Korean Zombies Are The Best Zombies!

Horror master Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) directs a new Korean zombie thriller starring Gianna Jun and Koo Kyo-hwan.

Professor Se-jeong (Jun) is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference causing authorities to seal the facility.

Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong along with a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations.

With a runtime of two hours and two minutes, Colony swarms into US and UK cinemas on August 28.

 

The Raven (2012)

Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare's script for The Raven takes the mystery surrounding the last days of the life of author Edgar Allan Poe and spins it into a gothic murder tale.

A madman is committing a string of murders in mid-19th Century Baltimore using the stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Jon Cusack) as his blueprint. At first, Poe is a suspect, but when his beloved Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) is kidnapped by the killer, Poe becomes a consultant for eager, young detective Fields (Luke Evans).

Poe is drawn into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as the killer challenges the author to document their mental duel through the newspaper as he leads the police along a trail of breadcrumbs towards the location of the missing woman.

It's a fascinating, convoluted tale and Cusack shines as the depressed, alcoholic rapscallion and romantic, but ultimately he is more interesting when Edgar is just being Edgar rather than his later manifestation as an "action hero".

The story does a great job of obfuscating the identity of the killer, but never explains the "how" of his elaborate - and presumably costly - murders.

His Saw-like "Pit And The Pendulum" killing, for instance, clearly wasn't something just thrown together on a whim, but the film never even touches on how the killer purchased the necessary equipment and assembled it all without attracting any attention.

It's probably worth noting that The Raven is by no means a horror movie, despite some moments of moderate gore, but rather a procedural, detective piece with Poe and Fields putting the clues together and tracking down their quarry before he kills Miss Hamilton.

As with many period-pieces these days, The Raven's atmosphere ultimately triumphs over the story (why introduce Poe's pet mongoose, for instance, only for it to have nothing to do with the story and be just as quickly forgotten about?), but the plot - if a tad far-fetched and anachronistic - still makes for an entertaining hour-and-three-quarters.

Is The Quest For My Holy Grail of Roleplaying Games Over?

Could a Monty Python roleplaying game be my Holy Grail?

Remember back in February when I swore I wasn't going to but any more roleplaying games just because they looked pretty? And then in March when I did just that, but persuaded myself they would be of use in my planned fantasy campaign?

Well, to quote Britney Spears: oops, I did it again!

This time, I cast the blame squarely on my favourite online gaming store, Dungeonland, and it's current, very niche, and rather incredible sale offer.

As you can see in the picture above, I purchased both Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme Sensible Middle Class Edition and Monty Python’s Head Of Light Entertainment Gamemaster Screen... for a fiver each!

Published by Exalted Funeral, this official Monty Python roleplaying game is, as I understand it, largely a Medieval-set roleplaying game - think Monty Python & The Hold Grail - of extreme silliness.

Do I think I'll ever run it for the Tuesday Knights? I doubt it very much, primarily because - again, from what I've read and heard via online reviews and YouTube videos - it works better for chaotic one-shots than ongoing games.

However, I'm lead to believe that the rulebook is a fantastic source of information for the Holy Grail (and other select Python creations), which means it will almost certainly help me with ideas for the sword and sorcery campaign I've been plotting for a while now.

Also, I've never seen a box for a gamesmaster's screen that's so deep (4cm): I can't wait to find out what's in it and figure out what bits and bobs I could use with another roleplaying system.

Of course, I could have been totally misinformed and Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme turns out to be the perfect system for my 'forever' campaign.

Let's see how that goes...

Back of the Head of Light Entertainment Screen box

Hail Queen Rhaenyra, Rightful Heir To The Iron Throne!

In the next episode of House of The Dragon: "All eyes now look to Queen Rhaenyra."

And below, we have a couple of spoiler-filled, behind-the-scenes, looks at the making of this week's episode:

Tristan & Isolde (2006)

A modern retelling of an old Celtic tale that was clearly the precursor and blueprint for the Lancelot, Guinevere and King Arthur love-triangle (and also Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet), Tristan & Isolde is a classic story of star-crossed lovers on opposite sides of a bitter and blood thirsty conflict.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Irish - led by Donnchadh (David O'Hara) - take advantage of the chaos of the feuding British tribes to seize control of the island.

Years later, warlord Marke (Rufus Sewell) is still trying to unite the various tribes to take a stand against their Irish overlords, with his adopted son, and finest warrior, Tristan (James Franco) at his side.

However through a wildly far-fetched series of incidents (without which, of course, there would be no story), a near-dead Tristan meets, and falls in love with, Donnchadh's daughter, Isolde (Sophia Myles).

She nurses him back to the health, then sends him on his way before her father can find him.

However, Donnchadh devises a cunning plan to keep the tribes at each others' throats that involves a tournament for the hand of his daughter in wedlock.

Tristan is chosen by Marke as his champion. But when Tristan eventually discovers who Isolde is, he is torn by his loyalty and duty to the kindly Marke and his burning passion for Isolde.

An excellent blend of gritty Dark Ages swordplay, Machiavellian politicking and tragic romance, Tristan & Isolde has something for everyone.

Set against wonderfully authentic backdrops, without a hint of CGI, this is a cracking period piece that balances gruesome combat with heart-breaking romance perfectly.

It Looks Like Robert Eggers Has Done It Again

Do not dread the darkness. Embrace it. Robert Eggers' Werwulf is only in theaters this Christmas.

Witness Robert Eggers’ most visceral and haunting experience yet. Focus Features presents Werfulf, a harrowing tale of devotion, damnation and the devil within.

From vampires (with Nosferatu) to werewolves, Robert Eggers, who was also responsible for the Lovecraftian madness of The Lighthouse, the disturbing VVitch, and the sword-and-sorcery Viking epic, The Northman - continues to make movies that are right in my wheelhouse.

In medieval Britain, a mysterious creature stalks the foggy countryside, transforming local folklore into terrifying reality as villagers face an ancient supernatural threat.

The Return of Solomon Kane

Main cover art by Patrick Zircher

Patrick Zircher brings Robert E Howard's Puritan monster-hunter, Solomon Kane, back to comics with his second miniseries, The Lion Errant, which launches next month.

Publisher Titan Comics has shared some examples of artist-writer Zircher's incredible interior work from the first issue, as well as a selection of its variant covers before this second eye-catching miniseries debuts on July 22.

And here are the main variant covers for the first issue of Solomon Kane - The Lion Errant: 

Variant cover art by Utsab Chatterjee

Variant cover by JH Williams III

Variant cover by Daniel Brereton

Variant cover by Stuart Sayger

MUSICAL MONDAY: Sky Kite Valley (Original Music from Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass)

Sky Kite Valley from Obojima, a new single by 1985 Games for the hit campaign setting Obojima: Tales From The Tall Grass.

Recorded and composed by Steve Gernes.

WEATHER UPDATE: It's Hot, Hot, Hot!

Photo by Luis Graterol on Unsplash

Thanks to the effects of global warning, we've experienced a record breaking heatwave this week that goes way beyond just being "summer weather".

However, on the plus side, it did result in an epic thunderstorm on Friday night. At one point, which Rachel reckons lasted about half an hour, the storm was right overhead and one burst of thunder in particular was so loud it felt like it shook the house to its foundations.

Sadly, Alice doesn't like thunderstorms like I do and did need a lot of comforting during the middle-of-the-night event as lighting and thunder cracked and roared overhead.

What this heatwave has meant for me though is that I was relying heavily on prewritten material for the blog. There were some movie trailers that I added minimal commentary to, but the longest thing I actually wrote was the summary of our latest gaming session. 

I'm slightly concerned how this will impact next week's posting routine, though. I have several scribbled notes of ideas for posts that I should have written this week. Hopefully it will cool down enough that I can concentrate on my writing properly and get things back to normal.

As I've probably said before: heat wipes me out like no other weather condition.

Because of my various medical conditions since the aneurysm and stroke 20 years ago, I'm incredibly susceptible to extreme heat, being unable to concentrate (even worse than normal) or do anything really (even something passive, like watching TV, was nigh on impossible for most of the day), prone to dizzy spells and, even, if I'm not careful (which I was this week), passing out. 

In a very real sense, it often feels as though my brain is shutting down and I can't communicate with poor Rachel, I can get confused and forgetful. These things happen to me on occasion anyway, but it's just more frequent - and extreme - during the heights of a hot weather spell.

All being well, next week we'll be back on an even keel.

I did have my INR (blood thickness) tested again this week at my GP's surgery and it's staying within its target range, so I don't have to have another check for a month... which is great news.