The Gaming Den

I have exactly one beef with Mad Max, and that's the near total separation between talky bits and shooty bits. People have said that amps up the verisimilitude and makes the danger feel dangerous, which is probably true, but there's also a reason why the quipfest action movie formula came around. Or the Marvel thing where fights are intercut with stuff involving the noncombat allies.

Basically, I'm not actually a huge fan of action movies, and so while I can recognize that these are the best exploding cars ever, some of the fights, especially the first few, went on long enough that by the time the cars blew up I couldn't connect it to anything I cared about. It seemed like the exploding car was supposed to be its own payoff, which I'm sure works for some audiences but not as much for me.

For that reason alone, I'm downgrading my personal viewing experience, and thus my review for audience of similar taste, from "flawless amazing" to "really damn good."

Started reading this webcomic called Prague Race about some kind of second world of monsters and magic and such that is also pretty progressive with gender/sex identities and such. It's slow to start, ish, but starting to look like it would be a good alternate setting for After Sundown if you wanted to go more urban fantasy.

I got to playtest a beta version of a board game from the guy that designed Morels tonight. Not sure how much I can say, about the game itself, but dude knows both game design and what running a playtest actually means. so I have a enough faith in the final product to include it here in the rocked me thread before it is even finalized.

Josh_Kablack wrote:I got to playtest a beta version of a board game from the guy that designed Morels tonight. Not sure how much I can say, about the game itself, but dude knows both game design and what running a playtest actually means. so I have a lot of faith in the final product to include it here in the rocked me thread before its even finalized.

Morels, that's the card game where end-of-turn cleanup involves moving between 9 and 13 cards, every turn? I just bought it. Don't like it.

I was talking to a friend about Fury Road the other day, and we got to talking about how we both saw it in 3D, and I suddenly realized that there was only one thing I did not like about the film:

When the war caravan is destroyed by the falling boulders, and the bits and pieces of the vehicles start flying towards the camera (such as the guitar guy's guitar and the wheel to the tanker truck).

The reason I don't like it is because it is such an obvious and gimmicky attempt at showing off the whole 3D thing. However, that's not something that inherent to just Fury Road. I dislike it whenever any film attempts to do an obvious "ooo look it's 3D and shit's heading towards you!" shot. So I guess it's not really a fault with Fury Road itself, but more endemic to 3D films.

IMO, the best use for 3D is to add depth. The only time I remember something coming out of the screen working was in the CG Beowulf, where it was used to emphasize just how all-up-in-your-business a dude was being with his spear.

angelfromanotherpin wrote:IMO, the best use for 3D is to add depth. The only time I remember something coming out of the screen working was in the CG Beowulf, where it was used to emphasize just how all-up-in-your-business a dude was being with his spear.

Oz the Great and Powerful's intro sequence was pretty good in 3D. And they had arrows coming out of the screen at one part.

Well, the bit in Mad Max just felt a tad forced, and kinda in-your-face.

See, possibly because I'm an artist and had perspective drilled into my head by countless hours of Mark Kistler, I don't need 3D to add depth for me. If I'm going to a 3D movie, I think it's a waste if shit isn't[ coming out of the screen. The only other use I accept is extended first person flight scenes.

I like stuff to fly at me when there's explosions. That's when it seems to make sense and can add something to the experience. If shit should be flying everywhere then I kind of like it.

I don't mind shit flying towards me, I only mind it when it feels forced. That may just be me.

yr name is Shrapnel tho.

No, my name is "Skrapnel".

Orion wrote:I have exactly one beef with Mad Max, and that's the near total separation between talky bits and shooty bits

Max talked with his gun to get Furiosa to submit and Splendid to not walk away, I liked that.

If anything I really enjoyed how every communicated not just with wordswordswords but with action, or just how they looked at someone.

The Warboys also talk quite a lot when they fight, the scene where everyone is cheering on their comrade ready to become chrome and shiny in Valhalla was very touching.

What We Do In The Shadows is quite possibly the funniest mockumentary since Spinal Tap. Mandatory viewing for anyone who has ever played or known anyone who has played a World of Darkness game.

Josh_Kablack wrote:What We Do In The Shadows is quite possibly the funniest mockumentary since Spinal Tap. Mandatory viewing for anyone who has ever played or known anyone who has played a World of Darkness game.

"Hey! We're werewolves...not swearwolves".

Did you hear that they are making a sequel about the werewolves called "What We Do In The Moonlight"?

Speaking of, the latest Night Vale.

Been loving that series. Every time I listen, I feel like making Lovecraft-country settings.

Jurassic World kicked ass. It was awesome enough that I was only slightly annoyed that the parents sitting near my wouldn't tell little baby junior son of a bitch to shut up when they're in the theater. Why are people of my generation such shitty parents? I will defend my generation to the death but god damn we don't have control of our offspring.

I saw it too, and it did, indeed, kick so much fucking ass.

The part that really rocked me though was the climax:

When the T-Rex and the Velociraptor fight against the Indominus together. Just holy McFucking WOW that was AWESOME.

The world should basically stop making movies. It's like a flaming mummy sorcerer tackling a paladin into a black hole.

I went and saw Fury Road and Jurassic World back to back this past week since I had some cash and a free day. I wish I'd gotten more sleep before hand... but they were awesome. The combo, and the JW climax, made me want to put a T Rex serving as a war platform for velociraptors into D&D.

Watched "Inside Out" the other day.

The animated short at the beginning made my wife and I cry like babies.

Goddamn Pixar does it to me everytime.

The Den before the Den. Waaaaay before.

An ancient discussion between Sidney Nolan, Yoko Ono, Jim Henson, and Ayn Rand on ARPANET. The interactions between Henson and Rand are priceless.

You know what? It's been so subtle over the years that I didn't even really notice it until now but I've really liked (as one commentator put it) the 'Daddening' of Penny Arcade. It gives the comic a character and a je ne sais quoi that you don't really expect when reading about fun-time video game comics.

Well, mostly subtle. Nightlight is pretty obviously something that dads would make.