Messages

1

Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 14 October, 2020, 04:06:52 PM »

That's a well made point. I don't think anybody is truly free from prejudice. The best humans can be is conscious of it and work on improving themselves.

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Announcements / Re: Deluxe 'Stainless Steel Rat' edition planned for 2021 — including limited HC

« on: 14 October, 2020, 03:58:41 PM »

Good news!

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Off Topic / Re: The Political Thread

« on: 14 October, 2020, 03:57:43 PM »

Scotland is now recording the highest ever polling levels in favour of independence. Once the reality of Brexit is apparent on the ground then I'd expect these levels to rise again. The UK appears to be in its dying days:
https://news.stv.tv/politics/poll-support-for-independence-hits-historic-high-of-58?top

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Games / Re: Heroquest UK release.

« on: 13 October, 2020, 08:49:07 AM »

That seems a bit too expensive for nostalgia. Wouldn't Gloomhaven or something be cheaper and have more modern game mechanics?

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Games / Re: The Board Game Thread

« on: 13 October, 2020, 08:47:50 AM »

Anyway, the new game looks really pretty, with miniatures I'd love to paint.

I was interested in the new Hero Quest edition until I saw it's £150. I feel that, nostalgia aside, there are more modern games (Gloomhaven?) that do the same kind of thing for less. I haven't played HQ since 1990 or so, so I can't say for sure.

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Off Topic / Re: Thought Police: Are we allowed to query 'woke'?

« on: 07 October, 2020, 09:51:11 AM »

I think for the most part this is quite true.  I would like to stick my neck out, my head in the lion's jaw, above the parapet and so forth and suggest MASH as a possible exception.  I'm currently on a re-viewing at about season 4. 

Given its tendency to tackle racial prejudice, homophobia and the treatment of natives by American armed forces, there is little that would be overly problematic to a modern audience.  Possibly the objectification of women, but even there that is called out for what it is.

Can't think of many others that can make such a claim.

The treatment of "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film is certainly an issue. I don't think the TV series was nearly as bad, though. You'll know better, though, it's ages since I watched it!

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Help! / Re: A Moral Dilemma - separating the art from the artist

« on: 05 October, 2020, 12:18:46 PM »

This is something I've struggled with and that I don't think I'm consistent with. The one positive thing is that I learned early to separate the art from the artist when I met a musician who I absolutely idolised and he was a bit of a dick. Maybe I caught him on a bad day, but it made me realise that I could like his music without liking him.

An interesting non-contemporary case is HP Lovecraft. He had absolutely vile views, even by the standards of his era, and they make it into his books. Yet he is one of the most influential horror authors of all time.

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Books & Comics / Re: Bargains/deals thread (?)

« on: 02 October, 2020, 08:19:03 AM »

Sorry Phonogram drove you nuts... well I say that as it drove me nuts. Some of his tastes (obviously his own and utterly valid) did my head in and it was so defined in the story I just found myself reverting to my opinionated music snub self and scoffing - pulling me out the story completely. Its my fault, its not a bad comic, I just found it annoying to read!

Phonogram is like reading mid-late 90s NME in comic form. It drove me mental as well.

I don't have a great opinion of Kieron Gillen as a writer, but Phonogram is definitely his low point. A terrible waste of Jamie McKelvie.

9

Film & TV / Re: All-time classic films of recent years

« on: 30 September, 2020, 10:04:20 AM »

Of 2020 films, I'd have to say The Lighthouse. If that's not an all time cult classic, then I don't know what is.

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General / Re: The nastiest, goriest, most horribile EVER aka Ban this sick filth

« on: 30 September, 2020, 08:13:30 AM »

A Mark Millar Rogue Trooper story (possibly in a special?) springs to mind. If I remember right aliens were torturing POWs by sewing rats in their stomachs. I won't check the details, as I've no desire to read it again.

11

Books & Comics / Re: New Comic Book Day Megathread

« on: 29 September, 2020, 03:15:33 PM »

Southern Bastards is absolutely outstanding. One of the best comics I've read in the last few years.

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Announcements / Re: Nemesis the Warlock hardcover reprint and volume two

« on: 29 September, 2020, 02:30:11 PM »

I like the way that they're guaranteeing pre-orders for the next couple of weeks will get a copy. The last edition of this left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, considering the way that pre-orders were announced first on Zuckerberg's organ, immediately sold out and then many copies were immediately flipped on eBay. It was pretty much a textbook case of how not to do one of these launches. Glad to see Rebellion have changed things.

I've ordered both books, obviously.

13

Film & TV / Re: The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance

« on: 23 September, 2020, 11:52:52 AM »

Now dreading watching this, falling in love and knowing that that's that!

Ah well, here we go!

The Firefly problem.

14

Books & Comics / Re: New Comic Book Day Megathread

« on: 21 September, 2020, 02:17:06 PM »

Elsewhere in a small haul Strange Adventures 5 see the series continue to intrigue and infuriate in almost equal measure. Things move on but I don't feel like I've learnt anything more.

I don't think this is going to match Mister Miracle or The Vision, but I'm still optimistic this story is going to develop in interesting and unexpected ways (beyond the obvious war crimes/Strange as dupe angles).

They don't need to jumble the timeline as much, though. Or they need to do it better.

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Books & Comics / Re: New Comic Book Day Megathread

« on: 06 September, 2020, 03:52:34 PM »

Hellblazer: Rise and Fall book 1. DC might be inexplicably cancelling the acclaimed Spurrier written Hellblazer, but they’re also putting out this limited series written by Tom Taylor. It’s in an oversized edition (about the size of a Megazine) with impeccable production quality. This is a nice thing. The story is very firmly old-school Hellblazer and would have been very at home in the Ennis run. This is very obviously not in the same continuity at the Spurrier series. For a start, Constantine seems about 30 years younger. The art by Darick Robertson is just on the right side of cartooney. It’s a good start, even if it leans a bit heavily on Constantine’s guilt, a subject that has been done to death. Looking forward to the rest of it.