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Kevin Klemme
March 09, 2020
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Kevin Klemme
January 27, 2020
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Kevin Klemme
August 12, 2019
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oliverkinne
December 19, 2023
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oliverkinne
December 14, 2023
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Mycelia Board Game Review

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oliverkinne
December 12, 2023
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oliverkinne
December 07, 2023
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River Wild Board Game Review

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oliverkinne
December 05, 2023
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oliverkinne
November 30, 2023
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Jackwraith
November 29, 2023
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oliverkinne
November 28, 2023
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Spitfireixa
October 24, 2023
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oliverkinne
October 17, 2023
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oliverkinne
October 10, 2023
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October 09, 2023
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oliverkinne
October 06, 2023
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Outback Crossing Review

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What TV SHOWS are you watching?

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17 Jun 2021 15:24 #324051 by Jexik
Yeah, I haven't watched the second episode yet, but I'm keen on it. Haven't seen that other show that came after Wandavision, but this one looks pretty interesting...

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20 Jun 2021 10:40 #324107 by jason10mm
Blasted through Katla right before we give netflix a little break. This is an icelandic short series about a dead(?)/missing woman who appears out of volcanic ash. There is a small research station/town at the base of this volcano that has to figure it all out.

Like a lot of sci-fi drama shows this leans heavily into past sins revisiting the characters rather than exploring the potential of the mysterious effect. Don't even try to figure out how it all works (though they throw a bone to guys like me that MUST have a logical explanation), just enjoy the suspense, wonder, and tragedy which ramps up to 11 in the last ep.

The real star of this show is the location. Apparently they got access to a real volcano-side tourist town emptied out by covid. So EVERY scene is grimy, covered in ash, and this big ass smoking volcano looms in the background of almost every shot.

It probably riffs a lot on older shows with a "back from the dead" theme, but that's not really my genre so I skipped out on The Returned, 4400, Manifest, and all that stuff. But there was enough Pet Semetary in this show to hook me.
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21 Jun 2021 09:36 #324121 by Shellhead
I'm too busy with work and home projects to hard-binge anything these days, but I am still gradually working my way through How I Met Your Mother. The first couple of seasons were amazing, and seasons 3 - 5 were still reliably funny. Season six is the turning point where the show is still good for a couple of laughs every episode, but the stories are getting more serious and really digging into the characters. It's still a good show, just not as focused on the humor. Watching the whole series has been paying off so far, as this is a show that likes to build upon its own continuity. Sometimes that means laughing at a callback to a joke from a previous episode or even a previous season. I can't remember when I dropped the show last time around, but I'm guessing that it was by the end of season seven. This time, I am determined to reach the end, even though I have heard that the finale isn't good.

Doom Patrol is still amazing. Weird stories about freaky characters, but handled with great empathy. I still feel that Cyborg is out of place here, and he seems to have co-opted Cliff's role in the comics as the normal guy who can handle anything. Crazy Jane is everything that I could have hoped for, and Rita and Larry are significantly more interesting here than they were in the comics. The theme song by Clive Mansell (best known for his soundtrack to Requiem for a Dream) is strangely addictive, and the end credits portion is even danceable.
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23 Jun 2021 09:09 #324173 by hotseatgames
Started season 2 of Black Summer on Netflix. This is a zombie show in which every episode is made up of small separate scenes, each one following a couple of characters. Timelines jump around, and it's interesting to see how the various scenes start to intersect. For example, you might see a survivor driving in a car, bleeding from their arm. Later, in another episode, you might see that same survivor 30 minutes earlier, and get to witness how they got their injury, how they got the car, etc.

It's a neat show, and it does not fuck around; it can be rough at times.

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29 Jun 2021 13:06 #324302 by Shellhead
Before finishing the first season of Doom Patrol, it dawned on me that the show might have been a spin-off from Titans, since the comic book version of Cyborg is closely associated with the Titans and the comic book version of Gar Logan (aka Changeling aka Beast Boy) was originally a member of the Doom Patrol. So I decided to watch some Titans before getting back to Doom Patrol. Sure enough, one of the early episodes of Titans features the Doom Patrol.

As a tv show, Titans is an above average superhero show. The show really digs into the characters and their interactions. The tone is surprisingly dark, fairly gritty, and sometimes really violent, with a bit of profanity (including the notorious line from Robin: "F*** Batman"). The overall storyline is one of long arcs broken up by extensive flashbacks and pressing short-term threats. It isn't always good, but the typical quality of the show is much better than the various Arrowverse shows or Agents of SHIELD. The actor playing Dick Grayson (fka Robin) is quite good, and rises above the rest of the ensemble cast to practically be the star of the show. Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly are also good as Hawk and Dove, elevating their minor roles into a more compelling part of the show. Anna Diop has a real presence as Starfire and sometimes steals scenes.

However, Titans doesn't compare favorably to the comic book source material. I can understand that these heroes were cut down to a more reasonable power level for budgetary reasons. Starfire can't fly. Raven (Rachel) can't teleport, her healing power is weak, and her astral form is less visually interesting. With one exception early in season two, Gar only slowly changes into a tiger, while his comic book version can rapidly turn into any creature, from a fly to an elephant. Wonder Girl rarely demonstrates any superhuman strength or speed. But I can forgive all of this because they are working with a tv budget.

What I can't easily forgive is the way most of these characters have been reduced to bland CW-style young adults and teens. Starfire is supposed to be an alien, but she comes across as a cool African-American 20-something who seems completely familiar with American culture. Comic book Raven was raised by a cult to tightly control her emotions and powers, but the show version seems like a very typical teenage girl with no particular ability to manage her emotions or powers. Comic book Gar is an attention-seeking extrovert who constantly cracks bad jokes, but the show version is a calm, quiet introvert who is easily amazed despite growing up with the extremely weird Doom Patrol. Comic book Dove is a conflicted pacifist who tries to fight defensively and de-escalate conflict, while the show version is nearly as aggressive and brutal as her partner Hawk. And so on. Also, Starfire's outfit is just awful in the early episodes. In the comics, she is a brunette alien with orange skin and a purple bikini. On the show, Starfire is a black woman with florescent pink hair, a purple bodycon dress and a big fur coat, for an overall presentation that practically shouts transvestite streetwalker. By the end of the first season, her hair and clothes get toned down in a good way.

All that said, this show offers one of the most interesting and in-depth interpretations of Dick Grayson (Robin) that I have ever seen. He has a lot of resentment for the way he was raised by Batman, and is aware that he tends to become more violent than necessary even when fighting crime. But he shows some decent leadership skills, especially by season two. The show throws an interesting curveball in first season, by introducing the new Robin (aka Jason Todd), with a startling casting choice of someone who looks a lot like notorious '90s comic book artist Rob Liefeld. Two Robins working together could have been really boring, but these characters are very different from one another, despite their shared experience of working with Batman. Speaking of Batman, when he finally appears, it's shocking and disappointing. On the one hand, actor Iain Glen plays a fine Bruce Wayne and his voice bears an amazing resemblance to that of Kevin Conroy, the voice actor for the excellent Batman cartoons of the '90s. On the other hand, Glen is 59 and looks 70, so he doesn't visually seem at all plausible as Batman. He didn't look anywhere near as old playing Ser Jorah Mormont on Game of Thrones, so the Titans showrunners seem to be deliberately presenting an old Batman.

Overall, Titans is good but not great. You won't be missing a cultural milestone if you skip this show. But if you do watch it, you might find yourself sucked into the drama and the action.
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29 Jun 2021 21:36 #324315 by jason10mm
The look of Starfire is tough to swallow, at least in those early photos. While I get that they needed some actor diversity and "orangeface" or whatever is an annoying thing to have to do each day on set (or would draw some cheeto man comparison which now seems quaint) I think they could have gone with a more visually interesting look to represent the alienness of the character. Someone like Dichen Lachman can be made to look very otherworldly due to her facial structure instead of a stock human.

Probably the same issues with beast boy, he's not all green, right? It's sooo hard to pull off those skin colors unless you just bury the actor under a lot of it like Vision. But then again, Bret Spiner did it for YEARS on a comparatively shoestring 90's budget so I really think it falls on getting the right actor.
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30 Jun 2021 10:11 #324321 by ChristopherMD
Britannia - Recently watched the first 2 seasons. It's an odd duck. I don't care about historical accuracy and the show doesn't either so that's fine. It appears at first it's about the Roman invasion but really it's about the Druids. Even the Roman General is like a demon more interested in destroying the Druids than anything else. Mackenzie Crook plays the lead Druid under quite a bit of makeup. The first season was good if a bit uneven like the show was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be. The second season was a lot better and felt more planned out with some great music choices. Divis and whatshername were a more fun duo than Arya and the Hound.

Second season trailer
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30 Jun 2021 11:08 #324325 by jason10mm
It's sorta sad that there are now so many shows like this that I can't remember how much of this one I've actually watched. Someone made a lot of legionaire armor and woad paint and they are getting their monies worth:p

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04 Jul 2021 23:06 #324424 by Shellhead
The writing of Titans season two completely fell apart in the second half of the season. You could tell that the writers were desperately spamming ideas with only a general sense of how they wanted the season to end. So there were odd references to plot points that got edited out, and other sub-plots were introduced and then quickly abandoned without resolution. There are a few too many characters, and they get spread out across six parallel storylines. This show is based on a comic about a superhero team, but we get nearly zero heroics and zero teamwork. The characters are all drama queens who are constantly pushing each other away for trifling reasons. Whenever a character is in a tough spot, they generally choose the stupidest course of action.

One example. The team mostly breaks up after finding out that Dick Grayson (fka Robin) lied about some stuff. After several other folks leave the headquarters, Dick decides to bail, too. Finally, he is in an airport and trying to decide if he should go back and fix things or move to Greenland. Instead, he decides to deliberately assault airport security personnel so he can be arrested, plead guilty, and go sulk in prison. WTF?

There is a season three of Titans on the way, but right now I'm not sure if I want to see it. Why did I hang in there with season two? I was a big fan of the comic for several years, but this show is so different, so that isn't the reason. I think that it's because I am going through a really rough stretch in life and feeling like I don't have a purpose anymore. But now matter how unhappy I am, I can see the Titans completely screwing up and that makes me feel a little better about myself. But that is a negative mindset that I want to escape soon.

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05 Jul 2021 05:34 #324429 by Ah_Pook
Richard E. Grant at the end of the most recent episode of Loki was v. excellent. This show is top notch.
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05 Jul 2021 12:29 #324435 by Gregarius

Ah_Pook wrote: Richard E. Grant at the end of the most recent episode of Loki was v. excellent. This show is top notch.

I agree, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next episode, but I really, really, really wish they hadn't included that mid-credits scene.
Warning: Spoiler!

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05 Jul 2021 14:21 #324436 by hotseatgames
I got to see the first 3 episodes of Kevin can fuck himself. This airs on AMC and is a very novel show. Imagine a "King of Queens" style sitcom, with Kevin being the "star" jackass. Whenever he is on screen, everything is brightly lit and "sitcom". The moment he is gone, lighting goes blue and "gritty", as his wife returns to reality. A reality in which she loathes her existence, and wonders how she got to this point.

The first two episodes were great, while the 3rd was less so. But I definitely want to see more. You will immediately hate Kevin with white hot passion, as intended.
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05 Jul 2021 15:36 #324438 by ChristopherMD
The Mosquito Coast - Never read the book or saw the movie. This show apparently adds the family being on the run to the story. US Gov is chasing them so that's the main reason they stay off-grid and go into Latin America to hide. The dad is a smart macgyver type guy while also being a bit of a self-righteous asshole who's oblivious to the trauma his family is experiencing. It's seven episodes and was renewed for a second season. It interested me enough I may end up reading the book so I'll be back for S2.
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05 Jul 2021 21:40 #324447 by ChristopherMD

Shellhead wrote: There is a season three of Titans on the way, but right now I'm not sure if I want to see it. Why did I hang in there with season two? I was a big fan of the comic for several years, but this show is so different, so that isn't the reason. I think that it's because I am going through a really rough stretch in life and feeling like I don't have a purpose anymore. But now matter how unhappy I am, I can see the Titans completely screwing up and that makes me feel a little better about myself. But that is a negative mindset that I want to escape soon.


It's been a while since I watched it but I know that I'm done after season two. The show just isn't what I want it to be and that's fine. There are other shows like Doom Patrol that I like. Also, despite the same actors in that episode the Titans and Doom Patrol actually don't take place in the same universe but the same multiverse.
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06 Jul 2021 15:20 #324467 by RobertB
Ink Masters - Tattoo reality show. The first two seasons are on Netflix. The Great British Baking Show it ain't, but it's okay. The art can be awesome sometimes, but I'm still not getting a tattoo.
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