tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post7092651492902185262..comments2024-03-28T21:13:53.845+00:00Comments on Fabled Lands: Lost in the wildwoodDave Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-29714649693033066452018-01-21T18:28:37.846+00:002018-01-21T18:28:37.846+00:00If I was paying an artist then he or she wouldn...If I was paying an artist then he or she wouldn't get a say - other than to turn the job down, of course. As Jewelspider was to be an on-spec collaboration, with a view to taking the finished book to a publisher, the only way it could go ahead was if we both agreed to do it.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-46289764616630286752018-01-21T14:55:31.873+00:002018-01-21T14:55:31.873+00:00I don't understand why the artist gets any say...I don't understand why the artist gets any say in the matter, (although this is Gary Chalk) as they usually do not, but I'm sure you'll soon find the Uderzo to your Goscinny.Calydonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04612765326604027339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-65294230722286210452018-01-19T19:08:54.456+00:002018-01-19T19:08:54.456+00:00For me, the most eerie bit of DOTV was the dancing...For me, the most eerie bit of DOTV was the dancing sequence itself, prior to the comedic turn that is. Not quite sure why. It also tickled a memory I couldn't quite grasp, although maybe that's what was so disquieting about it.<br /><br />The Masters of Death were darker in SA (and possibly hats a bit bigger!), but at least the ones in BT put up a bit of a fight. I read SA was an edited version of multiple previous films, so maybe some of that was chopped in the cutting room. In truth, as I have to persistently defend BT being my favourite film to my mates, I may have lost some subjectivity on the matter! Andy Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735277481108984596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-83647472493058067342018-01-19T08:24:41.085+00:002018-01-19T08:24:41.085+00:00It's odd about TFVK -- Dance of the Vampires a...It's odd about TFVK -- Dance of the Vampires as I prefer (revealingly) to call it -- as it's a type of broad knockabout humour that wouldn't normally appeal to me. But the creepy elements are so effective that it still gets to be one of my favourite movies. There are plenty of nods to it in season one of Mirabilis -- not just the vampires themselves, but the juxtaposition of what's happening up in the castle with (via telescope) a glimpse of goings-on down the mountain. I swiped that gleefully!<br /><br />The Masters of Death were better used in Shogun Assassin than in Big Trouble, I think. Mind you, it's been decades since I saw the former.DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-81238701880553360402018-01-18T22:53:35.020+00:002018-01-18T22:53:35.020+00:00Hi Dave. I've just watched TFVK and SA. TFVK...Hi Dave. I've just watched TFVK and SA. TFVK was an enjoyable romp, albeit veered to much towards farce for my usual tastes. The bit with the circuit of the courtyard had me laughing though. I see what you mean with SA and BTILC Unfortunately the version didn't have subtitles so I had to make do with bad dubbing. More cannon fodder than the BL films put together! When I was trying to complete my Lone Wolf gamebook collection some year back I sometimes came across Lone Wolf and Cub and wondered what it was without looking into it, so at least I've got the answer to that.Andy Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735277481108984596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-61429258675059840282018-01-17T08:59:21.690+00:002018-01-17T08:59:21.690+00:00Well, to be fair, Amazing Engine was launched in 1...Well, to be fair, Amazing Engine was launched in 1993 and shut down in 1994. It was also launched by TSR who at that time, IIRC, still bestrode the Paper/Pencil/Dice RPG world like a colossus. And it lasted, what? Maybe a year? Maybe a little more or a little less? Figure it wasn't shit-canned because it sold too well or got reviews that were just too good. Here's one review from RPG.net https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/classic/rev_4583.phtml Basically Amazing Engine was a crappier, less well thought out version of GURPS.<br /><br />And here's a review of For Faerie, Queen and Country: https://atlanteangames.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/retro-review-for-faerie-queen-country/<br /><br />Based on these two reviews (which is by no means exhaustive research) I'm going with you didn't miss much in missing this game line.johntfshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005496604068259398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-59079289963712638822018-01-17T08:33:26.364+00:002018-01-17T08:33:26.364+00:00Trying to remember what I was doing in 93-94 that ...Trying to remember what I was doing in 93-94 that I failed to notice an entire RPG line. Well, there was Fabled Lands -- and my Eye of All-Seeing Wonder 'zine. So that's my excuse.DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-79746617213093295542018-01-17T08:31:05.281+00:002018-01-17T08:31:05.281+00:00I blinked and missed all of that. Wouldn't it ...I blinked and missed all of that. Wouldn't it be a pain if we tracked down those books now and found they were really great?DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-62142981210482884712018-01-16T21:34:26.423+00:002018-01-16T21:34:26.423+00:00It was a different system that looked a bit like T...It was a different system that looked a bit like TSR's answer to GURPS. And I got that from the Wiki page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Engine<br /><br />While I vaguely remembered For Faerie, Queen and Country, I'd completely forgotten all the other titles they released. And all that over the space of 1993-1994, too.johntfshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005496604068259398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-24986161745388782272018-01-16T11:19:53.786+00:002018-01-16T11:19:53.786+00:00I'd actually forgotten Amazing Engine ever exi...I'd actually forgotten Amazing Engine ever existed. At the time I probably assumed it was a D&D variant, if I registered it at all, but it seems it was a whole other game system?DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-15649773351459599762018-01-16T09:22:14.090+00:002018-01-16T09:22:14.090+00:00That was actually my question to you, Dave. I rem...That was actually my question to you, Dave. I remember seeing it and a few other Amazing Engine things in game stores in the late 80s-90s but don't recall ever picking them up. I might have, but my garage would need an archeologist to find them at this point, if I ever even owned them.<br />johntfshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005496604068259398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-40485597933881379032018-01-16T08:28:29.272+00:002018-01-16T08:28:29.272+00:00I just Googled it expecting an Elizabethan fantasy...I just Googled it expecting an Elizabethan fantasy setting, John, only to find it's Victorian. Any good?DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-5766668475359282912018-01-15T22:55:11.084+00:002018-01-15T22:55:11.084+00:00I don't know if it's a game pitch, Dave, b...I don't know if it's a game pitch, Dave, but did you ever check out TSR's Amazing Engine setting, For Faerie, Queen and Country? johntfshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005496604068259398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-6032945227855637922018-01-14T22:56:57.830+00:002018-01-14T22:56:57.830+00:00I can order a beer in Mandarin, Andy. Not much mor...I can order a beer in Mandarin, Andy. Not much more than that. Just the travel essentials, y'know.DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-67221944633901646242018-01-14T20:22:41.410+00:002018-01-14T20:22:41.410+00:00Now I know you can speak Mandarin, if you could wa...Now I know you can speak Mandarin, if you could watch The Way Of The Dragon for me, that would be appreciated. I'm just interested to know whether BL actually asks for directions to "The Sh!tter", or was it the subtitle translator taking liberties! You can validate James Hong (or not) while you're at it!Andy Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735277481108984596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-35562776804692777032018-01-14T20:05:38.725+00:002018-01-14T20:05:38.725+00:00I haven't seen a Bruce Lee film in quite a whi...I haven't seen a Bruce Lee film in quite a while. Probably best left in the comfortable embrace of memory, then. Chinese Ghost Story, on the other hand, is long overdue for another viewing -- but so much depends on which set of subtitles you end up with. I may speak Mandarin with a Beijing accent (very few words, mind) but my Cantonese is non-existent.DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-13679323068943931302018-01-14T19:39:31.655+00:002018-01-14T19:39:31.655+00:00If you haven't mentioned it already, I'd h...If you haven't mentioned it already, I'd have made an educated guess! ESB is the first film I remember watching at the cinema, or full stop for that matter. I must have been aged five and it's never left my top ten favourites. I won't list the other nine as I've probably mentioned most of them on here in the last few months already!<br /><br />Have just ordered SA and TFVK. I'll be shortening the Bruce Lee film night btw. Aside from Enter The Dragon, there was only Way Of The Dragon I thought was any good (I was convinced it was James Hong in it, but not according to any movie database). The Big Boss wasn't too bad in fairness, but Fist of Fury was so repetitive and the less said about Game of Death the better (if you consider that to be a BL film in the first place). That said, could be a good one for a drinking game (every time it cuts to the real BL, down your Singha beer!) <br />Andy Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735277481108984596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-64422350070289184002018-01-14T10:40:18.139+00:002018-01-14T10:40:18.139+00:00I'll tell you where Carpenter got most of Big ...I'll tell you where Carpenter got most of Big Trouble from, Andy, and that's Shogun Assassin. There was quite a trend in the '80s for filmmakers to borrow energy and inventiveness from Oriental cinema -- a tradition Tarantino maintains to this day ;-)<br /><br />Totally with you on ESB. But I'm sure you knew that already!DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01887893691053633187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-41138275252110860482018-01-13T23:55:25.330+00:002018-01-13T23:55:25.330+00:00TLJ was just The Phantom Menace et al in different...TLJ was just The Phantom Menace et al in different clothes to me. If you had problems with BR2049 in terms of plot holes and suspended disbelief, Dave, you must have ran out of notepaper half way through TLJ! Very disappointing after the ok ish first two new films. The Empire Strikes Back was the benchmark in how to make humour work, even though it was the darkest (and best) in the series. I've not seen Thor: Ragnarok yet. The superhero films don't really float my boat in truth, albeit I keep munching my proverbial popcorn through them all.<br /><br />I'll look up The Fearless Vampire Killers, another I wasn't aware. On a related note, I watched Mr Vampire tonight (and a Chinese Ghost Story a few nights back). I'm not sure I can quite find the words to describe it! Far Out probably being the closest! I just wonder whether a few bits of Mr Vampire were influences on John Carpenter when he was making Big Trouble In Little China? Now there's a film that has the comedy element pitch perfect!Andy Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735277481108984596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-3045942686475961292018-01-13T16:01:34.329+00:002018-01-13T16:01:34.329+00:00The biggest hold-up has been the magic system (ain...The biggest hold-up has been the magic system (ain't it always the way?) but I have a shelf full of books on Elizabethan metaphysics, so it's on the to-do list.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-67518085426736756942018-01-13T15:55:51.401+00:002018-01-13T15:55:51.401+00:00I quite like the idea of an Elizabethan Legend. Sh...I quite like the idea of an Elizabethan Legend. Shakespearean Faerie intrusions against a backdrop of spies, treachery, religious persecution and a scandalous Gloriana "Unfulfill'd". I envy your players....Stephen Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15604865076703862109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-17008076210817912892018-01-13T15:33:31.023+00:002018-01-13T15:33:31.023+00:00The roleplaying rulebook, you mean, Stephen? Well,...The roleplaying rulebook, you mean, Stephen? Well, it's a file on my PC, and it gets bigger week by week. What would really spur it on would be if I actually set a date to start running it for my players -- one of whom said, on seeing this post, that "Elizabethan" Legend seemed well worth further exploration.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-90083696130727964442018-01-13T15:29:29.625+00:002018-01-13T15:29:29.625+00:00Another great pitch, John. I'm sold. In fact, ...Another great pitch, John. I'm sold. In fact, maybe I'll swipe that for our next Legend game...Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-11657699003800681052018-01-13T15:28:05.382+00:002018-01-13T15:28:05.382+00:00The humour in TLJ struck me as rather stilted, but...The humour in TLJ struck me as rather stilted, but then it did have a very clunky script and some performances that would be painful to watch even in am-dram. But I agree the humour did at least come out of character; it wasn't a Ragnarok-style panto send-up.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-50963627901131481632018-01-13T14:47:01.428+00:002018-01-13T14:47:01.428+00:00Dave, I have thought of a new story for you to pit...Dave, I have thought of a new story for you to pitch to Mr Chalk - "There's an artist - let's call him "Gareth Cheese" who turns down the chance to collaborate with a writer - let's call him "David Dancer" - on a story about Faeries and enchanted woods, whilst attending a big comic- con in St Malo. On his way home his car mysteriously breaks down in Broceliande Forest and he is kidnapped by Morgan Le Fay and imprisoned by her in the Val sans Retour until such time that he can produce a comic book to make her both laugh and cry... In the meantime, she and her fairy girlfriends watch nightly marathons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer." <br />John Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16249152658906641154noreply@blogger.com