Playboy's Girls Next Door

The newest cover for Playboy March 2008 has the Girls Next Door Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison, and Bridget Marquardt. I have never watched the show but wish I did after seeing the girls. I know Kendra is a Chargers fan, see my previous post on her. I might have to pick up this issue.

Super Bowl Weekend

This weekend is the big game. If you are a Patriots or Giants fan you should be happy this weekend. Unfortunately for me I hate both teams. I can't bring myself to root for either one. I can only hope for a tie and the game to be called for lack of interest and neither will be champion. Maybe I can find a game like this one to watch:

SAVAGE FREEPORT LAUNCHES!

Passing on some news posted at the Pinnacle Entertainment site. Looks like Green Ronin is expanding the support for their line. I had Green Ronin has not been performing as well as they had in the past. I guess this is their answer. Here is the news:

Green Ronin have made agreements with several publishers that will allow them to support even more of their games. Their first outside deal is with Pinnacle Entertainment Group, which means Freeport is getting SAVAGE! Green Ronin will be releasing the Savage Worlds Freeport Companion PDF in about a month.
Pinnacle’s own Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams, author of the Pirates of the Spanish Main and Solomon Kane RPGs, wrote the conversion and, to quote the Green Ronin website, “he did a cracking good job.” Details of the exact release date will be announced nearer the time.

San Diego Charger Girls Named Best in NFL

Fox Sports has named the San Diego Charger Girls as the best Cheer leading team for 2007. You can read all about it here. The Chargers Girls make a very good case. They are very impressive.

The best, I don't know. The Tampa Bay Buccaneer Cheerleaders definitely make a good buccing argument for who is better. Just check out Tiffany Jimenez and teammates.

Name the Dragon

Fat Dragon Games is having a name the dragon contest. Now is you chance to make your mark on the world by naming the Fat Dragon. I personally like Shrubber. Here is all the info you need:

After receiving several inquiries as to the name of the FDG dragon logo, we've decided to hold a contest to come up with a name. The winner will receive a swag package including exclusive FDG dice, t-shirt and three free products of their choice from the FDG catalog. Entries should be posted to this thread, and you must be a registered member of this forum to win. Deadline for entries is February 20th and all entries become the sole property of Fat Dragon Games.

New Fat Dragon Games Release "Tombs & Horrors"

Fat Dragon has put out yet another awesome set set "Tombs and Horrors." You need to check this set out. Every set Tom puts out is better then the ones before. Keep the sets coming. Here is the description and pictures from the Fat Dragon message board:

DRAGON TILES add a new dimension to boring miniature tiles...literally. We've combined 2D tiles with 3D props, allowing you to create a visually stunning tabletop for your players quickly and easily. TOMBS AND HORRORS expands on Dungeon Set 1 allowing you to add tombs to your dungeon designs and includes 24 large 8" x 8" tiles. In addition to new 3D props for your dungeon, we've even included a large 3D gelatinous cube to confront your players. All props are designed for the novice card modeler and can be built in minutes.

This PDF includes:

24 Dungeon Tiles

E-Z Fold large dungeon double doors

E-Z Fold large dungeon double doors (broken)

One piece (non opening) sarcophagus (three styles)

Opening sarcophagus (three styles)

Stone statues (two styles)

Wooden coffin

Treasure insert for sarcophagus

Corpse insert for sarcophagus

10 foot pit trap tile with zombies in the bottom

Wall section with magic mouth cast on it

Dungeon door with magic mouth cast on it

Large gelatinous cube modelCorpse floor tile (two versions)

Corpse floor tile (two versions)

Tombs and Horrors comes with all of the props seen here.

Unleash the gelatinous cube on your players!

Will your players heed the magic mouth's warning?

Sample sarcophagus lid textures.

Happy Australia Day

Happy Australia Day!! January 26 is the day when the first fleet of eleven convict ships arrived in Sydney Cove. So now you can say you learned a little history on my blog. What better way to celebrate it than with some of Australia's finest.

First up Emily Scott

Some Australian babes celebrating

You gotta love soccer fans

Unknown Aussie babe

Wizards of the Coast Takes Charge of Heroscape

It's official WOTC is taking over Heroscape. Let's hope they don't mess with it to much. I would really hate for them to start doing upgraded versions of Heroscape. It would suck to be sitting down to play and have to decide are we playing Heroscape 1.0 or 2.0? The prospect of organized play is interesting, but isn't always a good thing. The only other thing to add is I hope they get some new waves out and quit teasing us. At least they gave us a preview of Wave 8, see it above. Here is the post from Heroscapers:

Wizards of the Coast is the world leader in hobby gaming, and a subsidiary of Hasbro. If you’ve ever been to a gaming convention, they are the guys with the gigantic booth swarming with game fans. They produce a number of massively popular games, including Magic the Gathering® and Dungeons and Dragons®
Monday, January the 21st I found myself on a conference call with a round table of Wizards executives. They setup this exclusive meeting for the sole purpose of answering any questions I have about Heroscape’s transfer over to Wizards of the Coast.
Already, dear heroscaper, your head is spinning with questions. You love every nuance of this game and are concerned about what this means for the future of Heroscape. Well the fine people at Wizards plan to interact with the fans that have gathered here on heroscapers.com and answer some of those questions directly. This interaction from those who will be working on Heroscape hearkens back to days of old when designers Craig VanNess and Rob Daviau spent time chatting with us on the forums of heroscape.net, the first ever Heroscape fan site.
Let me start by answering the burning questions you all have and then I’ll give you information on how you can interact with the Wizards staff on our forums.
The following are questions followed by answers provided directly from Wizards.
1. Is Wizards of the Coast taking over the Heroscape brand?Yes, we are excited to say that starting this spring the Heroscape brand will be fully operated by Wizards of the Coast.
2. When is this effective?The transition has already begun and will be complete by 4/1/08. Wizards is already working on future SKUs at this time.
3. Will there be changes to the current version of the game?No, there will be no changes to the way the game is played or packaged- it will continue to be a fixed, non-randomized purchase.
4. Will the game continue to be sold in places it was previously sold?Our goal is to make the game as widely-accessible to Heroscape players as possible. In addition to maintaining all of its current retail distribution in the mass market stores, Wizards will be actively working to bring the game to the hobby gaming market as well.
5.Will the retail price of the game change?Not at this time.
6. Will there be organized play for Heroscape?After the business has been fully-transitioned to Wizards of the Coast we will be exploring all of the opportunities that exist for the product. This evaluation will include exploring the demand for organized play within the Heroscape community.
7. What are the long-term plans for the brand?Wizards will be releasing Small Expansion Set 8 in the summer, a new Small Expansion Set in late 2008 and are exploring additional SKUs as well.
Our Take On the MoveHere at Heroscapers we are optimistic. Hasbro has long had some problems with distribution that Wizards may have solutions for. Hasbro thought they had a game for 8 year olds, Wizards will be targeting gamers of all ages. One of the very first things Wizards has done is reach out to us the fans gathered here at heroscapers.com and that gets them major props.
Heroscape is an aging game by Hasbro’s definition, putting a new and excited staff on the game could extend its life considerbly. Especially considering that Wizards has maintained a number of collectible games into a very long life.
Our current concerns at heroscapers deal with the fact that the current designers, including lead designer Craig VanNess will no longer be working on the game. The game has spent three glorious years under the guidance of Craig and we all are in love with his craftsmanship. The question is, will new designers be able to tune into the “spirit” of the game? Wizards has reassured me that they will continue to make use of an already long existing playtest group. Our hopes are that the playtest group consisting of hardcore fans of the game will be able to spot any problems and help to resolve them before product is released.
The people at Wizards are real people, our people. They love games and live to serve gamers. Their goal is not to ruin our favorite game. So concerned are they about meeting and exceeding our expectations that representatives of Wizards will be joining our forums to answer our questions personally and to get feedback on what we want to see in the future of Heroscape. I am setting up an OFFICIAL FEEDBACK THREAD. Visit it in the news section of the forums to communicate your thoughts.
I leave you with a quote that has inspired me to proceed with an optimistic view of the future of Heroscape. From the Senior Brand Manager at Wizards, Laura Tommervik: “We’re excited to bring to market new Heroscape products that meet and exceed the players’ expectations.”

Lost Season 4 Prequel

Just a heads up to other Lost fans out there they have some online prequel webisodes with some good info on the upcoming season. You can check them out at Find 815.

Quote of the Day

"A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice." – Edgar Watson Howe

A good quote to remember.

Summertime

Sitting here freezing (I know I'm a southerner when I freeze in 45 degree weather) and trying to figure out when it's going to warm up, all I can think about is how I miss the summer. Let's hope it gets here fast, and a few pics to give you some warm thoughts.

Top Movies for Gamers

I got the following list from the Roleplaying Tips Weekly newsletter. If you are a gamer and don’t get this weekly, you are missing out on some good stuff. This is an awesome list. Some movies I have seen, some I have just heard of, and some I have never heard of that are going to be added to my Netflix list. It might even get me to watch the Dungeons & Dragons movie that I have heard nothing but bad things about. There is one movie that should be on this list. Hawk the Slayer!!! Only the greatest fantasy movie ever. Knights of the Dinner Table did a strip on how great this movie is. Check the list out and see if there are any other obvious omissions. Sorry if the links don't work.


Top Movies For Game Masters
Here is the first draft of the Top Game Master Movies List,
based on reader submissions and my own picks. Movies are not
listed in any particular order. A quick check on
http://www.imdb.com or http://www.rottentomatoes.com will
get you ratings and movie information.
Thanks to the following for contributing their movie
recommendations and comments:
Thorsten Hunsicker, John Gallagher, Dave Schaefer, Jamie
Rivers, Norman J. Harman Jr., Lluis Fe, Michael Lee, Kate
Manchester, Darryl Hodgson, Monstah
Additional submissions are always welcome, as well as extra
reasons you might have to watch certain movies, from a GM's
perspective - having notes on what to look out for makes
this movies list more valuable to GMs.

1. Top Game Master Movies List
============================================================
The Hunted
------------------------------------------------------------
With Benicio del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones, this is a great
movie if you want inspiration for high-level druids and
rangers, sneaky traps, and other cool outdoor fight scenes.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0269347/

The Lion In Winter
------------------------------------------------------------
Peter O'Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Katherine Hepburn, and a few
others. This movie is indispensable if you are running a
political intrigue game. There is more skullduggery, devious
manoeuvring, and back-stabbing than even Machiavelli could
ask for. It's also one of the finest movies ever made.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0063227/

A Man For All Seasons
------------------------------------------------------------
A movie that shows the power of the church in every day
life. It is about how Saint Thomas More refused to proclaim
that King Henry VIII had the right to divorce his wife.
Henry, who had recently been named Defender of the Faith by
the pope, had been refused a divorce by the Vatican. Henry
then demanded every one of his nobles proclaim he had the
right to defy Rome and divorce his wife. Sir Thomas stuck to
his religious guns and refused, and was executed for his
troubles. He was subsequently canonized by the pope.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0060665/

Beckett
------------------------------------------------------------
Another movie that shows the power of the church in every
day life. This is the story of Thomas Beckett, a
rambunctious scallywag and drinking buddy of his king. But
when the king posted his friend to the position of the head
of the Church of England, thinking Beckett would be a
certain political ally, Beckett suddenly discovered his
faith, and defied his king's non-religious ambitions
repeatedly.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0057877/

The Three Musketeers
------------------------------------------------------------
The version with Gene Kelly as D'artagnan. Yes, Gene Kelly
the dancer. Aside from being the only version I've seen that
really shows what a scoundrel D'artagnan was, it has some
amazing choreography of the fight scenes, largely because of
Kelly's abilities as a dancer.
The scene near the beginning of the movie where the
cardinal's guards interrupt D'artagnan's duel with Athos,
Porthos and Aramis is what all swashbuckling fights should
be. Kelly skips around his opponent, climbs atop a monument
to hide, and then reaches down to swat the guard on the butt
(a classic use of Tagging, for all you 7th Sea players), and
leaps back and forth across a little pond to lead his
opponent on a merry chase during the duel. And he does it
all with a smile on his face that makes him look like a kid
having the time of his life at the circus. Absolutely
classic.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0040876/

Beowulf
------------------------------------------------------------
I just saw it and I think it's a great add for DMs. It's
good for character generation, combat description, and
encounter ideas. Plus the 3-D is worth checking out.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0442933/

The Gamers
------------------------------------------------------------
A comedy RPG that takes a fun stab at RPGs.
http://gamers.deadgentlemen.com/

The Dungeons & Dragons Movies
------------------------------------------------------------
Provides plots, characters, flavor, and general feel for
what fantasy adventure is all about.
[Comment from Johnn: this entry will be a bit controversial,
I suspect. Best read a range of user reviews before spending
your money, to properly set your expectation levels. :) ]

Princess Bride
------------------------------------------------------------
Required watching. It has the best player character death
mechanic evar! "He's only mostly dead, quite different than
all dead." :)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0093779/

Kanal
------------------------------------------------------------
Based Warsaw 1944, it is not really a WWII movie. For the
purposes of fantasy DMs, it's about getting lost, going
crazy, dying in sewers/dungeons. If dungeon/sewers aren't
where your players spend 1/2 their time and you want to make
the one time they enter one memorable, this movie will help.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050585/

Shichinin no samurai (aka the magnificent seven)
Yojimbo (aka A Fistful of Dollars)
Rashomon
------------------------------------------------------------
By Akira Kurosawa
These are great stories, as proven by the many remakes and
transliterations, especially into spaghetti westerns. What
I've learned most from Kurosawa is personality, emotion. Any
of his characters make excellent NPCs. He shows how to
convey their personality through action, dress, mannerisms,
facial expressions, and camera angle.
When I do NPCs now, I try to think back to these movies and
use facial expressions, large arm/hand movements, stand up
straight, slouch, stare players in the eye, ignore players,
cast eyes down despondently, etc.
Rashomon is great for learning that, even if you described
something one way (i.e. as the characters saw it), it is not
necessary to forever be held to that if plot/fun requires
changes. Use sparingly though, and only if neutral/positive
for characters.

Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman
------------------------------------------------------------
Many movies are based on this character. Zatoichi is a great
source for plots, unique combat terrains/situations, and to
lesser extent, NPCs.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363226/

Once Upon A Time In China
------------------------------------------------------------
Series of movies featuring Jet Li as Wong Fei Hung, famous
Chinese hero. These probably aren't so useful for
traditional fantasy, but great for Asian fantasy, though.
These are good action movies that everyone who doesn't hate
Hong Kong martial arts action movies should see.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103285/

Faust
------------------------------------------------------------
Black and white, by F.W. Murnau. The amazing special effects
(for a silent era film) inspired me to make props and use
whatever I have around the house to enhance my game. Things
don't have to be perfect, they just have to evoke an emotion
- fear, amazement, greed, compassion.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016847/

Flesh + Blood
------------------------------------------------------------
Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Castle assaults, how
dirty/brutal life was in medieval times. From IMDB: "A band
of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble lord, who
decides not to pay them, by kidnapping the betrothed of the
noble's son."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089153/

Conan the Barbarian
------------------------------------------------------------
The way the plot develops is very much like an RPG. It
offers several lessons.
* Start with backstory (bad guy killed my family/village).
Conan doesn't know who it was but has a clue (serpent and
sun/moon emblem).
* Don't reveal the bad guy up front. Leave some mystery.
* Have hooks to bring characters into the adventure.
* Story driven character generation. "I'm strong as hell
cause I spent 10 years on the Wheel of Pain. The years spent
in the fighting pit make me a warrior. Being a barbarian ex-
slave makes me poor and ignorant."
* Get the party together. Conan encounters a witch who has a
future party member as prisoner. Then he runs into another
party member during his first adventure.
* Having a patron NPC push the plot along. King Osric offers
treasures beyond imagination to bring back his daughter.
* Advance the plot even when characters fail. i.e. Conan's
capture and crucifixion on the Tree of Woe.
* Use exciting terrains for combats. i.e. The Orgy Room
(humongous vat of green, part-human stew to dump down
stairs on a bunch of mooks, how awesome is that?) and Battle
on the Mounds.
* Climax that affects the world - the party's actions
matter.
* Finally, music, and how much it enhances and dictates
mood. Basil Poledouris was a master we can learn a lot from.
(If you want examples of the best action and combat
descriptions, read Robert E. Howard, author of Conan stories
among many others.)

Stargate SG-1( TV Series)
------------------------------------------------------------
The premise is ancient races spread civilization/magic,
false gods enslave man, one group of men rebel and now fight
against the false gods for the freedom of all men. That is
an awesome campaign right there. You could keep the multiple
planet thing, or use multiple planes, or replace "planet"
with "nation" and stay on one world.
Remember Arthur C. Clarke's quote: "Sufficiently advanced
technology is indistinguishable from magic." To add SG-1's
concept to your preferred genre, just use the ideas of
portals, portals require addresses (keys), and that through
portals are exciting adventures and technology (magic). If
your players can resist that, they are comatose. This would
also be great for a campaign of loosely connected one-shot
sessions.
Many of the cultures SG-1 encounters are perfect for fantasy.
Egyptian, Cretian, Greek, Scandinavian, European Medieval.
I've used sets and costumes from the show to enhance/improve
my descriptions. The Ori are awesome medieval
culture/villains. I've used a couple puzzles (obscured
slightly so players would not recognize) featured on shows.
Many of the show plots are excellent fodder for adventures.
Watching entire seasons show how to weave sub-plots/side-
plots into larger campaign plots, and how to have an "on the
edge of your seat" cliff hanger.
Stargate is a good demonstration of the military campaign.
Characters belong to, are beholden to, or are commanded by
some organization. But, they have a lot of freedom to act
how they please as long as they get the missions and
objectives completed.
SG-l also shows you how to handle things when characters get
out of line. Star Trek Deep Space Nine is another good
source of this.

Zombie movies, any
------------------------------------------------------------
What to learn here is that fear, hopelessness, and impending
doom are great fun. Throw out the idea of level appropriate
encounters - boring.
Instead, tell players they may encounter things they cannot
defeat (this is important for game systems like D&D where
players expect to be able to defeat everything they
encounter). Then, occasionally slam them with overpowered
foes.
Be sure there are ways out of encounter. Don't set out to
kill them, but don't prevent their deaths either. Truly
leave character fates in the players' hands. The feel you're
after is that mere survival is victory.
More in line with zombie movies, have them face easy foes
they defeat without problem. But make sure there are _a lot_
of these foes, an endless amount that never stops coming.
Forcing high level characters to retreat from "wimpy"
monsters, such as orcs, is a change of pace and challenges
players in a different way than tougher and tougher monsters
do.

Jason Movies
------------------------------------------------------------
Once or twice, when players are happy with themselves for
defeating a big bad and are healing and searching for loot,
have the "dead" big bad arise and get a surprise round on the
party. Then start combat anew. The big bad keeps rising from
apparent death until the party figures out the key to its
true destruction.

Nightmare On Elmstreet
------------------------------------------------------------
Have an enemy that can't be defeated by normal combat. Get
your players thinking beyond their swords and fireballs.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0087800/

Flash Gordan, 5th Element
------------------------------------------------------------
Costume, sets and dialog. Description!
Be fantastical and occasionally over-the-top (regardless of
genre - extremes and archetypes are memorable). Colors,
textures. Think about the mood you wish to convey.
Be thematic. Guys from forestland dress like Erol Flynn in
all greens. Hawkmen use feathers and furs. Good guys wear
orange casual cloths. Bad guys, expensive designer suits.
If it wears a uniform it is a mook.
Themes help players build up "knowledge" of your world. Your
descriptions will build on each other, so eventually just a
few words will bring forth vivid and detailed images in
players' minds. This also lets you drop cool clues, such as
a bit of torn green cloth that will immediately inform the
players forest dudes were here.

Original Star Trek
------------------------------------------------------------
Plots. Especially plots with moral consequences/decisions.
One anti-lesson: Star Trek NextGen. Dues ex machina - don't
use it.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
------------------------------------------------------------
It is said that a western is just a set in which to tell any
kind of story, and this is the case with this movie. I'd
suggest the good and the ugly be played by PCs, and the bad
and his band by NPCs.
The story is about a treasure and its three parts, with
characters knowing just half (or thinking they know half) of
the information to reach it. Talking, persuasion, and
intimidation skills are used more than fighting.
There is a war, a bridge to be destroyed, a huge cemetery,
information to be collected everywhere, and a monastery to be
visited. At one point, characters use disguise to enroll in
the army.
This is not only a movie to create an adventure, it is meant
to be a whole campaign.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060196/

Pathfinder & 13th Warrior
------------------------------------------------------------
Must-watches for any viking campaign. Gritty combat with
pseudo-fantasy elements. Also good for a primeval, low-magic
campaign. If you liked Braveheart, Apocalypto, etc., then
you will like these.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446013/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120657/

Blade Runner
------------------------------------------------------------
A good example of world building. The setting is lush and a
good representation of a dark future.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/

King Arthur
------------------------------------------------------------
Plots and battle ideas. You are soldiers to a foreign king
and must do his bidding to earn your freedom. Your small
group is sent on a rescue mission to an ungrateful and
uncooperative man, and must outwit an overwhelming force to
gain his safety. A great battle against the large force is
waged on an ice-covered lake, which is used creatively to
win the battle. The soundtrack makes for great gaming
background music as well.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349683/

The Exorcist: Director's Cut
------------------------------------------------------------
I've always liked to play the cleric. It's one of those
classes you either love or hate to play, and I'm on the
former side. While watching this movie I realized it was a
lovely situation in which to roleplay a cleric.
If I'm not mistaken, there is an Exorcist prestige for
clerics in D&D. It has specific spells to banish a demon
that possesses someone, which should make the game
straightforward.
What if a more powerful demon requires a longer ritual,
though? Weeks, maybe months? Can you imagine a fight that
takes this long, slowly wearing both combatants down? And
your opponent is inside a little girl. A little, helpless
one. How far would you go to drive the demon off? (Remember
Emily Rose?)
It gets interesting on the psychological side too. Suppose
you get a good roleplayer invited to play both the possessed
and possessor. One that makes the child's cry face as
convincingly as the devil's snarls, curses, and lies. How
does your cleric player handle it?
It can also be applied as a metaphor. Your quest is to
destroy some evil, and protect something pure. However, the
evil is inside your object of protection. How do you attack
the problem?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/

Aliens 1+2
------------------------------------------------------------
Watch the Marines and their close quarter tactics. Watch the
aliens make their hide checks. Learn that the only way to be
sure is to nuke them from orbit.

The Rock
------------------------------------------------------------
Think of Sean Connery as an NPC guide to a dungeon crawl with
incinerator flames.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117500/

Casino Royale (2006)
------------------------------------------------------------
The first five minutes of Foucan (a French martial art) show
what DC 30 jump and tumble checks really look like.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/

Goonies
------------------------------------------------------------
Add some realism to your low level play.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/

2. Movies Nominated As Good But Needing GM Commentary
============================================================
The following is a list of movies recommended by readers
(thanks!) that need comments on why GMs should watch them,
or what elements are inspirational for GMs. If you have any
comments on one of more of these movies, please shoot me an
e-mail.

Action
------------------------------------------------------------
Smokin Aces
Crank
Transporter 1+2
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Hostage
Collateral
Mission Impossible 2
Fastlane (TV series)

Adventure
------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana Jones
The Mummy 1+2
Sahara
Jurassic Park 1-3
Into The Blue
Young Sherlock Holmes
Tomb Raider
Deep Blue Sea
Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3
The Da Vinci Code

Fantasy
------------------------------------------------------------
The movies provide ideas for plots, characters, flavor, and
general feel for what fantasy adventure is all about.
The Lord of the Rings 1-3
Harry Potter
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Dark Crystal
The Last Unicorn
Dogma
Legend
Pan's Labyrinth
Excalibur
Clash of the Titans
The Dragon Slayer
Ladyhawke
The Hobbit
Alice in Wonderland (watch a couple different of these)
The Wizard of Oz
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Planet of the Apes (all movies)
Merlin (TV movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130414/ )
Arabian Nights (another awesome TV movie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181199/ )
The Odyssey (TV movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/ )
Xena (TV Series)
Hercules(TV Series)

Sci-Fi
------------------------------------------------------------
Star Wars 1-6
Matrix
Alien vs. Predator
Paycheck
Reign of Fire
Pitch Black
Riddick
Godzilla
Mad Max
Total Recall
6th Day

Thriller
------------------------------------------------------------
Identity
Existenz
Mindhunters
Butterfly Effect
Memento
American Psycho
Imperium der Wölfe
Purpurnen Flüsse
Seven
Wild Things
24 (TV series)
The Game

Drama
------------------------------------------------------------
Crash
11:14
U-Turn
Unbreakable
Under Suspicion
187
Hooligans
Original Sin
8 Mile
911
Layer Cake

Gangster
------------------------------------------------------------
Heat
Scarface
Casino
The Usual Suspects
Crime is King
Oceans 11+12
Last Man Standing
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Training Day

History
------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl Harbour
Gladiator
Gangs of New York
Ben Hur
Spartacus
Cleopatra
Lawrence of Arabia
The Ten Commandments
Spartacus (1960 with Mr. Douglas)

Animated
------------------------------------------------------------
Ghost in the Shell
Ice Age 1+2
Finding Nemo
Incredibles
The Prince of Egypt
The Lion King
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
Princess Mononoke

War
------------------------------------------------------------
Black Hawk Down
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Enemy at the Gates
Basic
Rambo 1-3
Band of Brothers (DVD series)

Comics-Based
------------------------------------------------------------
Sin City
300
Hellboy
X-Men 1-3
Constantine
Batman Begins
Tomb Raider
Spiderman 1-3

Comedy
------------------------------------------------------------
Tomcats
The Wedding Crashers
Analyze That
Traumschiff Surprise
Heartbreakers
Four Rooms

Horror
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Resident Evil
Scream
Saw 1-3
13 Ghosts
Ghostship
Underworld 1+2
Dracula
Blade
Final Destination 1+2
Cube
Daemon

Asian
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hero
House of flying Daggers

Swashbuckling
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http://www.swashbucklingadv.com/resources/movies.html

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The New World Champion BLU-RAY!!

If you have been waiting to buy a new DVD player until the HD vs. Blu-Ray war was over, wait no more. It may not be official but check out the following from the Tourbus:

It's over. Blu-ray won.

Last week Warner Bros. announced that they would exclusively support
Sony's Blu-ray format, leaving only Paramount, Universal, and
Dreamworks aligned with the HD DVD camp. You can read Warner's
announcement at http://tinyurl.com/ysuljw

There's more. According to the Financial Times [via Gizmodo], Paramount has

a clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp that would allow it
to switch sides in the event of Warner Bros backing Blu-ray,
according to people familiar with the situation.
[Source: http://tinyurl.com/2lorj6 ]

Without Paramount, Blu-ray now has 70% of Hollywood's next generation
DVD market. That's *without* Paramount. And don't forget that
Paramount distributes Dreamworks Animations films, making it hard to
imagine that Dreamworks won't follow if Paramount abandons HD DVD in
favor of Blu-ray.

Folks, it's over. Blu-ray won. The HD DVD camp may not realize it
yet, and Universal may drag its feet for a few months before finally
throwing in the towel and following 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer, Sony, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros. and the rest of the Blu-ray
camp, but Blu-ray won.

Long story short: if you're in the market for a next generation DVD
player, make sure it can play Blu-ray discs.

Monday

I haven't posted anything for today soI figured I would post a good motivational poster.

San Diego Chargers!!

Awesome game to the San Diego Chargers for knocking off the Super Bowl Champion Colts in their home. Now comes the real test beating the hated Patriots. To send them some inspiration how about "Girl Next Door" star and Charger Fan Kendra Wilkinson.

Pirates the Constructible Strategy Game™ Rise of the Fiends Sneak Peek #2

Here is sneak peek #2, lots of good Pirate fun!!

Pirates of the Cursed Seas: Rise of the Fiends PocketModel GameSneak Peek #2

By Kelly Bonilla

With the Pirates of the Cursed Seas: Rise of the Fiends expansion, the Cursed get a boost in their bid to control the seas, and have even found another relic sure to aid them. Watch your crew carefully, for at any time they may fall prey to the Voodoo Doll.

The unique treasure Voodoo Doll (#064) can mean bad news for ANY crew member, unless they happen to be Cursed. At the beginning of each of their turns, the Voodoo Doll holder chooses a non–Cursed enemy crew member and rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, that crew is turned face down and can’t use their abilities on their next turn. No doubt they’re too busy trying to dig phantom cutlasses out of their backs.

The evil Cursed leader El Fantasma has also added to his ranks of crew with the corruption of the Hag of Tortuga (#018, 4 points), gaining the ability to speak with the foul monsters of the sea. The Hag of Tortuga will add +L to the base move of any sea monsters within L of her ship, making her an excellent way to guide beasties to their next meal.

But perhaps the most sinister addition to the fleets of the Cursed will become clear as men of the sea turn their eyes to the ocean and spy only a wicked blade coming over the horizon to reap their souls; the scorpion ships have arrived! Equipped with a long, movable scythe on their bows, the scorpion ships excel at pinning and boarding enemy ships without becoming pinned themselves. After a scorpion ship completes a shoot action or move action (without ramming), if you can move her blade so that it touches an opposing ship, you can immediately attack that ship as a free action using the blade. If you do, the opposing ship must eliminate a mast. No ability can prevent this! The opposing ship is pinned and can be boarded, though the scorpion ship itself isn’t pinned. And, even though it can’t board them afterwards, scorpion ships can even pin sea creatures!

One of the scorpion ships now prowling the seas is Pestilence (#009, 17 points). The priciest of the Cursed’s new toys, she bears the Scorpion and Fear keywords and a base move of L, as well as a cargo of 3 should she need to escort treasure back to a home island. Pestilence also features two rank 3 cannons with long range and a rank 4 cannon with short range. Put these things together and you have just the thing to intimidate would-be adventurers of the seas.

The very first scorpion ship of the line (or point, as the case may be) is Scorpion (#011, 15 points). She brings the Eternal keyword along with scorpion, making her a pox for your opponents for the length of your game. Though she’s slower with a base move of S, she has four cargo spaces awaiting crew, equipment, or treasure. Three excellent rank 3 cannons at long range round out this deck piercing fiend. But Rise of the Fiends also has some excellent standard ships just waiting to leave port, as we’ll soon see.

Pirates the Constructible Strategy Game™ Rise of the Fiends Sneak Peek #1

Wizkids has posted a couple snek peeks, here is the first:

Pirates of the Cursed Seas: Rise of the Fiends PocketModel GameSneak Peek #1

By Kelly Bonilla
Looming on the horizon is first release of the rebranded Pirates PocketModel game: Pirates of the Cursed Seas: Rise of the Fiends. This set is shaping up to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Or, at the very least, it will have a Barrel o’ Monkeys!

The unique treasure Barrel o’ Monkeys (#065) won’t be so fun for the one who finds it. These mischievous minions will randomly toss one of your hard-earned treasures onto any wild island you sail away from—and to any other ship your ship touches! If there’s no room on the other ship to receive the treasure, these pernicious primates will just toss it overboard and eliminate it!

Also appearing in Rise of the Fiends is Trevor van Tyne (#058, 2 pts.) of England, a once-lost (and -cursed) soul who’s found redemption through love of Hermione Gold. Such is the fierce power of this love that Van Tyne will join your fleet only if you have another English ship or crew, and will not join your fleet if you have any Cursed ships or crew. Van Tyne also brings with him the Musketeer keyword and a link to the fiery Hermione Gold herself.

Other crew in Rise of the Fiends will have similar fleet requirements, easily spotted by the “Loyal” or “Hostile” keyword. Crew that are “Loyal” to something will require that something, whether that be a specific crew, ship, or any game piece of a specific nation, to be in the same fleet with them. “Hostile” crew will not join your fleet if the something that they happen to be hostile to is in your fleet. It’s a simple and flavorful new challenge to fleet construction.

Are you protective of your newly explored islands? Looking to control some shipping lanes in your next game? Rise of the Fiends is prepared to handle your needs with the introduction of a new game piece: the flotilla! Flotillas are floating gun platforms that are towed into place by other ships. They can be given only shoot actions and repair actions (they can repair at sea), and they also have no masts. Instead they have flags, which can be eliminated only if the flotilla is hit twice on the same turn from the same shoot action. When a flotilla has no flag, any hit sinks it, but a flotilla can be given shoot actions even if it has no flag.

You might still be wondering why you’d want to invest any points in something that A) doesn’t move without help and B) can’t carry treasure. Did we mention that flotillas double their printed cannon ranges? No? Well, there you go. A minimal amount spent to control upwards of 2S to 2L of the sea.

How minimal an investment, you might ask? Well, for 7 points you can add the English Gibraltar (#015) flotilla to your fleet. With four rank 2 cannons all at short range, ships are sure to think twice about getting into its range, perhaps buying valuable time for a friendly vessel to pass under its protective watch.

If you think you need just a bit more range, your 7 points can instead add the American Minuteman (#016) to your fleet. Though its cannon ranks are a little different, it offers ranges that any discerning tyrant of the seas can love: two short-range rank 2 cannons and two long-range rank 4 cannons—the only flotilla thus far to offer long ranges.

Two more flotillas round out those found in Rise of the Fiends, each also a mere 7 points. But flotillas aren’t the only new fiendish surprises to be prowling the cursed seas . . . .

Another Pic of Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist

I found another, I would be proud to have her as my mayor. Come on citizens of Arlington, I know some of you have those pictures saved. Post them for us to see.

Mayor Posts Lingerie Pics on My Space

Fox News posted the story about Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist who posted pictures of herself in lingerie on MySpace. You can read all about it here. Apparently at the very next town meeting people came out in droves to ask for her resignation. Resign??? I'd be joining her campaign staff. Check her out for yourself. She looks good to me. The only thing that bugs me is that no one thought to get all her pictures before she made her profile private. There were supposedly more than this posted.

Herbert Keppler: 1925-2008

Herbert Keppler, whose 57-year career as a writer, editor, and publisher of photographic magazines earned him a worldwide reputation as one of the most respected and revered authorities in the photographic field, died peacefully in his sleep after a short illness at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY, with his wife Louise, daughter Kathy, and son Thomas at his side.

You can visit Popular Photographies memorial page at:

Herbert Keppler Memorial Page

Mike Alstott Indicates Career Likely Over

A sad day for us Buc fans who rooted for them throughout the years, especially during their Super Bowl winning year. Mike Alstott has said he is likely going to retire. He has not officially said he is, but nothing in the article posted at TampaBay.com would lead anyone to think otherwise. I hope Mike and his family all the best, you were a great player in my book.

January 09, 2008
Alstott indicates career likely is over
Bucs fullback Mike Alstott hasn't formally announced anything yet, but he indicated on a local radio show Wednesday morning his playing career is over.Asked about his future while promoting a charity event on WDAE 620-AM, Alstott made it clear he has no plans to undergo a second neck operation in order to play next season.
"I guess you can read between the lines,'' Alstott said. "I have a young family and a life to live, and I can't be selfish and go have some kind of surgery and try to fix the thing. I'm happy just hanging out with my family.
Asked if a second operation would make it possible for him to resume his playing career, Alstott said, "it wouldn't be worth it.''During a tearful news conference in August, Alstott announced that he had suffered a second neck injury that would force him to go on injured reserve, ending his season. He stopped short of saying that the injury could end his 12-year career with the Bucs.
Alstott, 33, had a compressed disc removed and replaced with the vertebrae from a cadaver in 2003. A titanium plate was used to fuse it together.
He said a battery of tests this past fall revealed there was stress to his neck above the previously injured area. Pittsburgh nuerosurgeon Dr. Joe Maroon, who performed Alstott's first surgery, advised him not to play. After consulting with team trainers, doctors, his family, general manager Bruce Allen and coach Jon Gruden, Alstott agreed the best course of action was for him to be placed on injured reserve.
-- Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer(Pictured: While holding his daughter Hannah, Mike Alstott blows a kiss to the crowd gathered in the south endzone tunnel while leaving the field after the Bucs loss to the Seahawks in August. Times photo - James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Nicolas Sarkozy & Carla Bruni

I read on the news that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has hooked up with Carla Bruni. I saw a couple press pictures of them together and have to say she piqued my interest. I did a little research and was wowed. Carla Bruni is smoking hot!! When was the last time you saw a world leaders significant other and was totally wowed by her. So I posted a few pics of her. Enjoy.

More to come later.

Congrats LSU

Once again Ohio State decides not to show up for the biggest bowl of the year and let LSU walk all over them. I can't totally blame Ohio State, LSU is a really good team. I was hoping for a good game, and got a blowout again. Oh well, let's hope the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl are good games.

Party on Girls, you're national champions!!

Happy Birthday Elvis!!!

Happy Birthday Elvis, January 8 1935!! Here is an awesome quote from the King:

"After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake. "

Ohio State vs. LSU

Tonight is the big game for college football fans. Will OSU redeem themselves for their craptacular performance in last years championship? Will LSU show that they can beat them as bad as Florida did? We find out tonight. So who are you going for:

OSU

LSU

LSU

OSU

OSU

LSU

You make the call. I will say it is a lot easier to find LSU babe pics than OSU. Which is really sad. I used to live in Columbus and saw first hand the babes that go to OSU, so I know they are there. Come on Buckeyes, get some pictures posted.