Contract Fulfilment

Eeek! Not even an hour to go until November and I've not put up a single post for the month mankind knows as "Pre-Halloween"!

This is partially my fault, for not having finished an IDFC post this month until about seven minutes ago. Plus, also, it's entirely my fault because this is my blog. IF YOU WANT TO GET PICKY.

I had planned to show you the Ultramarine Terminators I'd finished painting recently, AKA the best miniatures I've ever done that aren't from a standalone box. But I can't even do that, because I'm trapped for Halloween night in a 14th century mansion, that the owner insisted wasn't haunted even though I'd only asked for a second pot of coffee with my breakfast.

So, join me in an embarassingly obvious exercise in filler with DUN DUN DUUN: One sentence reviews of this year's Halloweenapalooza films. Usually I'm too busy making cocktails and enjoying having friends to really concentrate on the movies I'm playing for the Halloween season. This year though the universe was kind enough to leave me no distraction beyond the cascading tears of loneliness. SO:

Sputnik (2020): This film's biggest weakness is also its greatest strength, in that it manages to be fun and interesting and moderately clever and occasionally unnerving without ever truly engaging with the politics of its USSR setting.

Les Diaboliques (1955): The sort of film that everyone copies afterwards because it's so smart, which means we've seen it all before; though that only matters if you prioritise being surprised over literally every single fucking thing that cinema has to offer.

Vampires Vs The Bronx (2020): Starts from the astonishingly smart conceit of linking vampirism to gentrification, and never lets up on delivering social commentary that's also hilarious.

Infinite Diversity, Finite Combinations 4.1

 Let's talk about 1993, and the best sci-fi show to debut that year.

Friday 40K: Old Friends, Only Pointier

Some nice simple paint jobs this time, as I stick doggedly to the aesthetic and (as far as possible) shades of my painting attempts a quarter of a century ago. This time the 'stealers have longer pointy bits, though, because PROGRESS. Theres a couple of inplant weapons as well, becuase who doesn't like the idea of armour-piercing murder-tongues?

Not reall much more to say about these chitinous stablads, other than to note that they increase my battle-ready genestealters to a total of twenty-three, not including by Broodlord. That's a lot of close-combat dice, and I look forward to the end of our COVID nightmare, so I can reduce a few Space Wolves to steaming piles of mead-marinaded chum.

Now I've just got the Kill-Team box a friend bought me a year or two ago, and I'll have painted every Genestealer I own. Except the Space Hulk ones, obviously. I am but one man.

90s Undying

So this is happening, which is rather exciting. 

It was nice of them to create bespoke banners for each writer, so I can briefly fool people into thinking my involvement was any kind of draw. 

Still, I got some ludicrously positive feedback from the editor and proofreader about my essay, so if you've recently come into ludicrous wealth (it's $25 for the book and just as much for shipping to the UK), you might want to check it out.

Infinite Diversity, Finite Combinations 6.1.19

 An early, and terribly sad, farewell to Rene Auberjonois.

A Load Of Balls 2020

Time once again for my yearly failure to accurately predict the final score for the Crucible World Final. This year I'll go for O'Sullivan 18 - 13 Wilson. 

(Edit: Have now put my yearly tenner on my prediction. Turns out Betfred thinks this is the most likely result as well, so at least I'm in good company. Well, company of some kind, anyway.)

(Edit edit: GodDAMN it, Kyren.)

Friday 40K: To Guard A Tyrant

These sphere-esque leadbois have been finished for a while, but it took a while for me to get around to photographing them. I've had one Tyrant Guard for over a decade, but a rules change a few years back demanded chitinous cannon-fodder come in at least threes.

I think the eldest of the trio is on the far left as we look at them (the far left being the best place to be, of course), but I couldn't swear to it in court.