Reeky Shanks's page

produced by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell!?! I am not exactly sure how to feel about this. I think I would rather see #4.

Ok.

I really dig the Inception Soundtrack. For the most part I like all of Hans Zimmer's Soundtracks and I was really hoping he would win the Oscar this year.

Then a friend of mine showed me this hidden sampling.

My friend thought it was borderline plagiarism and that Hans and co. shouldn't win the Oscar. I thought it was a brilliant use of sampling and it made me even more hopeful he'd win.

What do you think?

I'm so excited for this movie. I'm a huge boxing fan, and the Gatti-Ward fights are absolutely legendary.

If anyone doesn't know who "Irish" Mickey Ward is, check this out:

BAM!

The guy fights like Rocky! The Dropkick Murphys wrote a song about him!

I love this band. I just got my hand on Warp Riders and I haven't stopped listening to it yet. I didn't hit me as hard as Gods of the Earth when I first heard it, but I am really digging it more each time I listen.

This band gets a lot of crap for not being pure metal, but how can people on these boards not dig 'em? Its Dungeons & Dragons infused stoner metal! They have songs about Conan and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire! Their new album cover looks like the cover of an old pulp sci-fi novel!

Rock!

NO SPOILERS PLEASE.

Has/Is anyone else out there playing this game? I just started it the other day. Wow. Its intense. I find the control scheme a little jerky to get used to, but the different ways the story unfolds are really interesting.

I played through a fight the other night, then my friend played through it the next day and we both had different results. This seems like a game that has a lot of replay value.

Have I just been under a rock and didn't know about this? Has it already been discussed a bunch on these boards?

New Conan Movie

I just bought this title for my PS3 yesterday and I'm really impressed. The graphics and sound are terrific and the gameplay is a great mix of combat and puzzle solving.

The combat engine uses a relatively simple system that makes it easy to perform beautifully flowing maneuvers - far beyond the normal: punch, kick, jump kick, etc. in a lot of superhero titles. It really looks like the kind of sweet ass kicking you expect from the Dark Knight.

My favorite part right now, though, is the Detective mode. Its a lot of fun to turn Batman's gadgetry on to track traces of tobacco smoke or whiskey in the air as you hunt down the villians. Detective mode also lets you solve special challenges left behind by The Riddler. These are sub stories to the main plot and require you to solve riddles (duh) by finding the answer around the asylum and taking a sort of virtual snapshot of it. Doing so unlocks even more bone-crushing combat moves or high tech gadgets for the hero.

And to top it all off, the story takes place in Arkham Asylum! The creators did a great job fleshing out this creepy locale. The dark corridors, the moonlit courtyards, the dingy holding cells - its near perfect.

If you are a fan of Batman, you should definitely pick this title up.

I just finished this book and I can't recommend it enough. Its a coming-of-age story set during the siege of Leningrad in WWII. Funny, Horrifying, Heartbreaking, Beautiful. In 258 pages.

Its definitely more of a "Guys" book, but it so beautifully written I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.

Sam Raimi making the kind of movie Sam Raimi should make.

This probably isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Raimi is really skilled at mixing jump-out-atcha! scares with slapstick goofery. It aint going to change the world, but its a good time at the movies.

If you have a weak stomach you'll probably think its overly gross at times, but Raimi always tempers these moments with a bit of a wink.

A Good Film.

I was very glad to see a recently made vampire movie that wasn't trying to cash in on the twinkle-pie, twilight, Buffy-cized, "Vampires are so cool-and-sexy-and-can-do-no-wrong" nonsense that seems so prevalent these days.

Its a little slower moving than most horror movies, but its a very well told story with totally intriguing characters. I highly recommend it.

How long before this works in three dimensions?

The military has got to be peeing in their pants with excitement.

I just saw this on VH1 last night so I may be coming really late to the party, but has anyone seen this clip?

Funny. If the rest of the show is like this, I have to start checking it out more often.

Hell Yeah.

Sci-Fi Channel does this every New Year's Eve.

This is great TV.

If there are any fans out there who are interested, here is a schedule.

Anybody else see the Watchmen trailer at the movies yet? I saw it last night before The Dark Knight.

I have to admit that the trailer looked very cool, but I feel like this is an impossible task. The graphic novel is just too much for a 2-3 hour movie to handle.

I hope it doesn't end up as bad as the other Alan Moore translations. . .

This is one of the best horror movies in many years.

It's a Spanish film that just came out on DVD (in Spain) and if you can get your hands on it, it is totally worth your while.

I don't want to spoil anything, but at the very least, do not watch the trailer for "Quarantine", the American remake coming out this October. In fact, anyone who posts on this thread, I'd appreciate if you don't send links to that film. It's best if you don't know much about it.

I will tell you that its a "hand held horror" movie and normally I don't go for this convention, but it didn't bother me in REC.

I'll also say that it involves zombies. . .

I've said too much already!

but maybe I caught your interest. . .

See this movie.

Its so GOOD, I can't even think of what to write right now. It is proof again that Spain is creating some of the best movies in the horror genre right now.

They take their time with this one in the beginning, but I promise that it pays more than dividends by the end.

So good.

Holy Crap I am in Horror Movie Nirvana right now.

Reply or not, this is just an observation I had and I wanted to put it out there. I was originally writing this in the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" thread, but I got a little off topic, so I wanted to put it here.

As much as I might frown at the last three Star Wars movies, I can't help but admire the imagination of George Lucas. His imagination has spawned some wonderful stories and characters. And before you go on some Joseph Campbell diatribe on me, yes, I know he picked over the entire history of eastern and western myths to create his worlds, whatever - just hear me out. From Star Wars to Indiana Jones to Willow; the fruits of his imagination are impressive. Few filmmakers can claim to have created an entire world like Lucas has. And he has done it twice.

But I got a little itch on the GM part of my brain when I watched the last Indiana Jones movie. Although I can't boast to be as creative (or at least as successful) as George Lucas, I do take exception to a quality that I've noticed in his storytelling. He seems to have decided (in his later years at least) that its better to reveal a secret than to let your audience live with the mystery.

The latest example was the warehouse at the beginning of KOTCS. I'm willing to bet that when Lucas first wrote out Raiders he did not specify that the warehouse that held the Ark of the Covenant at the end was Area 51. He didn't have to. It wasn't integral to the story at all. But what Lucas couldn't have imagined, was that the short scene involving the warehouse would become a flash point for interest in the movie. It was a cool and mysterious place. People who saw Raiders couldn't help but wonder if such a place really existed somewhere in the dark corners of the United States. It was essentially a tiny little detail of the movie that had a greater life in the imaginations of its audience. It was a delicious mystery. But in the most recent Indiana Jones film, Lucas chooses to reveal the secret. The curtain is pulled back and voila! Area 51.

Another example of this is Boba Fett from The Empire Strikes Back. I don't think that Lucas had any idea that this character was going to become such a fan favorite. Although he plays a big part, he doesn't say much and he doesn't have much screen time. But he ignited people's imaginations for exactly those reasons, he was incredibly mysterious. Boba Fett was a badass and we didn't know much about him. He could've been anyone. He could've even been a she! Who knows? No one! And thats what made him cool. Yet Lucas, decided to pull back the curtain in Episode II, and gave us a whole history of Boba Fett, and in my mind this spoiled his mystery.

A last example is what I believe to be the single greatest mistake of the Star Wars prequels, explaining the force in scientific terms. When Lucas uses Qui-Gon to explain that the force is somehow related to a micro-organism in the blood stream, it plucks out the heart of the Star Wars mystery. Its literally the magician revealing to you that his tricks aren't really magic after all. What was cool about "the Force" was that is was unknowable. It was magic and you had to take that on faith. It was a mystery.

But Lucas seems all too willing these days to explain away his mysteries. And as an amateur storyteller myself, I can sympathize. I'm sure its very tempting. When you discover that your audience is engaged by something (especially something you didn't intend) you want to keep their interest alive. You want them to keep turning the page, hanging on your words, staring rapt at the movie screen, etc.

But the warehouse scene in KOTCS got me wondering, "Where is the line?" At what point does a storyteller actually do his audience a disservice by revealing the secrets? Do mysteries have a shelf life? Is it ultimately unsatisfying for an audience if you leave something unsaid or unknown?

Holyjesuschristjeez!

Perhaps I am a bit behind the curve but. . .

This is a good movie.

First it's cool.
Then it makes you think, "WTF?"
Then its crippling badass.

See it.

I use a lot of different music in my sessions. Here is a list of some of my recently used soundtracks:

The Village - No matter what you thought of the movie, this is a beautiful soundtrack. Its a lot of dark, moody violin. I have used it a little, but I think it would be great for suspense/horror based games. It also has a least 1 good "chase" track.

Battlestar Gallactica - The soundtrack from the New Sci-Fi Channel series. The composer created a very sparse, low-key soundtrack because he wanted to reflect the vast emptiness of space. I used it recently when my PCs took a trek through the underdark. I highly recommend it to help create a big, dark, empty mood.

300 - I find this one is a little hard to use because tracks will start out light and then hit you over the head 4 minutes later. But if you want to inject a little metal flavor into your fights without going straight to the Iron Maiden tracks, you might find this useful.

Pet Sematary - If you run (or want to run) a horror based game then you should try and find this gem. It is full of creepy bits of music, its not instantly recognizable and all of the tracks are about a minute to two and a half minutes long. The tracks don't change tone that much either, making it easy to hit "repeat" on your player and not worry about a sudden change in the atmosphere.

My party has just arrived at a large dwarven citadel built into a mountain. I have a couple of ideas to flesh it out already, but I was wondering if anyone has any stories, ideas, experiences, etc. that they could share about Dwarven Citadels to help me out.

One of the things it needs to have is a separate plaza/trading post/merchant's square just outside the mountain where they do business with the outside world. The exact specifications of that are still undecided.

Any help would be appreciated.

I guess he had been battling cancer for a while. He made his mark in some cool movies, including my favorite, Jaws.

Here's hoping he's finally found that oft requested "bigger boat".

I'm in San Diego for a while and was wondering about a local gaming store. Any suggestions?

On a recent thread someone mentioned never having seen The Dark Crystal; a movie I would consider required viewing for my gaming friends.

But it got me to thinking,

As a gamer, what movies do you consider "Must See" movies?

The Dark Crystal A great feat of imagination. Watch the movie on DVD, then watch the totally awesome "Making of" documentary. Rest in Peace Jim Henson.
Conan the Barbarian Should you ever forget, "What is Best", just listen to the wisdom of the Governator.
The Seven Samuraii A true gamers movie. Seven distinct characters who protect a village from bandits. The problem solving, character development, and epic battle scene should strike a chord in any gamer.
Army of Darkness I always appreciate a good sense of humor in my games and the stupid moments in this movie make me laugh from the same place. And also; Claatu, Barrata, Nicto are great command words.
Any version of Tolkien on film Sure, the old animated movies might not measure up nowadays, but who hasn't had that catchy , "Where there's a whip, there's a Way" song stuck in their head at some point?

Und zis es de Apryl Fuls Dei? Es J0kk3?

Glad to 5ee zer es no h4rd fee1!ng5 orr v!ru5, but hons3t prank und fun f0r zee holiday.

Yah.

Hmmm.

My virginal attempt at linking might have left those who tried unsatisfied.

You can also find the same delicious morsel by searching YouTube for "Leonard Nimoy and Bilbo Baggins"

Just wanted to say "Happy New Year" and wish everyone out there in the Paizo ether all the best for '07. Here's to more laughs, more valued insights, and more good times posted in our future.

What would you like to see from Paizo in '07?

Here's my request:

Please can we have,
an Abyssal Kraken?

Please? The Savage Tide AP has been so wonderful. And you know the Lovecraft fans would love it. And it fits so nicely into the the grand scheme of things doesn't it?

Please? please?! puh-leeeeeeaze can we have one?

I play with a large, easel sized pad of graph paper. I am about to run my group through a large subterranean area. Is there a generally accepted way to keep your player "in the dark" so to speak?

I'd love to be able to keep the details (rivers, stairs, walls, etc.) hidden if I can, I am just not sure if there is a practical way of doing this.

Has anyone out there discovered a good method for mapping in the darkness?
. . . other than that awesome projector set-up that makes me want to wet my pants every time I see it.

I'm sure we've all got our favorites. Here are 5 of mine, in no particular order:

1)The Omega Man - God willing, when Judgement Day comes, all post-apocalyptic fashion will mirror the bold choices of Chuck Heston. Aviator shades, hip hugging jeans, a safari vest. . . BEHOLD THE FUTURE!

2)Death Race 2000 - Having revisited this recently I was reminded why it is one of the best of the worst. This is actually a brilliant social commentary. My girlfriend saw this the day after we watched the last Star Wars movie together. She contends that this is the better film. She may have a point. . .

3)Dead Alive - Also known as Brain Dead - I first saw this movie in 1994 and I was blown away. The goriest film of all time and very campy/funny. I made it my mission to watch everything else from this director. Then he turned out to be Peter Jackson.

4)Hard Rock Zombies - You've never heard of this one? Perhaps the stupidest, most horribly delightful movie EVAH. An 80's hair band that discovers a bass riff that raises the dead. Also stars a midget and Hitler. Need I say more? Oh, I could, but your head might explode from awesomeness overload.

5)A*P*E*- This is about a giant ape that falls in love with a pretty blonde girl and then goes on a rampage. One of the most original and striking love stories you'll ever see featuring a man in a terribly obvious monkey suit. Also stars the lovely Joanna De Verona (later to be known as Joanna Kerns, the mother on Growing Pains). You will truly be astounded as they run out of film and show you the same battle footage looped over and over again. Wear a diaper when you watch it. Its that good.

For the first time since I have become a DM (almost 11 years now) one of my PCs has taken the SCRYING spell. I see a lot of good possibilities and also a lot more chances that some PC curveballs will be thrown at yours truly. No problem, I am totally up for the challenge.

Just wondering what everyone's experience, both as a DM and a player, has been with the spell. At the moment the player (9th level bard) doesn't have the necessary material component - a large mirrror or reflective surface to cast the spell upon. I am planning on doing some good horror-related things once she starts using the spell, but this is seems like an opportunity to add all sorts of new elements to my game and I want some feedback/ideas from the "Lords of the Boards"

Fighting a swarm of insects?

My PCs are going to go up against a massive swarm of bees.

Stop laughing at me.

They dont have access to any big fire spells (or area effect spells of any kind) and sword and shields aren't going to be too effective against a swarm of insects. Are they?

I'm sure there must be rules out there for dealing with this type of encounter. How do you figure AC, HP, etc? Even with a certain number of HP, it seems pretty silly that they could somehow do enough physical damage with a sword, mace, arrow, etc. to disperse the threat.

Whats the buzz on this?

This thread probably exists somewhere already, but I couldn't find it. I've been constantly impressed by the opinions posted on these boards and by the vast knowledge of this online community. Perhaps this thread can help all of us "fixed income DMs" before we make a mistake and buy a supplement that isn't exactly worth its weight in electrum.

I dont own many supplements to the three core rulebooks, and I was surprised recently to see someone whose opinion I've grown to admire write good things about the DMG II.
My initial reaction to the DMG II was that it was just a cheap attempt by WoTC to take more money from me, but maybe I didn't look at it enough. Someone please tell me, is this supplement worth it?

Do Common NPCs get Feats as they level up or do Feats only go to adventuring types? I read a thread earlier where someone was talking about giving some Experts the Brew Potion feat because they liked the idea of having an apothecary who wasn't necessarily a spell caster. I think it was more of a house rule, but it made a lot of sense to me.

How do other people handle this?