I read through them all in my early teens, and when I went through them again a few years later, having by that time read Gormenghast and LOTR, there were so many references I realised I’d missed first time around! (Granny finding her way into the dwarf city in the mountain is my favourite. “Open up you little sods!”)

In trying to discover which book it’s from, I have instead stumbled upon another quote that I had forgotten about. Lancre castle is described as “having been designed by an architect who’d heard about Ghormenghast, but had done the best he can despite having neither the budget nor the space”.

Seeing an Earl as an owl on a mantelpiece, and having part of one’s face removed by a cat, both on the same morning, can temporarily undermine the self-control of any man.

I never said which character, what subplot or at what point of the story. Have fun speculating. ;-)

Neil is, of course, alive with ideas and projects.

It is when you consider that you’re being drawn in by the headline. If you’re largely unfamiliar with Civ like I am, how do you know what constitutes a “Space Race Victory”? The launch? Reaching space? Why would it take hundreds of years to reach space after successful launch? This is complicated further by the…

Based on my experiences, a lot of this information is going to be wrong. Just because someone put it in an Ancestry.com family tree, doesn’t mean there’s any truth behind it.

I readily admit ignorance of how CG artists do their craft, but I don’t understand why they need to build an entire A-Wing if the whole thing is going to be replaced by CG. I mean, I understand the general benefit of using models for lighting reference, but why not composite the physical element into the digital…

I am incredibly disappointed in the lack of puffin -> porg CG in this video

Yo, what are you talking about? She makes it all the way up to the blue line five out of six times, doesn’t fall down, SKIS BACKWARDS, and doesn’t degrade herself or her country with showboating theatrics. Just good, clean skiing. Give this woman the Gold medal for efficiency and self respect.

She really did Czech herself, but not wreck herself.

So part of the production process involves playing with Star Wars toys and acting out the scenes you’ve written, Dark Helmet style. I fucking knew it.

The incongruousness makes it great though. In order to accurately shoot the very small targets, you have to control your heartbeat and breathing, which is extremely difficult because you’re winded after...you know...freaking cross country skiing for a bit. 

Have you seen a C-130? Have you seen one in flight? They are the workhorse of the USAF, and yet most people have never seen them....the Falcon is part hot rod (‘38 Packard, natch) and part DC-3.... neither of which are very common anymore, but you notice when you see one.

Maybe it’s not really brand new, but it already has some mileage on it. (Possibly. I’m just assuming at this point since I haven’t seen the movie).

I’m greatful that Chris was such a good Doctor and was one of the reasons we’re still talking about the show 10 years on instead of being a one-season wonder, but a part of me is pissed as fuck at him.

I always assumed that “Waterworld” was the result of someone going “What if we made ‘Mad Max’ ... but instead of setting it in a desert where there’s no water, we make it a desert where there’s only water?”

When my grandson comes home from school, I usually greet him with, “Hey, buddy. How you doing? Did you learn anything interesting today?” But he’s 5 and so everything at school is still interesting to him, and he’s glad somebody wants to know. I know it’ll pass but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

Seconded. I thought her work on Mad Men was sublime.

I mean, Disney got Ron Howard to finish up the Solo movie, so I think they’ve got the “experienced” part down.