Category: thoughts

Age of Heroes

Inspired by the true story of ‘James Bond’ author Sir Ian Fleming’s creation of one of most important elite units in the history of the British Armed Forces, this spectacular World War II action-thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. An inspiration to the modern day SAS, 30 Commando was a new breed of special operations taskforce created to carry out some of the most dangerous missions in the Second World War. Starring Sean Bean (Lord Of The Rings, Black Death) and Danny Dyer (The Business, The Football Factory), together again for the first time since Nick Love’s The Outlaw, Age of Heroes follows the unique circumstances behind 30 Commando’s inception and the unit’s first highly classified smash-and-grab mission into occupied Norway, to capture vital radar technology that will change the course of the war. But when their escape route is uncovered, the commandos find themselves in a pitched battle to reach the border against vicious Nazi General Dietl (Christian Rubeck) and his deadly 5th Alpine Division.

I recently rented this movie from iTunes (for just 99p) and really quite enjoyed it. It’s no Saving Private Ryan but it did remind of Where Eagles Dare and The Heroes of Telemark.

I thought it was well filmed and there is some fantastic scenery. The action sequences are pretty good and I like the period feel.

Of course any film with Sean Bean…


…is always worth watching.

Watch Age of Heroes on Amazon Video.

 

Death Rally

In the dark and distant past I use to play Car Wars and also enjoyed the odd game of GW’s Battlecars. I even flirted with Dark Future for a while. I keep meaning to revist this genre, probably Car Wars which was a fun game.

However in the meantime I have been playing the odd game of Death Rally on my iPad.

It’s a great little racing game, but with guns and missiles, very much the flavour of Car Wars.

Jericho

Jericho is a drama about what happens when a nuclear mushroom cloud suddenly appears on the horizon, plunging the residents of a small, peaceful Kansas town into chaos, leaving them completely isolated and wondering if they’re the only Americans left alive. But in this time of crisis, as sensible people become paranoid, personal agendas take over and well-kept secrets threaten to be revealed, some people will find an inner strength they never knew they had and the most unlikely heroes will emerge.

I really liked Jericho the TV series and was very disappointed when they cancelled it after just one season. Was pleased when it was renewed for a second season.

At the end of season two the series started to get really interesting… and then the series was cancelled!

A third season was published as a comic, but though nice, it’s not just the same.

There were lots of great ideas that could be transferred to gaming scenarios from Jericho. From small skirmishes that wouldn’t seem out of place in the old west, to large scale modern tank battles.

The Matchbox and Airfix Influence

When I was young, before I started this wargaming lark, I use to make up plastic kits. In the main these were the pocket money kits I could buy from my local model shop and these were manufactured by Airfix and Matchbox. I recall preferring the Matchbox kits as they came with a piece of scenery.

As I paint more Flames of War models, and read the FoW sourcebooks, read books on World War Two, use the internet, I have started to realise how much my knowledge of World War Two vehicles and armour has been skewed by making those plastic kits all those years ago. They have also influenced what models I am buying and which ones I like.

So for example I am building an Early War French force for Flames of War. I am adamant that I have some Char B1 bis and the Renault FT-17. Less concerned about the Somau S-35 or the Hotchkiss tanks.

Similarily when looking for trucks for my German forces, who wants an Opel Blitz when you can have the Krupp Kfz 70 which is very similar to the Matchbox Krupp Kfz 69.

I think the only reason I have Cromwells in my Late War British force is that I had those thirty years ago in my 6mm Heroics and Ros World War Two force. Of course this year Airfix will be releasing a 1:76th scale Cromwell.

I recently bought a three pack of Dingo scout cars and I am sure that the Monty’s Caravan kit was a big influence on this purchase. Question, can I get a 15mm Monty’s Caravan?

Looking back over the old Matchbox and Airfix ranges you see some classic tanks and armoured vehicles and other military vehicles. It is these that I look at when buying new models for Flames of War.

Depth of Field

The simplest way to explain this, is depth of field is how much of the scene is in focus.

With a low f stop (or large aperture), something like f5.6 you will have a shorted depth of field (less in focus) than if you use a higher f stop (small aperture).

The aperture is how wide the lens opens for letting light in. A low f stop means a wide opening, a high f stop means a narrow opening.

Virtually all my photographs (digital excepted) are taken on the highest possible f stop setting (in other words the smallest aperture possible).

Depending on the lense you are using, this should be from f22 to f32.

As a result and depending on lighting this means very little light is getting through, therefore to compensate you need to leave the shutter open for longer.You are looking at a shutter speed of 2″ to 4″ (as in two to four seconds), therefore a tripod is essential.

This is a shot using an aperture of f 5.0 with a shutter speed of 1/6th of a second. Notice how blurred the rear and front Orks are.

f 5.0

This shot uses an aperture of f 32, but a six second shutter speed, notice how all the Orks are in focus.

f 32

More on photographing miniatures.

Foundation Paints

Yesterday Games Workshop released their new Foundation paints, a range of pigment heavy paints which reputedly are better at covering black undercoats then their usual paints.

Initially they are releasing the eighteen paint range as a boxed set, with individual paints been available later.

I did manage to get a box yesterday, the Games Workshop in Cribbs Causeway had something like sixty boxes, but most of them were reserved. I bought one of the few remaining boxes that weren’t reserved.

I have not used them yet, but the jars are smaller than the standard citadel colour jars.

It will be interesting to try them out.

Sharpe’s Challenge now available to pre-order on DVD

An India based Sharpe mini-series on ITV in April and on DVD in May…

Sharpe is back on the telly in an all-new mini-series based in India.

You can now pre-order the DVD or Blu Ray which will be released on the 1st May.

Sharpe’s Challenge will be on ITV on the 23rd and 24th April and BBC Worldwide will be showing it in other parts of the world.

Plot

Sean Bean is back as the swashbuckling hero in Sharpe’s Challenge, an action packed mini-series to be shot on location in Rajasthan, India. Two years after the Duke of Wellington crushes Napoleon at Waterloo, dispatches from India tell of a local Maharaja, Khande Rao, who is threatening British interests there. Wellington sends Sharpe to investigate on what turns out to be his most dangerous mission to date. When a beautiful general’s daughter is kidnapped by the Indian warlord, the tension mounts, leaving Sharpe no option but to pursue the enemy right into its deadly lair. Deep in the heart of enemy territory he also has to keep at bay the beautiful but scheming Regent, Madhuvanthi, who is out to seduce him. The fate of an Empire and the life of a General’s daughter lie in one man’s hands….

The Truth is Out There

I am re-watching first season of the X-Files…

I am currently enjoyed (again) the first few episode of season one of the X-Files. I remember the first time I watched it and thought then as I do now that the X-Files was a very influential piece of television.

The first season (as with most first seasons) lacked the charm and sosphistication of later seasons, but the first few episodes have all the elements that made the X-Files the success it came to be.

I enjoyed Deep Throat (episode 2) and the pilot, whereas Squeeze still makes me squirm a little.

If you have the chance do watch it again.