And how would you like your fandom served? (The Year in Review 2014)

A beloved indie filmmaker.  An obscure comic book.  A crowd funding appeal.  From humble beginnings come great things, and it was interesting to watch this year as previously niche products found success in ways once unimaginable.  From Oscar buzz to box office boffo to critical accolades, this was the year when that old cliché finally did ring true:

This year, they really could not have done it without the fans.

Film

Twelve years in the making, three hours in execution, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a risky film experiment that, on the whole, works admirably.  Obviously inspired by the Up documentaries, the film follows Mason (played by newcomer Ellar Coltrane) across twelve years of adolescence into adulthood, stopping for short character vignettes a dozen times along the way.  The tropes are a bit mundane – the working mom, the alcoholic stepdad, the bullies at school – but it’s hard not to fall for these characters as you follow them through what was, in real life, a decade-plus of filming.  Sure, this might have worked better as a mini-series (hyper-extended DVD edition, anyone?), but it’s still filmmaking at its finest, from a director finally getting some well-earned recognition.

Of all the oddball fandoms served, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY stands walking tree-like tall as the funniest, most entertaining mass product since the golden age of Spielberg and pre-Howard the Duck George Lucas.  Wearing such inspirations very much on its sleeve, GOTG tells the story of the Han Solo-like Star-Lord (a hilarious Chris Pratt) and his merry band of misfits on their quest for a cosmic MacGuffin of the “let’s not worry the plot too much” variety.  Star-Lord’s teammates include Rocket, the anthropomorphised raccoon with a chip on his shoulder to match the size of his laser gun; Groot, a living tree who’s the gentlest low-vocabulary giant since Chewbacca; Drax, a surprisingly well-meaning wrestler-type out for revenge; and Gamora, who’s possibly the best-written empowered female since whatever film Michelle Rodriguez appeared in last.  You’ll laugh!  You’ll cry!  You’ll buy the lunchbox!

If Disney’s cult comic adaptation was a financial risk (and it was), then someone must have lost an awfully big bet in order for Terry Gilliam’s THE ZERO THEOREM to get made.  Thankfully, after years of disappointment the ex-Pythoner is back in form for this conclusion to his informal “Dystopia” trilogy.  Fans will appreciate the overt influence of predecessors Brazil and Twelve Monkeys, but anyone can enjoy this adventure of an existentially-challenged hero (Christoph Waltz) working on the formula to prove everything amounts to, well, nothing.  Throw in a virtual reality hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold (Mélanie Thierry) and a surprisingly sympathetic asshole boy genius (Lucas Hedges), the film is weird, visually delightful, and a welcome cap to Gilliam’s long (if mostly blighted) film career.

Video Games

If the crowd fund is the ultimate form of fan service, then KickStarter mega-hit BROKEN AGE (ACT I) is a success for the - cough - ages.  Tim Schafer’s charming tribute to the genre he helped create, BA is a throwback point-and-click adventure full of humour, wild ideas, and more celebrity cameos than you can shake a controller at.  Following parallel story lines – the sacrificial maiden who fights back, the isolated space boy on his first real adventure – the game takes players on an enchanting journey across the universe and back again.  From a cult leader whose adherents “enlighten” by handing over their golden eggs, to the Space Weaver who crochets the fabric of space and time, it’s all in good, weird fun.  I can’t wait for Act II.

They said it couldn’t be done, and they were right: Telltale Games’ THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 2 simply does not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, which, let it be said, was the first video game to ever make me cry.  That being said, damn if this second “season” doesn’t come close.  Picking up where the original left off, main character Clementine is forced through a series of increasingly mean, brutal, and ugly situations as she struggles to survive the ongoing zombie apocalypse.  She’s joined by a mix of familiar faces and new companions, and for the most part the narrative succeeds in making you feel for, say, the sheltered teen Rebecca the way you once felt about that goofy kid known as Duck (“as in, he never stops quacking”.)  Still, Clem’s been through a lot, and her and the game’s general grimness may leave players longing for the more sympathetic lead from Season One.  It’s worth pushing through though, as fantastic plotting, great pacing, and yet another remarkable (and traumatic) ending make it a definitive experience of 2014.

They said it couldn’t be done, and… they were wrong!  Telltale Games’ THE WOLF AMONG US is every bit the compelling, heart-rending experience as its zombified sister.  Like DEAD, this is a comic book adaption, taking place in a fictional Manhattan borough populated by “adult-rated” versions of fairy tale characters – Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, the titular B.B. Wolf, and so on.  Thankfully, even though this is “Red Riding Hood X-Rated” it never feels exploitative.  The lore instead serves as backdrop for an intelligent noir-style mystery touching on illicit “glamour” (magic as an acknowledged metaphor for drugs) and the dealings of the infamous Crooked Man (his crooked house an acknowledged metaphor for organised crime).  Private Detective Wolf is one gruff (see what I did there?) anti-hero, but for pure villainy nothing compares to this game’s version of Bloody Mary.  Creeeeepy…

Obligatory Canadian Early-Access Award

Yet another Kickstarter success, THE LONG DARK is a Vancouver-made survival adventure pitting players against the elements.  And that’s it, really.  The game is entirely built around keeping your character alive in the freezing Canadian wilderness, where managing body temperature, burnt calories, and fatigue is the only way to survive.  At the moment, “Early Access” mode means there isn’t even a story to speak of, although it will eventually update with a narrative and endgame that take players on the titular journey through the dark.  Even as it stands, however, wandering through the hauntingly beautiful landscape is an exciting, if terrifying, experience.  Each Game Over (and there are many) is not a reason to quit, but rather an invitation to dive back in.  This time, you'll swear, as you warily eye the wolves across the frozen lake, I'll make sure to get indoors before night falls...