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Damn, I forgot about that theory. Maybe [spoiler]a wee creature landed in the sea with the satellite and then mutated?[/spoiler]

In fact yeah, that's probably it.

No, if I remember rightly there was quite an extensive backstory to Cloverfield through viral websites and whatnot, which pointed to the creature from the first film being [spoiler]an underwater creature that mutated because of deep sea mining of some sort of chemical for an energy drink? I add the question mark because I'm struggling to remember the specifics! But yeah, it definitely wasn't aliens. According to the creators its only connection to Cloverfield is that they wanted to make it another similarly mysterious sci-fi/horror type thing, as part of an anthology series of unrelated stories. From that it's no more related to the original Cloverfield than one Twilight Zone episode is related to another. Still, I guess it would be nice to imagine all that crazy shit is happening at once![/spoiler]

[The Devil's Backbone]

Maybe I've been reading different interviews, but everything I've heard the Cloverfield Lane team say about the sequel/not-sequel seemed very clear that it's an [spoiler]unconnected story/universe, and that if they made a third film it would again have nothing to do with the first two. They're essentially going for the kind of anthology series approach that was the original intent with Halloween but got scuppered when Halloween 3 wasn't a success. Also, they're quite open about the fact that the sci-fi connections and Cloverfield branding was added very late on - the original ending had the character escaping the bunker then seeing the nearby city in flames (cause kept ambiguous) and then cut to credits just as she took of the mask and took a breath.

For my money that would have been a better film, as I enjoyed the bunker story so much that the addition of aliens just felt really unnecessary and that's where it lost me a bit. To just reveal that Goodman's character was right and then finish with some ambiguity over whether the air was safe (and the tension of her taking the plunge anyway) or what the cause had been would have been way more effective (in my opinion, other opinions may vary)![/spoiler]

I finally watched The Devil's Backbone. No idea why that took me so long to get around to, it really is brilliant, and very classic Del Toro for want of a better description. Boy knows his way around a ghost story. The subtitles on my DVD copy weren't great mind you, with the timing being way off at times and making some exchanges tricky to follow.

Oh, and Birdman. There are some really fantastic performances in that all round, and it's technically quite an accomplishment, enjoyed it.

I've arranged a game of Space Hulk on Saturday and am only just sitting down to read the rules now, I predict it will get messy! Going to watch some videos beforehand, that usually helps.

Depending how much time that takes am hoping to squeeze in some Assassinorum Execution Force as well as I've only had that out a couple of times.

Still haven't beaten a game of Pandemic, although we got a lot closer on 2nd try. We maybe got a bit cocky because things were going so damn well and we had it all in hand and then it fell apart very, very fast!

I've only read one Ballard book, and it wasn't High Rise (it was Unlimited Dream Company). The film really reminded me of the tone and atmosphere of that book though, that weird surreal other-wordly-ness of it that stuck with me.

Already shared my thoughts on the 'last movie watched' thread but in brief I think it's a really great, unique film. My one gripe was that the collapse occurs almost immediately on Laing moving in, I didn't feel like I got any time to get comfortable with the situation or the setting before it all started crumbling. It makes the whole thing quite disorienting. The more I think about it the more that seems like the point though, that choice meant that I felt really off-kilter for the whole movie. It has a very woozy atmosphere that left me feeling quite peculiar actually.

I'm going to give the book a go now, my wife had read it beforehand and hinted that they've changed quite a bit in the adaptation (removing and adding characters etc.) but that it had been a very successful interpretation.

[High Rise]

Squeezed in a couple this weekend - High Rise and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Both really enjoyable (and very different)! High Rise I found a little messy in its set-up but really interesting and surreal and odd and intriguing and funny and disturbing and...it's a lot of things. My only problem with it (and it's not a big one) is that I don't think it spends enough time letting you settle into the building before it all starts falling apart. I didn't feel like I got to see the social hierarchy while it's 'working' or that I got to see a normal day properly in the building before the collapse, because it all goes to hell so fast that I didn't really get a lot of the relationships. May have just been me, Bea had read the book and did say that a lot of the set-up wasn't as fleshed out in the movie as it could have been.

Other than that I really liked it, Mansell's score is great, it's visually pretty mesmerizing and it's got a weird woozy dreamlike (or nightmare-like) atmosphere that's quite reminiscent of Clockwork Orange. It also reminded me of DREDD very often (there are moments that are basically Peach Trees), which is never a bad thing.

10 Cloverfield Lane was another interesting one, I loved a lot about it and some of it not so much. I can't help but think that slapping Cloverfield on it does it a disservice, it's a very good, very tense and claustrophobic psychological thriller in its own right, and that brand heaps on a fair bit of baggage and expectation. It's definitely one to see before  anyone blurts any spoilers at you, because the nature (or existence of) the threat is one of the sources of tension. For my money (spoilers ahead) [spoiler]I didn't particularly like the resolution and the answers to those questions. It felt a bit tacked on and rushed, and didn't live up to the tense drama that the film had been up to that point. If it had been a quick 'holy shit' reveal it might have worked better for me, or (even better) if they'd managed to keep an ambiguity about it I probably would have love that. As it is, for me it's a really very good film until the last few minutes where I found I wasn't really on board. Everyone will react differently to it though I guess, and I can't say it spoils the film for me, it just left me pretty cold after being so gripped by what came before it.[/spoiler]

So aye, essentially I really really liked it overall.

[Hail Caesar]

We went to see Hail Caesar last night and very much enjoyed it. Lots of chuckles and a few belly laughs (one moment broke me for about 5 minutes). A nice, fun film, and felt like classic Coens.

Finished another playthrough of Metro 2033 last night, still love that game! Such a unique atmosphere. Survivor mode on XB1 this time, still got the downbeat ending though so will need to play through again and try for the more positive one at some point.

[Goldtiger]

Goldtiger: Didn't read the text article but the strip was interesting. Not something I'd buy but it was curious to think that's something that was ever potentially going to be in the prog, given how Flesh Gordon it all is and how relatively tame that side of things was in comics back then.

According to the separate Goldtiger thread, this is apparently all made-up retconned history - it's a new story. I also believed the article and I find this really rather annoying!

Facepalm, I was totally duped!

[Cover: I like it!]

Cover: I like it!

Judge Dredd: Looking forward to re-reading this, really like the set-up but found some of the art confusing initially this month. Found it tricky to get a handle on who was where and why, but that'll probably be sorted without a month in between episodes.

Goldtiger: Didn't read the text article but the strip was interesting. Not something I'd buy but it was curious to think that's something that was ever potentially going to be in the prog, given how Flesh Gordon it all is and how relatively tame that side of things was in comics back then.

Realm Of the Damned: I wasn't put off by the first episode, loved the artwork and thought it set a very distinct tone that's different to anything else in the prog or meg currently. I didn't find the blood wee upsetting or offensive either, and much like the the editorial droid I can't really see why it would be seen as such in the context of a demonic story, it felt a bit Clive Barker to me and that's a good thing by my reckoning. Thought this weeks episode was great, the art continues to look fantastic and the addition of badass armed sci-fi militia guys is cool, I reckon I'm going to be a big fan of this series.

Demarco: I was pretty lost here, but this run is one that I've not quite kept a handle on the story from month to month. Will be giving it a re-read.

Dredd Movie-man Version: Like this a ton. Looks great and the story is great. My only (small) quibble is that in diving into supernatural/superpowered opponents it maybe does away with the grounded aspect of the movie Dredd? Not that that's necessarily a problem as it's still a very cool story, but I wonder if bringing it more in line with the more fantastical elements of the regular series perhaps means it loses what makes it distinctly different to the regular series and what might have lured in readers who don't read regular Dredd but did like the movie.

That's just a passing thought though, as personally I love it.

Haven't read the floppy yet, but will get round to that next week!

Fired up Fallout 4 for the first time in a few weeks last night, like slipping into some very comfortable and familiar slippers! Turns out I'm only about a day and a half into it so still have a ways to go.

Lately been revisiting Rebellion's most recent Aliens vs Predator game, I'd watched the Predator movies again so was in the mood for the Predator campaign. Still holds up for me, I really, really like that game. Realized I hadn't ever finished any of the campaigns on Nightmare difficulty (Hard, but with no checkpoints) so challenging myself to do that. On the third level of Predator currently and it's going okay, might be doable! Love cloaking and using the trees and the stealth kills...it's all win.

Also finally finished Alien Breed 3: Descent, which I'd been spinning my wheels on for a while (my last save was from about a year ago). I was pretty into these back with the first episode (partly for the nostalgia...they did a new Alien Breed!), but the recycling of ideas and the CONSTANT running to one objective just to be told it's locked and needs some back tracking to find a macguffin to unlock it (I don't think there's a single objective that doesn't happen with), plus the combat getting very stale, the story lacking interest and some of the new enemies being just plain no fun (there's one creature who stun-locks you, meaning you just stand about taking damage and grinding your teeth for a few seconds)...all adds up to a very disappointing trilogy and by part 3 I'd had enough.

I beat the last boss and then the game crashed before the final cutscene loaded and I don't think I'm bothered.

Toki was amazing! That is all.

Have got The Old Blood sitting on the pile awaiting its turn! Really looking forward to it, loved The New Order and just recently put a fair whack of time into getting every achievement in it. Those hard difficulties are rooooough!

Loved Inquisition too and probably wasn't far off 100hrs myself, plan to go back and do the DLC at some point. Fantastic game.

After re-watching Predator and Predator 2 at the weekend I did the only sane thing and replayed the Predator campaign in Rebellion's Aliens vs Predator on 360. Had a blast, it's definitely the kind of thing that can feel quite clunky if you play it sloppily, but when you know what you're doing and are using all the tools and jumping around the higher ground stalking your prey it's brilliantly satisfying. Love it!

Realized I played it through on Hard before but never beat it on Nightmare (which is Hard with no checkpoints), so have started working on that. Not sure I'll make it through, the boss fights will probably get frustrating.

Just booked tickets for Clint Mansell at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, playing his film scores. Should be a great night. Also got Chris Cornell acoustic fairly soon in the same venue, that'll be cracking.