Gamebook store

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Whatever the weather


As I write this the Met Office says that a hurricane is on its way to Britain and we can expect to bask in summery temperatures of 25° C. That the one might cause the other is quite strange enough, but it reminded me of the story of a computer left in charge of weather control satellites that gets infected with a virus and starts to do even more harm to the world's climate than a certain tiny-handed orange demagogue.


It's not what you're thinking. This is Geostorm, the directorial debut of the writer of -- oh, Independence Day and Godzilla. And starring Gerard "Spartahhhh" Butler. I guess you could stay home and play Heart of Ice instead...

22 comments:

  1. With the way he kept upping the ante of destruction, I kept expecting the next Roland Emmerich movie to start with the Earth floating in space and then suddenly exploding. At which point the words "Galaxy Boom-Boom Time" would appear as the title.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looking at the list of Emmerich's films on imdb, I just find myself asking: why?

      Delete
    2. My guess at Why? is "to redirect his inherent sadistic misanthropy into making buttloads of money off destruction porn."

      Delete
    3. I was thinking more along the lines of, "Why do they keep giving him money?" His films must make a profit, I guess, but some original films might make more. Still, in a world where Michael Bay keeps getting funded...

      Delete
    4. I don't know about watching them, but I'll bet being on the set of a Michael Bay movie would be an absolute blast. Literally. I imagine Bay and Emmerich being a bit like Steve Martin's title character in the movie, Bowfinger. Just sitting back, watching the movie and thinking, "Yeah, it's a piece of shit, but by God, that's MY piece of shit!"

      Delete
  2. And I was thinking it was an official Heart of Ice prequel, just like all those prequels to Down Among the Dead Men, and the spin-off to Twist of Fate with Robin Williams. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ssh, don't even mention the Dragon Warriors movie. Though, if ever there was a genuine DW movie it'd be this one:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death_(film)

      Delete
    2. Dave - HBO will be looking for a new project now that GOT is coming to an end. Why not a Dragon Warriors TV show ? Legend becomes the new Westeros. No scripts of course - each week it is entirely ad- libbed ;)

      Delete
    3. Just as long as they don't do the Belgariad, John. Although ad-libbed even that might be worth a look...

      Delete
    4. Knowing the way HBO operate, it is likely that the subtitle of a Belgariad series would be ‘Soft Pawn of Prophecy’ ...

      Delete
    5. I see what you did there.

      Delete
    6. Apologies for the pun - and for drifting off topic like a weather satellite that’s out of control ...

      Delete
    7. Now, John, when have you known me to object to a pun? Just keep doin' what you're Du-En.

      Delete
    8. Will do ! Just thinking I missed a trick in my last comment by not writing "drifting off tropic"? Anyway, must get back to my pitch to the BBC for an ad-libbed costume drama ;)

      Delete
    9. In the whole universe of magic that is word-craft, puns are mere hedge- wizardry I know, but I do enjoy 'em.

      Delete
  3. Is that a recommendation of Black Death (film), Dave? That passed me by first time around.

    On a very peripherally related reference to Heart Of Ice, have you watched Blade Runner 2049 yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm in a quandary, Andy. My wife insists that I'm not to see it until I have first seen it with her -- but it's almost impossible to schedule a cinema trip that suits us both. This will be a test of love. Or else of my subterfuge skills...

      Black Death is definitely worth a look. It has a nicely grim vibe that's quite different from the sanitised Middle Ages of most movies.

      Delete
  4. Best dust off that Ninjutsu manual then. Or just beg for forgiveness rather than seek permission!

    A spate of sequels to my favourite films have come out over the last few years. None of them bad, just not a patch on the originals. Blade Runner is the first that at least gets in the vicinity of the ball park, in my opinion. Having said that, I watched the original version (with voice over) for the first time a few weeks back to get me in the mood. What on earth were they thinking?!

    Will give Black Death a go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll bet I get back from 2049 with an urge to watch the original again. Must be the twentieth or thirtieth time by now.

      Delete
  5. You almost got War and Peace in response, but the log out button is very close to scroll down and I inadvertently logged out and cleared it! Probably for the best! The Director's Cut is a masterpiece (my jaw is still slightly ajar and the Vangelis soundtrack still gets regular airplay). 2049 isn't (too long, visually reliant and could have done without the last minute), but it's still the best film I've seen for a long time. I'm very interested what you think? When you successfully manage to creep out of the window that is!

    Did Heart Of Ice "tip the hat" to it by the way? Or do I read too much into these things?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heart of Ice most definitely has a tip of the hat to Blade Runner, oh yes. As has my Frankenstein app, along with other things I've written over the years.

      "Could have done without the last minute..." Now I'm really going to have to see it.

      Delete
  6. You won't find it anywhere near as jarring as the last minute of the original original I hasten to add, but then who does?!

    ReplyDelete