Reinstall takes a fresh look at old games. In this episode we revisit LucasArts curio The Dig, which was based on a story idea by Hollywood legend Steven Spi. Full version game. Only $2.99 - use coupon NEW299. Dig the Ground delivers unique new match-making challenges! Your goal is to blast a path to allow the liquid to flow through the level. Dig into these brain-teasing puzzles and see if you have what it takes to master these new levels! Today, let’s dig into this sci-fi, point ‘n’ click classic gem from LucasArts. Released in 1995, this game tells the story of a space expedition set for an asteroid that is dangerously approaching Earth.

• The Dig Game Soundtrack
• The Dog Game
• The Dig Game Soundtrack
• The Dig Game Review
• The Dig Game Wiki

Avery Strange Feeling Game Over me while I was playing the demo version of The Dig. It took me a while to figure it out, but finally I realised what it was: I'd completely forgotten what it was like to play a real adventure game. I've become so used to playing unspeakably crap interactive movies that the prospect of something which actually required me to think was very disorientating indeed.

I've since decided that if I come across one more game that uses lots of pretty fmv to try and impress me yet fails to deliver the goods in the gameplay department, I shall phone the software house responsible and point it in the direction of the LucasArts team, who will hopefully give the culprits a good talking to and, perhaps, teach them a lesson or two about the ancient art of creating interesting, amusing and playable adventure games.The actual demo version of The Dig is not very extensive, with only a few locations to wander around and a couple of puzzles to solve; however, even in the short time it took me to work my way through it I was hooked and got straight on the phone to Virgin demanding to know when the finished version would be ready. This game oozes atmosphere from every pixel, with excellent voice-overs, colourful graphics and the promise of the kind of highly addictive gameplay we've come to expect from the ridiculously talented chaps and chapesses at LucasArts.

Asteroids ahoy

The plot revolves around three characters: your alter ego Commander Boston Low, a NASA veteran in command of geologist Ludger Brink and journalist Maggie Robbins. Their original mission is to blast an asteroid from an unstable orbit around Earth into a stable one. But surprise surprise, things don't quite work out as planned. The asteroid transforms into an alien spaceship and the team are transported to a strange and seemingly abandoned planet. Upon exploring their dangerous new environment, they discover they are not alone. Everywhere they turn they find evidence of an alien species, which has apparently discovered the secret of immortality and now exists in a ghost-like state. The aliens desperately want something from the unlucky trio, and the only way to get back to Earth is to give it to them. Your objective in the game is to discover what the aliens want from you, make sure they get it, and hopefully get safely back to Earth.

Looks familiar

In terms of look and feel The Dig is very close to the classic Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis adventure game. Because of this, some people may find the graphics a little dated (pretentious wankers may start whinging about the fact that the game doesn't have digitised characters and lots of crap fmv clips), but as far as I'm concerned, it's gameplay that matters and The Dig looks like it will be positively overflowing with the stuff. A simple and intuitive interface gives you easy access to your inventory at all times and manipulating objects is an absolute doddle. A nice new feature is the ability to get to locations very quickly just by doubleclicking your mouse, as opposed to having to wait impatiently while your characters walk there. Generally, the whole game feels fairly similar to the original Indy game which, as far as I'm concerned, is no bad thing.

However, I don't want to give you the impression that the presentation is lacking in any way. LucasArts combined its technologies with Industrial Light and Magic artists to create several special effects for the game; these are used to jazz up the visuals for asteroids, planets and alien ships. As well as that, morphing techniques, lens flares, prism effects and warping star fields have been employed to make the game visually impressive.

Famous person alert

The incredibly successful combination of the considerable talents of LucasArts and the extraordinary imagination of Steven Spielberg has resulted in a very atmospheric game indeed. Spielberg particularly wanted to capture the alien feel of Forbidden Planet and the humanity of The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. LucasArts was excited by this idea but its main priority was to produce something very playable.

This was confirmed by Sean Clark, the games project leader: 'It's been an incredible experience to take an idea from Steven and then craft a game of this magnitude around it. Since Steven is an avid gamer, my team and I made story and gameplay our top priorities'.

LucasArts claims The Dig is even bigger than its Indy adventure, which makes it its largest project to date by far. From my brief encounter with it I can honestly say that it looks as if adventure fans will finally have something to shout about, after having been inundated with boring interactive movie thingies. We'll be bringing you a full review in the next issue of PC, but in the meantime, you can have a look at it yourself by installing the demo from this month's cover cd.

Simply the best

LucasArts has more or less cornered the PC adventure game market. Its first big game was The Secret Of Monkey Island which, along with its sequel, can still hold its own against todays' graphically superior adventures simply because it contains side-splittingly funny humour and a hilarious plot. Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis is the only game I can think of that managed to combine adventure and arcade game elements and get away with it. Day Of The Tentacle, Sam And Max and, more recently, Full Throttle proved that no one can match LucasArts' skill at creating adventure games. The good news is that most of these products are now available on Virgin's budget label, so if you've missed any of them you can go out and buy them at bargain prices.

The Dig is a 2021 British drama film directed by Simon Stone, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, which reimagines the events of the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo. It stars Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, Archie Barnes, and Monica Dolan.

It had a limited release on 15 January 2021, followed by streaming on Netflix on 29 January 2021. The film received positive reviews from critics and received five nominations for the British Academy Film Awards, including one for Outstanding British Film.

Plot[edit]

In 1939, Suffolk landowner Edith Pretty hires local self-taught archaeologist-excavator Basil Brown to tackle the large burial mounds at her rural estate in Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge. At first, she offers the same money he received from the Ipswich Museum, the agricultural wage,^[2] but he says it is inadequate; so she ups her offer by 12% to £2 a week (approximately £120 in 2020), which he accepts.

His former employers try unsuccessfully to persuade Brown to work on a Roman villa they deem more important. They ignore Brown, who left school aged 12, when he suggests the mounds could be Anglo-Saxon rather than the more common Viking era.

Working with assistants from Pretty’s estate, Brown slowly excavates the more promising of the mounds. One day the trench collapses on him, but they dig him out in time. Meanwhile, he spends more time with Edith, a widow, and her young son Robert, and ignores daily letters from his wife, May. Edith struggles with her health, warned by her doctor to avoid stress.

Brown is astonished to uncover iron rivets from a ship, suggesting that it is the burial site of someone of tremendous distinction, such as a king. Prominent local archaeologist James Reid Moir attempts to join the dig but is rebuffed; Edith instead hires her cousin Rory Lomax to join the project. News of the discovery soon spreads, and Cambridge archaeologist Charles Phillips arrives, declares the site to be of national importance, and takes over the dig by order of the Office of Works.

As World War II approaches, Philips brings in a large team, including Peggy Piggott, who uncovers proof that it is Anglo-Saxon in origin. Brown is demoted to only keep the site in order, but Edith intervenes and he resumes digging. Brown discovers a MerovingianTremissis, a small gold coin of Late Antiquity, and Philips declares the site to be of major historical significance. Philips wants to send all the artefacts to the British Museum, but Edith, concerned about war raids in London, asserts her rights. An inquest finding confirms that she is the owner of the ship and its priceless treasure trove of grave goods, but she despairs as her health continues to decline.

Peggy, neglected by her husband Stuart, begins a romance with Rory, but he is soon called up by the Royal Air Force. Edith decides to donate the Sutton Hoo treasure to the British Museum, requesting that Brown be given recognition for his work. The film ends with Brown and his co-workers replacing earth over the ship to preserve it.

As the end credits begin, text explains the fate of Edith and the recovered objects. Edith died in 1942. The treasure was hidden in the London Underground during the war and first exhibited—without any mention of Basil Brown—nine years after Edith's death. Only recently was Brown given full credit for his contribution and his name is now displayed permanently alongside Pretty's at the British Museum.

Cast[edit]

• Carey Mulligan as Edith Pretty
• Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown
• Lily James as Peggy Piggott
• Johnny Flynn as Rory Lomax
• Ben Chaplin as Stuart Piggott
• Ken Stott as Charles Phillips
• Archie Barnes as Robert Pretty
• Monica Dolan as May Brown

Production[edit]

The project began in 2006 when producer Ellie Wood read the manuscript of The Dig by John Preston, ahead of its 2007 publication, and optioned the novel in order to adapt it for the screen.^[3] It was announced in September 2018 that Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes were in negotiations to star in the film.^[4] However by August 2019, Kidman was no longer involved with the project, with Carey Mulligan cast to replace her. The film’s rights also moved from BBC Films to Netflix.^[5]Lily James entered negotiations to join the cast in September.^[6] In October 2019, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott and Monica Dolan joined the cast of the film.^[7]

Principal photography began at Shackleford in Surrey in October 2019 – Norney Grange there being used to stand in as Pretty's house at Sutton Hoo – with location filming taking place in Suffolk near to the original discovery site.^[8]The film's production team conducted research at the British Museum in its Sutton Hoo archive and gallery.^[9]

Release[edit]

The Dig Game Soundtrack

The film had a limited release on 15 January 2021. Netflix released the film for streaming on 29 January 2021.^[10] The film was the third-most watched title in its debut weekend, then finished seventh each of the following two weekends.^[11][12][13]

The Dog Game

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of 150 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critics consensus reads, 'Featuring beautifully matched performances from Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan set against gorgeously filmed English countryside, The Dig yields period drama treasures.'^[14] According to Metacritic, which sampled 35 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, the film received 'generally favorable reviews'.^[15]

Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film 5 out of 5 stars and described it as a 'serious, intellectually committed, and emotionally piercing cinema. Unmissable.'^[16] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B- and wrote, 'for all the film's sweeping, romantic ideas, the actual experience of watching The Dig is a lot like sitting at a bus stop.'^[17] Will Gompertz of BBC News awarded the film 4/5 stars, writing that 'it is a thoroughly enjoyable film made with subtlety and sensitivity: a real tonic for these bleak winter days and nights. It lacks the emotional and intellectual heft and bite to make it an unmissable, classic movie, but I would happily watch it again, and again.'^[18] In a more mixed review, Mark Kermode of The Guardian rated the film 3/5 stars, writing that 'it's a melancholy whimsy about common purpose, new friendship and the persistence of the past, bogged down occasionally by a somewhat superfluous romantic subplot but buoyed up by Mike Eley's lush cinematography'.^[19]

Accolades[edit]

On 4 February 2021, the film was listed for nine BAFTAs, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Director, Leading Actor, Cinematography and Adapted Screenplay.^[20] The nominations were announced on 9 March 2021.^[20] At the awards ceremony on 10 and 11 April, the film did not win an award in any of the nominated categories.

Historical accuracy[edit]

Mark Bridge of The Times noted that archaeologists had taken issue with the film's portrayal of Peggy Piggott as inexperienced and only hired because her light weight would not disturb the delicate site.^[25] By 1939, Piggott was an experienced archaeologist in her own right, and had studied archaeology at the University of Cambridge and the University of London.^[26] She was also presented as being married to an older, more experienced male archaeologist, when in reality Stuart Piggott was only two years her senior (27 and 29, respectively), and they had met while both students.^[26] In addition, Charles Phillips was in his late 30s but is played by Ken Stott in his 60s, and the landowner Edith Pretty was in her mid 50s but is played by Carey Mulligan in her mid 30s (the 53-year-old Nicole Kidman originally was slated to play Pretty).^[27]

Bridge also criticised the addition of the fictional Rory Lomax as a love interest for Piggott. The character of Lomax, Pretty's cousin, is depicted as the photographer.^[25] In reality, Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff (two teachers), and O.G.S. Crawford (the archaeological officer of the Ordnance Survey) separately took series of photographs.^[26] The two women who extensively photographed the site were excluded from the book and film in order to create a romantic storyline.^[25]

References[edit]

1. ^'Stefan Gregory Scoring Simon Stone's Netflix Film 'The Dig''. Film Music Reporter. Film Music Reporter. 21 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
2. ^'WAGES. (Hansard, 5 June 1939)'. api.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
3. ^Armstrong, Neil (27 January 2021). 'The buried ship found on an English estate'. BBC. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
4. ^Townsend, Emily (21 September 2018). 'Nicole Kidman could star in new film about Sutton Hoo'. East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
5. ^Galuppo, Mia (29 August 2019). 'Carey Mulligan to Star in Netflix Drama 'The Dig' (Exclusive)'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
6. ^Kit, Borys (5 September 2019). 'Lily James to Join Carey Mulligan in Netflix Period Drama 'Dig' (Exclusive)'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
7. ^Wiseman, Andreas (8 October 2019). ''The Dig': Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott & Monica Dolan Join Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes & Lily James In Netflix Pic Now Underway In UK'. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
8. ^Daniels, Nia (26 July 2019). 'The Dig to film in the UK'. The Knowledge. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
9. ^Brunnig, Sue (23 April 2021). 'Excavating The Dig'. Sloan Science & Film.
10. ^Times Staff (19 November 2020). 'Yes, Virginia, there are movies this holiday season. Here's where to find them'. The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
11. ^Brueggemann, Tom (1 February 2021). 'Tenacious 'Tenet' Still Soaring on VOD Charts as 'News of the World' Stays Strong'. IndieWire. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
12. ^Brueggemann, Tom (8 February 2021). ''Malcolm & Marie' Soars at Netflix as 'Greenland' Continues to Score at a Premium VOD Price'. IndieWire. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
13. ^Brueggemann, Tom (15 February 2021). ''Croods 2′ and 'Wonder Woman 1984' Show VOD Rebound as 'Barb and Star' Makes Strong Debut'. IndieWire. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
14. ^'The Dig (2021)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
15. ^'The Dig Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
16. ^Maher, Kevin (13 January 2021). 'The Dig review — emotionally piercing and intoxicating drama about the pull of the past'. The Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
17. ^Rife, Katie (13 January 2021). 'Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes delve for meaning in the sallow period drama The Dig'. The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
18. ^'The Dig: Will Gompertz reviews film starring Carey Mulligan & Ralph Fiennes ★★★★☆'. BBC News. 30 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
19. ^Kermode, Mark (31 January 2021). 'The Dig review – a quiet meeting of minds at Sutton Hoo'. The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
20. ^ ^ab'Longlists, 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards'. British Academy Film Awards. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
21. ^ ^abcde'2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations'. www.bafta.org. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
22. ^Haring, Bruce (8 February 2021). 'AARP The Magazine Sets Movies For Grownups Nominees, Adds TV Categories'. Deadline. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
23. ^Cline, Rich (12 January 2021). 'Female filmmakers lead nominees for the Critics' Circle Film Awards'. The Critics' Circle. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
24. ^The Dig - IMDb, retrieved 20 February 2021
25. ^ ^abcBridge, Mark (29 January 2021). 'Netflix drama The Dig unfair on Sutton Hoo archaeologist Peggy Piggott'. The Times. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
26. ^ ^abcSykes, Rebecca Wragg (29 January 2021). 'How accurate is The Dig? What's true and false in Netflix's Sutton Hoo film'. The Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
27. ^Smith, Neil (29 January 2021). 'Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan remake history in Netflix film The Dig'. BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

The Dig Game Soundtrack

External links[edit]

The Dig Game Review

• The Dig at IMDb
• The Dig at History vs. Hollywood

The Dig Game Wiki