Critical Role
2x60 A Turtle By Any Other Name
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Friday, 27 September 2024
Thursday, 26 September 2024
Fiction
Doctor Who: The New Adventures
Timewyrm: Apocalypse by Nigel Robinson
Chapters 16–21
Epilogue [the end]
Well, this wasn't as terrible as I'd been led to believe, but nor is it much cop. It's not fundamentally flawed — there are some decent ideas here, especially with the reveal of how the Timewyrm is involved this time (a writer like Steven Moffat could probably work wonders with that storyline) — but there are myriad lesser issues that add up to an unsatisfying whole. It's not outright bad, it's just aggressively adequate.
Timewyrm: Apocalypse by Nigel Robinson
Chapters 16–21
Epilogue [the end]
Well, this wasn't as terrible as I'd been led to believe, but nor is it much cop. It's not fundamentally flawed — there are some decent ideas here, especially with the reveal of how the Timewyrm is involved this time (a writer like Steven Moffat could probably work wonders with that storyline) — but there are myriad lesser issues that add up to an unsatisfying whole. It's not outright bad, it's just aggressively adequate.
Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Videos
Critical Role
2x59 Perspective [2nd half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#108 'Perspective'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
2x59 Perspective [2nd half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#108 'Perspective'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Videos
Critical Role
2x59 Perspective [1st half]
This episode was on the night their Kickstarter campaign finished, so it's like Nerd² as Sam does a parody of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme and MST3k creator Joel Hodgson pops by.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
2x59 Perspective [1st half]
This episode was on the night their Kickstarter campaign finished, so it's like Nerd² as Sam does a parody of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme and MST3k creator Joel Hodgson pops by.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Monday, 23 September 2024
Videos
Critical Role
Critical Role Creates Characters in Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Session Zero
Critical Role Plays Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Live One-Shot [2nd half]
Session Zero not being on their Twitch channel meant I missed it before diving into the one-shot proper, but I'm glad I went back to it. You might think two hours of watching seven people fill out gaming paperwork sounds boring, but this is anything but: it's a nice insight into the system and how it works, and these guys are just fun to hang out with.
As for the one-shot itself, I wasn't sure about the Menagerie as a team at first (it all seemed a bit too whimsical for my personal taste), but once I settled into it, it was a lot of fun. The team seemed really energised by the new system and new story, too. I'm glad there are at least two more of these (though I'll have to think about when to fit them in around my regular Campaign 2 viewing, because I don't want to slip on that — I'm still so far behind...)
[Watch Session Zero on YouTube or Beacon, and the Live One-Shot on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talking of not dropping behind on Campaign 2...
Talks Machina
#107 'Wood and Steel'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
Critical Role Creates Characters in Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Session Zero
Critical Role Plays Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Live One-Shot [2nd half]
Session Zero not being on their Twitch channel meant I missed it before diving into the one-shot proper, but I'm glad I went back to it. You might think two hours of watching seven people fill out gaming paperwork sounds boring, but this is anything but: it's a nice insight into the system and how it works, and these guys are just fun to hang out with.
As for the one-shot itself, I wasn't sure about the Menagerie as a team at first (it all seemed a bit too whimsical for my personal taste), but once I settled into it, it was a lot of fun. The team seemed really energised by the new system and new story, too. I'm glad there are at least two more of these (though I'll have to think about when to fit them in around my regular Campaign 2 viewing, because I don't want to slip on that — I'm still so far behind...)
[Watch Session Zero on YouTube or Beacon, and the Live One-Shot on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talking of not dropping behind on Campaign 2...
Talks Machina
#107 'Wood and Steel'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
Sunday, 22 September 2024
Comics
Exceptional X-Men #1 by Eve L. Ewing & Carmen Carnero
Here's the third (and final) main series in the "From the Ashes" X-relaunch. (I'm not picking up most of the other books — there's way too many to go in for all that. The exception is Wolverine: Revenge, which is a limited series from great creators. I say "exception" — not sure it's even really part of the new range, per se.)
All of which sort of raises an interesting point, because whereas X-Men and Uncanny X-Men both feel like cornerstone major titles for the range (what with both featuring variant teams of X-Men and most of the best-known characters split between them), Exceptional feels more like one of those low-key additional titles. It's very much about Kitty Pryde (more comic-famous than general-famous, having not appeared in the animated series and only in a couple of the films), with complications from Emma Frost (similarly, better known to comic fans than those who, like me, have come to X-Men more from other media) and then three brand-new characters rounding out the main cast (two of whom are on the cover of this issue but haven't even been introduced yet).
None of which is a criticism. Indeed, being notably different to the other two 'main' books works in its favour. It feels very much like how an X-universe TV series might've begun in the '00s or '10s (these days, an X-Men series would have Marvel throwing movie-level money at it, so wouldn't need the 'grounded'-ness of this).
Here's the third (and final) main series in the "From the Ashes" X-relaunch. (I'm not picking up most of the other books — there's way too many to go in for all that. The exception is Wolverine: Revenge, which is a limited series from great creators. I say "exception" — not sure it's even really part of the new range, per se.)
All of which sort of raises an interesting point, because whereas X-Men and Uncanny X-Men both feel like cornerstone major titles for the range (what with both featuring variant teams of X-Men and most of the best-known characters split between them), Exceptional feels more like one of those low-key additional titles. It's very much about Kitty Pryde (more comic-famous than general-famous, having not appeared in the animated series and only in a couple of the films), with complications from Emma Frost (similarly, better known to comic fans than those who, like me, have come to X-Men more from other media) and then three brand-new characters rounding out the main cast (two of whom are on the cover of this issue but haven't even been introduced yet).
None of which is a criticism. Indeed, being notably different to the other two 'main' books works in its favour. It feels very much like how an X-universe TV series might've begun in the '00s or '10s (these days, an X-Men series would have Marvel throwing movie-level money at it, so wouldn't need the 'grounded'-ness of this).
Videos
Critical Role
Critical Role Plays Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Live One-Shot [1st half]
With CR having recently announced the opening of preorders for their own TTRPG system, Daggerheart, I decided to take a break from my regular Campaign 2 viewing and check out the test play they did earlier this year. (They actually did several in the end, but this is, naturally, the first.) Partly I'm curious about the game and how it plays; partly there's reasonable speculation that CR proper will switch systems from D&D to Daggerheart (probably when Campaign 4 begins, whenever that may be) so I was curious how that might look.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's still watching other people roleplay — broadly speaking, it feels the same. Of course, when dice rolls come in — most notably during combat — then it gets a bit different, at least mechnically. A mixture of feelings about that. It can make you think "why change, then?", but there are lots of reasons for that. It's also reassuring, in the sense that it's not going to radically alter the show. But it also looks like it might be quite a fun system, once the initial learning curve is complete and you're tackling it properly.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Critical Role Plays Daggerheart aka Daggerheart Open Beta: Live One-Shot [1st half]
With CR having recently announced the opening of preorders for their own TTRPG system, Daggerheart, I decided to take a break from my regular Campaign 2 viewing and check out the test play they did earlier this year. (They actually did several in the end, but this is, naturally, the first.) Partly I'm curious about the game and how it plays; partly there's reasonable speculation that CR proper will switch systems from D&D to Daggerheart (probably when Campaign 4 begins, whenever that may be) so I was curious how that might look.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's still watching other people roleplay — broadly speaking, it feels the same. Of course, when dice rolls come in — most notably during combat — then it gets a bit different, at least mechnically. A mixture of feelings about that. It can make you think "why change, then?", but there are lots of reasons for that. It's also reassuring, in the sense that it's not going to radically alter the show. But it also looks like it might be quite a fun system, once the initial learning curve is complete and you're tackling it properly.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, Twitch, or Beacon.]
Saturday, 21 September 2024
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Six additions this week, all new releases that are officially out on Monday. Those include three films from Japan (including the latest Miyazaki), two from Italy, and a box set of five from the UK. Half of them are Radiance titles — I always want basically everything Radiance puts out, and sometimes I have to force myself to find places to cut back (their last cycle of releases), and other times I can only give in and buy them all. (I'd save some money if I waited for sales and offers, but I'd also miss out on titles because their limited editions don't always last until they're on offer. I find it next to impossible to predict which will be speedy sell-outs and which will linger.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,378 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 998 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,380 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 390 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,129 [up 8]
Number of films: 4,173 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 397 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,800 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,165 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Six additions this week, all new releases that are officially out on Monday. Those include three films from Japan (including the latest Miyazaki), two from Italy, and a box set of five from the UK. Half of them are Radiance titles — I always want basically everything Radiance puts out, and sometimes I have to force myself to find places to cut back (their last cycle of releases), and other times I can only give in and buy them all. (I'd save some money if I waited for sales and offers, but I'd also miss out on titles because their limited editions don't always last until they're on offer. I find it next to impossible to predict which will be speedy sell-outs and which will linger.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,378 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 998 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,380 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 390 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,129 [up 8]
Number of films: 4,173 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 397 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,800 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,165 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 20 September 2024
TV
X-Men
3x16 The Dark Phoenix, Part III The Dark Phoenix
3x17 The Dark Phoenix, Part IV The Fate of the Phoenix
3x16 The Dark Phoenix, Part III The Dark Phoenix
3x17 The Dark Phoenix, Part IV The Fate of the Phoenix
Music
Yesterwynde
by Nightwish
It's almost four-and-a-half years since the last Nightwish album — as I wrote back then, I'll always buy a new one, though how many times I'll listen to it is another matter. For example, the one before last I've still only listened to twice in full, though a pair of standout tracks have received almost 350 plays between them. The last one, though... three times in full (four times for CD1, but only three for the multipart 'single piece' on CD2), and no standout tracks, apparently. But the last time I listened to any of it was back in May 2020, the month after it came out, so I ought to give it another go.
Anyway, for now, back to the new one — which, based on another bit of trivia I observed last time, is the first Nightwish album in 24 years where none of the tracks are over ten minutes long! One is nine-and-a-half, though, and most are over five minutes (which, I dunno, doesn't sound long in isolation, but apparently radio-friendly music is getting shorter and shorter; Eurovision still caps tracks at three minutes; and 'back in the day' Queen were warned Bohemian Rhapsody wouldn't get any play because it was over five minutes — so, y'know, it's still moderately long as songs go).
Anyway, first impressions are that it's broadly typical Nightwish fare, for good or ill — no tracks particularly stood out to me, but none were remarkably terrible either (and, to be honest, Nightwish have often offered an immediately-spotted slightly-embarrassing dud or two per album before now, so it's nice there's nothing of that nature).
by Nightwish
It's almost four-and-a-half years since the last Nightwish album — as I wrote back then, I'll always buy a new one, though how many times I'll listen to it is another matter. For example, the one before last I've still only listened to twice in full, though a pair of standout tracks have received almost 350 plays between them. The last one, though... three times in full (four times for CD1, but only three for the multipart 'single piece' on CD2), and no standout tracks, apparently. But the last time I listened to any of it was back in May 2020, the month after it came out, so I ought to give it another go.
Anyway, for now, back to the new one — which, based on another bit of trivia I observed last time, is the first Nightwish album in 24 years where none of the tracks are over ten minutes long! One is nine-and-a-half, though, and most are over five minutes (which, I dunno, doesn't sound long in isolation, but apparently radio-friendly music is getting shorter and shorter; Eurovision still caps tracks at three minutes; and 'back in the day' Queen were warned Bohemian Rhapsody wouldn't get any play because it was over five minutes — so, y'know, it's still moderately long as songs go).
Anyway, first impressions are that it's broadly typical Nightwish fare, for good or ill — no tracks particularly stood out to me, but none were remarkably terrible either (and, to be honest, Nightwish have often offered an immediately-spotted slightly-embarrassing dud or two per album before now, so it's nice there's nothing of that nature).
Thursday, 19 September 2024
TV
X-Men
3x14 Dark Phoenix, Part I Dazzled
3x15 Dark Phoenix, Part II The Inner Circle
I'm finding this to be superior to the original Phoenix arc, even with "kiddie TV show" changes (they had to rename the Hellfire Club to the Inner Circle).
3x14 Dark Phoenix, Part I Dazzled
3x15 Dark Phoenix, Part II The Inner Circle
I'm finding this to be superior to the original Phoenix arc, even with "kiddie TV show" changes (they had to rename the Hellfire Club to the Inner Circle).
Videos
Critical Role
2x57 In Love and War [2nd half]
"Chemistry's good, baby, but killin's better."
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#106 'In Love and War'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
2x57 In Love and War [2nd half]
"Chemistry's good, baby, but killin's better."
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#106 'In Love and War'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Videos
Critical Role
2x57 In Love and War [1st half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#105 'The Favor'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
2x57 In Love and War [1st half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or Twitch, or Beacon.]
Talks Machina
#105 'The Favor'
[Watch it (again) on Internet Archive.]
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