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Ooops, sorry.  This happens a lot lately.  I try to control it by mentally listing World Cup squads of years gone by, but it doesn't always help, especially if they have Roy Keane in them...

" Spartans, ie a bunch of shouty idiots who picked fights with everyone they could find simply for something to do"

Having been to modern Sparta in recent years, I'd have to say very little has changed.  The only part of Greece I didn't care for.  

Anyway as long as they can show Xaddam and his Rhinos of Mass Destruction that a Few Good Men will hold the line against his uncountable swarthy hordes, I'm sure it will all turn out fine.

" Spartans, ie a bunch of shouty idiots who picked fights with everyone they could find simply for something to do"

Having been to modern Sparta in recent years, I'd have to say very little has changed.  The only part of Greece I didn't care for.

Wow, unsubtle anti-arab propaganda AND gay porn!  It's the movie event of my nightmares!

On the other hand, war rhinos!

Nah, barbarians at the (hot) gates analogies aside, it looks pretty cool.  That expressionist look is much better suited to this kind of mythic telling that the pretend-realism of 'Troy' (which for all its awfulness I rather like).  

Whoops, meant to note that the link in the above post is for the South Park 'World of Warcraft' episode, which made me laugh uncontrollably, and seemed to fit with the general theme of this thread...

Is it wrong that I followed the link, downloaded some nerdcore, and... enjoyed it?  The one which used samples of dice rolling noises was particualrly amusing.  Oh to be young again.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBBbM2iFQ1g" target="_blank">Totally Teamspeak!

Surely one of the greatest artists working today, in any medium.  The man is a marvel.

Good prog, made great by the very moving tribute piece.  How fabulous was it to see McMahon doing Slaine again!  I was also struck by how good Steve Pugh's Feral looked, bit of a wasted strip that.  Donations a-plenty, I hope.

Elsewhere, Dredd was odd but lovely looking - blimey but Joe's a bit conflicted these days.  And no, Head Biker Bloke is definitely not dead.  Surely Dredd should have sent the H-Wagon after the gang?

Chiaroscuro is gripping, best strip for me this week.  

Sin Dex is back, ah well.  I loved Malone, but I just can't warm to the parent strip, despite always enjoying Dabnett's relentless punning.  I suppose I just can't handle the swing between  amoral ultra-violence played for laughs and character-based pathos.  I'd feel the same way about Dredd if the strip alternated on a weekly basis between a Hicklenton-drawn Heavy Metal Dredd and Tale of the Dead Man.  

Battlestar Gala...err, The '86ers was actually good.  Buckets of visual dynamism in what could have been a talking-heads fest.  Love the design of the Nu-Boat.

The Future Shock was nicely drawn and well told, and I still love seeing strip on the back cover - makes me feel I'm getting my money's worth!

Ta!

I  was trying to sort Paul out with the great Red-and-White Tape project, but we got separated by 'the Incident'.  I tried e-mailing him on an address that Wake forwarded to me, but no reply.  

If you're out there Paul, let me know if you still need that stuff!  Otherwise, anyone know how to get hold of PVS?  I have his snailmail, but was hoping for something quicker.

In tonight's stunning episode, t turns out that Robin has read the Koran (how?), and likes quoting from it.  Is ANYONE the least bit surprised?  

We need to open a book on which pathetic thing happens first.  I'm still holding out for corrupt arms trade, but the ID Card and WMD ones are good.  Of course I might have to watch another episode, rather than typing sarky posts.

" want to know when the episode about ID cards is going to happen - and if not, I've got a solid gold pitch for the production team..."

Heh.  This has the potential to be the only way of getting enjoyment out of this cackhanded drivel!  

My pitch:  Wounded Veterans return from the Holy Land with tales of Saracens equipped with crossbows... Robin finds out that the quarrels are made in Nottingham, and the Sheriff is behind it!

My better half (a rabid fan of all-things Robin Hood in her youth, there are costumed birthday party photos to prove it) pronounced the death sentence on this rubbish halfway through the second episode:

"My God.  It's like the Costner version with all the good bits taken out".  (I can only assume she meant Alan Rickman).

I could actually hear her teeth grinding every time the placename caption whooshed onto the screen.  Oh dear.

Having finally watched the first episode, and having recently rewatched the whole of Robin Sherwood on DVD, there really is no comparison - nostalgic glow or no. They're two shows with totally different aims.

For all its mystical Clannad malarkey and dodgy filters, the Praed/Connery version was played dead straight (even po-faced), and strove for 'realism' - even though the commentary makes it clear much of it was shot on a golf course.  Strangely, the Jason Connery episodes are by far the better stories, even if Robert of Huntington isn't half the lead that Robin of Loxley was.

Robin-from-the-Hood is a totally different animal - despite an interesting and engaging duo in Robin and Much, a well set-up plot, some impressive sets and a really great Sheriff, I'm afraid it's just not going to draw me in, for one simple reason.  

From the outset the ease with which Robin pulls off ludicrous feats of bowmanship means that it's going to be impossible to see the characters as being in any real peril.  That dumps me right out of the suspension-of-disbelief zone more than anything else. The two-arrows thing made me laugh, not gasp - this guy is Robin Hood, not Achilles or Cu Chulainn - his top trick should be splitting one arrow with another. I know they're going for 'Crouching Tiger', but the reason *that* works is because it is played straight - with the knowing-wink approach, this is Xena without the eye-candy.  

I hope that this *is* what 'the kids' want, superhero shenanigans with an olde worlde setting, and I do wish it well.  The banter is good, the set-up is nicely handled, their Robin is an interesting 21st century cheeky-chappy version, but if it can't convince me that anything anyone does actually matters, it'll be hard to care.

You effing basticks, Rebellion, don't you know I have a child to provide for?  What's wrong with you, you bunch of heartless fecks?  Now I have to pick up THREE sets of Casefiles? Do you think I'm made of money? Do you want my son to go hungry?  Listen, you can probably hear his neglected cries from here.  Well I hope you're happy.

Thankyousoverymuchicouldn'tbehappier!