Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
[#77 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
Blindspot 2025 #9
Thursday, 25 September 2025
Fiction / Non-Fiction / Games
Daggerheart: Core Rulebook
I feel like I should mention this, but I'm not entirely sure where it goes. I mean, it's the rulebook for a game — so it's a game... but I'm not actually playing the game, so it's not a game. And it's a rulebook, so that's non-fiction... but the game is all about collaborating to create a fictional narrative, so it's certainly fiction too.
But then, even logging it at all is kinda weird, because you're not really meant to sit down and read books like this cover to cover. It's got various useful sections, and really I think you're supposed to look at the relevant bits as and when you need them. But I'm the kind of person that, when they get a new 'toy', goes straight to read the manual rather than just turn it on and play, so...
I feel like I should mention this, but I'm not entirely sure where it goes. I mean, it's the rulebook for a game — so it's a game... but I'm not actually playing the game, so it's not a game. And it's a rulebook, so that's non-fiction... but the game is all about collaborating to create a fictional narrative, so it's certainly fiction too.
But then, even logging it at all is kinda weird, because you're not really meant to sit down and read books like this cover to cover. It's got various useful sections, and really I think you're supposed to look at the relevant bits as and when you need them. But I'm the kind of person that, when they get a new 'toy', goes straight to read the manual rather than just turn it on and play, so...
Games
Balatro
One thing I find kinda interesting about this is you unlock cards in your collection, not by being offered them in the shop, but by actually purchasing them — they're even listed as "not discovered" when... you can see them; you have discovered them.
But my real point is: some of those cards seem suboptimal, but if you want to complete your collection, presumably you've gotta buy them at some point. Dilemma. I guess you can just 'throw away' a run on collecting stuff, mind — it's not like there's some overall penalty for number of losses. I don't even know if that's recorded anywhere (I feel like it would be? But even then, based on my experience and what I've heard, you're going to lose more often than not anyway.)
One thing I find kinda interesting about this is you unlock cards in your collection, not by being offered them in the shop, but by actually purchasing them — they're even listed as "not discovered" when... you can see them; you have discovered them.
But my real point is: some of those cards seem suboptimal, but if you want to complete your collection, presumably you've gotta buy them at some point. Dilemma. I guess you can just 'throw away' a run on collecting stuff, mind — it's not like there's some overall penalty for number of losses. I don't even know if that's recorded anywhere (I feel like it would be? But even then, based on my experience and what I've heard, you're going to lose more often than not anyway.)
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Audio Drama
Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures
4.1 Snare
It was five years last month since the Ninth Doctor joined Big Finish, and to coincide with that anniversary (deliberately or not, I'm not sure) the thing I suspect most fans have wanted since the start finally came to pass: Rose (Billie Piper) joined him.
Alternating months with the Thirteenth Doctor Adventures* (until at least June 2027), the "fourth series" of the Ninth Doctor Adventures moves on from his solo pre-Rose era, as featured throughout his first three BF series, into... his Rose era, natch, for a series of stories set between Father's Day and The Empty Child (stories set between The Doctor Dances and Boom Town would've been fun, but that's never gonna happen now).
It's a good evocation of the era, feeling right at home with both the characterisation and the kinds of stories told — sci-fi and fantastical, but grounded in everyday real human experiences. That said, much like the opening instalment of the 13th Doctor series, it's solid rather than exceptional. But that's fine, and a decent start.
* The second 13th Doctor adventure came out at the start of the month, and I've received my CD copy. Three episodes into this combined era, I'm aleady two episodes behind.
4.1 Snare
It was five years last month since the Ninth Doctor joined Big Finish, and to coincide with that anniversary (deliberately or not, I'm not sure) the thing I suspect most fans have wanted since the start finally came to pass: Rose (Billie Piper) joined him.
Alternating months with the Thirteenth Doctor Adventures* (until at least June 2027), the "fourth series" of the Ninth Doctor Adventures moves on from his solo pre-Rose era, as featured throughout his first three BF series, into... his Rose era, natch, for a series of stories set between Father's Day and The Empty Child (stories set between The Doctor Dances and Boom Town would've been fun, but that's never gonna happen now).
It's a good evocation of the era, feeling right at home with both the characterisation and the kinds of stories told — sci-fi and fantastical, but grounded in everyday real human experiences. That said, much like the opening instalment of the 13th Doctor series, it's solid rather than exceptional. But that's fine, and a decent start.
* The second 13th Doctor adventure came out at the start of the month, and I've received my CD copy. Three episodes into this combined era, I'm aleady two episodes behind.
Fiction
Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber
I. The Circle Curse
Straight on to the second volume in the collected Lankhmar / Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser / Swords series. I'd sort of assumed I'd read something else next and come back to these another time, but I'm enjoying them so much I just wanted more. I guess I'll just keep going until I fancy a change — each of the seven books is relatively short (and made up of short stories & novellas, so even more digestible than short novels), but together they make up two fairly hefty tomes, and my track record with long books is... not good.
I. The Circle Curse
Straight on to the second volume in the collected Lankhmar / Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser / Swords series. I'd sort of assumed I'd read something else next and come back to these another time, but I'm enjoying them so much I just wanted more. I guess I'll just keep going until I fancy a change — each of the seven books is relatively short (and made up of short stories & novellas, so even more digestible than short novels), but together they make up two fairly hefty tomes, and my track record with long books is... not good.
Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Games
Control
Another 2½ hours (ish), not because I actually wanted to play for that long, but because this is one of those games that restarts you at the last checkpoint (rather than just letting you save wherever) and I was wary of losing progress. Frustrating. (Also, still not convinced I'm going to finish this before it leaves Luna. Increasingly feels like 6 hours 'wasted'...)
Another 2½ hours (ish), not because I actually wanted to play for that long, but because this is one of those games that restarts you at the last checkpoint (rather than just letting you save wherever) and I was wary of losing progress. Frustrating. (Also, still not convinced I'm going to finish this before it leaves Luna. Increasingly feels like 6 hours 'wasted'...)
Monday, 22 September 2025
TV
Fireside Chat LIVE With Matthew Mercer & Brennan Lee Mulligan
Holy moly, Campaign 4 starts next week! It felt kinda far off when they announced it*, but now it's almost here! So it's long overdue that I get round to this introduction-y hour-long chat Matt & Brennan did a month ago today (I've been meaning to watch this for a month?! Where does time go?!)
[Watch it (again) on YouTube or Beacon.]
* To be honest, it never felt that far off to me, because I immediately knew I wouldn't be able to finish C2 before it began, so the clock was always ticking.
Holy moly, Campaign 4 starts next week! It felt kinda far off when they announced it*, but now it's almost here! So it's long overdue that I get round to this introduction-y hour-long chat Matt & Brennan did a month ago today (I've been meaning to watch this for a month?! Where does time go?!)
[Watch it (again) on YouTube or Beacon.]
* To be honest, it never felt that far off to me, because I immediately knew I wouldn't be able to finish C2 before it began, so the clock was always ticking.
Games
3D Sonic the Hedgehog
I had two goes at starting the next level, did phenomenally poorly both times, and quit. My 3DS logged my playtime as 1 minute. I might be done with Sonic now… apart from giving Sonic 2 a go, anyway. Can’t imagine it will go any better, but you never know.
Control
Quite enjoying this, but after about 3½ hours played it still feels like I'm quite early in the game — like, it's underway, but I know there are much-discussed gameplay elements I haven't unlocked yet; plus, HowLongToBeat says it takes at least 13 hours to play through, so there's that. Normally that would be fine, but it's making me wonder if I'm wasting my time playing it on Luna, considering that it leaves the free-with-Prime section in 9 days — I either get it done by then, or my progress is lost. I could pay for Luna+ to continue it, but it would be better value to just buy it next time it's on sale: a month of Luna+ is £9 and this was recently available for about £3. (I've missed that offer now, but it'll be back.) Not sure whether to forge on or call it a day — and, say, go back to the last game where this happened.
Pilotwings Resort
Back to the 3DS, with more success: 58 minutes of this. Still annoyed by the time limit on free flight, but I’m beginning to get slightly better at controlling the jet pack and glider. Neither are as fun as the plane, but you have to use them to complete some things, and completing things is the only way to unlock more stuff, so…
I had two goes at starting the next level, did phenomenally poorly both times, and quit. My 3DS logged my playtime as 1 minute. I might be done with Sonic now… apart from giving Sonic 2 a go, anyway. Can’t imagine it will go any better, but you never know.
Control
Quite enjoying this, but after about 3½ hours played it still feels like I'm quite early in the game — like, it's underway, but I know there are much-discussed gameplay elements I haven't unlocked yet; plus, HowLongToBeat says it takes at least 13 hours to play through, so there's that. Normally that would be fine, but it's making me wonder if I'm wasting my time playing it on Luna, considering that it leaves the free-with-Prime section in 9 days — I either get it done by then, or my progress is lost. I could pay for Luna+ to continue it, but it would be better value to just buy it next time it's on sale: a month of Luna+ is £9 and this was recently available for about £3. (I've missed that offer now, but it'll be back.) Not sure whether to forge on or call it a day — and, say, go back to the last game where this happened.
Pilotwings Resort
Back to the 3DS, with more success: 58 minutes of this. Still annoyed by the time limit on free flight, but I’m beginning to get slightly better at controlling the jet pack and glider. Neither are as fun as the plane, but you have to use them to complete some things, and completing things is the only way to unlock more stuff, so…
Sunday, 21 September 2025
Films
An Aleutian Adventure
[#75 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
I've not put a year on this because it's hard to date: it's a very obscure film that I got through a Kickstarter, and the best they can say is it's from the late 1920s. There's nothing else about it online — no IMDb listing, still — and, thanks to the Kickstarter disc coming out this year, TMDB puts it as 2025, which it obviously isn't. Not sure how I'll list it on 100 Films when (if?) I get round to reviewing it, but I'll worry about that later.
[#75 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
I've not put a year on this because it's hard to date: it's a very obscure film that I got through a Kickstarter, and the best they can say is it's from the late 1920s. There's nothing else about it online — no IMDb listing, still — and, thanks to the Kickstarter disc coming out this year, TMDB puts it as 2025, which it obviously isn't. Not sure how I'll list it on 100 Films when (if?) I get round to reviewing it, but I'll worry about that later.
Fiction
Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
IV. Ill Met in Lankhmar [the end]
Well, I enjoyed that very much — it's lived up to its rep as a cornerstone of swords & sorcery fiction. My only question is: why has it taken so long for me to hear about it? Why's it not more widely known and recommended? It seems to be one of those series that 'those in the know' know about; like Leiber is the fantasy writers' fantasy writer — like, this is one of those series you've not heard of, but every author you love loves it. Or maybe it was just me, I dunno.
Anyway, I've started it now, and I'm thrilled there are six more books, with I-don't-know-how-many more stories between them, for me to look forward to.
IV. Ill Met in Lankhmar [the end]
Well, I enjoyed that very much — it's lived up to its rep as a cornerstone of swords & sorcery fiction. My only question is: why has it taken so long for me to hear about it? Why's it not more widely known and recommended? It seems to be one of those series that 'those in the know' know about; like Leiber is the fantasy writers' fantasy writer — like, this is one of those series you've not heard of, but every author you love loves it. Or maybe it was just me, I dunno.
Anyway, I've started it now, and I'm thrilled there are six more books, with I-don't-know-how-many more stories between them, for me to look forward to.
Games
007: Blood Stone
Steam tells me I've spent over two-and-a-half hours in Blood Stone, which is an awful lot for a game I'm "not playing". But, yes, this was even more controller setup. Having got it working with the Steam Deck's own controls the other day, I've since connected my Deck to the TV, so I wanted to see how it worked there with an external controller. Plus, the game does have a controller setting, so I thought I'd give that a go.
Well, it's shit. It still shows the keyboard commands on screen — lazy programming! — which means it's trial and error trying to work out what button does what; and some do nothing, making some actions impossible. So after battling away with that for a while, I gave in and remapped a la my Deck controls. Got it basically perfect that way, too.
After all that effort, maybe I should actually play the game... although Everything or Nothing is really a higher priority (it's been waiting for me longer, and it's meant to be quite a bit better)... and I kinda started the GoldenEye remake, too... Oh dear!
Steam tells me I've spent over two-and-a-half hours in Blood Stone, which is an awful lot for a game I'm "not playing". But, yes, this was even more controller setup. Having got it working with the Steam Deck's own controls the other day, I've since connected my Deck to the TV, so I wanted to see how it worked there with an external controller. Plus, the game does have a controller setting, so I thought I'd give that a go.
Well, it's shit. It still shows the keyboard commands on screen — lazy programming! — which means it's trial and error trying to work out what button does what; and some do nothing, making some actions impossible. So after battling away with that for a while, I gave in and remapped a la my Deck controls. Got it basically perfect that way, too.
After all that effort, maybe I should actually play the game... although Everything or Nothing is really a higher priority (it's been waiting for me longer, and it's meant to be quite a bit better)... and I kinda started the GoldenEye remake, too... Oh dear!
Saturday, 20 September 2025
Comics
2000 AD
Prog 2401
Prog 2402
Prog 2450 was released this week, meaning I have exactly 50 issues to catch up on. Considering the Christmas one covers three weeks, I guess that means I've fallen a whole year behind. Oops. Well, it was a quality line-up at this point — I'm enjoying all five strips, which is certainly not always the case — so hopefully that will compel me to catch up faster.
Prog 2401
Prog 2402
Prog 2450 was released this week, meaning I have exactly 50 issues to catch up on. Considering the Christmas one covers three weeks, I guess that means I've fallen a whole year behind. Oops. Well, it was a quality line-up at this point — I'm enjoying all five strips, which is certainly not always the case — so hopefully that will compel me to catch up faster.
Games
Balatro
I swear people talk about this as a quick “pick up and play a round” kind of game, but I played one run today and it took over half-an-hour, and I only made it about halfway before losing. Maybe it gets quicker when/if you know what you’re doing, I dunno…
Pilotwings Resort
This is my most recent acquisiton for the 3DS and, rather than add it to the bottom of the backlog, I've started it immediately. Kinda counterintuitive, but this was a launch title for the system, and is a relatively gentle experience designed to show off the system's stereoscopic capabilities. It's quite fun, though undermined by some daft decisions — why is Free Flight mode limited to 2 minutes?! It feels like it's enforced just to stop you flying around for a while and getting all the achievements (unlocking 75 locations) in one sitting. Apparently you can lengthen the flight time by completing challenges, etc, but it still maxes out at 5 minutes. Sucks.
Steam Deck
I was going to list this under the heading of the games involved, because I played a chunk of them to test things out... but I didn't really play them, because this was primarily about more fiddling with the tech. But for the last time (I think) — hurrah!
So, what happened was, today I finally got round to connecting my Steam Deck to my TV; and though that bit worked flawlessly, it annoyed me that one of my emulated GameCube games, 007: Everything or Nothing, was in 4:3 when it specifically has a widescreen mode. A bunch of Reddit-browsing later, I'd found the settings I needed to fiddle with to not only get widescreen working, but get the game running in 1080p HD. And it looks so much better for it! (But god knows how many times I've played through the first mission now as part of my testing. I've even completed it on the hardest difficulty with Platinum goals completed! Regular readers* will know how unlike me that is.)
And because I was fiddling with that, I also had a look into my other GC title, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. That was even more involved again, though I do now have it in HD and widescreen thanks to inputting a cheat code for the latter and installing a fan-made HD texture pack for the former — and now it looks so good too! And now, after many hours of faffing, these are finally nicely set up to play. Now I just need to actually play them...
* Don't worry, I know no one reads this.
I swear people talk about this as a quick “pick up and play a round” kind of game, but I played one run today and it took over half-an-hour, and I only made it about halfway before losing. Maybe it gets quicker when/if you know what you’re doing, I dunno…
Pilotwings Resort
This is my most recent acquisiton for the 3DS and, rather than add it to the bottom of the backlog, I've started it immediately. Kinda counterintuitive, but this was a launch title for the system, and is a relatively gentle experience designed to show off the system's stereoscopic capabilities. It's quite fun, though undermined by some daft decisions — why is Free Flight mode limited to 2 minutes?! It feels like it's enforced just to stop you flying around for a while and getting all the achievements (unlocking 75 locations) in one sitting. Apparently you can lengthen the flight time by completing challenges, etc, but it still maxes out at 5 minutes. Sucks.
Steam Deck
I was going to list this under the heading of the games involved, because I played a chunk of them to test things out... but I didn't really play them, because this was primarily about more fiddling with the tech. But for the last time (I think) — hurrah!
So, what happened was, today I finally got round to connecting my Steam Deck to my TV; and though that bit worked flawlessly, it annoyed me that one of my emulated GameCube games, 007: Everything or Nothing, was in 4:3 when it specifically has a widescreen mode. A bunch of Reddit-browsing later, I'd found the settings I needed to fiddle with to not only get widescreen working, but get the game running in 1080p HD. And it looks so much better for it! (But god knows how many times I've played through the first mission now as part of my testing. I've even completed it on the hardest difficulty with Platinum goals completed! Regular readers* will know how unlike me that is.)
And because I was fiddling with that, I also had a look into my other GC title, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. That was even more involved again, though I do now have it in HD and widescreen thanks to inputting a cheat code for the latter and installing a fan-made HD texture pack for the former — and now it looks so good too! And now, after many hours of faffing, these are finally nicely set up to play. Now I just need to actually play them...
* Don't worry, I know no one reads this.
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