Excited to buy the Warhammer Helldivers Warbond and no doubt have to explain to HMRC in a future audit why I deemed it a 'work expense'.

There's a weirdly high number of articles asking 'why did the new Spider-Man film make so much money?' that come to the conclusion of 'Spider-Man is a popular fictional character.'

House of the Dragon definitely the most flawed show I've persisted with (it's entertaining). Every episode: - Rhaenyra making terrible leadership decisions - Two characters getting off for no reason out of nowhere - James Norton in bitter old queen overdrive - Time wasted in Harrenhal Great stuff.

I'm exhausted just thinking about trying to organise one of my 30 and 40-something bloke friend groups into playing a GOTY co-op game.

"Dear Andy Burnham. I do not believe the UK needs one place close to London called Maidenhead and another called Maidstone. Please eliminate one. I am not a crackpot."

I'm in the defusing bombs bit of MGS2 (aka half the game) for boring bastard Peter Stillman. This is a game of sad sacks taking 10 minutes to explain their motivations to you.

Filya Bratukhin:

Games From The Black Hole@gamesblackhole.bsky.social · 3d ago

Posting a Comic Cover I Love Michael Dooney

I like writing the newsletter for the podcast, but under no circumstances should you ever read it.

The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast@backpagepod.bsky.social · 3d ago

August podcast schedule! Read more about it in our free Patreon newsletter: www.patreon.com/backpagepod/...

Buying a Switch 2 is still the play. Any games console with a '3' at the start of its price is going to seem like a miracle in a year.

Watching William Friedkin's To Live and Die in LA. Very '80s, in a good way. Because I never watched CSI, seeing William Petersen in this and Manhunter is like discovering there was a top tier leading man who got abducted by aliens in the late '80s, and was never seen again.

The irony being, no one who will buy this actually plays any sports.

⚡Xe⚡@xeznaff.bsky.social · 6d ago

Taito will release an inflatable Blitzball from Final Fantasy X measuring approximately 30 cm as a prize item. The ball will arrive in Japanese arcades in late August 2026, with possible international availability later through retailers like Aitai Kuji. www.xeznaff.com/post/taito-p...

Hearing a bloke explain to a table of other blokes in real detail how IMAX films can't be longer than three hours for technical reasons. Is this what listening to my podcast is like?

He's right. But even if Feige made Blade, it would've been rubbish. It would've released in 2023 and got 68% on Rotten Tomatoes (following rave tweets from some influencers you've never heard of at the premiere). It would've had Kang in the post-credits and made $352 million on a $250 million budget

Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 5d ago

Mahershala Ali says he’s moved on from ‘Blade’ “I have moved on … I'm good … you had me under contract … if they wanted to do the movie, we would've done the movie. So we're not doing the movie … They didn't want to do it, so they should answer that question” (via GQ Magazine)

Nothing is more incriminating in my inbox than the volume of opened emails I have from the Popeye's chicken corporation.

Had a busy work day planned, but I see now that Ant and Dec have uploaded a comprehensive archive of SM:TV Live clips, including the Wonky Donkey segment where Dec has a meltdown. 🤌

New old Halo finished. It was fine. Competing with the Master Chief Collection, one of the best compilations of all time, is tough. I reckon the youngs who play this will be like, 'why did they make unironic Helldivers?'

Ah, reached the point in the day where the fan is simply blowing 32 degree air back at me.

Most of the art lift on Halo doesn't massive elevate it, to me, because I think the bones of the art direction were so well calibrated to the original Xbox. That said, the Keyes level looks especially lovely. Can't wait to see what his evil Flood head looks like.

I think I hate The Truth and Reconciliation level of Halo. Maybe I always hated it and was in denial (those invisible lads with the energy swords are pretty memorable though).

Unemployment life is so good man. Ate three cherry bakewells and played two hours of Metal Gear Solid 2 today.

ABSOLUTE KING OF THE HILL would be about Hank moving to Arlen after growing up in New York City

Wait until you hear Emily Wilson's takedown of Avengers: Doomsday.

if you liked Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey it's because you're an unsophisticated rube with no appreciation for the classics. if you disliked Chris Nolan's The Odyssey it's because you are a snobbish bore who thinks they're too cool to enjoy a thrilling evening at The Movies

Day one of unemployment, two naps. It's everything I dreamed it could be.

I genuinely thought they were going to stretch Alicent being stuck in a dark hallway for three whole episodes of House of the Dragon. Relieved, honestly.

Attempt number three to finally crack this one.

Station Eleven is probably the defining bit of COVID media for me. I watched episode one with a friend who went 'fuck this!' about three months after the last lockdown ended.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2w ago

TV tonight: the great pandemic drama you might have missed

Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller July 25,1958

Damn, I should lose my job more often. It's like attending your own funeral (positive).