The Return of Luc Besson?

From First Showing .net comes the story that Luc Besson has returned to directing!

The project he chose is one called Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec, or Adele Blanc-Sec for short, based on a series of French comic books from the 1970s. Apparently he's already finished shooting and is in post-production on the project, aiming for a release in France next April. It's described as a "a little bit Indiana Jones, a little bit Tintin and a little bit Hellboy" and thankfully SlashFilm has discovered the first few new photos from it.

In the late 1980's and early 1990's. I only had two favourite directors. Ridley Scott and Luc Besson. Besson fell from grace with 'The Messenger', and I hope this news is good news and not a George Lucasstyle ascent into the dizzy heights of big budge mediocrity.

It sounds good (except possibly that bit about Hellboy)

...but almost too good to be true.

Devil in a blue dress

By Walter Mosley

Having seen the film, heard the BBC radio adaptation, and having come across ample praise for this novel, I was under the impression that it was a really good work of classic crime fiction. But it isn't. The story is just enough to qualify as 'noir', but its short, sketchy and written in a simple handed manner that struck me as being almost childish. Perhaps I'm missing the point some where but given how often the main character diverts the story to talk about race issues, I can't but help think that its the race issues that have garnered so much attention and the people raving about this book have not paid all that much attention to the actual story.

If your interested in race issues, then this book is certainly interesting, and you might argue that its impossible tell the story of an African American detective in the 1950's without taking the race aspect into account. Personally I found it a bit much, not least how often Mosley brought up Easy Rawlin's experiences killing 'white German boys' in the Second World War juxtaposed against Rawlin's hard times with white Americans, something glossed over in the film adaptation starring Denzel Washington, but I guess is all a part of what it was to be an African American ex-GI in those times. It certainly lends the story a facet which you won't find much of with Marlowe or Hammer.

Although slightly disapointed in the length of the story and its lack of complexity, I did like the characters, their interactions and how they were described. There was also some sex, which is something else you don't find in the older noir books, and I personally like to read about sex because as often as not, its an important aspect of how two people relate to each other. Sex makes a story just that much more engaging.

MFMM001

The first of a new category of posts, tributes to moifs favourite movie moments, starts with my oldest favourite scene, and probably one of the best opening scenes in any movie, ever.

Reasoning; Because the scene is made in a way that leaves no doubt as to the setting of the story. You instantly get a feel for what is going on, and the feeling you get is immense power and unstoppable authority. Furthermore, the soundscape begins with a subtle evocation of mystery, then quickens to a majestic maelstrom of violence with howls, explosions, then a Wagnerian march which cements the whole thing in place.

I first saw this when I was ten, and by the time those huge engines had thundered past the camera, I was hypnotized. No matter how bad George Lucas became, that moment will forever secure his place in moifs temple of excellent cinema.

Models

This is the index of all my previous posts relating to models.

Inn 2 3
Cthulhu House 2 3
Village store 2
Chandlery
Iron age village
Ruins
Ship models 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (see also the ship index)
General modeling post 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Latex casting
Models for -ROCKETMAN- 2
(See also the -ROCKETMAN- index, blog & Terragenesis gallery)
Bolshevik Black Guards 2
Olga's Chinese bandits
Schattentruppen
Rocketman characters
Rolls Royce armoured cars
The Indy Tank
FT-17
Heinkel HE51
Armoured Train
Le Mollusc 2 3 4
Destroyer model; Şahin
Triffids
Giant 2 3
Baggage elements 2
Models for Takshendal 2 3 4 (see also the Takshendal blog)
The Battle of Gripen
Turcopoles
Saxons
Order Teutonica (See also Die Schwartzekreutz Bruderschafft blog)

Currently listening to...

Vivaldi's concerto i D minor*.

I've been some what under the weather in the last week or so. I had hoped this would give me lots of spare time to do models, but alas, no. Half the time I've been utterly knackered and falling asleep on the sofa, and the rest of the time I've had Freja hanging from my arms, legs, T shirt and face, unable to tell her to stop as I lost my voice on thursday night and it only started to come back today.

Tonight, as I put Freja to bed, she started telling me she was afraid of the cloud monsters (she can see the clouds from her bed if she pulls the curtains aside). I told her those weren't monsters she could see, but in fact it was Father Christmas's airship hiding behind the clouds, as he goes about his way collecting gft wishes from good children and picking up finished presents from the secret factories where the gnomes and the nisser** make them.

Freja believes in Father Christmas in the way only a four year old can, so she immediately began to peer at the clouds intently asking where the airship was. I told he she couldn't see it because it was hidden behind the clouds.
"Oh yes I can!" she countered, "because I've got brown eyes".
I couldn't argue with that, so I looked out the window and told her, Santa must have flown past us by now. Freja looked dubious, but at least she'd stopped stressing about cloud monsters.

*In case your wondering, the inverted art in the video is by Egon Schiele.
** Nisser are Danish pixies who come out in December and play tricks on humans, and generally make Christmas happen, that is to say, they make Jul happen. Christmas being a religious ceremony for Christians.

Ships

This is the index of all my previous posts relating to ships.

Models and games (see also the models index)
moifs Nao model 2
Olegs galley model 2 3 4
General ship modelling posts 2 3 4 5
DBA Naval games 2
The Battle of Port Royale
The Battle of La Coruna 2
Captain Redbeard
Al Haqb
Takshendal 1.0: Attack of the Pirate Horde 2
Le Mollusc 2 3 4
Destroyer: Şahin

Historical
Historical ship types
Xebecs
Venetian galley
The Battle of Lepanto 2
The Battle of Damme
Baltic Cog Combat
Havhingsten 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
The Second Battle of Copenhagen
Ground effect vehicles
City class Ironclads
The Battle of Midway in colour

Entertainment
Master and Commander (novel)
Post Captain (novel)
1492 (film)
Das Boot (film)
U Boat Ace: The story of Wolfgang Lüth (book)
The Nautical Chart (novel)
Yamoto (film)
Treasure Island (novel)
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Mans Chest (film)
Captain Kidd, The Scarlet Pirate & Long John Silver (films)
Elizabeth; The Golden Age (film)
Master and Commander: The Far side of the World (film)
Captain Blood (novel)
Admiral (ships)

Destroyer!

I have a mind to build a card model of a destroyer in 28mm scale, for a planned Rocketman campaign I expect to run some time in late 2010. She shall be called Şahin, built in Italy just before World War One, on behalf of the Ottoman empire, and to the design of an eccentric Ottoman admiral. Currently the hull is planned to be 120 x 18 cm. Subsequently I am researching destroyers and similar vessels trying to find inspiration for a ship which didn't exist but which might have; a destroyer but with the sponsons usually associated with heavier ships.

HMS Laforey. 1913. Length:82m .

USS Patterson. 1910. Length:90m.

USS Lamson. 1910. Length:90m.

Krasnoye Znamya. 1894. Length:72.26m

HMS Cumberland. 1902. Length:141m.

...meanwhile, in the world of moifs

Mette and I passed by the big chemist on Stortorv on friday, and we both weighed ourselves on the scales there. Curiously neither of us appear to have lost any weight what so ever, though taking clothes into account, we probably have. The last time I weighed myself was 21st Sept, at which point I was 96.5kg in t shirt and jeans.

On friday, with full outdoor gear on, I was 95.2kg, so probably about 94kg, which is an approximate average loss of 40 grammes per day. I have no way of knowing how accurate the scales in the chemist are, or how accurate the scales at my doctors, which I had used previously, are. I don't weigh myself very often as I think weight is not the best way to measure progress.

According to this site;

Muscle density is 1.06 g/ml and fat density is
(about) 0.9 g/ml. Thus, one liter of muscle would
weight 1.06 kg and one liter of fat would weight
0.9 kg. In other words, muscle is about 18% denses
than fat.

I take this to mean that if I've lost 2 kg due to my diet, then I could have easily have gained a kilo or two due to cycling and training at the gym and I wouldn't know the difference. I have no way of measuring the exchange of muscle to fat process. The only thing I can take for granted is my dimishing waist and the fact that the 38 inch (waist) trousers I bought in the beginning of September are now too big for me, and make my bottom look like an elephants. I'm curious to see if I can find the same trousers again and see what I fit now. I bought a T shirt the other day and it was an XL instead of the previous XXL sizes I have grown accustomed to. Since more clothes are sold in XL sizes, suddenly, there are far more clothes at my disposal. I still wasn't able to find much I cared to wear, but it was pleasant to know that I could buy almost anything in the shop rather than just the pitiful few items available to fat men.

On Wednesay 18th, I was at the hospital for a routine check up. I'd been by the week previously and had a blood sample taken, so the results were already available. My blood test showed I was very healthy, but one thing stood out on the screen. One number was highlighted in red; my albumin registered at 5.0, which caused my doctor to remark that I was "apparently very well nourished". I told him I was on a diet, to which he replied I should be careful to drink plenty of water. Duly noted. I don't fancy dehydration.

The Shadow of the Wind

By Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Rekindling a back burning interest in Spanish literature, I bought and read this book after having seen it on display in a book shop on Stortorv. Its been such a long time since I bought a book from an actual book store that I decided to ignore the ridiculous price (120kr) and just take a chance based on the cover which seemed moody enough to offer something interesting within.

Having now read the book, I am in two minds about it. Having bought the book by chance, I never expected a great novel, so I'm not disapointed in that regard, but neither am I particularly impressed either. The story is fairly interesting, but it rests on so many coincidences that it becomes something of a farce. Having said that, it does entertain, isn't pretentious, and does offer some interesting characters along the way. The story is interesting, but fairly predictable and the ambience is melancholy with small peaks of danger and charm.

Apparently there is a prequel out but I think I'm done with this story now.

RM5.4 conclusion

The game table at the begining of the game

As Le Mollusc lay in the placid waters of the northern lagoon, five German combat divers approached her. Captain Wangai and a few of his men were keeping watch, but as the hours passed, their attention faded. Suddenly there was a muffled clang as Diver Nr 5 failed to get his grappeling hook attached quietly. Slowly he pulled himself up out of the water, but suddenly he realised there was some one on the ship peering over the side. It was a young Turk with wide eyes, and unsure what to do, Diver Nr 5 took a shot at the sentry with his silenced submachine gun. He missed, the bullets scattering wildly along the ships side, and then he dropped back into the sea. Captain Wangai peered over the side and saw the ring of disturbed water in the darkness.
"Alarm! Attack!" The young Turk cried out, and one by one the sleepy crew began to crew began to pour out onto the deck.

Far out in the darkness, Baron von Shöenberg and his men waited for a signal, the sound of gun fire perhaps, or a flare. But neither the sounds of alarm, nor the noise of the silenced weapon carried across the sea.

As the crew of the small freighter clustered about the super structure, they became aware that several divers had climbed onto the front of the ship and were attempting to turn the 75mm gun to face the bridge. They were immediatly met with a hail of gunfire as Captain Wangai looked on. The divers, under the commander of Hauptman Horst Steinhof soon found themselves pinned down and in an impossible position. Even loading the gun proved impossible as the amount of ammunition richocheting about their ears created a lethal killing zone around them. Eventually, a 75mm shell was dropped on its nose and began to hiss ominously so the three divers manning the gun paniked and jumped over board leaving Hauptman Steinhof by himself. Steinhof didn't have time to shout orders though because the hatch he was guarding suddenly opened and a fat Turk tried to emerge from within the ship.

Hauptmann Steinhof and his men attempt to seize the 75mm gun

All this gunfire had since alerted the lurking patrol boats and Kapitan Michael Lerner gave the order to attack. The patrol boat 'Hela' switched on her searchlight for a few seconds, just long enough to spot Le Mollusc and give the Heinkel a burst of gunfire from its main gun, a 20mm MG FF autocannon, firing high explosive rounds. The seaplane was destroyed but didn't catch fire, as Kapitan Lerner had hoped (his idea had been to illuminate the freighter with the burning aircraft).

Hela

Hauptman Steinhof, still fighting on the bow of Le Mollusc sent the fat Turk back down the hatch with a vicious chop to the back of his head, but even as the shame faced divers attempted to crawl back up the bows to help him, a mad Irishman wearing a fire helmet, greasy underpants and nothing else, climbed up the hatch clutching a fire axe! Hauptman Steinhof knocked him back down, but failed to kill him, and a few moments later the grinning Celt was back for a second try. This time, thanks to Diver Nr 3 having clamboured back to the bow, Hauptman Steinhof managed to make the first kill of the game and the Irish man went down for good (a post game die roll established his death).

THWACK!

Diver Nr 5 takes a pot shot at Captain Wangai

Whilst all these shenanigans were taking place, Hela was fast approaching, zig zagging to bring all her guns to bear, and spraying the rear of Le Mollusc with gun fire. The pirates weren't shy though, and returned fire with gusto. Alas, every one opened fire at extreme range so no one was doing any significant damage, though a lot of people spent their time suppressed.

Diver Nr 5 was still treading water, looking up at the ship he'd failed to climb aboard. He'd tried to climb aboard the Heinkel, but the 20mm gunfire from Hela had almost take his head off so he was left aiming his sub machine gun up at Captain Wangai* and naturally he took the shot, with a die roll of 1. Wangai noticed some one was firing at him, but didn't pay it much attention (thus passed my last decent opportunity to meet at least one victory criteria).

Time was running out and neither of the German boats was going to make it in time and when the sands ran out, we ended the game with an unsatisfatory victory for Le Mollusc and her crew. Curious to see whether they could make a dash for it, two of the divers on the bow started for the ships super-structure, only to be instantly cut down. At the same time, Ivan on the twin .50's took a tentative long range shot at the approaching dive boat and polished off a rifleman.

The game was unfortunately something of a failed attempt. The original idea had been to have a gunfight on board the ship, but what we end up with was two long range duels which took so long that we ran out of time, and as a consequence of the last few games I've come to the conclusion that narrative skirmish games can't function properly within the constraints imposed by our current system BAYONET.

Our solution will be to adapt the rules to this kind of game by increasing the length of time allocated to each round. Essentially what this means is that an unencumbered human running across good terrain will move twelve inches per round, instead of three. Oleg suggests automatic gun fire becomes more effective as a counter to the different time frame and I think this is probably a really good idea given that people will be moving much faster whilst the effective gunfire rate will be cut by a third. Its a compromise, but I can't see how else this type of game can function if each round only represents one second in game time.

Chapter Five will continue to use BAYONET, but after Christmas, RM6 will be played using BAYONET+. Oleg also has plans on putting all of our various rule systems online sometime next year, so any one curious will be able to see how the system works.

* Silenced sub machine guns were available in 1936, but I'm less sure about submachines which would function when fired from the sea... it is a historical ambiguity, I'll admit, but hardly a sticking point in a game like Rocketman.

Captain Wangai on the bridge

Edith Flavien

Le Mollusc returns fire against Hela

The dive boat, shown here prior to the game beginning, never even made it into the fight

.

Rune Westy Zacharias Nielsen

Rune Westy Zacharias Nielsen died last night of wounds he received in Afghanistan on 31st October. He was 22 years old.

This time last year I noted with indigantion that compensation and support for the families of service people killed in action has been less than I would expect. To date, I have not seen any report to indicate any improvement what so ever.

Rune Westy Zacharias Nielsen died when the country was going to the polls for local elections, consequently his death and the effect it will have on his family, went almost unnoticed.