twmac

I DM'd a Hero Quest game with two of my friends when I was about 13, I killed one of the characters they had built up over 4 months of playing. This resulted in a screaming match and them marching out. I didn't speak to them again until I was about 15 or 16. Hero Quest

Personally, I much prefer his post about how Hideo Kojima has predicted what is really going on in society. https://therightvidya.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/oliver-cromwell-and-the-patriots/

Reading through this post on Polygon: http://www.polygon.com/2015/5/15/8601887/wiseman-burch-gdc-survey-feature-gender-gaming-gamergate Anyone read "Queenbees and Wanabes"? Sounds interesting. EDIT: Got rid of the spelling mistake.

Can't track down a legal copy of Hedwig so I am not going to be able to watch it for this week.

I honestly don't know. It is, however, palpable that she was getting picked on from within the community and because that community is too busy sharpening their swords for the next gamergate scenario some people are getting lionised in a way that is problematic. But then everything is problematic as mentioned in that Mcgilldaily blog.

This is an interesting piece from Auntie Pixelante: http://auntiepixelante.com/?page_id=2142

Nice balanced review from video gamer.

Interesting. I need to rewatch this again. I do distinctly remember going 'that is why she trusted him' when she asks about whether they are going to destroy them not research them and he reassures her.

My subsequent viewings have definitely made me more sympathetic to Ripley but still, I always feel like how she dealt with the animosity was by being the 'by the book' person as many women feel they have to be in when placed in positions of power. Likewise, I do feel that her character really struggles to empathise with her co-workers and that is exacerbated by them being total douches to her whenever they can (with Dallas trying to be the Patriarch that sees both sides) and her being more focused on people undermining her authority (for legitimate reasons you find out in the end) than trying to understand why it is that they don't like her. The end sequence - from the interviews (thanks for the link that confirms this) I remember Sigourney was down for doing this naked as a way of contrasting the metalic inhumanity of the Alien but I think it was shot down due to worries about ratings. It wasn't until my more recent viewing in HD did I realise how revealing the underwear she had on (on VHS they looked pretty standard). If the idea was to contrast the two forms then I am totally fine with it. Man, thinking about Veronica Cartwright as Ripley... That could have worked. EDIT: A lot of my initial reasoning for Ripley's by the books stoogeyness seemed to be reinforced in the second film in the way that she seemed to trust Burke almost immediately. She saw him as some one like her, a company person that followed the book but that meant well deep down.

Agree that there were both strong anti-cap and Feminist vibes to the film. Interesting how I perceived the early Ripley very differently to you but that probably has a lot to do with the 'side' I would have taken when I first watched it. I always saw Ripley as a bit of stooge in the beginning of the film, she gives both the engineers shit and keeps quoting the company line back at them. They act like total arseholes but for me it is the legitimate way that two blue collar workers would react to a superior who bosses them around with little understanding for what they do (hence why they are able to pretend the steam is not manufactured by them and actually a problem with the ship). Later when Kane is brought back on the ship, Ripley tows the company policy of Quarantine she doesn't act emotionally the way that pretty much everyone else does and only acquiesces eventually. There is real tension between her and all the crew as she kind fo walks around with her stick up her arse and that greatly led to me initially sympathising with Dallas as the peace maker. Of course my expectations were turned on their head, but that is mainly to do with the fact that films had largely taught me that you had to be brash and follow your heart as bureaucracy will mainly be your undoing. That is not to say that I don't think Ripley is brilliantly written, her growth from company yes-person to brief leader, to hero is great and I do think that the way that I now relook at her character's interactions with the rest of the cast makes for some interesting light. But. I wonder how much of that was there in the original script (I was under the impression that they hadn't decided Ripley's gender at the time of first draft but I could be wrong).

That would have been another one of my recommendations. I absolutely love that film. Also, fuck Kill La Kill. I started watching it and thought the art style was nice and then the bit where she gets her 'suit', ugh.

Skiffy and Fanty just recently did a podcast on Alien and Aliens. http://skiffyandfanty.com/2015/04/20/33-alien-1979-and-aliens-1986-a-shoot-the-wisb-subcast-w-damien-angelica-walters/ It is a good listen for sure and has already touched on a few things mentioned previously.

So, after double checking - apparently because I pay council tax and am registered letter, I am a registered voter in the town I live in. So, I am not shit out of luck after all! Had a bit of a panic about where my polling station was but I am now committed to going there after work to vote for the first time ever. Looking at the split Lib Dems, Labout and Conservatives all have a chance of getting in, but I've decided to just vote Green anyway. My vote hasn't been worth shit for 17 years so voting for an outlier seems a better way of registering my discontent.

I actually think they are called Ravagers, which is even more delicious.

Listening to the podcast with Vinny on I think the problem isn't the lack of positivity it is to do with Conversational Narcissism: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/01/the-art-of-conversation-how-to-avoid-conversational-narcissism/ Vinny puts back into the pot what he takes out and ends up invigorating the conversation. Most of the others do not, Brad tries but he seems to lack conviction. Jeff is a CN, Dan tends to kill a few conversations when he is out of his depth instead of asking questions and letting it grow. I still like Dan but having read some of this stuff it makes some sense as to his problems - maybe Danswers is better for it.

Alien is an excellent choice as a first film. Could I suggest both 'Bridesmaids' and 'The Mooring', mainly because I like both films but also I would like to see how they hold up under scrutiny outside my own group of friends. The Mooring might not be a good pick because it is really hard to track down a legit copy outside of North America. An interesting contrast would be to set up watching the original Night of the Living Dead versus the 90s remake directed by Tom Savini where Romero rewrote the script because he didn't like the main female anymore, but that is a lot of zombie film to get through. Also the remake just isn't as good as the original despite the main female character being stronger and no longer a complete wet flannel.

Or just make it so you can play Xbox 360 games on your Xbox One. That would be way more feasible.

Haven't seen The Guest yet and it is on my list, so I am avoiding that article for now. It seemed like a really awesome topic so it is definitely bookmarked for later. I guess I am posting this here so that someone can go 'It doesn't really spoil the film at all' or confirm my fears.

Lundy Bancroft's book 'Why doe he do that? Inside the minds of angry and controlling men' talks about how he has noted that abusive men will continually disregard court orders and consider themselves above it. The fact that Gjoni's friends think he is a good/nice guy is another construct of the abuser (according to Lundy) outwardly he seems great as he is concerned about other people's perception of him. I've only got to the second page of that article but over and over again there are alarm bells for an abusive personality going off as signalled by Bancroft's book.

Sure, but Hannah Telle's delivery is leaden whereas Burch seems to really be going for it.

Have now listened to two episodes of it. Loved the insight into Life is Strange from a different perspective that I have never thought about. I actually like the dialogue a lot but mainly because I tend to find that teenagers talk in flim flam so it feels 'authentic'. Do you wonder if the fact that you find Max drab and Chloe pretty cool might be anything to do with the fact that Ashly Burch just brings more to the table than Hannah Telle?

Cheers, I get so much mail reminding me to vote I just assumed that was sufficient that they knew I existed. When people sent me reminders I assumed I was already registered. So, I am likely shit out of luck.

Wait, I have to register? In what circumstances do I have to do that. What if I got a bunch of letters telling me that they know where I live, what my name is etc. and they expect me to vote? Does that mean I didn't have to register?

There was a moment where they started talking about Dreamphone and Ithought Spaff might reveal his secret history about appearing in magazines aimed at teenage girls. I was disappointed to hear no revelation.

Oh no, why did I watch that? So, it is the 'Deep Blue Sea' of the Jurassic Park series? Renny Harlin would be proud.