In video games, you’re probably used to battling with inane, unimposing creatures named Jigglypuff, steroid-stuffed turtles named Bowser, more inane, unimposing creatures named Wigglytuff, — okay, it’s clear I haven’t played many video games. But even major gamers are probably used to battling silly fictitious characters cooked up by video game companies more than they’re accustomed to battling, say, Greek Gods. However, a new video game called Apotheon gives users the chance to truly test their mettle by battling the likes of Poseidon, Zeus, Apollo, and some nice, assorted cyclopses — all the while stuck in the world of a seemingly never-ending Grecian Urn. Whether you’re into ancient Greek art or simply really into the idea of lashing out at your Classics education by beating up some Greek Gods, Apotheon is worth checking out.
Celebrities are certainly deified by fans (and fanemies) to the point of seeming as dehumanized as Greek Gods. The Mt. Olympian lifestyle of celebrities (the obvious result of disproportionate wealth and the societal removal that being worshipped engenders) is central to David Cronenberg’s viciously satiric Maps to the Stars, which hits U.S. theaters this Friday. The film stars Julianne Moore as a spoiled actress whose heirloom Hollywood lifestyle (she’s considering stepping into her deceased mother’s shoes in a role famously played by the latter) comes with some horrific baggage. In anticipation of Maps, check out Consequence of Sound’s lists of both Julianne Moore’s top ten performances and David Cronenberg’s top ten films.
Speaking (still) of the deification of the famous, Daft Punk have rendered their images superhuman by rarely ever appearing as a band without giant, face-obscuring helmets. Hiding has become such an intrinsic part of the band’s image that seeing them without helmets feels wholly invasive, even dirty. Oddly, sculptor Xavier Veilhan, who recently made 3D-printed sculptors of the duo, didn’t even have to convince them to model helmet-less for his art. The Creators Project has images of the unmasked effigies of the band; of course, they don’t appear in the flesh, but rather as 3D-printed plywood. Then again, as with Sia, a quick Google search reveals a hoard of actual photos of the actual faces of Punks Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, undoing all that persona-building mask (and now plywood) work.
One place you’ll never be able to find a Daft Punk album in the future is Starbucks. As we recently posted, Starbucks announced that it’s bringing its CD-selling program to a close. And while many (myself included) were wont to make fun of the chain’s attempt to pair Pumpkin Spice with musical “innovation,” The Atlantic has published an interesting piece on the ways the company actually did have a relatively innovative approach to music, at least compared to some major record labels.
If a future where your musical tastes aren’t dictated by the same people who dictate your caloric drink tastes isn’t all that unfathomable, here are some slightly more startling visions of the future: 74 designs for a bridge crossing the Thames in southwest London have been revealed (the dizzying String Thing featured above isn’t even the most outlandish of the designs). They’re all currently being considered as part of a competition held by Wandsworth Council in order to “‘plug the gap’ between Vauxhall and Chelsea bridges on the Thames.”