The Patent Dragon's Zone of Soul Retraction

...GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is out on home release ON MONDAY????

Looks like I'm making a diversion to the nearest outlet on the way to work, then.

Also: new boots ordered. It's nearly Patent Saturday, so what better way to celebrate (apart from the now almost traditional get-away)...?

I'm still around, but I just went through a month that has eroded some of my enthusiasm. Minecraft troubles (now resolved pretty much), back pain (still an issue)... that kinda thing. So, what can I talk about today?

The big news would have to be that GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY has become the most successful film in the US this summer, and perhaps this year. If you include international box office, the latest Transformers comes out on top, but a month on, GUARDIANS is still packing them in - and quite right too!

Talking about the year's blockbusters, you have to mention that the home releases are starting to come out, most notably CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, which still looks awesome on a small, non-3D screen, and I imagine GODZILLA should be out by Christmas.

Last, but by no means least: the return of DOCTOR WHO, and the start of the Capaldi era. He's more Pertwee and Eccleston than Smith and Tennant, but that's no bad thing. Two episodes in, and both highly enjoyable, but we're waiting with bated breath for his defining episode...

Oh, and FOOTBALL SEASON is imminent!!!

Yesterday, at least two years of waiting came to an end - and blew any doubts about MARVEL Studios's ability to keep the Cinematic Universe going beyond The Avengers clean out of the water.

( WARNING! Spoilers ahead! )

The Final Verdict... A cosmic work of sheer GENIUS. Has to be seen to be believed - and you WILL believe a raccoon can cry. 9.5/10

*sighs* Not been such a great summer, with my back messing up, and all this Snoopers' Charter sh8 - and it's been so damn hot recently that I struggle to stay awake sometimes. It should therefore come as no surprise that blogging has taken a definite back seat of late - so, what's new(-ish)...?

ITEM! The current series of Star Trek Online videos on my channel continue to be the biggest draw of views I've had since the DaveChaos "tutorial". This probably means that the remaining "Stargazer" videos won't now appear, unless I receive more response to what's already been posted. It could be that the "market" is already saturated - or that I've completely misjudged my marketing methodology.

I'm thinking of posting a VLog at some point - with Tera Online as a backdrop. I have plans there...

ITEM! Saw Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes at the weekend. It was pretty damn good, but I struggle to find the time, or energy, to give it a full review. Probably good for a 8.25/10, with my only criticisms being:

1) Caesar looks too human (but Andy Serkis is still an absolute master of performance capture).
2) The humans seemed a bit lacking in "substance", their characters perhaps lacking in development, where the same couldn't be said for the lead apes.
3) Just stop with the 3D conversions where it simply ISN'T needed!

ITEM! I am all booked up for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Plans previous associated with this movie viewing have had to be shelved following my recent infirmities - but I may just do something along the planned lines for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON next year!

ITEM! Josh Brolin... James Brolin... who care so long as he rocks Thanos? We'll soon see...

Struggling to get into a blogging mood. Maybe I should try and do it at the start of the evening, INSTEAD of the end...

News, news, news... is there any? Oh yeah: we ARE getting Thanos in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (57 days to go), played, or at least voiced, by James Brolin - but how big a part that will be remains to be seen. In the meantime, there's one less big movie between then and now, as Jupiter Ascending slides from July to next February, apparently to allow more work on the SFX (probably some tinkering with 3D conversion (sighs)...?). It could be that the makers are afraid that the "not a franchise" tag is going to hurt their product, like it seems to have impacted on Edge Of Tomorrow (unfortunately).

Meanwhile, and this may be hard to believe, I appear to be finding my way back into Star Trek Online, at the cost of any serious involvement in Minecraft. Crazy...

THIS:



...and Happy Birthday to Benicio (The Collector) del Toro. What a way to celebrate - with the first full trailer for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Marvel Studios have done it AGAIN.

If I could book an IMAX seat now, I would. Karen Gillan makes a splendid Nebula, Rocket looks great, Starlord just nails the funny stuff... shame about Gamora's outfit, but hey, it's not a game-breaker...

What to do, what to do...?

Well, there's...

- all that email business I've been deftly avoiding all the last week and a half, for a start. Better get that seen to tomorrow (without fail!).

- and I have *gasp* been writing lately, so maybe a write-up session would be a good idea!

In the meantime, my hopes are taking a pounding concerning getting Minecraft "modded up" again. Oh, there's something REALLY sweet with which I could re-ignite ...Stargazer Season 2, but I just can't get the mod-handling "framework" to run... and that's with a new version of the game heading our way. *sighs* Typical.

And finally... 27th September: the day we get THE FIRST EPISODE OF AGENTS OF SHIELD. Niiiice.

Yup, still sharing a room with a stack of windows, but that's okay. Their presence means we're on the (ahem) home stretch at last. I just hope this last stage won't take ages to complete, like the rest...

In Tonight's OTHER Headline... Yeeeeaaaah! Tomorrow's a day off, and I'm heading out of town for an Opening Day "quality experience" of IRON MAN 3. Yes, Blockbuster Season starts tomorrow, with Star Trek Into Darkness to follow VERY shortly after!

Meanwhile... The Internet has barely avoided a second Big Bang. Briefly this morning and afternoon, Yogscast heroes Lewis and Simon found themselves apparently BANNED by YouTube - but all was set right by the time I got home. Please, interwebs, DON'T make a habit of such things... I would be VERY disappointed.

Rock on, shitlords. ;-)

Also Meanwhile... More videos are in production as I write. I really need to keep as much space clear as possible, and that means putting together videos as soon as I've finished recording them. Pity I have like three weeks' worth to do...

Huh. Trust the local cinema to make things difficult. Blockbuster Season is due to kick off next week with IRON MAN 3... but there are NO Screen 1 showings on opening day. Wonderful. Guess I may just have to head out of town on Thursday, then... and take a day off.

Could probably do with that, now that I think of it. Struggling to recall whether I've actually been out of town at all THIS YEAR.

Just thinking that any attempts to disrupt Maggie Thatcher's funeral this time next week would not go down so well. If anything, it would show that the "socialists" have no respect for the dead, and their families. Go on and have a street-party, losers, but go no further, 'cause I'm sure some police officers will have very clear instructions on dealing with perceived terrorist threats...

Just sayin'.

Meanwhile... Oh holy crap - on Friday we will be just TWO WEEKS from IRON MAN 3!