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Academy Awards 2019: Our Predictions

Elias Michael

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February 24, 2019

The 91^st Academy Awards are happening today (Monday morning for us UK viewers), and it will surely be an interesting one with no official presenter since 1989 due to Kevin Hart’s dismissal. The last time the Academy Awards were without a presenter they had this…

The Academy Awards haven’t had the best year with the news of introducing a ‘Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film’ category not going down well (eventually overturned); the choice to exclude three of the Best Original Songs performances at the ceremony… quickly undone; to their decision to not include four categories (Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Live-Action Short and Best Hair & Makeup) which was also, eventually reversed.

All in all, The Oscars are still the biggest and (seen as) most important awards given to motion picture, whether you have a strong hate for them or disagree with their decisions (which seems to happen a lot apparently) there is still some cheer in watching your favourite movie, actor, actress, song, writer or director win and stand on the stage holding an iconic award.

We at Our Culture Mag have decided to give our predictions this year and although we admittedly have not seen every film nominated, neither have the Academy Voters and they’re literally voting for who wins. So anyway, let’s crack on…

Best Picture:
Modestas Mankus: Roma
Elias Michael: Roma
Eric Ng: Roma
Christopher Stewardson: BlacKkKlansman

Best Director:
Modestas Mankus: Alfonso Cuarón – Roma
Elias Michael: Alfonso Cuarón – Roma
Eric Ng: Alfonso Cuarón – Roma
Christopher Stewardson: Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Modestas Mankus: Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury
Elias Michael: Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury
Eric Ng: Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury
Christopher Stewardson: Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Modestas Mankus: Olivia Colman – The Favourite as Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Elias Michael: Glenn Close – The Wife as Joan Castleman
Eric Ng: Olivia Colman – The Favourite as Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Christopher Stewardson: Olivia Colman – The Favourite as Anne, Queen of Great Britain

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Modestas Mankus: Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman as Philip “Flip” Zimmerman
Elias Michael: Mahershala Ali – Green Book as Don Shirley
Eric Ng: Mahershala Ali – Green Book as Don Shirley
Christopher Stewardson: Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman as Philip “Flip” Zimmerman

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Modestas Mankus: Emma Stone – The Favourite as Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham
Elias Michael: Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk as Sharon Rivers
Eric Ng: Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk as Sharon Rivers
Christopher Stewardson: Rachel Weisz – The Favourite as Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

Best Original Screenplay:
Modestas Mankus: Roma – Written by Alfonso Cuarón
Elias Michael: Green Book – Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly
Eric Ng: The Favourite – Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
Christopher Stewardson: Roma – Written by Alfonso Cuarón

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Modestas Mankus: BlacKkKlansman – Screenplay by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
Elias Michael: BlacKkKlansman – Screenplay by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
Eric Ng: BlacKkKlansman – Screenplay by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
Christopher Stewardson: BlacKkKlansman – Screenplay by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Best Animated Feature Film:
Modestas Mankus: Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson
Elias Michael: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Eric Ng: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Christopher Stewardson: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Best Best Foreign Language Film:
Modestas Mankus: Roma (Mexico) in Spanish and Mixtec – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Elias Michael: Roma (Mexico) in Spanish and Mixtec – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Eric Ng: Roma (Mexico) in Spanish and Mixtec – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Christopher Stewardson: Roma (Mexico) in Spanish and Mixtec – Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Best Documentary – Feature:
Modestas Mankus: Of Fathers and Sons – Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert
Elias Michael: Free Solo – Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
Eric Ng: Free Solo – Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
Christopher Stewardson: Of Fathers and Sons – Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert

Best Documentary – Short Subject:
Modestas Mankus: End Game – Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Elias Michael: Black Sheep – Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
Eric Ng: Black Sheep – Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
Christopher Stewardson: Black Sheep – Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn

Best Live Action Short Film:
Modestas Mankus: Skin – Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman
Elias Michael: Detainment – Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon
Eric Ng: Fauve – Jérémy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon
Christopher Stewardson: Detainment – Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon

Best Animated Short Film:
Modestas Mankus: One Small Step – Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
Elias Michael: Bao – Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
Eric Ng: Bao – Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
Christopher Stewardson: Bao – Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

Best Original Score:
Modestas Mankus: Isle of Dogs – Alexandre Desplat
Elias Michael: Black Panther – Ludwig Göransson
Eric Ng: If Beale Street Could Talk – Nicholas Britell
Christopher Stewardson: BlacKkKlansman – Terence Blanchard

Best Original Song:
Modestas Mankus: Shallow from A Star Is Born – Music and Lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
Elias Michael: Shallow from A Star Is Born – Music and Lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
Eric Ng: Shallow from A Star Is Born – Music and Lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
Christopher Stewardson:

Best Sound Editing:
Modestas Mankus: A Quiet Place – Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
Elias Michael: A Quiet Place – Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
Eric Ng: Roma – Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay
Christopher Stewardson: A Quiet Place – Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

Best Sound Mixing:
Modestas Mankus: Bohemian Rhapsody – Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
Elias Michael: Bohemian Rhapsody – Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
Eric Ng: Roma – Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay
Christopher Stewardson: Bohemian Rhapsody – Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Best Production Design:
Modestas Mankus: The Favourite – Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Elias Michael: The Favourite – Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Eric Ng: The Favourite – Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Christopher Stewardson: The Favourite – Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton

Best Cinematography:
Modestas Mankus: Cold War – Łukasz Żal
Elias Michael: Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Eric Ng: Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Christopher Stewardson: Cold War – Łukasz Żal

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Modestas Mankus: Mary Queen of Scots – Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks
Elias Michael: Vice – Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney
Eric Ng: Vice – Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney
Christopher Stewardson: Vice – Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney

Best Costume Design:
Modestas Mankus: The Favourite – Sandy Powell
Elias Michael: The Favourite – Sandy Powell
Eric Ng: The Favourite – Sandy Powell
Christopher Stewardson: Black Panther – Ruth E. Carter

Best Film Editing:
Modestas Mankus: The Favourite – Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Elias Michael: Vice – Hank Corwin
Eric Ng: The Favourite – Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Christopher Stewardson: BlacKkKlansman – Barry Alexander Brown

Best Visual Effects:
Modestas Mankus: First Man – Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J. D. Schwalm
Elias Michael: First Man – Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J. D. Schwalm
Eric Ng: Avengers: Infinity War – Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
Christopher Stewardson: First Man – Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J. D. Schwalm

We’d love to know your predictions, so comment below who you think will win or tweet us at @OurCultureOC

The 91^st Academy Awards will be televised for UK viewers on Sky Cinema Oscars at 12:30 am Monday 25^th February. OC will be tweeting live updates on our Twitter at @OurCultureOC throughout the ceremony.

Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood

Sixty seconds after she wakes from a coma, Maggie’s world is torn apart.

The police tell her that her daughter Elspeth is dead. That she drowned when the car Maggie had been driving plunged into the river. Maggie remembers nothing.

When Maggie begs to see her husband Sean, the police tell her that he has disappeared. He was last seen on the day of her daughter’s funeral.

What really happened that day at the river?
Where is Maggie’s husband?
And why can’t she shake the suspicion that somewhere, somehow… her daughter is still alive?

Still Me by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark knows too many things . . .

She knows how many miles lie between her new home in New York and her new boyfriend Sam in London.

She knows her employer is a good man and she knows his wife is keeping a secret from him.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to meet someone who’s going to turn her whole life upside down.

Because Josh will remind her so much of a man she used to know that it’ll hurt.

Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking by Mary Berry

In this brand-new, official tie-in to the major BBC Two series, Mary shows how being in a rush will never be a problem again. Find brilliant 20- and 30-minute meals and enjoy wonderful dishes that can be swiftly assembled and then left to cook away while you do something else.

Mary’s utterly reliable, always delicious fast dishes tempt any tastebuds and her no-fuss expertise means you can cook from scratch and put mouth-watering home-cooked food on your family’s table without compromising on quality or freshness.

This stunning cookbook, packed with colourful photography, includes over 120 new recipes, including all the recipes from the series, plus Mary’s trademark no-nonsense tips and techniques for getting ahead in the kitchen so cooking is always stress-free.

Looking for a fast, satisfying supper? There’s Crumble fish pie, Lamb tagine with preserved lemon or Pan-fried spiced falafels. Something special for Sunday lunch or dinner with friends? Roast Venison fillet and peppercorn sauce, 30-minute Beef ragu or Roast fillet pork with sage and mustard sauce followed by Upside-down rhubarb pudding.

With Mary’s trusted advice and recipes, discover how easy fantastic fast cooking can be.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a deeply-reasoned examination of the threat of unprecedented power free from democratic oversight. As it explores this new capitalism’s impact on society, politics, business, and technology, it exposes the struggles that will decide both the next chapter of capitalism and the meaning of information civilization. Most critically, it shows how we can protect ourselves and our communities and ensure we are the masters of the digital rather than its slaves.

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Award-winning journalist Dolly Alderton survived her twenties (just about) and in Everything I Know About Love, she gives an unflinching account of the bad dates and squalid flat-shares, the heartaches and humiliations, and most importantly, the unbreakable female friendships that helped her to hold it all together. Glittering with wit, heart and humour, this is a book to press into the hands of every woman who has ever been there or is about to find themselves taking that first step towards the rest of their lives.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet – and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can’t bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.

Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.

Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia’s silence goes far deeper than he first thought.

And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?

Last Man Standing by Stephen Leather

So when SAS trooper Matt Standing is told that the former Navy SEAL who saved his life is in trouble, he doesn’t hesitate to go to his aid – even if that means flying half way around the world to Los Angeles.

Navy SEAL-turned-bodyguard Bobby-Ray Barnes has been accused of killing the man he was supposed to be protecting. Three other bodyguards were also killed and now Bobby-Ray is on the run.

The dead client was a Russian oligarch with connections to the Kremlin. But who wanted him dead? And if Bobby-Ray wasn’t the killer, who carried out the assassination and why is Bobby-Ray being framed? Standing is the only man who can answer those questions – providing he can stay alive long enough. For that he’ll need the help of an old SAS friend, Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd, and a ruthless network of secret service operatives.

When All is Said by Anne Griffin

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual -though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married, and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband Richard is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn’t supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy.

Then she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife. Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby, and to prove the physician wrong.

As Alice is drawn into the witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the north-west, Fleetwood risks everything by trying to help her. But is there more to Alice than meets the eye?

Soon the two women’s lives will become inextricably bound together as the legendary trial at Lancaster approaches, and Fleetwood’s stomach continues to grow. Time is running out, and both their lives are at stake.

Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

It is worse, much worse, than you think.

The slowness of climate change is a fairy tale, perhaps as pernicious as the one that says it isn’t happening at all, and if your anxiety about it is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible, even within the lifetime of a teenager today.

Over the past decades, the term “Anthropocene” has climbed into the popular imagination – a name given to the geologic era we live in now, one defined by human intervention in the life of the planet. But however sanguine you might be about the proposition that we have ravaged the natural world, which we surely have, it is another thing entirely to consider the possibility that we have only provoked it, engineering first in ignorance and then in denial a climate system that will now go to war with us for many centuries, perhaps until it destroys us. In the meantime, it will remake us, transforming every aspect of the way we live-the planet no longer nurturing a dream of abundance, but a living nightmare.

*All book descriptions are taken from Amazon*

Sound Selection 052

Modestas Mankus

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February 21, 2019

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Lars Jakob Rudjord Lullatown

The first track to enter the 52nd Sound Selection is by Lars Jakob Rudjord who introduces us to Lullatown. In this composition, Rudjord delivers a magical-like melody with beautiful dynamics that reminds us of artists like Joep Beving. Having released Lullatown, we are excited to see what is next for Lars Jakob Rudjord.

VenessaMichaels Sucker Punch

Shifting our frequencies to more energetic music we have Sucker Punch by the talented VenessaMichaels who showcases her tuneful vocals and a production that makes this track a perfect fit for the weekend. If you are looking for gifted artists to follow, VenessaMichaels is one of them.

The Bright Expression MONOCHROME

Another splendid track to enter this Sound Selection is by The Bright Expression named MONOCHROME. In this zestful song, The Bright Expression deliver a high-octane production with raw vocals that will have you listening for a fortnight to come.

Peyton Stilling Forest Through The Trees

Coming in with a warm ear-pleasing vocal tone is the young and highly-talented Peyton Stilling in Forest Through The Trees. This song is driven by a rich-like guitar and lead by majestic vocals with solid production. This one is for the playlists.

Audego Ode to Self

Coming with a dynamic electronic track is Audego with Ode to Self. This track reminds us of experimental cinema mixed with stunning memory-like photo albums, all in music form. This one is a beauty.

FINNEAS Claudia

The always pleasing FINNEAS has come back with his newest single Claudia. Much like in his previous work, FINNEAS delivers top-notch vocals, smooth tone and a production that will have you hooked from the first note.

The Toxic Water Series by Tom Hegen

Art & Photography

Modestas Mankus

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February 21, 2019

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Tom Hegen, a photographer and graphic designer, based out of Munich in Germany, has released a series of photos named The Toxic Water Series. The eye-pleasing series focuses on coal mining and the consequences it causes to the environment.

Talking about the series Tom Hegen said: “These abstract landscapes are consequences of coal mining. By mining lignite out of the ground, for which the groundwater is lowered, minerals like pyrite or marcasite come into contact with oxygen and water. This results in iron hydroxide and sulfate, which lead to discoloration of the water.”

You can find more work by Tom Hegen on his Behance and Website.

Nightcall by Arnaud Moro

Art & Photography

Modestas Mankus

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February 20, 2019

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Arnaud Moro, a self-taught photographer from south of France, has recently published a short series of photos named Nightcall. The series focuses on Kavinsky-like, Drive (2011) inspired theme with stunning glow colours dynamically reflecting on a white muscle car in California. If you are a fan of the 80s, retro vibe, and the film Drive — then you will love this series of photos.

Furthermore, this series goes hand in hand with a bigger series by Arnaud Moro named Glow. However, this series focuses primarily on people and neon glowing objects, rather than cars.

You can find more work by Arnaud Moro on his Behance and Website.

Karl Lagerfeld Has Died Aged 85

Fashion
News

Modestas Mankus

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February 19, 2019

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Karl Lagerfeld, a German creative director, iconic fashion designer and a public figure, has passed away at the age of 85 in France.

Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany on the 10th of September, 1933. He is most widely known for being the creative director at the French luxury fashion house Chanel. Over the years, he became even more known for his distinctive look and more than several controversies, including making Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief at Vogue, walk out of his Milan Fashion Week show.

Over the years, he worked with labels such as Fendi, H&M, and Chloe to name a few.

Lagerfeld will be greatly missed in the world of Fashion.

Waterlove by Kerstin Kuntze

Art & Photography

Modestas Mankus

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February 19, 2019

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Kerstin Kuntze, a German photographer and artist, has released a splendid collection of photos named Waterlove which features highly-contrasted photos with elements of water. This collection of photos is part of the SWIMPOPLOVE° series.

Talking about the series Kerstin Kuntze said: “Water is my Lover. He makes me feel so good. The thing I love most about swimming is the feeling of water caressing my skin.
It’s an ancient force, that envelops and fulfills me. Diving into another world can
grant me a feeling of weightlessness or demand the greatest effort on my behalf.

Of course, I’m interested in far more than simply photographing the water. I employ my favorite element as a symbolic image of life. I often work with unspectacular subjects, such as a ripple in the water or an exhaled breath under water.

By capturing a single moment in an image, this act becomes something sensational. Perhaps it’s exactly that, which I love so much – the magic of the smallest moment.
The eternity, which can be encapsulated in a moment. Timelessness. In this way, water becomes the mirror of life.”

You can find more work by Kerstin Kunzte on Behance.

Shot on iPhone by Eric Van Nynatten

Modestas Mankus

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February 18, 2019

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Eric Van Nynatten, a cityscape, fashion and portrait photographer based out of New York, has released a series of splendid eye-pleasing photos he simply took on his iPhone 8 plus. The series is a great example of fantastic work being done on a tool that some would see as subpar to the quality of professional photography.

Talking about his work Eric Van Nynatten said: “For this series of photos shot on iPhone, I wanted to push the capabilities of the iPhone and see if I could achieve the same results as my full-frame mirrorless camera, from shooting in ideal sunlit settings to low-light conditions. All images were shot on iPhone 8 Plus in 2018 and edited using VSCO & Snapseed apps for iOS.”

You can find more work by Eric Van Nynatten on his Behance.

The Best Weapons in Gaming

Gaming

Curtis Guy

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February 17, 2019

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As an interactive medium, feel plays an enormous part in how much we enjoy gaming. Despite being disconnected from the experience by our screens, a combination of audio and visual feedback can give us an appreciation far greater than the sum of its parts. Whether the boom of a shotgun, the force of the enemy being blown back, or the giblets to which they are reduced, there are many aspects which, together, form our favourite weaponry.

In this article we want to go over some of the best in gaming’s long history, and why these have remained at the top of our list despite some being even older than many of our readers.

Doom 2: Super Shotgun

Doom was not the original FPS game, but it was the first one to raise the visibility of FPS gaming to the world stage. While much of this was due to the technical wizardry and advancements which made Doom possible, no shortage of praise came down to feel of the weapons.

Doom was good, Doom 2 is often seen as better, and a lot of this comes down to a single weapon – the super shotgun. Utterly useless at long-range, this double-barreled boomstick was made for getting up in the monsters faces and showing them why Doomguy would go on to become the stuff of demonic nightmares.

Everything about the super shotgun was great, from the boom of the shot to the click of the reload, and it’s animation. Doing an enormous amount of damage, this was a weapon which understood that success in Doom was about maneuverability, about dodging around at awesome speeds, picking the perfect moment, and only then dropping the hammer. Very few games have even come close to approaching the glory of this weapon, as perfect as it is as a means of monster disposal.

Blood: Flare Gun

The original Blood had many great weapons, in fact, it was one of the few which offered a shotgun close to Dooms in terms of awesomeness, but it is the flare gun which deserves the most respect. One of the first weapons gained by the player, fitting in what would traditionally be considered the pistol slot, the flare gun remained a key part of the arsenal through the entire experience.

The primary fire for the Blood flare gun fires a single flare projectile, which would stick into enemies it hit. For most human (and former human) enemies this would then burn for a few seconds before catching them aflame. Running around for a few more seconds, screaming all the while, the enemy would then collapse in a burning heap, in what is one of the most brutally satisfying murder methods delivered by such a humble rescue tool.

If you have the ammo for it, the secondary fire shoots eight flares at once, igniting large groups of enemies in a single shot. As the enemies in Blood are far more lethal than in most FPS games, this just added a cherry on top of what was already a fantastic gun.

Quake 2: Rail Gun

Another game which was a technical marvel by the minds at ID, Quake 2’s weapons made both the multiplayer and singleplayer a joy of an experience. While the rocket launcher also deserves a mention, it was the rail gun which was the real star of the show.

Firing slugs at close to the speed of light, this high-damage hitscan weapon made a suitably futuristic sound on both firing and charging up another round for a shot. Capable of reducing many enemies to mincemeat with a single blast, the rail gun would go on the become a staple within future Quake games, as well an inspiring many imitators in other series.

Sure, it could be difficult to hit an enemy with in the heat of battle, but once you did, they sure knew about it.

Half-Life 2: Gravity Gun

Half Life 2 had some big shoes to fill, after the genre-evolving original, and in most ways in not only met those expectations, it exceeded them. One of the many additions which made this game so special was the first mainstream delivery of a physics system which many players had experienced. While the gameplay implications in terms of puzzles could come across as gimmicky, the gravity gun, or Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, was met with universal acclaim.

Able to pick up small to medium physics objects within the maps, the gravity gun could then eject them at enormous speeds, harming, killing, bisecting or destroying any enemies who remained in the path. This meant that almost everything in the game which wasn’t nailed down became a potential weapon, from the obvious to the hilarious.

Players would generally start off with the explosives, both in terms of returning grenades to enemies and firing gaming’s ubiquitous red barrels. More original but no less devastating were the saw-blades which sat around some maps, especially the zombie-infested Ravenholm. Other amazing projectiles of notes include radiators, cinderblocks, paint cans, and even the humble toilet.

In the last section of the game, players were even treated to an upgraded version of this weapon, after a Combine confiscation field goes awry. This upgraded version can pick up actual enemies, and then fire them back at their friends in an incredible display of ragdoll technology. It’s small wonder that many would go on to copy the gravity gun though, as is so often the case, almost all fail to live up to the original.

Turok 2: Cerebral Bore

Turok 2 was a fan favorite back on the N64. Great split-screen, freaking dinosaurs, and imaginative maps made it undeniably one of the system’s best. For most, though, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Turok is the cerebral bore.

Locking onto enemies, this weapon shoots a projectile which seeks and latches onto their heads. Following a few seconds of the horrible noise of machine boring into flesh and through the skull, the projectile then explodes, taking the head of the victim with it.

We have to thank the limited graphics technology of the time for helping contain what is still one of the most gruesome ideas this side of Mortal Kombat to simplistic representation. That sound, though, that sound sticks with you.

Duke Nukem 3D: Shrink Ray

The final weapon on our list comes from the Duke. The first 3D entry in the Duke Nukem franchise is the best remembered, and for good reason – the follow-ups ranged from okay to terrible.

At the time of its release back in 1996, Duke was one of the best looking FPS games on the market. These looks were aided by cool maps, enemies, and, most of all, guns. While the freeze ray was also a cool neat addition, it was the shrink ray that had us laughing the most.

Hitting an enemy enough times with this one reduced them to the size of small insects, utterly removing them as a threat for a few seconds. The best part of this is that if Duke walked up to the newly diminutive aliens he would then stomp on them, grinding their hopes and dreams for conquest under his mighty boot.

So that’s our first list of the best guns in gaming, though we’ve only really scratched the surface of what’s on offer. So what have been your favourite guns from gaming over the years, and where do the above fit within your personal lists?

Last Stop Before Insomnia By Jacob Howard

Art & Photography

Modestas Mankus

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February 16, 2019

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Last Stop Before Insomnia By Jacob Howard

Jacob Howard, a self-taught photographer, art director, and graphic designer who is currently based in Wellington, New Zealand, has presented his collection of photos named Last Stop Before Insomnia. In these photos, Howard creates a mysterious-like feel, that much like his previous work feels filmic and isolating to the viewer. This sense of isolation is further supported by the striking contrast and dark drama-like colours that make the world he showcases seem uncertain and arcane in the face of the viewer.

Previously talking about his work Howard said: “I have a simple, yet considered approach to photography. I find images/facts and sequence them to tell a story about the world around me. I like the interplay between images and how they give each other more meaning.”