February 19, 2014 Arts and Entertainment 15
washburnreview.org
Recovering from “Winter’s Tale” compels audience, which overcomes harsh criticism Flappy Bird-flu Andrew Escandon
WASHBURN REVIEW
“This is stupid,” is a common first response to Flappy Bird, a notoriously simple, mobile game made for Apple and Android users. This response is typically followed with “Help me; I can’t stop” and involuntary spasms when not playing. In the game, one tries to navigate a poorly-animated bird through a series of pipes by tapping on the screen. The bird rises with each tap, and falls in between taps. If the player waits too long to tap, the bird plummets to the ground—or into a pipe—and he or she must start over. The first question is: Is this even a game? Yes and no. Given the complete absence of a strategic or critical thinking component, I would have to say no, this is not a game by modern standards. In an age of highly detailed, three-dimensional games with realistic physics, it seems counterintuitive that there would be a place for this pixelated, avian oddity. Over 50 million people downloaded the game following its release. Then, according to an interview with Forbes, the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen, suddenly decided to remove the game from online app stores, citing the game’s addictive properties. So just what, exactly, is behind Flappy Bird’s widespread popularity? Simplicity is the obvious answer—simplicity in both
aesthetic and function. Not only is Flappy Bird reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros game for Nintendo, but it takes us back to the days when all players cared about was the number counter in the top corner of the screen. It strips away all other frivolous things like levels or characters or turning (why would you take away turning?) so that one can focus solely on what is truly important—beating others’ scores. What is more, is this competition can become internalized with the player’s focus shifting toward beating his own score. This mindset can lead to a self-defeating attitude based on unrealistic expectations. For instance, if a player achieves a high score, he expects himself to always perform at that level; if he does not, he feels dissatisfied. The biggest problem with Flappy Bird is that it feeds off a player’s innate desire for competition. Perhaps it is because we are biologically wired to be competitve. If a friend gets past one set of pipes, a player will naturally want to get past two, and so on. Perhaps it is because we crave the social reward for having achieved a high score. The important thing is for the individual to not allow themselves to be consumed by the game. Don’t forget there is a life outside of that four-inch screen.
Andrew Escandon, andrew.escandon@washburn.edu, is a senior creative advertisingw major. R O
Keely
Jacqui Savage
WASHBURN REVIEW
This past weekend I went to see the movie “Winter’s Tale.” Before watching the movie, I checked out the trailer and the reviews to get an idea of what I should expect. Based on what I saw and read I was thinking I wouldn’t like the movie at all. However, I decided to give it a chance anyway. Jessica Brown Findlay, who formerly played Sybil in Downton Abbey, plays the lead female role in Winter’s Tale as Beverly Penn. She is stunningly beautiful and a believable actress. Russell Crowe plays a demon named Pearly Soames who spends most of the movie trying to catch Peter Lake, a thief who attempts to steal Beverly’s heart, played by Colin Farrell. As usual, Farrell does a superb job as leading man. The movie follows Peter Lake,who, as a baby was placed into a little boat and left to float at sea. He ends up washed on land, and is taken in by Pearly Soames who, we find out through dialogue, trained him for a life of crime. Lake eventually quits working for Soames and is constantly on the run. With a nudge from the magical white horse, Lake ends up stopping to break into a wealthy residence and unexpectedly meets the beautiful Penn who ends up, even after knowing he is a thief, asking him for tea. Penn is a beautiful, classy, talented, piano-playing redhead that looks at life in a positive manner even though she’s dying of consumption. Lake quickly changes his mind about stealing
Photo courtesy of http://cdn4.moviemagik.in
Shakespeare Strikes Again: Winter’s Tale premiered in theatres on Valentine’s Day, 2014. The movie grossed $8 million in its opening weekend. though there were a few little things that could be questioned. For example, towards the end of
“And they’ll vote for me because I’m the best liar, because I do it honestly, with a certain finesse. They know that lies and truth are very close, and that something beautiful rests between.” -Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale
by
Jane Martin
& DU
*for mature audiences
February 21, 22, 28 & March 1 @ 7:30 and March 2 @ 2:00
tickets available @ box office 1 hr prior to performance students, staff & faculty - free w/ID general admission - $8
from this woman and her family after meeting her results in falling in love with her. I, like many other viewers, were surprised that the plot involved much more than the romance, especially since the previews primarily focuses on the romance side of the story. So some could be confused to find time travel, demons, angels and a flying horse. And I was shocked to see Lucifer being played by Will Smith wearing earrings and a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. I was surprised I liked the movie;
the movie, one of the characters looks around 80, yet according to the timeline she should have technically been 110. Someone actually paying attention to the math could find himself uttering “Huh?” But that minor “huh” moment is quickly lost with the beauty and magic of the story. After all, the movie is about miracles, right? So perhaps this could be possible. Basically anyone with a good imagination should have no problem filling in
any holes. And anyone believing in the battle of good versus evil, love at first sight and miracles should have no problem following this movie. I was given the impression by the reviews that the main characters wouldn’t have chemistry, the story line would be hard to follow and it was not worth watching so I went to this movie expecting not to like it. However, I was surprisingly pleased with it and will probably watch it again. What I learned most from “Winter’s Tale” was that you can’t always trust the reviews.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Jacqui Savage, jacqueline.savage@washburn.edu, is a junior mass media major.