2015 Oscar Nominations - Part Two

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Nominees:

Robert Duvall - The Judge

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

Edward Norton - Birdman

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

Duvall in The Judge can be summed up fairly simply. A great actor, giving a good performance, in a mediocre film. This is Duvall's 7th Oscar nomination (he won one of those), and I don't feel bad about saying he doesn't stand a chance of winning his second in 2015. Hawke's performance as the father in Boyhood was very good, and like most awards that Boyhood is nominated for, you feel inclined to give it to them purely for the grandiosity of the project itself, but Ethan's 4th nomination, will not be netting him his 1st win. He was believable, he was heartfelt, and when he was on the screen, you felt like you were watching a person, not an actor or a character - it was human. When discussing actors who should've won an Oscar by now, but haven't, you can't not mention Edward Norton; Fight Club, American History X, The Illusionist; Norton should have one by now - and if it was any other year, I'd say he stands a good chance. His character in Birdman (a clever parody of his real self) was hilarious, and incredibly well acted, testament once again to the quality of this man. The nomination of Mark Ruffalo is surprising; it's not that he was bad, on the contrary he was quite good - but I think there were several performances more deserving of a nomination, and his part in Foxcatcher certainly wasn't one of the highlights. When J.K. Simmons gave his performance as the almost psychotic conductor of a prestigious music academy in Whiplash, everyone who saw that film knew instantly, that the competition for this category was over. He embodies his character so well, he delivers his lines with such intensity and passion, and he is so unbelievably believable. I didn't think he could top J. Jonah Jameson, but he did, and in spectacular fashion.

In David Ayer's Fury, youngster Logan Lerman gave what was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best performance of his entire career. He absolutely nailed his character; he felt so raw, and vulnerable, and he made us feel for him. His efforts should've been recognised here.

Will Win: J.K Simmons

Could Win: Edward Norton

Should Win: J.K Simmons

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Nominees:

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Laura Dern - Wild

Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game

Emma Stone - Birdman

Meryl Streep - Into The Woods

It's a piece of rather depressing common knowledge amongst film award enthusiasts, that on many occasions, this is one of the weakest categories at the Academy Awards. Why? Well, everyone has a different reason or theory, but that's enough discussion for a whole other article. Much like Hawke's performance as the father, Arquette's performance as the mother in Boyhood was impressive, and is being met with considerable praise; the difference between those two performances, is that Patricia Arquette is currently the favourite to win in her category, and that speaks volumes. Ignoring the fact that I thought Wild was one of the most boring, and poorly made films of the year, Laura Dern's performance was so insignificant and anything but memorable; it feels like it's only there to fill space. Keira Knightley gave a good performance as Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game, but once again, it wasn't a great performance. Emma Stone was a huge surprise for me in Birdman, because prior to this I had never really rated her highly as an actress, comedic or serious. In Birdman, she proved that she was more than capable of doing both, very well. The speech she gives her dad (Michael Keaton) about his reasons for doing the play is fantastically written, and her frantic delivery is outstanding. Finally we have Meryl Streep for Into The Woods, and no, that's not a joke. I don't have much to say on this, because at this point in time, Streep could appear in the commercial for the new Transformers movie, and would probably get an Oscar nomination. 

Thought I'd forgotten about Gone Girl? Think again! Carrie Coon as Nick Dunne's sister Margo was just wonderful. She inhibited her character so well, and gave such a wonderful since of reality and believability to it. If nominated, I think she'd have been a clear cut winner.

Will Win: Patricia Arquette

Could Win: Emma Stone

Should Win: Emma Stone

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Nominees:

Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon - Wild

The only performance in a foreign film, nominated for an acting role in this year's Academy Awards; Marion Cotillard should be proud of that. Her performance as a mother and wife, struggling to keep her job was very good. It was believable, it was raw, and it was emotional. One of the problems I had with it though, was that I had a hard time sympathising with her character, for some of the things she did and said; I didn't feel bad for her, and it made me care less about her situation, and the film. Felicity Jones was highly impressive as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything, but once again I had difficulty feeling anything for her character, mainly because Jane Hawking comes across as a bit of a bitch; but that's just a personal opinion. Jones nailed her character, and gave an overall wonderful performance. Julianne Moore is this year's raved about performance as a linguistics professor suffering from Alzheimer's disease in Still Alice, and whilst Moore does do a great job, it's no secret that critics have a soft spot for a character with a disability. Is it the best performance here? Maybe. Will she win the Oscar? Most likely. Finally, a nomination for Gone Girl, and a well deserved one at that. Rosamund Pike plays the completely psychotic wife of Nick Dunne, Amy; and boy does she nail that role. It is the best performance of her career to date, and I cannot imagine anyone else as her character. It really is her character. Last and most definitely least, Reese Witherspoon in Wild. A bad film, a terrible casting choice, of a very mediocre actress. I struggled to finish Wild, and Witherspoon did not help.

Will Win: Julianne Moore

Could Win: Rosamund Pike / Felicity Jones

Should Win: Rosamund Pike 

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Nominees:

Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper - American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton - Birdman

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Before I start discussing this category, I'm going to list performances by males in a leading role, that were worthy of a nomination, and didn't receive one. Ready? David Oyelowo for Selma, Ben Affleck for Gone Girl, Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel, Miles Teller for Whiplash, Ellar Coltrane for Boyhood, Matthew McConaughey for Interstellar, and Chris Pratt for Guardians of the Galaxy; I think that just about covers it. What I'm getting at, is that 2014 was filled with absolutely incredible performances, and this category could've easily had a dozen nominations, without a single questionable decision. Instead we have Bradley Cooper nominated undeservedly once again, over any of those amazing performances listed above. Cooper was so utterly bland in American Sniper, it was like watching a muscly cardboard cutout of a man act in a movie. I enjoyed Steve Carrell's performance as John E. du Pont in Foxcatcher; he really captured the creepy, unsettling ways of du Pont, and proved to audiences that he was more than just Michael Scott from The Office. There aren't many actors out there right now who are killing it as consistently as Benedict Cumberbatch; even if Alan Turing is basically a gay Sherlock from the 1940's, he did an excellent job bringing the British genius to life, and gave the role so much humanity, emotion, and depth. This isn't Cumberbatch's year, but it will be soon. Keaton and Redmayne are the current favourites to win this one, and for good reason. Michael Keaton's performance as washed-up superhero actor Riggan Thompson (get it? Because he used to play Batman!?) is hands down, some of the best acting I have ever seen in my time watching movies. I said a similar thing about McConaughey last year for Dallas Buyers Club, and look what happened there. Eddie Redmayne won't go down without a fight however, and his performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything is truly incredible, and as I've said before, it's no secret that the Academy likes to play favourites with disabled characters. That's not to take away from Redmayne; like I said, his performance was masterful. You have to wonder if his shocking acting in Jupiter Ascending will hurt his chances though.

Will Win: Michael Keaton

Could Win: Eddie Redmayne / Bradley Cooper (Please Don't)

Should Win: Michael Keaton

BEST PICTURE:

Nominees:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

This is it, the big one, the one we've all been waiting for. The Best Picture of 2014. Let's get stuck into it. As I touched on briefly above regarding Bradley Cooper's wooden performance, and Clint Eastwood's directing which I discussed in Part One; I wasn't the biggest fan of American Sniper. It was advertised as "not just another war movie about shooting brown people" and promised serious discussion of the aftermath of the war on a soldier's life, living with PTSD, and the "harsh realities" of combat. That's not what we got. We got another war movie about shooting brown people, and the occasional shot of Bradley Cooper sitting down and looking a bit sad, that's it. If it wasn't Cooper, and it wasn't Eastwood, and it wasn't so "Murica", the Academy wouldn't care. The most debated topic in film critique circles in recent months has been Boyhood or Birdman, and understandably so; these two films are the favourites there's no doubt about it. On one hand you have Boyhood, the story of Mason, beginning at age 5, and following him through his journey of life until the age of 18. As I said previously, if that was it, you'd wonder why it's nominated for best picture, but as I also said previously, what Linklater has created is not just a movie, not just a story; but a landmark in filmmaking history, that's why I've called him for Best Director. Birdman on the other hand is a very dark, very clever and witty, satirical dark, dramatic comedy, that has so much to say on everything. Actors, the movie industry, film critics, popular culture, audiences, parenting, growing old; but it's not in your face, it's subtle enough to enjoy the film on a purely entertainment value level, but also prominent enough that if you scratch the surface, you uncover a whole new world within the story. It's already a classic, and will remain one of the greatest films of the time period. Whilst The Grand Budapest Hotel gave us some fantastic performances, wonderful dialogue, a brilliant story, and just an overall beautiful film, I don't think it's strong enough to stand up for Best Picture, not against the two forerunners. The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, as I did mention in Part One, are both very good films, with great performances and adapted scripts, but they're both just not special enough to grab the big prize, not this year. I do wonder about the inclusion of Selma in here, considering it has no other nominations, whereas Foxcatcher has 5, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, and has no Best Picture nomination. Many people were claiming they only nominated Selma as to not come across as racist, but the people who make those claims have clearly forgotten that 12 Years a Slave won the award for Best Picture last year. I enjoyed Selma, I thought David Oyelowo did a fantastic job, but I don't think it should be up there - Foxcatcher should have the spot instead. I am utterly in love with Whiplash, and I cannot remember the last time I felt so passionate about a film. Everything from the directing, the editing, the cinematography, the story, and of course, the phenomenal acting from Simmons and Teller. I wish this film could just sweep up this year's Academy Awards, but I know it won't. It'll do well, I've predicted a few going its way, but it just picked a very tough year. Whiplash is my personal favourite film of 2014, but it is not the best film of 2014. Would've liked to have seen them make full use of their 10 available nominations, and given the nod to Gone Girl, Nightcrawler, and or Interstellar, all of which I enjoyed greatly.

Will Win: BIRDMAN

Could Win: BOYHOOD / WHIPLASH (Miracle)

Should Win: BIRDMAN

2015 Oscar Nominations - Part One

So I had originally planned to make a video on this topic, but with the 87th Academy Awards less than 48 hours away (as of me writing this), time is not on my side, and thus I'm reduced to a written format. This piece will involve me giving my opinions on the nominations in some of the major categories at the 2015 Oscars, specifically ones where I have viewed all the nominations, and have enough knowledge to form a coherent analysis, as well as making a prediction for what is most likely to win, what could win, and what I believe in my opinion should win. I'll also be touching briefly on some things that weren't nominated and I believe should have been, as well as some things that were nominated and I believe shouldn't have been. Without for ado, let's begin, shall we?

Best Original Score:

The Nominees:

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game - Alexandre Desplat

Interstellar - Hans Zimmer

Mr. Turner - Gary Yershon

The Theory of Everything - Johann Johannsson

Poor Alexandre Desplat; he's had a great 2015, receiving his 7th and 8th Oscar nominations for two wonderfully fitting, original, and memorable soundtracks, in two absolutely stunning films; but once again, I simply don't think this is Desplat's year. Whilst the scores for both films were excellent (The Imitation Game being my slight favourite of the two), they both lacked a certain, flair. Zimmer, like Desplat is no stranger to praise in film music, having won an Oscar for the score of The Lion King, and as per usual he's done a wonderful job with the soundtrack for Interstellar; it fit the movie very well, added a whole new dimension to certain scenes, but would it be wrong of me to say it was run of the mill for Hans? Interstellar's score was very good, but it wasn't great. Gary Yershon is by far the least well known name in this list, but that didn't stop him from putting out a very good score for Mr. Turner, a film which I didn't manage to see unfortunately; having not watched it, I can't give too much of an opinion, but as a standalone soundtrack, Yershon did a great job, though it does pale in comparison to the competition. Finally we have Johann Johannsson, who I first became aware of after he scored Dennis Viellenueve's 2013 thriller Prisoners, a great film, with an exceptional score. Now, Johannsson is nominated for his work with The Theory of Everything, a film I thoroughly enjoyed, with a stellar soundtrack to boot. It is everything that a score should aspire to be, and for me it's a clear winner, especially after winning the Golden Globe.

I'm surprised to see no nominations for Gone Girl, Whiplash, and Birdman. Gone Girl marks Trent Reznor's fourth interaction with director David Fincher, and it may be the Nine Inch Nails' front-man's best work to date, it's such a dark and powerful score, perfect for the film, and if nominated would've been a serious contender. Whiplash is a film you sort of forget has a score, due to a lot of diegetic musical audio, but the soundtrack from Justin Hurwitz is exceptional, and the jazz instrumentals give the film a whole new level. Finally, Birdman's unusual drum only score, which is used to great effect, and creates mood, tone, tension and emotion that you'd think impossible from a single percussion instrument, but they did it, and it was, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Will Win: The Theory of Everything

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / The Imitation Game

Should Win: The Theory of Everything

Best Film Editing:

The Nominees:

American Sniper

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Whiplash

Whilst I thought that both American Sniper and The Imitation Game were edited well, it was only to a standard you'd expect from a major production with a massive budget. It was clean, concise, and made the film flow well. It wasn't anything particularly groundbreaking. Boyhood is an interesting one because of the whole "filmed over 12 years" thing, it should win purely on principal that it takes a damn good editor to cut down 12 years worth of footage, into a coherent and entertaining film, just shy of 3 hours. The Grand Budapest Hotel, like almost all of Wes Anderson's films can be described as immaculate, each shot done to perfection, and that's clear in the editing; it is easily one of the best looking films of the year. Finally, Whiplash. Just, wow. The editing really stood out to me throughout the film, and thinking about the final act of the film, I can't even begin to imagine how that was shot and edited. A technical masterpiece. 

I thought that Gone Girl deserved a nomination here again, Kirk Baxter (David Fincher's editor for his last four films) did a wonderful job as always. Birdman is nominated in 9 categories, and this isn't one of them much to my amazement. The difficulty that must've been involved in successfully making that film look like one continuous shot is astounding, and deserves to be recognised.

Will Win: Boyhood

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / Whiplash

Should Win: Whiplash

Best Cinematography:

Nominees:

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ida

Mr. Turner

Unbroken

Following an Oscar in 2014 for Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki looks set to steal the show again, with his absolutely stunning work in Birdman. The whole film is fantastically shot, lit, and composed. It's pristine. Wes Anderson's usual cinematographer Robert Yeoman is nominated here for The Grand Budapest Hotel, a film I've already stated is quite simply one of the best looking films of the year. The style is very clear, and very memorable for anyone who's seen an Anderson film before. Whilst Ida was, much like living in Poland where the film takes place, quite boring, dull, and depressing; one thing it had going for it was that it looked fantastic, but it's a black and white film, competing against four very vibrant, and colourful contenders. Once again, I haven't had chance to see Mr. Turner, so I can't really say much for the cinematography; the nominees name was however mispronounced as "Dick Poop" instead of Dick Pope, so that was pretty cool I guess. Finally we have one of cinemas greatest cinematographers Roger Deakins, working on a fairly okay film in Unbroken. The fanboy in me wants this to go to Deakins, purely because it's him, I don't think his brilliance was able to truly shine with Jolie's directing, and the films often bland settings. 

I'm being to sound like a broken record, but once again I think Gone Girl deserved a nomination here. Jeff Cronenweth did a wonderful job, and the film just looks so good. 

Will Win: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki

Could Win: Unbroken - Roger Deakins

Should Win: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Nominees:

American Sniper

The Imitation Game

Inherent Vice

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

I will be preface this by saying I have not read of any the material from which the screenplays for these films were adapted. If there were Oscars for the most overrated and the most controversial/polarising film of the year American Sniper would win this hands down. It's another average film from director Eastwood who between this, J. Edgar, and Jersey Boys, has been really hit or miss. Do the Academy love it though? Absolutely. Did I? No. The Imitation Game was a highly enjoyable film, and the writing was very good, same goes for The Theory of Everything (the other British biopic about a genius, released this year). The problem which both of them suffered from though, for me personally, is that they just weren't special enough. They did nothing to push the boundaries or try something new, they were simply very good films, that were very safe. Inherent Vice on the other hand, did push boundaries, did try something new, and did let itself get a little weird at times. It was funny, emotional, and written well; anything it lacked in quality it made up for in ballsiness. Whiplash nailed it, as far as screenplays go. The writing was phenomenal, and J.K. Simmons has some of the best lines I've heard in a movie since In Bruges. The characters felt so real, and the dialogue was very well done.

Okay, hold on a second; can we just talk about how insane it is that Gone Girl isn't nominated here? I'll admit it, I have a bit of a Fincher bias, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it was one of the best films released in 2014, and it was an extremely well done adaptation from Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name. If it was nominated, it'd have my vote for sure, but it isn't.

Will Win: Whiplash

Could Win: Any Of The Other Nominees

Should Win: Whiplash

Best Original Screenplay:

Nominees:

Birdman

Boyhood

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Nightcrawler

This is definitely one of the most hotly contested categories at this years Academy Awards. Whilst Birdman and Boyhood are battling it out for best picture, each of the nominees for this Oscar stand a good chance of winning. Birdman's dialogue is nothing short of perfection, and it is probably one of the most original and entertaining story ideas I've seen, not only this year, but ever. It's comedy and a social commentary, and neither quality feels lacking for the other. With Boyhood, Linklater takes a fairly ordinary story, of a young guy growing up, and the struggles he faces with family, friends, himself, and just life in general; but the fact that we spend 12 years with these same characters, played by the same people, adds a whole new depth to it all. It gives it so much more reality, so much more emotional weight. It seems odd to find Foxcatcher in this category, considering that it's a biopic (one of about a dozen released this year it seems), but nonetheless; it's here. The story is interesting, it's original, it's non-conformist. The dialogue is excellently written and delivered, and the progression of the story is beautifully paced, albeit slow for some. If any film is going to cause trouble for Birdman, it's The Grand Budapest Hotel. This is Anderson's third nomination in this category, and it's by far his best film, and his strongest entry. The quick-witted, snarky, and surprisingly touching dramatic comedy has been sweeping up awards alongside Birdman, and for good reason. It's going to be a close race. I do feel sorry for Nightcrawler. It's a fantastic film. Highly original, with a wonderful screenplay; but in every other category, it seemed to finish in 6th place, and in the Oscars 6th place is basically the same as last place. The story is gripping, and the dialogue is hilarious and dramatic. I would love for Nightcrawler to win, and on a weaker year it probably would, but it's up against some serious competition.

The most shocking thing about this category is the lack of a nomination for Interstellar, Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi epic. Too scientific for the Academy? Who knows. 

Will Win: Birdman

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / Boyhood

Should Win: Birdman / The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Directing:

Nominees:

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman

Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Bennet Miller - Foxcatcher

Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

Of the 5 directors nominated for this prestigious award, only 2 have been here before, and unless you're a bit of a movie nerd, it won't be the two you think; Iñárritu and Miller. To start off, it's no surprise to see Anderson here, he's a critical success and The Grand Budapest Hotel is an incredibly good film, earning the most nominations (9), along with Birdman; and whilst I think it has a very good chance of picking up several of those (including Best Original Screenplay), this category is pretty much a two horse race. Perhaps another year Wes. After his nomination in 2006, Bennet Miller is back again. Foxcatcher is a strange film; you don't see many people talking about it, I can't imagine people raving about it still in a year, but it was surprisingly good. I'm surprised Tyldum is up here, because as I said earlier, as good as The Imitation Game was; it wasn't anything special. The directing was not one of the stand out areas of the film, for me at least. Iñárritu's directing of Birdman is on another level entirely. He threw conventionality right out of the window and turned everything we thought we knew about movies on its head; I am so genuinely excited to see what he does next. As incredible as his directing was however, he's up against Linklater, for Boyhood. Boyhood is a landmark in film-making. It is a testament to the infinite capacity of an artist's creativity. Its scope and the sheer magnitude of the project was unheard of before this. It was a massive risk what he did, and a lesser director would've quickly crumbled, but Linklater persevered, for 12 years, and created a milestone movie. Something so prolific, it will be held aloft as some of the greatest directorial work in cinematic history.

I would've liked to have seen David Fincher finally get his much deserved director nomination, especially over someone like Miller or Tyldum, but sadly it was not to be. Also surprised to once again, see no sign of Christopher Nolan.

Will Win: Richard Linklater

Could Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Should Win: Richard Linklater

The League of Legends Championship Series - Beneficial or Detrimental?

With the introduction of the League of Legends Championship Series by Riot in both Europe and North America the 8 strongest teams from both regions now battle it out on a weekly basis in their own leagues. At the end of the Second Split of the LCS the top 6 teams move on to the Summer Playoffs with 1st, 2nd and 3rd all taking a spot at the Season 3 World Championship in September alongside the best teams from Korea, China, Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

The LCS Standings for Europe and North America at the end of Week 8 of the Summer Split.

The introduction of these week by week games and the 8 team ladder brings numerous advantages to players and spectators alike. On one hand, you have a fan like myself who is given the opportunity to watch dozens of top tier games from two of the world's most renowned regions with popular and well-established teams such as Team SoloMid, Counter Logic Gaming, Fnatic and Evil Geniuses. Not only are these matches plentiful but they're consistent with little to no stoppages or errors and it's all brought together by the talented behind the scenes crew and the wonderful team of casters Phreak, Jatt, Rivington and Kobe from NA and Jason Kaplan, Joe Miller, Deman and Qu1ksh0t from Europe.

North American Casters (Left to Right) Jatt, Rivington and Phreak at MLG Anaheim.

On the other hand you have the teams which include the staff (coaches, managers) and of course; the players themselves who all have mixed feelings on Riot's design of the LCS. Back in June I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with former Team MRN top-laner; Patrick "MegaZero" Glinsman, about the time he spent in the NA LCS during the Spring Split with MRN. After the end of the 10 week Spring Split, Team MRN had found themselves in an unfortunate 7th place placing them in the Summer Promotion Tournament. It was at this time that MRN faced-off against current NA LCS team; Velocity e-Sports resulting in a close and grueling 5 game series which saw VES secure their spot in the Summer Split with a 3:2 victory over MRN.

The defeat saw MRN's departure from the NA LCS and soon afterwards, came their anticipated disbanding. MegaZero and his team-mates were left without a team, a gaming house or paychecks, as is the cut-throat nature of LCS relegation. MRN's members were left to find new work with many of them going back to streaming until an opportunity arose. Former MRN ADC Nientonsoh was acquired by Counter Logic Gaming as their new Top Lane player after the retirement of HotshotGG and appeared in Riot's spotlight video "Nien's path to pro". Mid Lane player Ecco was brought into the roster of Velocity e-Sports. MegaZero found a new home with another Spring Split LCS competitor Complexity Gaming who after their relegation began training hard and competing in numerous "amateur" tournaments in order to qualify for the Season 4 LCS. Jungler ClakeyD found work with Riot behind the scenes in the LCS as an in-game "camera-man" and recently featured in Riot's "Spectating the Spectators" video.

The second interview I conducted featured Vulcun Command coach; Kenneth "Kenma" Buechter who I again spoke with about the topic of the LCS as an overall concept and design. Kenma referenced the banality of the Spring Split as teams who worked so hard to acquire a spot in the LCS could be knocked out before it even came time for the World Championship. A prime example being both Team MRN and Complexity Gaming. A major flaw in the system's design pointed out by Kenma is that a team that finishes 1st on the table has the same chance of making it to the World Championship as a team that finishes in 6th. Vulcun's coach then suggested that the LCS follow a similar system to a football (soccer) league like the EPL in England where the top teams play games each week with the team at the top of the table come the end of the season being crowned the winner and the bottom teams being relegated to a lower league. This lower league could be filled with rising amateur teams such as TBD (Formerly FX Open e-Sports), Complexity Gaming and Curse Academy.  Riot could run this lower League in a similar fashion to the LCS now, though these teams would obviously not receive the same benefit as the higher tier teams. The best of this "amateur" league would move up to the LCS at the end of each season, replacing the bottom teams from the LCS.

1st and 2nd place on the ladder at the end of the Summer Split are guaranteed a spot in Season 4 regardless of their performance in the play-offs. Cloud 9 have already locked in a 1st place position still with a week of games to go courtesy of their phenomenal score. Vulcun follow in 2nd place and are guaranteed a top 6 finish with their 15-8 score. Vulcun are closing in on securing that 2nd place and unless they were to drop all 5 games in the final week of the Summer Split and Team SoloMid, Counter Logic Gaming or Team Dignitas who are all tied at 3rd with a score of 11-12 were to win all 5 of their games, that spot is Vulcun's for the taking. At the bottom end of the table you have Team Curse and Team Coast tied at 6th on 9-14 who could both still potentially secure a 3rd and 4th place finish. In 8th place we have the unfortunate Velocity e-Sports who, at 5-18, cannot secure a position higher than 7th and will be forced to fight for their spot in Season 4 of the LCS against rising amateur teams.

An example of the play-offs from the Spring Split. Curse placed 2nd on the ladder but ended up finishing 4th behind TSM, GGU and Vulcun. If that was the Summer Split, Curse would've lost their spot at the World Championship.

An example of the promotion series after the Spring Split to enter the LCS Summer Split. The top 8 amateur teams face each other in a Bo3 series with the winners going on to face the 5-8th placed teams (5-6th from the play-offs and 7th-8th on the ladder) from that LCS split in a Bo5, in this case, CLG, Dignitas, MRN and Complexity. Dig and CLG retained their spots though MRN and Complexity lost their places to VES and Quanitc (Now Cloud 9). 

The LCS is still in early days and Riot are just getting started. A week by week series across 10 weeks in 2 splits with a total of 16 teams in 2 continents is no easy task, especially when the company has never attempted such a massive feat. Season 3 is rapidly drawing to a close with only 1 week left of the LCS before moving onto qualifying tournaments and then of course, the World Championship in September. Whilst the current design of the LCS isn't perfect it has numerous advantages and it is what fans like myself have been waiting for, for years. Free HD streams every week of the best teams in North America and Europe with interviews, replays and analysis from 8 of the most renowned casters in League of Legends. As time goes on, season after season, the set-up will improve. The LCS brings the advantages to the teams of no longer having to wait weeks or months between an IPL or MLG tournament where they can face against each other in a non-scrim environment. Teams now regularly battle it out, keeping them trained and ready practice these regions need in order to overcome the dominant Asian scene. For now, sit back, enjoy Cloud 9's rampage of North America and Europe's nail-biting final moments.

Rambling Review - Strike Witches

Just your average Strike Witches scene.
This is a school, it does... school things.

I feel dirty, filth ridden and violated. I have just finished watching Strike Witches, and by all accounts, I should loathe it with every fibre of my being. Yet, instead of gut wrenching disgust, I walk away from the show with the same sort of guilty satisfaction I would imagine one would feel after spending the night with a cheap prostitute from a particularly seedy section of town.

 For reasons I will never understand, Japanese anime seems to have some bizarre fetish of including German characters.

OVERVIEW

Strike Witches is the story of a squadron of under aged flying half plane magical loli catgirls who wear no pants and were based on historical ace pilots (of which only one was actually female) who fight against alien invaders.

Yes, you read that right.

There are aliens in this show.

Fucking fuckity fuck on a fuck stick! Words cannot even convey the thoughts running through my head.

Perhaps I am making too much of a point on this. But seriously, these kids are like fucking 14! Where the fuck are their pants!? WHO IN JAPAN PITCHED THE IDEA OF FLYING PANTLESS 14 YEAR OLDS!? I'm totally okay with it though... 

A visual reminder to keep a cloth handy for the upcoming scene.

The focus of Strike Witches lies in two areas; awesome flight and battle sequences, and awkwardly tantalising fanservice.

Unlike the rest of Strike Witches, the flight scenes are something I can genuinely enjoy without uttering a silent apology to whatever God may or may not exist. They are fantastically well choreographed and animated. In fact, they are so well done, that I suspect they may be enough to induce spontaneous orgasm amongst some viewers.

For better or for worse, I am amongst the lucky few, for I am utterly captivated by the display of flying lolis, and for those of you who do share my love, I advise you to keep a box of tissues handy. Also, if you are amongst those who do manage to climax at this masterful display of aviation animation, do leave a comment and share with us the touching story of how Strike Witches stained your pants.

Truly, god is dead.

PLOT
Story really isn't the strong point of Strike Witches. Simply put, alien invaders attack Earth for some poorly defined reason, and the only one's who can stop them are flying half plane magical loli catgirls. What follows from there is a cliche storm of many predictable plot elements, but they are executed well enough to at least be vaguely enjoyable, if plot hole ridden. My personal belief however, is that the aliens' evil plan is to steal or destroy all the worlds' pants, which will explain both great mysteries; why the aliens are attacking, and where the fuck everyone's pants went.

Truer words have never been spoken.

SOUND
So I actually watched the dubbed version of Strike Witches (Impending shit storm from weaboo master race incoming) and I really enjoyed it. With the exception of Major Mio Sakamoto who sounds like a transvestite half way through the procedure, and Yoshika Miyafuji who is basically just Yui from K-On! minus the ADD and with less pants, the voice acting was exceptional and fit all the characters really well. Both the OP and ED from both seasons were memorable and enjoyable though far from brilliant.

Once again I must emphasise on how cock hardeningly sweet the flight scenes are.

ART

As I've already stated several times throughout this review, the art in Strike Witches is pretty fucking incredible from the flight scenes of Star Wars level badassery, to the high quality boob jiggling scenes and lovingly crafted pantie shots every 6.8 seconds, it's all solid. Characters are all well designed and unique enough for them not to get boring and their discernible difference in boob size can even be considered a major plot device.

Paddle like the dog you are.

CHARACTERS

One of the stronger aspects of Strike Witches, is that whilst the characters are fairly archetypical, they are actually quite likeable, and manage to carry the show and maintain interest, whereas the plot fails in such respect. My only beef however, is that the cast is huge; there are 11 characters in the Strike Witches brigade and despite the 2 12 Episode seasons, some characters are left feeling painfully undeveloped. 

Yoshika Miyafuji 
The main character. Typical 'average school girl' thrust into a less then average situation. Japanese. Fairly boring personality, but is friendly. Comparable to Yui from K-On! extremely loud and annoying. Is a raccoon or some shit. Has a breast fetish. Probably a lesbian.

Yoshika doing what Yoshika does best.

Mio Sakamoto
The second in command of the Strike Witches. Thinks a katana is an effective weapon in a dogfight. Has an eyepatch. Has the most mind shattering laugh in the history of everything. Probably the only non-lesbian.

Mio laughing. Yoshika later fell into a coma and was pronounced dead a week later.

Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke
The German commander of the Strike Witches. Cares greatly for her minions. Probably a lesbian. 

Minna enjoying the view from behind.

Lynette Bishop
The British sniper (as in she's from Britain and she's a sniper, not as in she snipes British people). Shy and lacking in confidence, she's generally the team buttmonkey. Has an obvious lady boner for Yoshika. Probably a lesbian.

Don't let this screencap fool you. Lynette is really, really lame.

Perrine-H. Clostermann 
Typical anime Frenchwoman. An upperclass twat. Shares buttmonkey duties with Lynette. Only open lesbian in a team of closet cases.

How Mio constantly fails to recognize Perrine's desire to be her sex slave totally escapes me.

Erica Hartmann
One half of the Strike Witches' German ace pilot duo. Despite her awesome talent, she's a lazy little git. For that reason alone, she's the best character in the show. Probably a lesbian.

Gaze into the stoic, cold eyes of a soldier who has lived through the very hells of war.

Gertrud Barkhorn
The other half of the German ace pilot duo. Constantly has a stick up her arse, and is thus not as cool as Erica. Probably a lesbian.

Why do I even bother trying to put funny captions under the pictures? They're flying half plane magical loli catgirls! The imagery should already speak for itself!

Francesca Lucchini
The youngest member in a team of sexualised minors. Hailing from Italy. Is generally the comic relief character; the Italians must be so proud. Has a breast fetish like Yoshika. Probably a lesbian.

The steams were the sole barrier between my mind, and the inescapable oblivion of insanity.

Charlotte E. Yeager
An American racer turned pilot. Like all Americans, has huge breasts (The largest of all the Strike Witches). Also speaks flawless Japanese, like all Americans. Probably a lesbian.

Charlotte engaging in that timeless American pastime of groping one's own breasts.

Sanya V. LitvyakThe little goth girl from Russia. Quiet and asleep most of the day. They had to make a special night episode just to give her lines. Actually quite a good character. Probably a lesbian.

For some reason, I find Sanya really hard to make fun of. Probably because she wears tights at the very least. That and the rocket launcher... yeah, she has a rocket launcher.

Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen

Sanya's lesbian lover or some shit, I dunno. Simply put, she's got like no personality aside from the fact she wants to get into Sanya's(metaphorical) pants and make an adult video with her. I'd watch it....

Groping at 20,000 feet above the ground.

IN CLOSINGI don't know why I like this shit. I really don't. By all accounts, I really should abhor Strike Witches. And yet, despite my best efforts, I ultimately enjoyed this series. All I can say, is give it a shot. I on the other hand, am going to go cry in the corner now.