No one is mentioning the epic BBC series 'Troy: Fall of a City' so I presume it is a bummer, hyped to the ends of the earth, just like SS-GB but failing to scratch the itch. I have enjoyed the story of Troy since I was a child and every time I read the book I scream out 'leave the horse outside' but no one takes any notice, my Troy is not the Dendra armour wearing bronze warriors of history but the typical heroic Greek warriors with muscled cuirass, hoplon shields and cool helmets with long crests. So to that end I am not bothered that the actors do not conform to what people wore in 1200BC and flounce about in pieces of leather, but I do want to enjoy watching the story this time rather than read it. I cannot however give any comments on the programme as I have not brought myself to actually watch it yet, have I already condemned it or am I happy with the Troy in my head.
I have just completed binge watching 'Ozark', on Netflix, a gem of a programme I flipped past countless times as it just didn't appeal, however, stuck with nothing to make a noise in the background as I painted yet another phalanx I tried it out. It is superb, it is not very often a programme has me gasping or shaking my head in disbelief as the plot turns on a sixpence but this worked for me. Don't miss it.
I also went back to McMafia from the Beeb but as the credits rolled on the last episode I was just a tad relieved, I then went for 'Collateral' a Party Political Broadcast for the Liberal Left disguised as a police drama. Everyone in charge is female, immigrants good, Establishment bad etc. I also tried 'Julius Caesar' with Mary Beard, complete with crazy hair, yellow raincoat (not raining) and brand new rainbow trainers, but god awful history. What am I actually paying my licence for?
Anyway the good news is that my mate Kevin has given our club about a dozen boardgames, free gratis, I may have mentioned this, they are in the car and being delivered tonight. He also very kindly gave me an updated copy of 'Duel in the Dark' which is a game about the bomber offensive against Germany in WWII, it also came with nine supplements and he also threw in a spin off called 'Baby Blitz' the bombing of Britain later in the war.
This morning I ordered up some mercenary peltasts and my main general for the Seleucids, this gives me quite a large army to play with now, so still to go are the Companion cavalry and some cataphracts, I am swithering on whether to add a bunch of Thracian peltasts, with the addition of these troops I am done. Apart that is from painting up some of the spare figures to enable the phalanxes to increase in size along with the supports.
For the rest of the year I have no big plans, a rebasing of all my skirmish figures on to 25mm bases as opposed to the 20mm bases, this way the sit on hills etc. much better. Then it is on to some terrain pieces and enhancing some of the buildings I already have, both WWII and Dead Man's Hand. In three weeks I am off to Bristol for a weekend, weather permitting, of War and Conquest hosted by Rob Broom, I am taking two Roman armies, Legio XII and the Patricians, really looking forward to this if not the driving.
I watched the first episode of Troy and was less than impressed. Achilles and half the Gods are of a non-Greek ethnic persuasion (it is the BBC) but quite a high (male and and female) nipple count as it's a co-production with Netflix. Not much happened and what did was very slow - not sure how they're going to squeeze 10 years into the next 7 (?) episodes. Not sure of I'll bother with the rest.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is meant to last ten years like Terry and June or the equally awful My Family.
DeleteNot watched Troy yet but am recording it, and Collateral too, for my post op viewing. I also picked up the DVDs of the BBC Borgias series for ideas for our Italian Wars gaming later in the year.
ReplyDeleteThey will certainly numb you.
DeleteI haven't seen Troy yet...not convinced by the trailers I've seen though. I did really enjoy McMafia: I know some people found it a bit slow but I actually thought this added to the build up of tension.
ReplyDeleteI might manage Troy this week but it’s not looking good
DeleteUnfortunately, I 've avoided Auntie (despite somehow still paying my fee...) since the Royal debacle that was 'The Tudors'. I'm ever so glad that I missed the recent 'James I' revisionist thing, as I understand it was drama without context designed to annoy...yet history always has context - something which the Beeb conveniently likes to forget and just convince us that they know best. Their version of the musketeers for instance...don't even start me... At least their version of Arthurian mythology stuck to the path - oh no, wait...
ReplyDeleteGawd 'elp us all if they ever remake Lord of the Rings or something. It'll be an immigration crisis in the shire , and the orcs are simply misunderstood, and the real evil types are those damned Tory Elves.
I actually liked The Tudors, maybe because I don’t like the Tudors. Makes sense to me.
DeleteI watched the first episode but there was some truly awful acting, So far neither it, the costumes, the sets (although long shots of Greek cities were done well) or the music were a patch even on the Hallmark miniseries of a view years ago. Certainly Helen would have done well to have launched a few rowing boats let alone a fleet of a thousand ships. I agree about the fascination of the story, though but perhaps it is one of those legends that is so personal that each person's mental version can never be lived up to. I will watch the second episode tonight but need some olives and red wine with it!
ReplyDeleteNot up to a miniseries, doesn't sound good. I suppose I have to watch at least one so that I can add my tuppence worth if I ever hear anyone discussing it. Perhaps you will need to drink a 'wine dark sea' with those olives to enhance the enjoyment.
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