By George Chrysostomou.

As we enter the wild time of year known as Comic Con, where movies, TV shows and games are sold to us through every possible shameless means, it became apparent to me that nearly all of the content on offer for the next few years, rely on one very important thing. Continuity.

Each blockbuster franchise, such as the DCCU, MCU, Dark Universe, Star Trek, Star Wars Godzillaverse and so on, all rely on continuity to tell their stories. Fans are drawn to this continuation of themes, character arcs, world building and consistent easter eggs, which bind these films together. The same can of course be said about TV shows, with the CW endlessly linking together their programming, Game of Thrones telling a huge arced narrative with many moving pieces, Doctor Who dealing with generations of lore and Better Call Saul building on the Breaking Bad world. But, why do we care so much about continuity? Could it not be argued that a standalone film with no other ties has more potential for creative freedom and therefore greater quality? Or, is continuity the last piece of the puzzle that entices audiences to keep coming back?

The Benefits of Continuity

Continuity has a lot of perks it has to be said. Used in the right way, it can produce a continuation of a narrative thread, creating a world that feels a little more three-dimensional and real. This sort of thread can be used across singular films, multiple movies or across seasons of a TV show. Continuity can be used as a great call back to a joke, like the slapping bet in How I Met Your Mother, or just as a nice little nod to the hardcore fans; seen in pretty much any comic book movie.

But for me the biggest benefit of continuity is based within story. Continuity allows you to understand a characters growth and understand the lore of the world they are living in. It creates a connection between fictional character and audience that may not have been there before. Continuity allows for real stakes to be had in all situations and shows a characters development. There is a point to each and every decision they make and this continuity continues throughout the rest of the show or film series. For instance, take the development of Tony Stark in the MCU. From movie to movie he has made many mistakes culminating in Captain America: Civil War, where those mistakes must be owned and can no longer be justified. That movie therefore gains more emotional weight for that particular character; their journey to that point can only truly be understood by the multiple films before.

The same can be said with a TV show such as Game of Thrones, whose character continuity has been impressive throughout its 6 seasons. It has continuously had to juggle with an increasing roster of characters, giving them suitable air time and allowing each of their own individual stories to feel complete. They do this for every major and minor character, bringing back obscurer people in order to create a larger world and wrap up the story for the fans who cared for that individual.  This has been done for characters such as Rickon and Osha and fans are hoping the same can be said for Gendry in series 7.

The Drawbacks of Continuity

Continuity sometimes limits the story being told however. It puts a writer into a box; not allowing them to write anything that contradicts the lore of the universe they are writing in. This is a problem James Gunn recently came across for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, claiming that he would have to break continuity from his first film in order to create the newest edition of the beloved series. Doctor Who has experienced the same problem for many years, although often getting away with ret-conning various details through the wibbly wobbly timey wimey nature of the show.

It also creates the risk of a character becoming stale. Perhaps a writer wants them to move in a certain direction but cannot due to the contradictions it would create within the characters overall journey. This may mean that the longevity of a character is weakened although good writing can often get around this particular flaw. A James Bond type character for instance though, has very little room to manoeuvre. Everyone knows how the British Spy would react in certain situations, giving no room to allow the story to play out differently. It has been speculated recently that Bond 25 will play more upon 007’s childhood and journey to becoming the man we find in the other entries to the franchise. This is one such clever way of writing around the limitations of the character, creating an entirely new sandbox to play in, with a younger and perhaps altered version of the character.

Is it worth it?

Despite its limitations and bonuses, there is one thing that matters to many of these Comic Con marketers and that is money. Continuity allows for sequels and spin offs and world building for fans to continually invest into. It leads to merchandise and connections to unique heroes and villains. Therefore, for them continuity is worth it, as it has proven to be a financial and often critical success time and again, leading to the universe building era we have entered today.

No matter what kind of service you’re talking about, there is always a sense of exclusivity when some features are only available for the users that pay. With a distinct delimitation between the free and paid version of any type of software, it can get quite frustrating to know that you’re missing out on some cool features just because you’re not willing to pay for the whole package.

However, those that use PDF as their main text format know that the service comes with the best perks. There are many things that make the perks granted by using PDF the best, but one of the most important is the fact that they’re available for everyone using PDF.

Free to use

What other perk can represent the spirit of “free” better than the actual fact that PDF is free for anyone to use. There are many PDF software solutions out so you can have your pick of the litter. So if for instance you want to install Soda PDF, all you have to do is visit sodapdf and get it in a couple of clicks. This kind of accessibility is one of the best things about PDF in general.

Universal formatting is the best

With other text document editing formats, people usually need to have the same software as you if you are going to send them something to read or edit. This can be a big inconvenience. But with PDF, they can use whatever software they want. It’s the kind of freedom that you can’t ask more of. It’s great when you can just send somebody something without having to worry about them being able to read it or work on it. People on deadlines will especially appreciate this one.

Password protection

Are you paranoid about people reading your documents or your computer getting hacked? Put a password on your PDF files so that nobody will access them without your approval. Other file formats don’t offer this type of feature and that’s one of the things that puts PDF miles ahead of its competition. It’s just so easy to put a password on your file and then just go about your business.

Online compatibility and full access

There are many tools and software solutions that you can use to completely revolutionize and enhance your PDF experience but if all you have is a simple digital device (computer, phone, tablet) and a PDF file, you have access to all the features that you will probably need. You can even access PDF documents using the internet browser. How many more text formats can you say that about?

Not having to buy, download and install anything that you don’t want to for the format to be fully functional is the greatest perk.

Neil Gaiman’s incomparable novel, ‘American Gods’, tells the story of Shadow Moon, a small-time thief newly released from prison and recast as a grieving husband who soon finds himself in the employ of the irascible Mr Wednesday.

Beloved by fan and critic alike, the novel has now found its way to the screen in the breathtaking form of Bryan Fuller’s American Gods, available on digital platforms from July 24^th, and on Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD from July 31^st. Proving that creative energy, invention and a passion for pushing the realms of episodic TV can conquer anything, Fuller’s absorbing, outlandish and wildly entertaining vision has proved to be more than match for Gaiman (who, along with screenwriter James Green, has had a hand in the show’s journey to screens). The results are quite simply astonishing, essential television but with a peerless ensemble cast of famous faces, newcomers would be forgiven for being diverted by a round of ‘where do I know that face?’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmZN8vIRiDE

Step forward us to save you a job – here’s an introduction to the familiar faces in the box set of the year!

Ricky Whittle is Shadow Moon

Shadow Moon is released from prison to a life turned upside down — no wife, no job, and no bearings. He is offered a job by Mr. Wednesday as a bodyguard, and as they journey across America, Shadow finds himself questioning a world where gods exist and magic is real.

Where you’ve seen him before: 35-year old Ricky Whittle started his professional life as a model for Reebok back in 2000 before catching his big break as Calvin Valentine on Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (where he first became accustomed to and extremely comfortable with taking his top off at the drop of a hat). Five years in the suburbs of Chester was plenty for Whittle, though, and he left these shores to find his fame and fortune in the States. Roles in NCIS and Mistresses soon saw US casting directors take notice, leasing to a recurring role on sci-fi series The 100 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ian McShane is Mr Wednesday

Mr. Wednesday, a crafty and endlessly charismatic con man, is full of perverse wisdom, curious magic, and grand plans to unite the Old Gods in a battle for power against the New Gods.

Where you’ve seen him before: Ian McShane has been acting since 1960s, with early appearances including Z Cars and an adaptation of Wuthering Heights (where he played Heathcliff, naturally). Gradually wending his way into the national consciousness through seminal appearances in Roots and Jesus of Nazareth, McShane cemented his status as national treasure with the lead role in the much-loved Sunday night drama, Lovejoy, a gig that also saw doors open in America, with attention grabbing performances soon following in the epic War & Remembrance and even Dallas. Deadwood, the critically adored Western series, saw McShane enjoy something of a renaissance, with blockbusters such as Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Snow White And The Huntsman bolstering an already enviable profile. He teamed with Ryan Murphy (alongside Bryan Fuller, TV’s other great wunderkind) for American Horror Story and impressed further in Ray Donovan, John Wick  and Game Of Thrones before landing arguably his most perfect role to date as the enigmatic Wednesday.

Emily Browning is Laura Moon

Laura Moon is Shadow Moon’s ethereal wife. She dies unexpectedly just before Shadow’s release from prison. Little does she know that her untimely death will lead her to an epiphany about her relationship and afford her a second chance to make amends.

Where you’ve seen her before: Hailing from Australia, Browning first stood out to an international audience in the Billy Connolly vehicle The Man Who Sued God, before going even more mainstream in b-movie treat, Ghost Ship. Fortunately, quality prevailed before long and Browning took the role of Violet in the acclaimed Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events. Blood and guts have never been far away in her career, though, with The Uninvited and mega-flop Sucker Punch both ultimately standing her in good stead for the magical world of American Gods, but a breathtaking performance in Krays drama Legend made the world take notice – and Laura Moon is set to see her repeat that trick in spades.

Gillian Anderson is Media

The living embodiment of mass media and entertainment, Media has been around for a long time, although not as long as the Old Gods. She began to thrive when entertainment began to cause mass effects as far back as the 1930s with Orson Welles’ panic-inducing broadcast of War Of The Worlds.

Where you’ve seen her before: Anderson needs little introduction thanks to her defining role as Dana Scully in Chris Carter’s massively influential The X-Files. The series kicked off in 1993 and has so far garnered two big screen outings and a further limited series (with more to come). But Anderson’s career post-X-Files has been even more interesting, with Bleak House, The Last King Of Scotland and the simply brilliant The Fall marking her out as perhaps the actress of her generation. Anderson also teamed up with Bryan Fuller to complete a staggering turn as Doctor Du Maurier, an experience that clearly set a fantastic partnership in motion if her performance as Media in American Gods is anything to go by.

Pablo Schreiber is Mad Sweeney

Mad Sweeney, a down-on-his-luck leprechaun, is having a hard time understanding how he lost his charm and way. Always up for a good fight, Sweeney is never deprived while in the employment of Mr. Wednesday.

Where you’ve seen him before: You’d be forgiven for thinking Orange Is The New Black was Pablo (brother of Liev) Schreiber’s big break but the truth is this 6’5 tall star has quite the career. Peaking early with The Wire, he went on to ratchet up further appearances in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Numb3rs and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia before hitting pay dirt again in Weeds, The Brink and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Netflix’s prison drama gave Schreiber his first real chance to grand stand, though, with George ‘Pornstache’ Mendez marking him out as one to watch – and leading directly to a barnstorming, electric performance as Mad Sweeney, the down-on-his-luck leprechaun so determined to recover his lucky coin at any cost.

Crispin Glover is Mr World

The leader of the New Gods, Mr World represents globalisation and all that entails. Unhinged and unpredictable, his power relies on global acceptance of the importance of the whole.

Where you’ve seen him before: Crispin Glover is the rarest kind of screen presence. An early appearance in Friday The 13^th: The Final Chapter prepared no-one for the series of leftfield choices he would go on to make. Most UK audiences would recognise him as Marty McFly’s dad from Back To The Future and a few might also call him out as The Thin Man from Charlie’s Angels but it’s undoubtedly his indefinable presence in more out-there films such as Willard, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Even Cow Girls Get The Blues that has resulted in his fans being closer to acolytes than anything else.

Cloris Leachman is Zorya Vechernyaya

Zorya Vechernyaya is one of the Old Gods, and comes from Slavic mythology. She represents the Evening Star, Mercury, and has two sisters, Zorya Utrennyaya (the Morning Star) and Zorya Polunochnaya (the Midnight Star).

Where have you seen her before: Cloris Leachman is the American national treasure you love, even if you don’t realise it. A jobbing TV actress in the late 1940s and 1950s, she cropped up in Lassie, Rawhide and The Virginian before really hitting her stride in the late 1970s following an appearance in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. Appearing as Phyllis in Mary Tyler Moore and her very own spin-off, Phyllis, Leachman became a fully-fledged TV icon thanks to her roles in The Facts of Life, The Nutt House and even the much-loved Ellen. Her career took something of a post-modern turn in the 1990s thanks to turns on Beavis and Butthead and even if you don’t know her face, you’ve heard her voice on anything from The Croods through to Phineas And Ferb.

Peter Stormare is Czernobog

The embodiment of a ‘black god’ from 12^th century Slavic folklore, Czernobog is one half of the bad and the good, his opposite number affecting a positive balance to his dark outlook.

Where you’ve seen him before: Peter Stormare is easily one of the most terrifying actors of his generation. Swedish in origin, he’s taken an imposing frame and face and turned it into an industry, appearing (usually as a bad’un) in projects as diverse as The Big Lebowski, Minority Report and Constantine (delivering a uniquely terrifying take on Satan). No stranger to TV projects also, Stormare has appeared in Prison Break, Entourage and The Blacklist before taking his bow as the brutish Czernobog in American Gods

Yetide Badaki is Bilquis

Bilquis, an ancient goddess of love who craves the worship she inspired in eras long ago, is eager to find that same relevance in today’s world.

Where you’ve seen her before: Truthfully, Yetide Badaki might have grabbed one of the more headline-grabbing roles in American Gods but she’s a relative newcomer, her CV peppered with appearances in NCIS, Masters of Sex and the David Duchovny vehicle Aquarius to her name before Bilquis arrived. Something tells us we’ll be seeing plenty more from her in the future, though…

Bruce Langley is Technical Boy

Technical Boy, a New God, is purveyor of all things technology. Desperate to prove himself, and hungry for respect and power, he struggles to keep his impulsivity and petulance in check, making him dangerously unpredictable.

Where you’ve seen him before: Another newcomer, Langley takes on the role of Technical Boy with an assured touch that suggests, just like his character, that the future might just be all about him.

 

AMERICAN GODS IS AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS FROM JULY 24^TH, AND ON STEELBOOK, BLU-RAY AND DVD FROM JULY 31^ST

By Orla Smith.

Christopher Nolan doesn’t deserve his fan base.

That’s not because he isn’t great – it’s because there isn’t a film director in the world that deserves a fan base as intensely rabid as his. His supporters have been known to visit IMDB and spam his movies with ten star ratings – before they’re even released (seven of his ten features are in the site’s top 250, and Dunkirk will be quick to follow).

This cultish behaviour strays beyond the limits of what is healthy, and such fervent support can encourage some whose enthusiasm is a little more tempered to write Nolan off completely. I’ve been guilty of this in the past. He is, however, a filmmaker who is undeniably in full control of his artform. He has shaped a generation of filmmakers and film watchers. His films have even shaped the way that studios construct their trailers.

Ranking all of Christopher Nolan’s ten features is a difficult task, and one that’ll likely put a target on my back. I don’t believe that he has ever made a bad film, but I also think he has only ever made a handful of truly great films. Luckily for Nolan, those great few are brilliant enough on their own to solidify him as some kind of borderline genius. Whether his films are masterful, or mediocre, they are always daring. I’d never fault him for trying.

10. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

I won’t lie: Nolan’s Batman films are all smudged into one indistinct mess in my mind. In light of the fact that I find them almost impossible to differentiate, at two hours and forty-five minutes The Dark Knight Rises is the longest -and therefore the worst.

To elaborate: this third instalment also saw the lustre wearing off. There was no more amazement at the legitimacy that Nolan had managed to bring to the superhero genre. By 2012, we’d seen it all before, elaborated and expanded upon countless times. The Dark Knight Rises is slickly pulled off and not without merit, but it’s feels so much like a repetition of past motifs. Anne Hathaway adds bouncy to the film with her charismatic turn as Catwoman, but the thinness with which the character is written is almost insulting – particularly in a film that’s so desperate to be taken seriously.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GokKUqLcvD8

9. Insomnia (2002)

The idea at the core of Insomnia is a brilliant one: your typical crime thriller is coloured by the hazily subjective perspective of a cop suffering from insomnia. Unfortunately, it’s not one we can credit either of the Nolan brothers with; Insomnia is a remake of a 1997 Swedish film of the same name.

His previous feature, Memento, dazzled audiences with its narrative audacity, but this was an opportunity to show us how far he could go on filmmaking smarts alone. Nolan mines some cinematic value from his reheated premise, but not enough to stop you from feeling sleepy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIAVt91Eu9o

8. Following (1998)

Nolan has since become known for his mammoth runtimes, so it’s interesting to return to his first feature – the micro-budget, black and white Following – which comes in at a swift 70 minutes. Its intricate narrative jumps are a pre-requisite to Memento, and while they’re not pulled off nearly as well, Following is a nice little taster of what’s to come.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHRnYeZL5Pc

7. Batman Begins (2005)

For better or worse, we can thank Christopher Nolan for helping the superhero genre to the place that it is now. Batman Begins is the start of his infamous trilogy, which features Christian Bale in the title role.

Of the three, Batman Begins certainly comes last in the villain department. Cillian Murphy is a great actor, but there’s a reason that so few people realise that – it wasn’t until I saw the excellent BBC series Peaky Blinders that he graduated up in my mind from the status of ‘that dude who’s in all the Nolan movies’. His Scarecrow isn’t at all memorable, and he suffers even more in the shadow of Heath Ledger’s Joker, and even the amusing exuberance of Tom Hardy’s Bane. Luckily, the movie is focused on introducing its new Batman. At the time, the serious presentation was novel. Now, it’s just another origin story in a sea of many, crafted with a better eye than most.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=neY2xVmOfUM

6. The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight is considered Nolan’s crowning jewel by many of his supporters. At the very least, it’s seen as the crowning jewel of his Batman trilogy. At the risk of crucifixion, I have to admit that I don’t consider the film anything special, with the exception of one key ingredient: Heath Ledger’s Joker.

The role that won the actor a posthumous Academy Award has been immortalised in film history, and for good reason. If this film was just a supercut of all the Joker bits… the plot might not make a whole lot of sense, but I hardly think I’d care. He gives the film fun and definition. Most importantly, he makes it memorable.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXeTwQWrcwY

5. Inception (2010)

Nolan is often criticised for being ‘cold’, and it’s easiest to see why here. Inception is his slickest, glossiest film. Every edge feels like it’s been meticulously sanded down, every surface shiny and polished. It’s a puzzle box, commendable for the way it works its plot mechanics. There’s no doubt that Inception is an ingenious work of imagination, but even the drama at its centre between a dream extractor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife (Marion Cotillard) feels too rehearsed to be emotional.

Emotion isn’t what you go to Inception for though. Its intricate dream logic is a delight to watch unfold, even if it’s not all possible to comprehend. With a director as assured as Nolan, there’s a trust that gets built up – we might not understand everything he’s doing, but we feel comfortable in the knowledge that it all makes sense in his head.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoHD9XEInc0

4. Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar is Nolan’s most soulful film. It feels significant that it’s also the point at which he stopped working with long time DP Wally Pfister and switched to Hoyte van Hoytema. That marked a subtle aesthetic shift: Pfister’s lighting is slick and bold and dark. It’s impressive, but Hoytema added a more graceful beauty to Nolan’s compositions, bringing out the rugged texture of the film grain that Nolan swears by.

Interstellar is a shaggy mess of a film, and it’s also a sweeping experience. This time, the emotions are tangible. It’s the story of a father and a daughter, that gets lost in a wormhole, but never forgets where its heart is for too long. Sometimes, Nolan goes for it too much, but this – his most ambitious film – is a beast to behold. Despite its many flaws, it has stayed with me.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gieJQejbHQ

3. Dunkirk (2017)

It feels unfair to rank such a new movie amongst films that I’ve sat with for years. Like Interstellar, Dunkirk might work best as a one-time experience. After all, watching it at home will never recapture the way the seats shook with every gunshot in an IMAX theatre, or the way that Hans Zimmer’s score rattled through my bones.

Dunkirk is probably Nolan’s most well-directed film. He expertly integrates his penchant for non-linear storytelling into a visceral tale that captures the mad horror of war. It cannot surpass his two best films, because it is not a treasure whose magic can be recaptured in any viewing situation. But, it is an epic that will likely be remembered for decades to come, and it is one of the best films of the year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-eMt3SrfFU

2. Memento (2000)

When you watch Memento for the first time, it’s like cinema is revealing itself to you all over again. In 1896, a train arrived on screen and the audience ducked in fright. In 1927, The Jazz Singer was the first film with sound. In 2000, Christopher Nolan said, ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’.

Following was Nolan’s first feature, but Memento was when he truly arrived. Just like Insomnia, it’s a simple murder mystery – if it weren’t for the fact that the film is told backwards (and forwards, and every other direction imaginable). Oh, and also, the protagonist can’t remember anything that happened more than a few minutes ago. Yeah, and somehow, it works.

Put in chronological order, Memento is just business as usual – with a touch of clunky exposition thrown in for good measure. As it is, it’s a testament to the fact that it’s not the story you tell that matters, but how you tell it. Christopher Nolan has spent his whole career arguing that shuffled timeframes will always spice things up. Memento feels like his thesis statement.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq9eM4ZXRgs

1. The Prestige (2006)

Non-chronological storytelling. Dramatic lighting. Great men, with more motivational dead wives than you can shake a stick at. The Prestige is the ultimate Christopher Nolan film, articulating everything that makes him great, with all the dull parts cut out. It may be just as self serious as everything else he’s done, but this time the melodrama is all part of the fun.

It’s a film about magic tricks, and it also is one itself. Because, like every single Nolan film to date, The Prestige isn’t really about anything. There are no grand themes. It’s not particularly thought provoking, outside of the confines of its own narrative. It won’t change your life. What it is, is pure, undistilled cinema. It delights in revealing itself to you, teasing you and pulling away. Just as your eyes begin to widen, it presents its final flourish – and cuts to black.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQsIcckkaEg