STAYING IN
STAYING IN REVIEWS DVDs and games to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa DVD BOXSET TREME SEASON 3 (HBO) ●●●●●
David Simon’s The Wire might have grabbed all the glory, but his follow-up project (co-created by Eric Overmyer) continues to be quietly brilliant. It may not have garnered the headline attention of his hard-hitting crime drama, but Treme tells as deep and as intoxicating a story. Set in a post- Katrina New Orleans (Treme is a mid-city district with a rich musical history that was heavily hit by the flooding), season three is set roughly two years after the hurricane but its damage is still evident in the infrastructure and people of the city. This series sees Steve Zahn writing his jazz / blues opera; Michiel Huisman fighting his
addictions, while Kim Dickens tries not to ruin the opening of her own restaurant. Each of these story threads (and more) are brilliantly brought to life and constantly involving and evolving; however the main plot is the investigation into murder and police corruption by lawyer Melissa Leo and journalist Chris Coy which lends this season a continually ominous tone. Another unique aspect of Treme is how much the music, food and city are characters in their own right. Jazz, blues and carnival are woven into the story, bringing this vibrant party town to life, while the food sizzles and tantalises in glorious, delicious close-up (not surprising as celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain helps out on storylines). It’s such a shame season four will be the last, as Simon has created some incredibly realistic, naturalistic characters brought to life by a superb cast. (Henry Northmore)
VIDEOGAME MR SHINGU’S PAPER ZOO (Stormcloud Games) iOS/Android ●●●●● DVD BOXSET FAMILY TREE (Universal) ●●●●●
hard hard men who’d seen a lot of death and weren’t sentimental in their approach. What was it like to work with Cillian Murphy? OB: He was nervous because he’d heard stories about the speed TV works at, but he was incredible – I’ve never known any actor to be so on the money every day. Sam Neill was the same. W hat’s great is you have those two working at that level and everyone else comes in and raises the bar. How do you think viewers will react? SK: The main ambition was to give people something entertaining that even though it’s set almost 100 years ago they can identify with. I want them to come away from this having another look at British history. I want the British to be able to mythologise their past in the way the Americans have always done. Peaky Blinders, weekly Thu, BBC Two. See list.co.uk for full interview.
Dundee developers Stormcloud Games have come up with a charming kids’ title that really takes advantage of touch screen capabilities of modern tablets and phones. You start the game with an empty zoo then open up blank pieces of paper and fold them into origami animals (all the designs are real origami patterns created by Japanese expert Mr Fumiaki Shingu). It’s brilliantly implemented and incredibly simple to use. These critters then spring to life to populate your virtual world. You can paint them, name them, then build them homes, trees, toys and other doodads, taking care of your paper menagerie much like a tamagotchi, cleaning up after them, feeding them and keeping them happy. Paper Zoo really is aimed at children so is purposely simplistic but the basic gameplay and cute animals will definitely keep the little ones amused. The origami designs can also be copied and kids are encouraged to make the 24 different animals (some are elegantly simple to make; others a touch more challenging) in the real world. (Henry Northmore)
From This is Spinal Tap to A Mighty Wind via Best in Show, Christopher Guest has made a peerless contribution to the mockumentary genre. With his Family Tree, it could be that the format is simply wilting and dying before our very eyes.
The ever-watchable Chris O’Dowd is Tom
Chadwick, a hapless man on a journey to investigate his lineage, finally heading to America where he uncovers some unexpected facts about his ancestors. While there he gets tangled up in a Civil War re-enactment, hangs out with some Native Americans and falls for the victim of a minor car accident. The main source of comedy in this joint US /
UK venture seems to lie in characters stopping mid-sentence as they realise they are about to say something daft. Over the course of eight episodes, it’s not really enough. And Guest himself seems unsure about his format, unlike, say, in The Office, where there’s a real sense that a camera crew is in attendance. Here, when a character addresses the silent interviewer, it feels like an awkward non- sequitur. (Brian Donaldson)
19 Sep–17 Oct 2013 THE LIST 33