Another World

Links:

Card Gaming: Vanguard Gets Live Action Ahh, this takes me back to playing Friday Night Magic in Kichijouji, surrounded by posters for this CCG.
Film: Benedict Cumberbatch Vs. Zachary Quinto in Star Trek [Spoilers?]
Magic: Teller Reveals His Secrets
Pop: Adam Lambert On Some Magazine Bow ties are cool.
Random: The Simpsons Do Game of Thrones Quick, before Fox takes it down. This looks amazing. (via daegaer)
Random: Five Hundred New Fairy Tales Discovered in Germany (daegaer again)

I'm heading to my first Squeefest this summer, job permitting. I've already put forward the idea of running an improv workshop, so I hope that gets approved.

I watched Inglourious Basterds and The Machinist, both of which were shown on TV the other night. I liked Basterds and it felt like I was watching a well-directed, stylish movie with each frame having been carefully planned. You might say "Oh, but of course -- it's a Quentin Tarantino," but you should be able to say that about ANY director filming a Hollywood movie and you can't. The script was snappy from the start, with nothing stated too directly. Any problems I had with it came down to who I wanted to survive and didn't.

I was eager to see The Machinist as it's one of those films that people often recommend if you like other specific movies (such as Fight Club). Well, this is not Fight Club, although it does screw around by looking at things from the protagonist's perspective. I actually liked the way I could guess what was going on through well-placed clues unlike, say, Mulholland Drive. It needed a Werewolf Break though.

Also on TV was The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff. I'm not sure how many episodes it's supposed to run for -- the official website describes it both as a four part series and says the last episode was third of three. I loved the setting and concept (comedic Dickens pastiche), although the comedy is a little hit and miss.

I was in an advert break when a trailer for a show came on that seemed to be taking the success of Sherlock and trying to tap into it. There was this brilliant-but-abrasive private detective and his long-suffering partner trying to solve a case. I wasn't very sure about it at first -- I want to see more programmes like Sherlock, but only if it's not completely bleeding obvious what they're doing -- then I saw the title. Dirk Gently. That is, the character created by Douglas Adams. Well.... that's more excusable, right?

Based on the first episode (they filmed a pilot over a year ago -- I didn't see it), I am cautiously optimistic. I'd be far more positive if I'd never seen Sherlock. But I do like it very much. Watch it if you can.