Tag Archives: urban metaphor

Ten years ago- Batman Arkham City released

In this game, has The Dark Knight become (dare we say it) too dark?

Batman: Arkham City Review – Rated T (for Xbox and Play Station)

Welcome ! I am going to begin this review with a confession: I am a retro gaming fan and somehow have missed out on a number of wonderfully aging titles. In fact, I had never played Batman: Arkham Asylum. It’s not that I was never interested, in fact quite the opposite, but our paths just never seemed to cross. Before beginning Batman: Arkham City I figured it was best to equip myself with some knowledge of its precursor. With an effortless search of Google I quickly found myself lowering my head in shame for all that I had missed out on. Nevertheless, I managed to convince myself that this was an opportunity to go against the grain, travel the road less traveled and yes, play out of sequence!

And so begins the adventure and the review. . .

After reading the necessary details and other reviews for Batman: Arkham Asylum I had a pretty good hunch that it’s follow up, Batman: Arkham City would be nothing short of fantastic. This game is a true indication of how far video games and their technology have come and the possibilities that still remain. Now, I could dive in to the guts of the game and discuss graphics, weaponry and overall gameplay but that would be jumping on the band wagon (which I’ve already determined is not my game plan). Instead, I feel there is something else that stands out above all other criteria: the theme of filth and decay. Darkness and death consumes Arkham City, its people and even Batman himself.

From the game’s beginning we are placed in a world that is full of shadows, crime in every dark corner, filth and grime smeared on every surface yet somewhere, within this dismal world, an intricate story unfolds.

A section of Gotham city has been walled off and is home to some of the city’s worst criminals and madmen, each of whom are fighting for power and fighting each other for it. With only a few far fetches Batman: Arkham City represents a world not unlike our own.

Take Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,  for example.

It has its own areas of the city that are run down, considered ‘ghetto’ and known for acts of crime. Imagine if the mayor decided to build a wall around these areas and seclude them. The people within those walls are now left to fend for themselves – finding their own food, shelter, warmth and safety. It is only a matter of time before those communities begin to deteriorate more and more in to a state of delusional chaos. Stores shut down and become abandoned, buildings are neglected and covered in graffiti, and even the weeds are breathing new life now that there is no city maintenance.

If you can imagine such a scenario and the feeling that one might experience living in such a place, then you now know what playing Batman: Arkham City is like. I think that’s part of the reason why I enjoyed this game so much. Unlike almost every other video game, I could actually see Arkham city as a feasible scenario within our own world, hell, our own city! Furthermore, this allowed me to really sink my gaming fingers into Batman’s character and get a feel for what it might be like to be the cape crusader of Steel Town.

Some of the greatest things about Batman are his gizmos and gadgets which I used religiously throughout the game.

Soaring high above the city and the smog I could see crimes happening and swoop in on un-expecting villains and their goons. Whether I was using my trusty zip line to quietly whiz from point A to point B or using the cover of darkness to conceal my presence, I was using my surroundings, my city – my home. Or perhaps I should say what was my city and what used to be my home. Like the city of Arkham, Batman too deteriorates as the game goes on. His suit and cape become more battered and torn the more fights he’s in and the more evil he defeats. Once again I can only draw on the parallels of our own local cities and communities. Living within the confines of a dying city is a great recipe self-deterioration both physically and mentally.

When it comes to villains, enemies and ‘bad guys’, Batman: Arkham City I applaud you.

I was happy to see appearances by the Joker, Penguin and even the Mad Hatter! However, these guys are not quite how I remember them to be from the cartoons as a kid. No, no – these ugly, vile villains are far more disturbing. Each character that we encounter looks as though they are decaying in some way, shape or form. Some have cuts and scars all over their bodies, while others are losing their minds with insanity. Some just visually look broken down, worn out and even dead (much like the city they are trying to run). Each character has their own story to tell adding to your understanding of the plot and overall game.

Now, if we take a minute, once again this is not unlike the people within our own communities. Okay, we may not have a Riddler running around town leaving giant green question marks on things or gigantic science experiments who can shoot lightning bolts at us but every person has their own background and a story. All these details help explain why they are the way they are and why they live their lives the way they do. For all we know, there are Jokers and Penguins living amongst us, walking our streets and plotting their victories. Scary thought.

Another great addition to the game is the inclusion of Cat Woman and Robin characters.

Each character has their own missions and side tasks to complete apart from Batman. The world still stays the same but the stories become completely different. For example, if you are playing as Cat Woman the side missions that the Riddler has littered all over Arkham are different yet unique to your character in comparison to the tasks given to Batman. Inevitably, you are playing an entirely different game depending on the character you choose. The upside to this is being able to play as a character that you yourself might have a better connection with. Personally, I loved playing as Batman but Cat Woman did connect with my female side and added a certain finesse to my gameplay.

Besides Catwoman, another of The Bat’s fem fatale nemesis makes an appearance in Arkham City- the lovely Harley Quinn

So, I find myself with yet another finished game to add to the shelf however, there still remains a vacant slot for which to place the predecessor of this game. Playing out sequence and blazing my own trail did not seem to hinder how I played Batman: Arkham City, in fact I was able to grab the concept of Batman: Arkham Asylum quite well with help from various hints and stories provided by characters throughout the game.

Not every video game you partake in has the ability to draw you in and allow you to become immersed in its world. Batman: Arkham City however, does just this. Every aspect within this game from the setting, the characters and the missions themselves all have incredible attention to detail, making its world more realistic.

Don’t get me wrong, I love burrowing into the world of fantasy every once and a while. I love being taken into a world where there is no comparison to the world outside my window and furthermore, fantasy worlds require you to play with a different type of gameplay and mindset. But then again, those games don’t necessarily evoke the same response or feelings that a gamer might experience while playing a game that’s hits a little closer to home. The realistic components to Batman: Arkham City is what did it for me. The frightening parallels, the visuals and the overall story within this game gave me goose bumps.

If there are two pieces of advice I can give to my fellow retro gamers it is this: I encourage you to do as I did and every once in a while throw caution to the wind. Play to the tune of your own gamer heart and don’t be afraid to start in act three in a five act play. Also, don’t hesitate to drench yourself in all that an old video game has to offer. Take your time, smell the fumes of sewer smog and embrace the dark shadows that lurk in every corner. After all, you’re Batman – you laugh in the face of danger.
For the Silo, Holly LaRue.

Bollywood Movies Popular In GTA

The importance of Toronto for the world movie industry is becoming more and more substantial. It has already gained the nickname “Hollywood North“ and now the major Indian film studios are tightening their co-operation with the city of Toronto. More and more Bollywood movies are being shot in Toronto, a huge number of Torontonian cinemas screen Bollywood movies, and even this year’s International Indian Film Academy Award celebration Silo Direct Link to Intern’l Indian Film Academy Award Video took place in Toronto. It won’t be a surprise if Toronto becomes “Bollywood West” in a few years.

Not sure what “Bollywood” means? Here’s a quick refresher: Silo Direct Link to Wiki’s Bollywood Def’n

The Front Page from the Sun- Bollywood North. The GTA has embraced the Indian film industry

Cinemas Showing Bollywood Movies in Toronto and the GTA
Golden Eye Media Cinemas Silo Direct Link to Golden Eye Cinemas
Golden Eye Media Cinemas include three very similar cinemas located in different parts of Toronto and the GTA. Albion Cinemas are located right in the centre of Etobicoke at the Albion Centre (1530 Albion Road Etobicoke). Woodside Cinemas can be found in east Toronto in the Woodside Square Shopping Centre (1571 Sandhurst Circle Scarborough). Bayfield Cinemas are located in Bayfield Mall (320 Bayfield Street) in Barrie.

Ticket prices in all three cinemas are very reasonable, and parking is free. If you want to see the latest and most popular Bollywood movies with your family, Golden Eye Cinemas are just what you’re looking for. It’s very easy to find them, and there are many different restaurants near each one where you can find something to eat after the show.

Cineplex Theatres
Cineplex cinemas  Silo Direct Link to Cineplex Theatres

Cineplex cinemas have been playing Bollywood movies since the ‘90s and are very popular among Torontonian Bollywood movie lovers. Chief executive officer of Cineplex Theatres Ellis Jacob expressed his ambition to continue to screen Bollywood movies in a recent interview for The Globe and Mail, “We’ve been committed to it as a company for the longest time… There’s a great desire for us to continue to grow that business.” There were no doubts that Cineplex would be the main cinema partner of the 2011 IIFA film festival.

If you want to enjoy Bollywood movies with great sound and screen quality, visit one of these theatres: Sheppard Grande Toronto (4861 Yonge Street, Toronto, (416) 590-9974), SilverCity Brampton (50 Great Lakes Drive, Brampton, (905) 789-6797), Coliseum Scarborough (Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Drive, Scarborough, (416) 290-5217), or Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre (22 Lebovic Avenue, Toronto, (416) 752-4494).

Silo Direct Link to AMC Theatres

This huge cinema chain has been regularly showing Bollywood movies for the past several years. Watching Bollywood dancing and singing on a gigantic screen in an AMC cinema is a great experience, and you’ll definitely love it unless you prefer smaller independent cinemas. If you’re ready for a huge dose of Bollywood, visit one of these AMC theatres: AMC Courtney Park Mississauga (110 Courtney Park Drive E, Mississauga), AMC Kennedy Common Scarborough (33 William Kitchen Road, Scarborough), AMC Winston Churchill Oakville (2081 Winston Park Drive,
Oakville), or AMC Yonge and Dundas Toronto (10 Dundas Street East, Toronto).

The Queen and Dalton McGuinty at the Bollywood North celebration 2011

Bollywood Movies Shot in Toronto
We’ve already mentioned that Toronto is a famous location for Bollywood movie producers. Let’s see in which parts of Toronto the most famous Bollywood movies were shot. The centre of the city (e.g. Yonge Street) is the most common place where movies are shot in Toronto, thanks to low production costs and Toronto’s resemblance to any other bigger city. This is also the case of Bollywood/Hollywood (2002) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Another very popular Bollywood movie, Thank You (2011), was shot at Toronto’s Flatiron Building, the Air Canada Centre, and Niagara Falls. There are many other spots in Toronto where parts of Bollywood movies were shot; the most common are St. Jamestown, University of Toronto, and the Old and New City Halls.

Bollywood Movie Rentals

One can easily recognize that there’s a strong community of approximately 550,000 Indian people living in Toronto and the GTA, thanks to the abundance of Indian restaurants, bistros, shops, dance schools, etc. However, it’s quite a surprise that it’s so easy to find a Bollywood movie rental in almost every neighbourhood in Toronto. They’re usually small, hidden shops with an astonishing collection of Bollywood flicks. If you want to have a Bollywood movie night in your home, try one of these rental shops: Bollywood ‘N Varieties (25 Overlea Boulevard), Bollywood 4 U (683 Markham Street), R K’s Bollywood Entertainment (1395 Queen Street W), Bollywood DvD Center (31 Street Dennis Drive, North York), Fieldgate Video (2465 Cawthra Rd.,Unit 127, Mississauga), or Golden Groceries Silo Direct Link to Golden Groceries  (2975 Drew Rd. Mississauga; 5995 14th Ave. Unit A-1, Bldg. A, Markham; 305 Charolais Blvd. Brampton; 4525 Ebeneyer Rd., Brampton, Cottrelle Blvd. Brampton).

For the Silo, Jamie Sarner.