Kingdom of Heaven – Movie Making Book Review

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Get yer books only a Pound, only a Pound!

Taking a stroll through a local pound shop a couple of months back with a good friend I stopped in front of the ‘all books £1.00’ display and among the tacky crap (who wants a PJ and Duncan 1993 fan sticker book honestly!) I spotted a pile of thick glossy movie tie in books. Ah ha, I thought and had a dig through. While most were for chick flicks and kids movies there was one that caught my eye. The Kingdom of Heaven story behind the film and the making of the movie introduced by Ridley Scott.

Costumes used in the film

In its pages there are three main parts. The Introduction, the Kingdoms of the Holy Lands (Part 1) and Swords and Stones (Part 2). The introduction by Ridley Scott discusses the notion for the movie while part one has sections firstly on the history of the actual Crusades then their leaders followed by how you dramatise such stories and then lastly choosing the cast for the film. It is the second part that most interests me with sections on computer graphics, scene setting, costumes (see above), weapons, artillery, heraldry and more with plenty of images to go along with the descriptions.

For one pound I just snapped it up!

Books like this are always useful. I might get something out of it for historical wargaming or even ideas for science fiction or fantasy too. As for the movie to go with it…it left me cold I seem to remember.

GBS

Well done Andy!

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Andy Murray wins Wimbledon 2013

Well done to Andy Murray who has just won the Wimbledon 2013 mens final!

It has been seventy seven years since a British win at that most English of tennis events and in tense match the better man won. I am sure that endless inches will be written about this but I just wanted to post up my own congratulations on the day. But how will be BBC report this great victory…we shall see.

GBS

USEME Prohibition Gangsters – WIP

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Top of the World Ma!

There are some more USEME Titles in the planning stage over at 15mm.co.uk and while I have posted about my own title in the next three (Alien Safari , delayed I know!) I have said nothing about the others; so here it goes! Provisionally titled UM015 USEME Prohibition Gangsters this booklet presents rules for two scales (15mm and 28mm) in wargaming the period in American history when booze was illegal and tommy guns the norm. That is the 1920’s and 1930’s.

This is not a period I know much about really so I was delighted when Bob McAlister over in the USA told me he was keen to write just such a title. With some assistance from his good lady and playtesters UM015 has shaped up as a solid and themed set of rules. Its the first set of wargame rules Bob has written that has made it to published stage and he is rightly proud of this achievement.

Skirmishing is the name of the game and the idea is that small groups of Cops, G-Men, Molls, Gangsters, Hooch Runners and others fight it out over objectives such as hidden stashes, nightclubs and speak easies, warehouses, the open street, flop houses and more. As with most USEME titles its ten or so characters a side but you can use more plus the solo rules engine is attached. In fact Bob handed in a manuscript that was too long when his two scenarios were included so these will be given away free on the website and also included in the paid for PDF version.

As USEME’s are budget titles for gaming fun I opted for public domain photographs and so on for the internal pages of the book and the cover is a clever bit of dress up fun on a sunny day from the creative commons licence on Flickr.

I feel that in terms of the way it plays this vision of USEME is most like UM003 USEME WW2 written by Omer Golan but without the armoured vehicles and aircraft of course and a lot more car chases. This title will be published later this summer.

GBS

Edinburgh Zoo 2013 – Panda Time!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Pandamonium!

Yesterday was a field trip day for a wee group from Girvan. Myself and my good lady along with the little warrior and some others went to Edinburgh Zoo. Its a long trek crossing the whole central belt of Scotland but its basically a straight line on the motorway for most of it so while not the most amusing of drives I got us there with no problems. So why the Zoo? Well for a couple of reasons. Firstly the Warrior has never seen wild animals and secondly the ruddy Panda’s!

In case you lived on the moon you might not know that Edinburgh Zoo took delivery of two Panda bears from China a while back and this sent the Zoo into the stratosphere in terms of its popularity. People love Panda’s, I mean they really love them. In the kind of way that I just don’t understand (I am sometimes considered odd by certain kinds of people). Above you can see me with my lovely wife and the Warrior posing for a photo (I actually want this one blown up and on the wall at home) with the bear behind. From what I picked up from the lecture being given to the tour group (demand is such that only twenty or so people at a time are let into the building to see the Panda’s in their two separate rooms, there are only sixteen hundred or so of these animals left in the wild and it is falling all the time. I am not surprised. The Panda it seems is a problem child of nature. It is extremely anti-social with its own kind (hence keeping them on their own) they are only in season for one 36 hour period a year and they suffer an appalling rate of fake and aborted pregnancies. They sleep sixteen or more hours a day. They cannot cope with ANY change in their surroundings. They only eat bamboo along with the occasional apple or carrot. Yes, I actually listened to the lecture as well as cooing and taking pictures. Lovely creature don’t get me wrong but I have low expectations of anything but extinction for it.

Lucky he can’t see that cheeky face!

The Zoo was a great day out and it was fantastic value for money too. After the Panda’s we walked the circuit and saw the rest of the animals (too many to list) but a special mention firstly to the Sumatran Tiger. I adore Tigers (don’t want one for a pet though) ever since seeing a Bengal Tiger as a wee lad. Seeing it was the personal highlight of the day even though it was asleep at the time. After this the Rhino. The Warrior was fascinated by this slow moving mountain of muscle and natural armour. Above you can see him pulling a cheeky face while its back was turned!

Among the rest of the Monkeys!

I found it very interesting that the most information about any of the animals at the Zoo was to be found in the primate areas especially those of the Chimpanzee’s. I have a good grasp of evolution and the reality of how we as a species came to be on this wonderful and diverse planet; but I did learn a few new things. For instance latest research shows that we Humans did NOT evolve from Chimps but from an as yet not found common ancestor some six million years ago branching out to Chimps, Gorillas and the excellent Orangutan’s too. I have, at many zoos, come face to face with almost all the captive species of ape and each time their similarity to us strikes me more and more. From the largest to the smallest their eyes, hands, fingers and faces and behaviour. Watching Spider Monkeys just put me in mind of the last pre-school party I went to!

So all in all an excellent day out. I hear rumours that Tiger Cubs are now to be seen in Inverness-shire…its not that far a drive surely. Maybe next time.

GBS

p.s. A quick note to the rest of the group I went with. To Ethan and Terri, two teenagers who were as bright, keen and well spoken passengers that I have ever had in my car. Shine on you two!

Tony Harwood publishes and ships his first book!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Book Anyone?

I have known Tony Harwood for more than a decade and he is a great fan of Flintloque so when he mentioned online that he planned to publish a book of his terrain ideas and works I was very interested. Tony makes wonderful terrain for several different game systems and also for a couple of companies too. All of this is in his own unique style. I actually own a piece of his terrain which Tony very kindly gifted to me last year (is it in the book we will see!) for the Sharke’s Gingerbread adventure at Salute.

My House is a very, very fine Gingerbread House

One hundred copies of the book have been printed and it looks like it is selling well. I have held off ordering just now as I wanted Tony to expand his fan base and I will pick up a copy once the huzzah calms down a bit. Writing, Editing, Laying Out and Publishing a book is a daunting process (trust me I know!) and all that before you take it to a market and attempt to sell what you have come to love and often loath so much to interested parties. Tony’s works deserve to be seen by all those who are interested in wargame terrain and how it can be constructed.

You can see some of Tony’s work over on Barking Irons Online and also on his own Blog along with the book itself.

Well done Tony!

GBS

Time for a Change….discarding a now useless bit of kit!

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Gavin Syme

I just had to do it. I was left with no choice, circumstances and conversations led me to the decision to cast off a piece of useless garb and replace it with something new! An image here of my original Alternative Armies work t-shirt which has, after ten years of excellent service, given up the ghost. No point holding on to it any more. Stitching, holding it together and kind words would not be enough. No point looking back, ah happy memories indeed but when its done it’s done. Sometimes when you invest time and love into something it works out, other times it just falls apart on you with nothing but fabricky excuses.

Off to the bin now with you me laddo…

Before you ask…yes, the company has furnished me with another at no charge! I hope it lasts just as well and as long.

GBS

Despicable Me 2 – Early Screening!

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Gavin Syme

The Thinker, the Poet and the Warrior enjoy a treat!

Last Saturday I took the family to Ayr to see an advance screening of the brand new animated movie Despicable Me 2. A week before the actual release I saw a chance for an early summer treat and took it. I expected the cinema to be full as it was only going to be shown twice for one day. But in reality it was nearly empty…perhaps the frankly insane pricing of the tickets put people off. Let’s just say I could have bought nearly a dozen copies of the first film on DVD for the same price (or a couple of hundred 15mm miniatures). Note this was a standard price, not inflated for the advance screenings. So how was the film?

Actually it was really, really good. I enjoyed the first Despicable Me movie a lot and this one continued the story and the level of fun and comedy with no let up. It reminded me a lot of a 1970’s James Bond film with the gadgets, gags and honesty that is missing from such live action films now. In fact the trailer for the upcoming Monsters University made me think of an 1980’s Police Academy type film. Perhaps its a pattern…

If you enjoyed the first one or you have small children and can stand the price then its well worth seeing, five stars!

GBS

p.s. click on the links in this post. Both official websites have a lot of them and my children enjoyed looking at them both.

Girvan Civic Week 2013 – My little experience of it…

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Gavin Syme

The parade begins with classic cars!

All week it has been the annual ‘Civic Week’ here in Girvan and normally I make an effort to go along to events and take my three little ones with me. Support the community and all that, rattle the tin and spend some money. But this year due to a combination of work and weather I actually missed all but two of the events that went on. You can learn more about the whole week online but the two main events for me are the Parade and Gig on the Green.

Grim but sounding good!

I am currently fiddling with a new USEME series title so that took up my attention as did the incessant rain that has doused South Ayrshire for the past while (yes I despair, I live in the wettest place there is!) but I got a snap of the start of the Parade which you can see above. Attendance was down but then it was a rainy, windy and dark day more suited to February than June but people soldiered on. I then went along to Stair Park where a live performance stage was set up among a few fairground rides and stalls. I felt sorry for all concerned as the wind pulled at them and distorted the live music being played. I stood a while and listened and even went back later but it was a sad occasion compared to previous years where sunshine and picnics for hours were the normal faire.

Better luck next summer Girvan!

GBS

Highlander the Search for Vengeance – Review

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Its been a while since my last review of any film or especially my second great love (after wargaming and well my wife, so make it third great love!) anime from the far east. So last night I perused my pile of unwatched anime and foreign language films on DVD and selected one. You might remember I picked up a pile in HMW back in February this year and only now are they reaching the top of the list to watch in the free time I have. I had planned on keeping Highlander the Search for Vengeance for watching with a friend but Friday night found me alone after being ditched by all and the sundry too; so mate less watching alone it was! So was it any good?

Well yes I enjoyed it but it has little resemblance to the seminal film of the 1980’s from which it takes its name. Its Japanese through and through and made by Yoshiaki Kawajiri of whom I am a big fan but its far from the best anime out there. The story is fairly thin concerning Colin MacLeod and his quest for vengeance against Roman general Marcus Octavius. Marcus kills Colin’s life love Moya in the 3rd century AD in Northern England and swearing revenge for this Colin is promptly killed by Marcus but lands up on Celtic holy ground where his immortal resurrection is witnessed by the ghost of a Celtic Seer, Amergan, who then accompanies Colin as he tracks Marcus through the next two millennia. Colin fails again and again to kill Marcus and the narrative ends up in post-apocalypse New York for a cyberpunk showdown. I will not spoil the ending.

The best things about this anime are firstly the voice acting which is spot on and secondly the flash back scenes to my beloved Scotland (it is Highlander after all) and to Rome and Japan during the Tokugawa period which are by far the best parts of the animation. Yoshiaki Kawajiri delivers on his Fist of the North Star style with intense action, over muscled characters, busty women (no gravity in this world!) and so on. It is far superior to the awful 1990’s Highlander TV series and as far as I know its canon. I must also mention the music which is really good and sets the scene moving from the ancient world to the near future with ease.

What lets the whole anime down is the repetition of cliché and sequences. In seems in places that the action set in the past was what the directors and animators wanted to do and the near future material was a ‘do we have to?’ bolt on later. Its also not classic stagecraft with dialogue that will make you cringe in your seat.

Overall if you are a fan of Highlander at all then seek this out and watch it. If you like sci-fi like I do then give it a try too. If you liked Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s other works then also see it. For a few pounds give it a try!

It seems not just ‘there can be only one’, there can be many…

GBS

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