Felipe Mancheno

Felipe Mancheno

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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Latest Articles

Latest Topics

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Why are 'cinematic universes' so compelling?

You can rightfully think that franchises are an easy way to grab money nowadays. Instead of searching for new 'forms' to present a story, big studios are betting on established worlds where they can add another thing or two; yet, a lot of us -the audience- fail to find a harm in that. When I went to watch the newest Star Wars, I was conscious that it wasn't going to be a breakthrough, but there was a bigger pull motivating me to follow the story. So I've been wondering: Why are we so compelled to get involved in these multi-film universes?

  • Probably because we like the idea of a moving world, constantly changing like our own. It gives a sort of balance and symmetry. That's my take at least. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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  • Part of it is character and story - we get invested in these characters and want to see them face new challenges and adventures. And though the universe may stay the same, we are exposed to different facets of it, which is part of the fun! Learning tiny new details through the different films of the Harry Potter universe, for example, makes things fresh and exciting (such as new magical creatures being introduced such as the hippogriff, which ostensibly were part of that universe all along, but we don't learn about them until the 3rd movie; or the textbook that growls and tries to hurt Harry in one of the films - we've seen textbooks by this point, but never one that was alive; the Knight Bus, and so on). With the latest Star Wars, the universe is the same, but we are introduced to an entirely new set of characters, new droids, new villains, and we get to see what has happened to our favorite characters many years later (which is part of the allure of Facebook, actually - finding out where your high school crush has been all these years, etc.). – Katheryn 9 years ago
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  • The Cinematic Universe puts me to mind of something that Turpster of the Yogscast once said in an interview - that there is currently a lot of interest in a non-linear form of storytelling (which is kind of how the most popular series in the Yogscast worked, specifically the Yogscast Complete Pack, Tekkit and Moonquest). I think outside of films you can see that in other kinds of YouTube series like Lovely Little Losers which uses multiple forms of media to convey story, or even TV shows like Doctor Who (connected to Torchwood, Big Finish, Novels etc). – Joshua Sammy 9 years ago
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Latest Comments

Felipe Mancheno

Great! Don’t be discouraged by long description, though. There are chapters and chapters of writing about instruments, customs of the sailors, biology and else. But in the end it’s worth it.

Moby Dick: Ahab's Word Against the World's
Felipe Mancheno

You are right! I couldn’t agree more on him being a sort of anti-Quixote. In fact, you can see that perfectly in their social relationships: Don Quixote’s idealism expands to other characters while Ahab’s obsession isolates him more and more. I would say, though, that reality is not that ‘unveiled’ to Ahab. While Don Quixote sees giants on the place of mills, Ahab sees some sort of conscious intention in the whale to kill him. They are both, to a certain point, delusional in their views and objectives; but Don Quixote’s quest is altruistic, while Ahab’s is centred in his egomania.

Moby Dick: Ahab's Word Against the World's
Moby Dick: Ahab's Word Against the World's
Felipe Mancheno

Yes, you make a very interesting point: there’s the rebellion, the unchallenged authority and other traits. That is also what I find so compelling about Ahab’s humanity; he doesn’t belong into any absolute position and, nevertheless, he still seeks one.

Moby Dick: Ahab's Word Against the World's
Felipe Mancheno

Great article! I just loved the writing and the ideas. I remember playing Infinite with the expectation (from former entries) that my choices would impact the game-play. Only once I played the ending, I came to understand the point that you are making.

On a more philosophical note: the whole idea of freedom of choice, even outside videogames, is very complex. If you have the time, I would recommend On the Freedom of Will; a tiny book where Arthur Schopenhauer makes the case that, since every action or thought a person has belongs to a cause, there’s is no free-will, but an infinite chain of causes.

Bioshock and the Illusion of Choice in Gaming
Felipe Mancheno

I truly enjoyed this article, particularly as a companion to my own reading of Dracula. I know the novel portraits the ideas that where around in that certain era and place, but I couldn’t help to be bothered by such a two dimensional perspective while I read it.
It amazed me that a man so skilled in portraying the tension of desire (that scene with the daughters in the castle) could later in the novel be completely blind to it, in favour of such a simplistic -and kind of sanctimonious- division.

Ideals of the Victorian Woman as Depicted in 'Dracula'
Felipe Mancheno

I agree with the point you make about the power in Richard’s speeches. I just saw a documentary where Kevin Spacey played the part and I would add that a good performance only helps to make them more magnetic.

Shakespeare's Richard III: The Power of Speech