick’s Day pick: Waking Ned Devine (1998)

If you’re looking for a movie to get you in the Irish spirit for St. Paddy’s Day, I’ve got a suggestion for you. It’s funny, heartfelt, and charming, and I feel that more people ought to know about it.

Waking Ned Devine is set in a little Irish village called Tully More, where the elderly Ned Devine wins the lottery, but dies from the shock of it. The rest of the village then elects Michael O’Sullivan (David Kelly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) to impersonate the deceased Ned, collect the winnings, and split it amongst the members of the village.

Much of the film’s appeal lies in its simplicity. In contrast to most films nowadays, it has virtually no special effects. Its plot, however whimsical, is grounded in the simple lives of the folks of Tully More. The lush landscapes and traditional music round out the film, making it a treat to watch again and again.

This is one the whole family can enjoy, though it may be a little slow-paced for the younger ones. I’d recommend it to anyone in need of a smile.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Sláinte!

-Alyssa

Much Ado About Nothing trailer (finally!)

After many grueling months of having nothing but a sparse imdb entry to its name, there finally exists a trailer for Joss Whedon’s passion project, Much Ado About Nothing.

The film, shot entirely at Whedon’s home in Santa Monica over a period of 12 days, is slated to hit U.S. theaters this June.

I am and have been excited for this film. I will list a few reasons why.

Joss Whedon. Nathan Fillion. Shakespeare. Filming in black and white. Agent Coulson. BriTANick.

Knowing Whedon’s love of wit and banter, I’m willing to bet that he and the Bard will prove to be a match made in heaven. Like chicken and waffles. Or Nutella and everything. Food metaphors are all I’ve got right now. I think I’m hungry.

-Alyssa

Thoughts on the 85th Academy Awards

So, the 85^th Academy Awards were last night. It was a night of glitz and pomp, and I mean that in the best way. All lame jokes and awkward slip-ups aside, the Academy Awards are a night of celebration for all things cinematic.

Because I’m sure you all know who won last night (and if you don’t, you can see the list of winners here), I’ll just give a short list of my thoughts on the awards show. And I’ll share a cool video, too.

Likes

• That Skyfall won Oscars at all. It’s good to know that a high-grossing film (and a Bond film besides) isn’t automatically snubbed by the Academy.

• The cast of Les Mis singing “One Day More.” Les Mis wasn’t my favorite film of the year by a long shot, but damn, this was a goosebump-inducing performance.

• Jennifer Lawrence winning Best Actress for her powerful performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Though it also would’ve been neat for the 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis to take home the award.

• Argo winning Best Picture. I can’t think of any other film that literally had me on the edge of my seat as I watched it. Incredible film. Also, Ben Affleck’s acceptance speech was adorable.

Dislikes

• The tribute to 50 years of James Bond felt kind of… lacking. I know I’m not the only one who was expecting a Bond reunion. How cool would it have been to see Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, et. al sharing the stage together?

• Brave winning Best Animated Feature. I was disappointed to see the award go to a mediocre (albeit gorgeously-animated) Disney-Pixar flick. Personally, I would’ve liked to see any of the three stop-motion features win it (ParaNorman had my vote). Given the high quality of the nominees this year, I would have been happy with just about any other pick besides Brave.

• The pick for Best Original Screenplay. Because I felt that Moonrise Kingdom was one of the best films of 2012, I think it should’ve gotten this award, along with a few more nominations.

Although the night has passed and the awards have been, er, awarded, I thought this video by Nelson Carvajal was worth sharing.  It’s a wordless tribute to all of the Best Picture winners up to 2011 that ends with the question of which film will be next. Even though we all know the answer now, this video is sure to appeal to the cinephile in all of us.

-Alyssa

Pluto, the day of love, and rock stars

This Valentine’s Day, instead of naming a star after your loved one, how about naming a cold, distant asteroid caught in the orbit of a dwarf planet after them?

Better yet, name two cold, distant asteroids caught in the orbit of a dwarf planet after them!

Okay, I kid. But seriously, two new moons were discovered orbiting Pluto! The SETI Institute has released a poll letting people vote on names for these guys. And you can vote for more than one name, once every day!

I dunno, “P4″ and “P5″ have a pretty nice ring to them…

Before you think about naming these rocks “Mickey” and “Minnie” (or “Colbert”), remember that the science guys are kind of set on sticking to this whole “Greek Underworld” theme. That being said, there are some pretty good names here. Personally, I like the idea of naming the pair “Orpheus” and “Eurydice,” after the man who went into the Underworld to save his wife.

I also like “Persephone,” since she was captured by Hades and taken down into the Underworld—kind of like the how Pluto pulled these rocks into its orbit. Also, it’s the name of a planet on the show Firefly, so that’s another plus.

Also, there are some names here that I’m sure had gravitas back in Ancient Times, but are now giggle-worthy thanks to pop culture. There’s “Styx” for all you who want to be the first to name a moon after a band (too late, Freddie Mercury already has a planet), and there’s “Vulcan,” which I would vote for on the condition that the other moon be named “Romulus.”

Okay, enough silliness. This is Science, after all. Serious business.

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day.

-Alyssa

Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing “Little Drummer Boy”

I never would have thought to pair these two together for a duet, but in 1977, old and new talent combined to create this lovely piece.

Bowie’s plaintive tenor blends with Bing’s mellow baritone to remarkable effect. This has been stuck in my head all day, and now I’ll share it with you all!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

-Alyssa