20 March 2014

Archived Podcasts Galore! (Including Christmas Special 2013)

Episode 31: 1987 - The Beginning Of The End (Of The 80s)


It all starts off a bit masculine in this week's episode, how could it otherwise in a year that brought us Predator, The Running Man and Robocop? Before long though the discussion takes a distinct turn for the feminine as it behooves the present 80s Kids (Leo, Ian and Sue) to consider the wealth of female-oriented entertainment 1987 spewed out in bulk. And so goes the story of yet another proud 80s year.

There is a twist in the tale, however, for 1987 is where we first begin to detect the insidious presence of the 90s. 1987's failures were echoes of the cinematic wasteland to come. In addition we see the fading of such standards as the kiddie cast genre action movie in the sub-par Monster Squad (which is still a lot of fun but nowhere near the high point of the genre). Films such as Robocop and Wall Street told us our love affair with corporate excess and the free market was approaching its end and if Robocop signalled anything it was that the divorce would be messy.

On the other side of the coin the indie film-makers were sniffing around and the first signs of the massive indie explosion of the 90s were felt in titles like Hellraiser and Bad Taste. The winds of change had started to blow, but the 80s party is still far from over. Cling onto your neon lit, synthesizer scored rite-of-passage party, midnight is coming...




Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/0311987TheBeginningOfTheEndOfThe80s/031-1987-The-Beginning-Of-The-End-Of-The-80s.mp3

Episode 32: Pre-Christmas Indulgences

It's the week before Christmas and the 80s Kids turn their minds to a most vexing topic. Films that they like that they are fully aware are hated by most of the rest of the world. Some choices have even caused divides within the group. This leaves the discussion to proceed along two paths.

One, what redeeming quality does someone find in something most people agree to be drivel, and why do people hate movie/tv series x quite so much? Topics as diverse as Star Trek Voyager, Lady In The Water, Aliens vs Predator, Resident Evil and the Underworld franchise are on the table for discussion. Nobody mention guilty pleasures!




Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/032PreChristmasIndulgences/032-Pre-Christmas-Indulgences.mp3

Episode 33: Lost Christmas Episode

The cast of the original 80s Kids cartoon show reunite for this special christmas episode. Find out the relevance of pink custard, particularly when contained in a blue earthenware jug; why you might not want to go out for milk when there are aliens about; what Fortnum and Mason started serving in 1886 (Real Trivia Fact!); and what happened to the *real* Ebenezer Scrooge in this crazy sci-fi adventure from the people who brought you loads of rambling discussion about 80s movies. Sound Effects and music from the following sources: http://www.freesfx.co.uk http://www.freesound.org and http://archive.org




Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/033EightiesKidsLostChristmasEpisode/033-Eighties-Kids-Lost-Christmas-Episode.mp3

Episode 34 - The Year of the Biscuit! Films of 2013 and 2014 - a look back and a look ahead


Emerging from the flaming wreckage that was 2013 come three striding silhouettes. Two of them somewhat portly. These are the 80's Kids and during the somewhat lengthy inquest that follows the trio reflect on the films of the year just gone.

For all his talk about Iron Man 3 Leo still clutches his Thor 2 hammer most fondly, Ian still clings to his battle worn Jaeger as it sinks below the surface of the top 10 grossing films of the year and Justin wishes he really hadn't listened to all the nay sayers and had actually gone to see “Oz the Great and Powerful" instead of "Star Trek Into Darkness". But with their mourning for 2013 over with the 'Revengeful Three' look ahead to 2014.

Leo ruminates on coming Marvel Films, Justin wonders what's with all the Bible films in the pipe line and Ian lays the foundations for the year of the baked savoury consumed best with tea or coffee. The Year of the Biscuit starts HERE!




Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/034YearOfTheBiscuitTheFilmsOf2013And2014ALookBackAndALookAhead/034-Year-of-the-Biscuit-The-films-of-2013-and-2014-a-look-back-and-a-look-ahead.mp3

12 March 2014

Yay! Social Media Humiliation In The Sidebar

Because it would be silly not to I have added a Wattpad widget to my connect sidebar panel. It tells you how many wattpad points I currently don't have! Yay for javascript used to embarrass and humiliate.

11 March 2014

The Elias Anomaly


Well, I suppose it had to happen.

Maybe it didn't have to happen, in the strictest sense, but I threatened it enough on the podcast and what-have-you. So I present for your perusal and delight "The Elias Anomaly" on Wattpad. Blurb to follow.

Who is Joseph Elias? 
There wouldn't be much point asking Joseph. When he takes a trip down a glowing tunnel located behind a local department store he discovers not only that he is wrong about a great many things, but also that he has little idea about how to make things right. 
Dulcinea Fernandez thinks she's got Joseph's number, but how much can a Caretaker of Endoverse Inc's gigantic artificial reality theme park, AKA The Cluster, really be expected to know about anything? The answer, unsurprisingly, turns out to be 'not very much at all'. 
There are others who claim to know something about Joseph Elias, the Agent, and Simon Grace of the Department of Sub-Realities, for example. The problem there being their transparent motivations to fulfil darkly mysterious agandas, which essentially reduces their trustworthiness to zero. 
In the end it's up to Joseph and Dulcie to sort out the problems of Joseph's anomalous existence on a journey that will make you question the nature of reality and consciousness all the while not quite being able to get rainbows to render correctly.

This is, obviously, a development of the serial work I was doing last year, but I haven't tied myself to such a punishing schedule for this one. Don't expect weekly updates but I will be getting to the end as it's within view of my current place within the text.

I'm also interested in seeing how Wattpad works with regards to it being a sort of DeviantArt for writers. I am still yet to find anything on there that enthralls me enough to get past the first couple of chapters. I might hope that if you go and check out Elias I might have made that task, for you, just a little simpler.

4 March 2014

Normal? Service Will Be Resumed...

I live in Wales.

I still haven't racked up more than four days on the trot yet, the downstairs of my house is full of boxes and laundry (and boxes of laundry) and light on furniture, but the fact is inescapable. Not that there aren't signs of domesticity. I think that getting the bedroom into a decent state (or close to at least) has been essential. Also, while waiting for the arrival of the "Sofa of Destiny", we have furnished my little upstairs cubby hole, this serves as "Lounge (2)" for the time being.

So, hopefully my plans to return to the keyboard a bit more regularly in 2014 will soon be in a position to be realised. Right now I have to go to another keyboard where I shall continue to wrap my head around Microsoft MVC. Later, clearing space for the Sofa of Destiny.