tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post3059805965697567367..comments2024-03-27T21:18:33.034+00:00Comments on Fabled Lands: To sooth a savage breastDave Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-43121359270016503712019-01-23T15:22:08.078+00:002019-01-23T15:22:08.078+00:00I can't help it, they're just in my blood....I can't help it, they're just in my blood.WestRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10221228665636182019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-69092633013259529712019-01-23T13:41:32.836+00:002019-01-23T13:41:32.836+00:00I'm gravely disappointed but I can't think...I'm gravely disappointed but I can't think of any good puns, even though my reputation is at stake. I'll have to bat this one back to you...<br />John Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16249152658906641154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-16279091089677894832019-01-23T09:24:54.441+00:002019-01-23T09:24:54.441+00:00John will just be vlad of the opportunity for more...John will just be vlad of the opportunity for more puns, WestRider. I'll fang you not to encourage him.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-75195576809912674002019-01-23T07:14:15.137+00:002019-01-23T07:14:15.137+00:00@John Hagan: Aren't vampires pretty much alway...@John Hagan: Aren't vampires pretty much always a pain in the neck ;)WestRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10221228665636182019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-73320955908521300672019-01-22T18:02:28.163+00:002019-01-22T18:02:28.163+00:00I've read his movie reviews and one short stor...I've read his movie reviews and one short story. Which is odd, come to think of it, because I have great respect for him and he's a friend of Martin McKenna, with whom I used to work on Mirabilis. So it's really an unaccountable gap in my reading that I should rectify.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-81812862141645984582019-01-22T16:13:09.884+00:002019-01-22T16:13:09.884+00:00His old Warhammer books, written as Jack Yeovil, a...His old Warhammer books, written as Jack Yeovil, are excellent. Particularly Drachenfels, which is one of my favourites, kept on the very same shelf as Bloodsword and Way of the Tiger!James O'Gradyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06293956084685099045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-76230916221467937952019-01-22T16:10:24.319+00:002019-01-22T16:10:24.319+00:00I definitely recommend them, Dave. His subsequent ...I definitely recommend them, Dave. His subsequent alternate history novels following the course of a 'Vampiric' 2oth Century are all good as well (Bloody Red Baron, Dracula Cha Cha Cha, Johnny Alucard; I'm sure he must have a Brexit Britain one in the pipeline as well...<br /><br />Talking of (Data) Vampires I'm staying off Facebook for the moment, though I'll probably pop back up there in due course, wearing some digital garlic ;-)John Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16249152658906641154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-9849657167182219082019-01-22T14:41:43.245+00:002019-01-22T14:41:43.245+00:00I've never actually read any of Kim Newman'...I've never actually read any of Kim Newman's books, John, though I keep meaning to. Why haven't I? I suppose because Jamie and I noticed that Anno Dracula was built on a similar premise to our Shadow King PC game concept and, back when we had a game company and still thought we might get it made, we didn't want to be influenced by Mr Newman's approach. Probably I could accept that ship has sailed and just take Anno Dracula down from the bookshelf now, eh? At any rate, I'm sure Kim Newman wouldn't ever do a drippy Hollywood-style version of Drac.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-88379983340647200932019-01-22T13:39:38.086+00:002019-01-22T13:39:38.086+00:00Would you find that a pain in the neck ?
(PS alth...Would you find that a pain in the neck ?<br /><br />(PS although Dracula Wins in Anno Dracula he is far from being any kind of hero; he is a malignant presence kept off stage, and deprived of charisma by having no lines to deliver...I suspect they wouldn't do that with MM in the role however !)John Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16249152658906641154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-38304440813962075402019-01-21T15:47:46.195+00:002019-01-21T15:47:46.195+00:00I can pretty much guarantee that any movie version...I can pretty much guarantee that any movie version from now on will feature Dracula as a romantic hero who wins.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-29455127860156980812019-01-21T12:27:38.761+00:002019-01-21T12:27:38.761+00:00If we get Mads in the role of "Dracula" ...If we get Mads in the role of "Dracula" then rather than see him get his comeuppance, I want to see him win a la Kim Newman's Anno Dracula...John Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16249152658906641154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-9425424801229422492019-01-21T09:07:34.763+00:002019-01-21T09:07:34.763+00:00Thanks. I was playing around with that concept for...Thanks. I was playing around with that concept for years as a graphic novel, as a movie script, as a PC game... It was great to finally get it done in partnership with Cubus Games and Paul Gresty.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-26675977359314242702019-01-21T09:06:22.058+00:002019-01-21T09:06:22.058+00:00Funnily enough I thought of Hiddleston too -- but ...Funnily enough I thought of Hiddleston too -- but yes, that would be for a romantic hero take on the character, like Dracula Untold, and I really want to see the scary, inhuman Dracula of the novel on screen.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-51140522152232900012019-01-21T04:11:54.170+00:002019-01-21T04:11:54.170+00:00FYI I have finally gotten around to playing The Fr...FYI I have finally gotten around to playing The Frankenstein Wars (I backed it as a Kickstarter) and I am definitely enjoying it.<br /><br />I found myself in The Battle as Anton actually trying to lose the sortie against the guns, because I wanted to sabotage the Zeroistes. Lead the sortie, yes, but make deliberately incompetent decisions in the hope it would fail. Unfortunately that didn't work so well. I was very incompetent but could not succeed in getting my troops shot out from under me and deserting. Needs of the narrative I guess. Now I'm going to do it differently. Since I have to return to face Napoleon anyway, even if I want to end him, I should probably pull off that sortie as best I can so he trusts me more. That way the final double cross will have more effect.<br /><br />Anyways, awesome Frankenstein-related product!Vanderveckenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13388238409066048161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-71557014757088568342019-01-21T01:08:34.136+00:002019-01-21T01:08:34.136+00:00It's hard to say. It is definitely a very weir...It's hard to say. It is definitely a very weird movie. I enjoyed it, but I have odd taste, so it's really hard for me to make recommendations to others.<br /><br />I certainly can't think of anyone offhand who would do better than Mikkelsen. For some takes on it, I could see Tom Hiddleston, but not one that's really trying to stay true to the book.WestRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10221228665636182019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-68965370018083661712019-01-20T11:00:38.492+00:002019-01-20T11:00:38.492+00:00Now you're making me think I should see it...
...Now you're making me think I should see it...<br /><br />The one problem with the '77 version was low production values. It was made for British TV. I'm still waiting for the definitive HBO mini-series starring -- who? Mads Mikkelsen, perhaps?Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-36422163496669530642019-01-19T18:13:01.432+00:002019-01-19T18:13:01.432+00:00It definitely has its problems. Reeves and Ryder a...It definitely has its problems. Reeves and Ryder are terrible, and it's completely over the top. But it is also pretty fun to watch Oldman and Hopkins and Elwes and Waits chewing the scenery as hard as they can. <br /><br />I'll have to check out that '77 version. Thanks for letting me know about it!WestRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10221228665636182019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-56418440707823940102019-01-19T15:00:24.292+00:002019-01-19T15:00:24.292+00:00I decided to pass on Coppola's Dracula after s...I decided to pass on Coppola's Dracula after seeing a clip with Gary Oldman as Man-Bat. But the BBC did a very faithful adaptation back in 1977 with Louis Jourdan giving for my money the best Drac performance to date. Worth a look:<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dracula_(1977_film)Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-83249582764143384422019-01-19T02:59:25.964+00:002019-01-19T02:59:25.964+00:00An excellent project! Tho not without its faults, ...An excellent project! Tho not without its faults, the original novel is far superior to any of the adaptations I've seen. Dracula is actually in much the same situation, tho the '92 version did stick relatively close to the book's plot, for all its other flaws.WestRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10221228665636182019noreply@blogger.com