Serenity

WOW! How I wish I had caught this at the cinema. This is the movie that followed on from the popular (But cancelled...) Joss Whedon TV series Firefly... And it is so well done. Whedon has done the near-impossible in managing to bring newcomers into the film with a short intro that gives them everything they need to know, while also giving fans of the series all of the elements that they love, no contradictions to what they know, and not boring them with stuff that they knew by heart. Brilliant!

According to the docos that accompany the DVD, the film was made on a (Hollywood) shoestring budget. (Hollywood shoestring is different to any ordinary shoestring in being so very much larger!) Despite this, the special effects are totally convincing (as they were with the series, but as some lower budget movies fail badly in this, it is interesting to note.), and the sets are almost identical to those from the series, even though these were trashed after Firefly's cancellation.

It is a testament to the love that the actors have for this show, and this universe, that the entire series cast was able to re-assemble for the movie. Their performances are so true to the original series that it is hard to believe it has been three years since they were last together.

If you are already a fan of Firefly, this movie will leave you wanting more. If you have never heard of Firefly, but like Joss Whedon's other work (Buffy & Angel), buy the DVD, watch it, and then you'll be buying the Firefly box set. If, on the other hand, you have no idea about Firefly or you are asking "Who is this Joss Whedon character, anyway?", then rent Serenity. You may just be about to go into a major DVD buying spree... or you may hate it. But if you don't try it, you will never know!

I actually do stuff that isn't wargaming... sometimes!

Just to prove that I do sometimes actually work... here are some photos from our 2005 Fire Brigades Open Day. The first is of a simulated fuel fire (ie: it is actually fuel burning, but it's not a problem because 'Deputy Captain Dick' is standing by!). This is followed by the shot of me putting the fire out using the fog setting and Aqueous Film Forming Foam. It's not a great photo, but I can just tell it's me from the 'DC' on the side of the helmet! And last is me, explaining the inner workings of the Firepac (The Big Red Truck) to a passing child. Again, not the best photo, but then I clearly wasn't taking it, was I?

This year's open day will be Saturday 29th of April, and every-one is welcome at their local NSW Fire Brigade Station... and of course anyone who happens along to Narellan also get to be taught Fire Safety by 'Deputy Captain Dick'!

Robbie is BACK!

Good to see www.robirwin.com back on the air... The only people who visit this site come from there... they press the wrong icon... and Bang! here they are!

LOTR the Third

Young Chris & I have had another Lord of the Rings Game... and stand-by sports fans... I actually won! Yes, don't adjust your set, you read it right! We used the rules for morale for the first time, and they actually worked in my favour!

The game started as a 'reinforcement mission'. Chris ways trying to get his 24 Men of Gondor across the board to reinforce a hypothetical garrison being besieged by my Urak-Hai. I had 15 Uraks with which to stop him. (This works out to 200 points a side... I also took a command / hero guy in Lurtz, mainly because I think the figure looks very cool. Chris decided to take more men, and no heroes.) So, I start the game out-numbered, and think to myself, "Well, here we go again!". But then I start to inflict some casualties by closing to melee range, and cutting of his advantage of bowmen. Then, we both hit 50% casualties in the same turn... Morale test time! I roll a courage roll for Lurtz, as he effects all of his underlings under 6" away... Lurtz says he is having a great time, and could he please have more Gondorians to tear apart with his bare hands? (He passes.) Young Chris has no boss-man. So each figure rolls seperately... and 6 of his remaining 11 decide that enough blood has been shed this day... and run away like girls! At last I outnumber him, and then the REAL slaughter begins!

It is scary exactly how much satisfaction a grown man can get out of beating a teenager at a game of toy soldiers... If I had a soul, I would be ashamed of myself!

Firefly

How have I managed to go so long without spotting this gem? It's created by the creator of one of my all-time favourite shows (Buffy), and is sci-fi... Both of these should have meant that it appeared on my radar straight off. But no. So I am grateful to my friend Sarah for finding it, buying it, and loaning it to me!

The basic concept, for the unintiated, is a space/western, set about 500 years in the future, and on the fringes of the civilised universe. Joss Whedon runs with the assumtion that the US & China were left as the only remaining superpowers, and so the cultures merged... and this means that the show has pockets of untranslated Mandarin spouted by the characters. He also assumes that the frontier of human space is very much like most other frontiers, very much Wild West. It works.

The stories centre around a Firefly class freighter Serenity , her Captain Mal Reynolds, First Mate Zoe, her husband & ship's pilot "Wash" and crewman Jayne Cobb. They are joined by passengers of various ilks and trades, and their hunt for work fuels the stories. As with Whedon's other work, humour abounds, and the show doesn't take itself too seriously. Perhaps this helped to grab me?

There is also a movie, "Serenity", done after the series was cancelled by FOX after only 14 episodes... a travesty! It is due for release in February here in Oz, and I know that I WILL be buying a copy!

Robirwin.com

I am still revovering from the shock demise of Robirwin.com . Where can I now turn for news, information, views and cute little online test thingies... Please come back Rob... we only meant about half of the stuff we said!

One of my men...

And here is Aragorn, son of Arathorn... at least, here is the GW Lord of the Rings version, as painted by me!

I have finally got around to seeing the fourth Harry Potter film, and I have to admit to being slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the film was lavish in it's effects and production values. Everything looks exactly as it should, and all of the scenes from the book were well handled... even Emma Watson looked as though she may have taken acting lessons! My beef? What appeared on the screen was way too truncated from the book version. Now I know that the film was three hours as it was, but let's face it... Goblet of Fire was the first of the 'Harry Potter and the Doorstop of Doom' novels... it really could have been two films, released maybe a month apart. They really are a licence to print money, with an established fan-base... and the fans would rather see the full story than the Reader's Digest version.

My specific problems: Why did Barty Crouch Snr. die? How would Azkaban NOT be aware that they were short a prisoner? And why get a tent at the World Cup for one match? The book explains all this, but the film just glosses over it. Not really good enough, so far as I am concerned!

Still went away having enjoyed the look of the film, though!

LOTR Game 2

The 'Lads' came around to my humble abode for another game of The Lord Of The Rings Battle Strategy Game... this time somewhat bigger. I ran the Fellowship (minus Gandalf, as it was set after his tumble in Moria) and Young Chris was trying to rescue my guys with Farimir and 24 Gondorian warriors. Pitched against us were 35 Urak-Hai run by Andy Late-but-in-earnest and some 40-odd assorted Orcs under the command of Robbie Rommel. My aim was of course to keep the Ringbearer from harm, and so Aragorn and Boromir charged headlong toward the Orcs, while Legolas (Firing a multitude of arrows... somewhat less than successfully) and Gimli hurtled down the slope to the Uraks. Well, we had much slaughter amongst the Foe, but Legolas was the first to fall (He fought as well as he shot... Damned dice!) followed shortly afterward by Gimli. Boromir and Aragorn fought well, and protected the Hobbits until they were amongst the Gondor rescue party before being cut down... but who would rescue the rescuers? The Orcish horde were too many, and cut down the Hobbits, and most of the Men of Gondor.

All in all, we had a great afternoon, and will being playing this again, soon!

Post Christmas Post...

Yup, I was off the air for a while... I'm rather afraid that internet access sorta relies on being at one of my jobs... still got to de-digitise and connect at home. Christmas was very much as Christmas always is, but with the added fun of the little one opening up her presents... she has just worked out that the good stuff is what's inside, not the wrapping! Fresh delight followed each opening, and she is still discovering what some of the stuff does! For me, this is what Christmas is about... kids and presents. And turkey of course!

I did once more fail in my bi-annual attempt to set the mother-in-law alight (Every December and July!) as she pours boiling brandy over the pudding to flambe it. I'll get her next time!

And so now life continues... much as if it had all not happened... only the extra kilos and the rapidly increasing toybox remain to remind me!