Messages

That Kurosawa box set is great.

Finally made it to the end of Season 4.

Second half of Season definitely lesser than the first half.

The storm idea was good but ultimately poorly executed and I'm not sold on the new new characters (If "I like making beer" can even be described as character).

But the main thing that hamstrung it was a very poor villain and the hoops they had to make characters jump through to not just kill her on the spot. Does a zombie show even need a villain? Maybe you aren't writing Zombies right if you need to add villains rather than environment and situations and maybe other communities odds with your main group.

The final poison jeopardy was also fucking stupid and I don't think the actors, directing or pacing sold it as a life or death situation. But I really liked the final coda and set up.

But not enough to pay for it so it could be a while before I get to Season 5.

You could confuse them even more by actually showing some of the African and Indian soldiers and sailors who helped in aspects of the evacuation.

Ha ha.

Looking back, the original thread for the movie back in 2007 was titled something like "Beowoof! Woof!". Probably a reference to some boarders finding this depiction of Grendel's mother attractive.

[BEOWULF]

BEOWULF
Take the oldest tale in the English language, do an absolutely cracking job of adapting and updating it, apply (then) cutting edge motion capture and computer animation techniques, make Grendel both shitscary and sympathetic.

And then make people think they are seeing the (then) hottest woman on the planet,and a heroically idealised version of the (then) coolest man on the planet, naked.

And throw in Brendan Gleeson and Anthony Hopkins for good measure.

My goodness this gets so much absolutely right that I can forgive the obvious sops to the gimmicky 3d, the uncanny valley, the slight slow motion feel of character movements and the really odd horse motion capture.

That's a grand time for a 10k. Well done.

Enjoyed that. JAEGIR top of the pile again with an amusing Sin/Dex following.

I have some misgivings about the slightness of the 3RILLER and the thirty odd year old references in INDIGO PRIME but not enough for me to really moan about.

Is it too early to ask for the Board Mayor's return?

Not if you actually go back and read some of his comments. (I recently reread the entire Lat Movie Watched thread and he needs help and medicatipn tbat I don't think we can provide)e.

[ADVANCE WARS 2]

ADVANCE WARS 2 on my Batman DS Lite has me addicted all over again.

That'd be great to actually meet you in the flesh.

Bolt, I may have a stack of old Zarjaz in the loft, I'll check and bring them along if I have.

I think I can make this for the first time ever.

I'm already working on a filth infused pitch for the Pitchfest.

Expensive holiday means I can't really afford this.  But I can make Thought Bubble as I can wangle zero accommodation costs!

That last trailer took me from WTF? to "must see".

Late to the party but enjoyed this prog immensely.

These episodes of JAEGIR, 3HRILLER and INDIGO PRIME are all, in essence, just big action set pieces. The final fight if you like so it's interesting to see the approaches they take.

JAEGIR  has lots of different layers and people driving the (what might be considered straightforward) action and the interplay between them also drives exposition and shows character. It's smart stuff, makes the reading more complex but keeps the action clear and brilliantly paced.

INDIGO PRIME tries similarly but falters slightly to my mind because the whacky and weird nature of the story means that very panel, every text box, needs a little bit of extra parsing in my head and slows me down

The 3HRILLER is the most straightforward piece uncomplicated , unlayered action which is dynamically rendered.  It suffers by comparison especially as I'm still not entirely sure who these masked people are and whether we should be rooting for them. But if par three has some gobsmacking reveal, all will be forgiven.

Just finished Season 4 of the sublime THE AMERICANS.

Outwardly, the pace has slowed; much less in the way of capers and heist action. But what has replaced it is brilliant character stuff focusing on family and trust and faith and, as ever, identity.

Matthew Rhys and Noah Emerich are superb; Kerry Russell is even growing on me but Frank Langella just sits dishing out gravitas like he's carved of the stuff.

Three things I really like:
- the thematicly perfect perpetual winter they inhabit
- the fact they will kill and write out key (favourite) characters
- sticking to the proper languages again as befits the idea of identity.