NOT ENOUGH LORD OF THE RINGS IN YOUR DIET?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Adam vanLangenberg

Do you feel pretty? I feel pretty.

Confession time. I have never read Tolkien. I have tried and failed several times, they are too much of a slog for me to get through. Consider this fact when I also point out that I am currently reading a book called “The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers” and I am riveted. The movies didn’t really grab me either. They were very pretty and I enjoyed the many, many swords but they didn’t do much for me. I didn’t care too much about the characters and it bugged me that Gandalf can summon and ride giant eagles yet never thought to just fly over Mount Doom. Still, the stories are set in a very rich world full of detail and history. Something like this screams for more material to be created. One area which has been covered to death is board games. At my latest count there are over 40 different board games set in the LotR universe. Continue reading →

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3D: THE TRUE PHANTOM MENACE

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Elizabeth Flux

The Zombie invasion is coming, and there is no-one who can save us. Last Friday I risked scorn and went to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D. I’m not sure if I can call it a mistake, but it certainly underlined some disquieting truths.

I originally saw The Phantom Menace when it was on tv. I taped it, and thought it was pretty much the greatest thing ever, right up there with the Charlie’s Angels re-makes and Tazos. I’m going to use being twelve as an excuse. Continue reading →

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BLAZING NEW TRAILS, STRAIGHT INTO HELL. WHY JOHN CONSTANTINE BELONGS ON YOUR BOOKSHELF [REVIEW]

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Adam vanLangenberg

I like magicians. I like the way they know what card I picked. I like the number of doves they can hide in a single jacket. I like their beards.

Most of all, I like that they don’t perform demonic rituals using my body parts as props in order to bind a malignant demon into a circle of blood to torture it for information.

That’s my favourite thing about them.

That’s also why I love reading about the exploits of John Constantine but I don’t think I’d want him as a friend.

Continue reading →

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HUSBANDS: MORE THAN MEETS THE I DO [REVIEW]

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Elizabeth Flux

Things you can spend three minutes doing: angst over whether to arrange your Star Wars DVDs in external or internal chronological order, play three games of Bejewelled Blitz, or, watch an episode of Husbands.

I strongly recommend the last option.

Husbands is an 11 part web series series, and it is excellently weird. You can view it in its entirety here.

Written by Jane Espenson, whose name you will most likely recognise from writing credits in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, Game of Thrones and Torchwood, the series centres around Cheeks (Brad Bell) and Brady (Sean Hemeon).  After dating for six weeks, the two men get drunk in Vegas celebrating the legalization of gay marriage and wake up sporting wedding rings. Continue reading →

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WANNA TRY SOME BOARD GAMES? GOT AN IPAD?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Adam vanLangenberg

So here’s your situation. You’re dealing with the shame of only owning Monopoly and Cluedo. You’ve made the decision to upgrade but you’re struggling to take that first step. I understand. It’s a big investment. You have to spend the money, then find the time and people to pay with.

Fortunately, there’s a cheap alternative. Cheap if you already own an iPad, that is.
In my article about the horrors of Monopoly I mentioned three games worth checking out. Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride. All three of these games are available on the iPad. A perfect way to try before you buy! Well, you still have to buy before you buy, but you don’t have to buy as much. Of course, you do miss out on the pure, unadulterated, joy of punching out the little cardboard pieces of a brand new board game, but you’ll cope.

Continue reading →

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