Ryusoulger Episodes 14-18 Review

For all you faithful readers of Sentai material it's quite obvious this recap is overdue. The truth is I haven't been feeling a connection with this current series thus far with the decent impression it made in the first few episodes fading quickly. For a while I wasn't even sure whether I'd bother to finish covering the season or just switch to other Tokusatsu coverage. Since our last look at Ryusoulger something has happened, the show is still stumbling in different areas but has made some excellent strides that make it seem as if it's finally become worthy of our time and effort. This is largely thanks to the introduction of the sixth hero. That's not to say he's anything special, he actually suffers from the same characterization issues as his new friends, but the thematic elements that he brings forth and reinforces have helped the serious tremendously. Let's dive in and talk about what's been going on.

Story:

The first episode to feature our new hero really wasn't all that good though it at least outlined his personal mission and brought in yet another new villain. Canalo of the Ryusoul water tribe has come up to dry land in order to search for a bride. He's caught in the act of flirting by Ui who alerts the rest of the team to the arrival of a new fighter. Meanwhile a new Druidon general named Gachireus has come to Earth in order to impose his own will over Wyzul and Kreon, the former of which walks out leaving the latter to suffer under his new commander. Outside of that this is a fairly basic installment with a monster that needs to be put down and the new guy being unwilling to help for unknown reasons.

Fifteen is where thing begin to heat up first with the appearance of Canalo's sister, Oto who believes she should also check out what, and who, are available on the surface world. We learn the reasoning behind the water tribe being separate goes back to an old grudge from way back when the Druidons left Earth. A rift had formed within the Ryusoul tribe which resulted in war that finished when a portion of their society fled to live in the sea. Canalo and Oto have both been raised by Mosa Rex, a dinoknight who experienced this tragedy firsthand and still holds suspicions about landlubbers. This distrust reaches a boiling point when Druidon's kidnap Oto in order to make her brother fight against the Ryusoulgers. All of this drama is rather fittingly played out in a battle against a monster that can attract and repel people using magnetism.

Episode sixteen continues the rocky road to friendship when the team must face off against Gachireus while Mosa Rex refuses to offer aid. There's a much higher emphases on action here with the character moments mostly relegated to Canalo learning to trust his new comrades while convincing his mentor to do the same.

While the previous three adventures had been building the quality of the series, it was seventeen that began a pair of adventures that have me convinced this series has gotten it's shit together. The set-up is simple enough with Canalo helping a young boy to photograph rainbows with the help of an attractive woman who is actually Wyzul in disguise. The villain uses the young lads wish as a means of capturing Mosa Rex and presumably hypnotizing the creature into submission. Not only does Canalo wish to rescue his mentor but he's encouraged all the more that the kid wants photos of rainbows for his sickly yet supposedly beautiful teacher. In a surprise turn Bamba makes an extra effort to help out in order to preserve the connection between mentor and student. In a crazy last minutes twist we learn that the boys teacher is actually very old and was Bamba's girl of choice fifty years ago. He brings her a rainbow seashell, a famous sign of affection for this area, and she comments that he resembles someone she once knew only he couldn't be the same as he doesn't look so lonely. We're gonna touch on this again.

In episode nineteen we return to the concept that Minusaurs can be spawned from objects. This time it stems from a wishing stone under the care of Canalo's newest love interest. Bamba tries to destroy the rock in order to end this quickly and preserve lives which creates a rift between him and Canalo. Worse still this act actually results in a duplicate monster with both feeding off of the wishes of humans to grow in power. All this activity results in a fantastic spread of the team in different duos handling specific portions of the battle before they naturally save the day.

Heroes:

Let's get straight to the point and talk about Canalo. So far he's not amazingly well-developed and the actor portraying him doesn't feel like he totally fits in just yet. That being said he represents the core values of the story better than most of the other heroes while having the benefit of his own unique goal to seek out. Personality wise he's a tacky romantic who cares about the environment. Thematically he's someone who is learning to overcome years of social brainwashing and seeks the ultimate connection with another soul. His showy romantic nature makes him a natural opposite to the practical Bamba which has already created a rivalry between the two. At the same time that dreamer element to his personality pairs up nicely with Koh. What I love about his goal of finding a bride is how it reminds me of older Sentai series like Dairanger where different heroes could have their own sub-story running throughout the series. These always helped to make the shows feel richer than the standard monster-of-the-week entertainment.

Speaking of Bamba; that unexpected scene in episode seventeen was brilliant and just the right level of melancholy. The show has already made a point of showcasing the heartbreak associated with Ryusoul tribe members long lifespan. Seeing this woman fondly remember her old love showcases the luggage these mystical folk carry yet at the same time we see a softer side of Bamba, including a smile at the realization of his growing circle of friends.

Finally that big battle in episode nineteen illustrates how this show is getting a much better grasp on these characters. The pairings got into unexpected territory with Melto and Towa taking on foot soldiers while Koh and Canalo dealt with the giant monsters. The most interesting duo was Bamba and Asuna, two powerhouse who run hot and cold, as they took on Wyzul who is pleased by how much the heroes dispise him. Hopefully the series remembers to play with character pairings in the future.

Villians:

The brief run of Gachireus was a bit odd. Obviously he wasn't a strongly-developed villain though his personality was fairly entertaining thanks to a cocky attitude that had him mistreating everyone. If anything his most lasting impact may be the damage he inflicted on Kreon, particularly when he attempted to kill the little guy who just reformed since he's made of slime.

Gaisorg sat out this stretch of episodes as did Wyzul for a few. Thank god he came back in full force when he did. Far too many recent Sentai villains have been lifeless so having one that is this fun and devious is a real treat. My expectations are that he'll be destroyed and replaced before too long with Kreon likely serving as the full series antagonist but for now I'm enjoying the ride.

Action:

Like everything else in this batch of adventures the fight scenes have seen a notable improvement. Choreography has gotten more involved with both the regular and suit performers pulling off some spiffy moves. The robots continue to impress more than past series. Of special note was the undersea battle against Gachireus with some wonderful camerawork and lighting effects. Canalo has brought in a visually appealing fighting style with a gun that doubles as a short chainsaw/sword. In earlier episodes I'd noticed some goofs such as visible knee-pads but the production team has really pulled it together here with the only lingering issue being the times when you can see goons flailing around in the background as they wait their turn to strike.

Overall:

I know it seems weird for me to be gushing so much about this show as I continue to note some of its continuing issues. The fact is this series has begin to feel very self-assured despite it's failings. For the sake of fairness I must point out how oddly sidelined and quiet both Towa and Ui are for most of these episodes. The latter bothers me more as here presence was a key factor in setting this series apart early on. Likewise with three girls now in this shows, albeit one only recurring and maybe a fourth if the PM ever returns, I'm still holding out hope for more than one to get some powers. If I wanted to watch a sausage-fest I'd tune into Kamen Rider. Even though it still lacks balance, and often fails to flesh out the world these characters live in, Ryusoulger is at last becoming a Sentai worth viewing thanks to little improvements in every department. Now I'm truly eager to see how things develop from here.

At last we're back on track with these recaps. More importantly the next one should be coming soon. We're finally past the lamest part of Summer and I've got a whole lot planned for months to come, so expect more updates than usual. Most likely I will make these recaps in more frequent smaller batches in order to keep from falling behind. You all have a good end of July.

Summer Adventures 2019

It's no secret that Summer is by far the least popular season on this site. That statement seems unbelievable on a wondrous night such as this but much of the past month has been an oppressive, bug-infested, sauna with very little to keep things interesting. As usual I found myself getting a big old case of the blahs which meant I needed an adventure, something to refresh mind and spirit. Thus a day trip was planned to hit some of the stranger outlying towns to visit antique and thrift stores, & maybe take in some local cuisine along the way. Last Wednesday I actually woke up at a semi-regular hour and set out in hopes of finding adventure and of course I wanted to chronicle the trip for you all.

One sadly unavoidable element to our journey was the heat. Michigan was at the time in the grip of almost primordial temperatures. We’re talking heat indexes in the triple digits with maxed out humidity. While I’m sure some poor soul in a desert could gatekeep in this situation, keep in mind that we are chilly northern folk, the sort who still crave ice cream when the needle dips below zero. Birds were reluctant to chirp, doors had swelled to the point of being difficult to open and close, clothing dragged the wearer down to the pavement. It was just damn hot. Still; adventure does not wait for perfect weather, especially when there's no end in sight. With grim determination we set out for our first destination.

The town of Nashville Michigan is a tiny, tiny place whose small scale is at least offset by the even smaller nearby pocket of Vermontville. The most notable detail of the town is the Mooville creamery which pumps out plentiful amounts of milk and, as expected for this state, ice cream. What brought us there were two antique stores located practically across the street from each other. We began with 66 Unique Antiques. At first I wasn't feeling the place with most of the vendors veering towards more decorative baubles that I have little space to accommodate. Thankfully more fun and meaty material began to appear further in. At first it was just the occasional bit of old stereo equipment or a bizarre wood carved picture of Camelot, then I hit the second level.

Seemingly all of my interests had been relegated to the upstairs, appearing at first on the stairway itself in the form of old soda advertisements for the likes of Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola. The upper level itself had all manner of funky treasures from old pop coolers and Halloween decorations to Alf party supplies and a still sealed box of Super Stars trading cards. Then I found what was easily my favorite vendor wedged in the back corner. Here was an absolute mecca of vinyl records, comic books, and my favorite failed media format, CED. Sitting in the front of a record box was something that was clearly 80's metal, better than that it was Japanese hair metal. No way was I gonna pass that up. This spot was absolute heaven and I could have stayed there forever if not for one unfortunate factor. Remember how hot it was that day? Well these antique stores weren't well equipped to handle the weather with a selection of fans and window units struggling to battle the overbearing heat. Despite being next to an open window this corner was a stagnate dead zone. The human body simply wasn't built to shop in such conditions. Still I escaped with my record, grabbed another item from a different vendor, and began making plans to return during a more temperate time of year.

We crossed the street and entered the local pharmacy in order to grab some water and man do I regret not nabbing a photo of the place. It was so humble it felt unreal. That done we moseyed down the road to our next stop, Boardroom Antiques. Inside we found a store that was a bit cleaner than the last and more strictly organized as I believe everything was under the same owner rather than a vendor system. Right after the entrance was a massive glass case of old toys and collectibles while taking a right turn brought us to items like jewelry and classic cameras. Once again it was a back corner that yelled the greatest surprise.

The reason this place is called Boardroom Antiques is because of this room where there walls are lined with classic tabletop games. There was some nice stuff here like the original version of Survive and Krull. These were a little pricier than I would like but there were a few decent deals mixed in as well. What truly thrilled me was the KB Toys sign hanging from the door that brought back a flood of lovely materialistic memories. It's definitely something I'd like to revisit with more pocket money. As for the rest of the store there were some very cool items ranging from an old police storage box and even some WWII items. Also failed to nab a picture of this enormous textured globe made for teaching blind students geography. Some really good items here and a neat atmosphere but you've gotta be prepared for a higher price.

Two stores down we commenced northward for Lake Odessa. Fun bit of trivia for you all, despite the name, the surrounding lakes are actually called Jordan and Tupper. This is yet another small town that is often passed by on the way to somewhere else. Not this day however as we headed to the heart of downtown. Hunger had settled in by this time which facilitated a stop at Penny's Five Star Pizza where we naturally ordered subs and burritos. Overall alright meal, nothing groundbreaking but it tasted decent and settled well-enough. After eating we had only a few minutes to check out 2 Sisters Antiques which didn't seem to have a ton in my realm of interest. They're much more tailored to those looking for glassware and decorative items. My sister claimed the prices were on the high side but I failed to notice. On that same slab of land was The Consignment Shop but we chose to forgo a visit in order to have a full hour over at Bonanza Antiques.

More than any of our stops Bonanza felt the most like what I want from an antique store. There was plenty of good old beer and cigarette advertising, an old slot machine, crazy old Halloween items, and the selection vinyl records was great. A lot of vendors would put together stashes of notable records so their costumers don't have to dig through countless old christian and polka albums to find the good stuff. There were cookies and coffee and just a good vibe. While they had the same cooling problems as our previous stops the building seemed to breath better than others and had a very cool basement. Grabbed another album here but some more money could have resulted in a big haul including a PBR lamp and this Winston clock that put some sort of tacky spell over me. Really enjoyed this place a lot and definitely giving it a mark for a revisit in the future.

Finally we reached the Lake Odessa Antique Mall where we were at a major disadvantage. An entire day of antiques and heat had left us nearly shopping blind by this point. Compounding that issue was just how big this place was. The main floor was separated into three different wings and there were two basements along with two upstairs areas to shop as well. It wasn't up to the level of the Mega Mall we checked out last year but after a full day we were on autopilot. It's a shame as they had the best scary items with some freaky clowns and oddly placed bits of taxidermy. It's a neat place but it requires more energy than we had left.

Heading home I finally felt a sense of peace wash over me. In recent years shopping at regular stores has become more of a chore so outings like this are the only way to truly subdue the materialistic beast within. I brought home three wonderful items. Hurricane Eyes by Loudness which turned out to be some awesome hair metal. Prologue by Deodato, another entry in my CTI record collection that sounds like the sort of music you'd play at a sleazy late 70s New Years party. Then there's Dark Wolf: The Hell Warrior, an ash can comic that I've yet to browse but assume will make for a solid article further down the line.

Wednesday wasn't my only adventure as Saturday brought rushed visits to the grandmother in order to save her fridge food from a power outage followed by a baseball game. That latter part didn't provide much in the way of thrills for someone who is bored by most sports but it was still a unique experience to fill my belly with pulled-pork and coleslaw mere feet away from the players warm-up area.

These little adventures have worked wonders. The Summertime blues have dissipated and my mind is now filled with ideas for stories, board games, and handyman projects for Halloween. As if to cement this new-found optimism the temperatures have dropped and the night beckons for a moped ride to get some job apps. That is where I will leave you all for tonight. Hopefully this entry has inspired some outings for you all, which I hope you will share in return. We might as well make the most of this season as we await the excellent months to come.

Santorini Board Game Review

When I was just a wee lad it seemed there was little thought as to what the difference was between thematic or abstract board games. It felt like there were three kinds of games. First was regular mass-marketed stuff that everyone had like The Game of Life. Then there were those weird hobby games your cousin from up north was into. You didn’t understand what a Cosmic Encounter was but you were in no rush to have one. Finally there were the old games, the standbys, classics like Chess, Checkers and Backgammon. These were the sort of games that relied on pure gameplay without the needless excess of an actual setting. Lord knows why red and black circles wage diagonal jumpy death on one another but that’s just the way it is.

In more recent years that first category has been melting away, the second has risen to comfortable prominence, and the third is being rebuilt with a new class of strategic games that emphasize looks as well as brains. In this beautiful sea of titles like Azul, Tak, and Reef rests a popular title called Santorini, named after the Greek seaside town. Just like any of those other titles the question arises whether this is truly a new classic or just the current Kool-aid. Let's find out.

Santorini is meant for two players but has options for going all the way to four. Given that the two person variation is the main mode of play that will form the basis for the majority of our review, though I may touch on other player-counts should life provide the experience (note: it hasn't). Also of note is there are two primary versions of the game published thus far, the first by Roxley seems to be somewhat better produced, while the second edition published by Spin Master is the one most players are likely to encounter and serves as the basis for this review.

The basic game revolves around two-players each having two little people inside of a five-by-five grid. On your turn you move one of your wee workers to an adjacent space in any eight directions and potentially up one level should there be nearby construction. Following that move you then construct a level of a building on a space neighboring that same figure. Should a player prove unable to complete these basic steps they automatically forfeit the game. The true goal of the game is to construct a building that is 3-levels high and move a figure to that height in order to win.

The height element is what sets Santorini apart from other titles. Not only are you allowed to build levels far beyond the one your figures currently stand on but there's also the option of building a roof which seals that space away from being used for anything. The tightrope of creating a level three tower to move your figures onto while keeping your opponent at bay never ceases to cause anxiety or difficult choices. In fact it often stings when you have to place that curved dome on a tower you spent so much time on in order to keep the other player from snatching victory.

With just the base rules Santorini is already an excellent abstract but it's the inclusion of the god cards that really give it some longevity. This deck of forty gods gives each player a unique power for that game. Sometimes these are simple additions such as the option of building, moving, and building again so long as that figure doesn't ascend a level. Other times the cards create new victory conditions such as one that allows victory if the player descends all the way to the ground from the second floor of a building. A card like that requires the opponent to focus much more on blocking maneuvers. Even better is when both powers inadvertently create a theme such as one game where I could build more quickly on the outer rim while my opponent could only win on the inner-spaces.

As for the production the game is an absolute beauty. The stark white building blocks combined with the blue domes are beautiful to watch spring up across the board. Little extra touches like the raised rocky cliff-side of the board also help to elevate Santorini above the average abstract. The art on god cards and the like is the sort of clean yet cartoonish material often seen in mobile apps. It's attractive enough and universally appealing without becoming bland.

So far Santorini sounds like a perfect game for just about anyone but that's not totally the case. Let's be honest and acknowledge that not everyone enjoys this style of game, and this one isn't so different as to change minds on the matter. My first few playthrough were with my sister who largely dislikes abstract titles and while she didn't hate the experience she wasn't excited to dive back in either. Part of that comes down to the fact that for all of the warm and sunny presentation this is still very much a cold and calculating abstract. Titles like Azul can appeal to a wider audience thanks to gameplay systems that incorporate a bit more social interaction, the method of collecting tiles for example which sometimes results in happy accidents in tandem with luck of the draw. Santorini still flows like a game of Chess or Checkers with players working one move at a time towards their opponents downfall. And as with any abstract strategy game this one favors players with a certain skill-set. In this case victory is often decided by whomever has the best spacial reasoning. For a player such as myself this means I adore every round of play. On the flipside a friend who had wanted to buy the game began to sour after I clobbered them a good five times in a row. It can easily be played by anyone but those of you who stink at say organizing a room might find yourselves on the losing end more often than not. That's part and parcel for this genre however and the god cards do help to mitigate this factor but it's still something prospective buyers should know in advance.

Outside of that there are two irksome elements of production. One is the rulebook. While the core rules are explained wonderfully with visual accompaniment the god cards aren't always so clear. I've actually tossed out randomly drawn powers on occasion as neither I nor my opponent knew what to make of them. So common was this problem that the publisher has released videos to explain different god powers in full. A much smaller problem, and one that possibly only effects yours truly is that, in a strange shift from every other game on the market, the box is almost too small to fit the components. Often after playing I need to remove some pieces from their storage bags in order to smooth everything out and even then there's likely one corner sticking up higher than the others. For Someone with slight OCD it's worthy of an eye-twitch.

When working on this review I played a game against myself in order to set up photo opportunities. Usually such activity would be painfully dull yet I enjoy the game so much that I actually had fun seeing how long I could keep going. That's because Santorini was practically tailored for someone like me who prefers their games to be quick, efficient, and with a bit of beauty to spare. Certainly it's a game that will find a happy home in many collections but that doesn't mean it needs to be in everyone's collection. If you're the kind who prefers wild games of luck or lengthy thematic adventures you still may find something to like here. For those who can't stand systematic showdowns that come down to one player being able to see a few moves ahead the presentation isn't going to be enough to change your mind. You'd be hard-pressed to argue that this is a bad game though you could definitely make the point that is isn't the game for you. That's the beauty of how large this hobby has become, you have plenty of other choices. As for me; this is one of those keepers that will stay in the collection for countless years to come.

Breakfast Bonanza 2019

Since our last update yours truly has survived another birthday, one that fell squarely within one of the weirdest weeks in recent memory. Between a schedule that included sleeping anywhere from four to ten hours and staying awake upwards of twenty surrounded by barbecued pork, one massively lame season of television and failing attempts to clean a small town storefront, frankly it's all a blur. That's all mercifully in the past now which means it's a new day for this slightly older man-child. What's important now is to start off this metaphorical new dawn with a nutritious breakfast. That or gorge myself on the newest swath of sugary cereal options currently flooding store shelves. The second option sounds much more fun for me to try and for you to read about.

Blueberry Cheerios

When news first broke about this newest iteration of Cheerios I must admit I squealed like a wee lass. Blueberry flavored foods rank exceptionally high on my list of weaknesses which when combined with the strength of recent Cheerio variants had my mind swimming with anticipation. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, more likely a few weeks in reality, I was finally able to satisfy my cravings.

On the presentation front everything's mostly alright. I'm not the biggest fan of the extra clean almost art-deco package design but at least the coloration makes it easy to spot. The smell is decent as I recall, not overwhelming or dank as blueberry can sometimes be but it creates proper anticipation for the flavor. Speaking of that most important aspect this is so very tasty yet I did catch myself ever so slightly disappointed when compared to other offerings from this brand. In recent years both Pumpkin Spice and Maple have proven to be incredible specimens and this one just falls a tiny bit behind. The only reason I can come up with is that this is very smooth and light tasting which is undoubtedly pleasant but not exactly faithful to the true blueberry experience. That being said I can't demote this down that much as it is still a very good cereal, just a little shy of top shelf. Let's say a four out of five.

Cotton Candy Captain Crunch

Yet another announcement that had me all a twitter was this newest outlandish edition from Captain Crunch. Let it be known I would follow this captain into the very heart of battle, regardless of how many mouth injuries have been caused by his peanut butter output. Plus cotton candy is exactly the sort of unique flavor needed to spice up the breakfast aisle.

The box is fairly standard crunch fair though it does a fine job of establishing the carnival ascetic. Opening the box turned out to be a real experience with the smell blowing me over. This is some strong stuff which might initially turn some off. That strong aroma is something of a lie however as the actual cereal is far less caustic than you might imagine. There's a very balanced flavor profile at work here with hints of different types of cotton candy stuffed together, even managing to somehow fit a sense of the actual items mouth feel in there. Yet this is also much lighter than most companies would aim for given the flavor. No doubt it's very sweet just not the instant diabetes level of sweet one would expect from something like this. It certainly won't appeal to everyone and it can get a bit boring after a few bowls but I can't deny this is a success. Ratings wise this deserves another four out of five.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Corn Pops

Here's a relic of the past returned for a fresh shot at fame & fortune. Over ten years after originally appearing on shelves this little known offshoot of Corn Pops has come back from the grave. I'm extra grateful for the opportunity to try this stuff as it came out way back when I didn't use my stomach as a science lab. Having dug in for two bowls so far I wont be surprised if these disappear once again.

Packaging is far too clean and sparse with a major reliance on color over anything else. As for the smell I honestly can't remember which is probably the first sign of this not being all that great. Taste wise this is... honestly lackluster. While I wouldn't go so far as to proclaim it as bad this accomplishes none of what it was meant to do. Instead of tasting like corn pops coated in chocolate and peanut butter it just ends up tasting a bit like nothing. Seriously; not only is does the flavor fail to live up to other chocolate or peanut butter cereals but it's far below the usual quality of regular corn pops for that matter. What's worse is that it isn't even bad enough to be exciting, simply existing for no discernible reason. If you're loyal to the brand or missed out on the original release like I did then by all rights go ahead but even being generous this would maybe get a two out of five.

Hostess Donettes Cereal

Months ago an entire Hostess line-up of cereals hit the stores only for me to neglect them in favor of all the other wondrous new goodies out there. I finally made good by picking up the Donettes entry, spurred on by the cinnamon roll version seemingly vanishing from local stores. Given the often shaky history of donuts themed cereal I wasn't expecting much from these but the overall experience was fairly pleasant.

Like so many other items in this post the packaging is miserably bland, looking more like the box to a generic cleaning product rather than sugary foodstuffs. Opening the box likewise didn't offer a huge impression with the aroma matching up with usual bakery knock-offs. Actually digging into the food is where the surprise was. These actually have the somewhat greasy powder coating of mass-produced donuts. Color me impressed it was actually pretty good. Unfortunately the texture was a bit off and it takes a while for the pieces to soften in milk. Seeing as it accurately recreates the flavor of its namesake let's maybe give this a three out of five.

Nutter Butter Cereal

Speaking of items that sat around before I finally picked up we have the new take on classic Nutter Butter cookies. I'd been fairly lax towards these because, let's be honest, the world is full of peanut butter breakfast foods. What could this have to offer that others don't? Turns out more than you might think.

Once again we have lazy, bland packaging that says almost nothing about the item. The scent of it however spoke volumes. While not as strong as the actual cookies the scent was deep and tempting. Tantalized I quickly dug in and found the contents to be outstanding. Not unlike Captain Crunch's take on this same flavor this comes across like real peanut butter with waves of rich and smokey along with enough oil to thicken milk. Unlike the Captain however this stuff actually softens in milk. A few other folks in the house claimed to not like it very much but those protests seemed false given how quickly the box was emptied. Gonna give this one a four and a half out of five. Absolutely loved it but others may not.

Red White and Blueberry Pop Tarts

Time for something more patriotic to tie-in with the recent holiday/birthday. I guess Kellogg has been fiddling with different approaches to red white and blue editions with this likely being the most straightforward in design. Question is whether these are good enough to include with your independence celebrations. The answer is no... not really. Truth is there are good and bad pop tarts and then there's ones like this that just exist. They don't taste all that great or provide much to talk about, they look sort of neat and aren't all that bad but meh. I'd give it somewhere in the two or two and a half realm.

Orange Cream Pop Twinkies

It's all too rare these days to find a newly announced snack on the same day the news breaks about it, but that's exactly what happened with Orange Cream Pop Twinkies which Hostess apparently rushed to storefronts like. It may seem strange to some for these to be included in a breakfast post but I can assure you that a morning fueled entirely by coffee and cream-filled spongecake is a totally valid, if utterly regrettable, option.

Unlike most of the items we've discussed thus far I wils give a few props to the art-team responsible for this box. It's not amazing work by any means but it at least illustrates the concept well enough with seasonal colors and paraphernalia. As usual for a flavored Twinkies these stink of chemicals but what's important is flavor and oh yea do these ever provide. There's a really strong balance between the fruity cream and cake resulting in an airy and comfortable treat perfect for the hot summer months. At the very least these earn a four out of five.

Birthday Cake Fruit Loops

One final cereal before we go, and it's more than fitting given my recent uptake in digits. Sadly this is not the birthday treat I or anyone else deserves. Much like the worst of what we've covered today this one isn't outright bad so much as painfully limp. The package design is lackluster with only the yellow color standing out as all the notable. Likewise the contents of the box are ho-hum. The smell is bland and the taste serviceable yet forgettable. The vanilla flavor that's here was done much better months ago by Lucio-Ohs and there's not enough of anything else to make up for it. There's nothing all that terrible about it but there are countless other, and far better, options. Two out of five.

And with that we've tackled yet another wave of new breakfast foods. Impossible as it may seem there are more than enough still out there to warrant another post or two. That's a story for another day however as there are plenty of half-done articles piling up behind the scenes to make for a very robust July. Hope you all had a decent Holiday. Right now this old man needs a nap or something.

Ryusoulger Episodes 10-13

While giving the old brain a Captain Crunch branded sugar boost before sitting down to tackle this recap I had an odd realization about Ryusoulger when contrasted with what I would consider better Sentai series. For this comparison let's use Kakuranger which was one of my first experiences with the franchise and still a favorite to this day. That group of heroes lived out of a food truck as they traveled around Japan which meant most of their nights were spent sleeping in tents with the four guys sharing one or perhaps crashing outdoors while the only lady, Tsuruhime, had her own tent. Given how they lived a bohemian lifestyle notions like hygiene were sometimes and issue. Now consider this current team of heroes. We know the original trio live with the Tatsui family yet we only ever see the main work area of the home. There's no kitchen, no bathroom, and especially no bedrooms or even bunks for that matter. Furthermore we have zero clue where Bomba and Towa live as the pair either stop by to visit the others or are found wandering the streets. I'd say they must live on the streets like vagrants except they are exceptionally clean all the time. What's throwing me off here is that Ryusoulger, despite being a kids show, has no problems tackling emotional issues like suicide and depression yet can't be bothered with convincing me these characters are actually alive and not some sort of reverse Toy Story beings that only come to life when we're viewing them. That's part of why I find my mind wandering during the show sometimes and why, even with it's deeper qualities, I'm still not completely sold on it. At the moment let's catch up with what's been going on.

Story:

The story of late has been making a transition from the batch of straight-up character pieces to larger plot points. In fact our last traditional hero focused tale was all about Asuna who really needed the boost. Question is whether episode nine was enough to help her out, and the answer was... yes... mostly. She's still suffers from having a pretty flat personality in the following outings but we did get a nice self-contained adventure that showcased deeper levels of caring, emotional stability, and courage.

The following two episodes concerned themselves with the introduction of another dinoknight, one with a hobby for riddles. Initially both the heroes and villains fail to sway this giant beast to their side until it is discovered that the dinoknight has formed a friendship with a young boy awaiting eye surgery. The baddies kidnap him while our team earns the dino's trust by properly answering a riddle with a simple honest response. This becomes sort of a loose two-parter because the main conflict is resolved but the minosaur carries on and offers some challenges by projecting illusions onto smoke/steam. Neither of these installments are bad so much as basic. There's a few decent lines, the occasional spiffy action beat, and a few odd plot-threads. Besides the new dino we discover that Mr. Tatsui may be receiving psychic projections or is maybe just far more eccentric than previously thought. Also the Druidions are being aided by Gaisorg who we'll talk about later.

Episodes fourteen was really quite nice and a far better example of what I'd like to see from this series. There's a monster who can make people tell the uncensored truth, revealing strained relationships among the heroes while the beast can also flawlessly predict attacks. The host for this particular Minosaur is the Prime Minister, a Ryusoul tribe woman who left the confines of their hidden life long-ago and has lived among regular humans for centuries while slowly being tormented by watching loved ones age and day as she continues to live long afterward. She encourages Bomba and Towa to let the Minosaur live long enough so that she might finally die in exchange for information regarding their missing master. Towa is deeply tempted by this offer but it holds no sway over Bomba who belives the PM to be a fool who refuses to deal with the hand she's been dealt. It's also revealed that she also has contact with Gaisorg before she takes off and leaves her responsibilities behind. Perhaps we will see her again.

Heroes:

The major benefactors from this set of episodes are Asuna and Bamba. She gets to showcase the more caring side of her personality and also develop her connection to Melto by both chewing him out and offering encouragement in apology. Bamba on the other hand still walks the weird path of being possibly the least-developed character who still feels the most three-dimensional. The guy has such a cool manner and strong sense of honor that makes him very easy to cheer on. What he needs now is to be paired off with someone who challenges him more than his brother or Kou.

On the matter of the new dinoknight something stands out as odd. Of the six of these robots only two are shown to have personalities while the other four are often ignored. I can barely recall the last time Towa's robot even appeared. I wouldn't even complain about it normally if it didn't seem so odd. Each of these is a toy to sell to the kiddies and collectors so how is it decided which ones actually get to have dialogue and storylines?

Villains:

Let's start with the bad news; Gaisorg is back. Yes that motivationless hunk of living armor from the Strongest Battle mini-series has made his return. Right now he's taking up the role of freelance villain so lord knows what the plan is for him. Seeing as he's been with us longer than this show it better be for one damn good pay off. Other than him things are continuing as they were before with Wyzul being a far more entertaining foil than his predecessor.

Action:

While many of the fight scenes aren't quite up to the level of recent series there are some definite improvements made during this batch of episodes. I was especially pleased to see the return of tracking drone photography since it's such a unique way to film fight scenes and helps to set the franchise apart.

The robot fights are still some of the best in Sentai history though, as noted previously, a good number of bots are being kept on the sidelines for some reason. This effects the otherwise interesting approach to the cockpit as well. I'd been pleased to see a set-up that allows the characters to move around or get tossed about instead of just sitting in chairs but with less robots comes less people. Instead several heroes will wait on the ground and watch the fight which may be different but lacks a certain urgency as they feel removed from danger.

Overall:

As I noted at the start of this article, Ryusoulger still hasn't quite won me over yet I feel sort of cruel to say such things. There's still a great deal of items this show is getting right but at the same time it lapses on world-building details and the threat level of the villains is all over the map. At one point we had a poisonous wolf-monster that nearly killed the entire team. On another occasion the monster unleashed devastating counter-attacks against any strike. Another week the team will get through a fight without a scratch, practically sitting down with a bag of popcorn once the robots are called out.

Things are about to change however as the sixth member is about to arrive. I will admit to finding it irritating to have yet another guy in what is already a sausage-fest of a show though I am pleasantly surprised that Gaisorg doesn't seem to be playing into his original, at least for now anyway. Hopefully the newbie can usher in a little urgency to the show and renew my quickly fading interest.

That's all for today though I'd like to give a shutout to you faithful Sentai recap readers. I've been going through the site history for an anniversary feature and it showcased just how much traffic I get thanks to these posts. So while I may not always be the most timely and can sometimes get bored with individual series I am more than glad to keep bring you all this content, be it for modern shows or classic ones which I'd like to work in somewhere.

The Great Game-a-Thon Part 1

Much as none of us may want to admit it our hobbies can sometimes get out of control. In the case of yours truly such unchecked overabundance comes in the form of board games. When starting the hobby close to six years ago I quickly sought to obtain all manner of different titles through sales, thrift stores, trades, you name it. The result I that I've often had a backlog of twenty or more titles waiting, some of them years, for a shot at the table. This phenomenon isn't unique as I've seen countless other tabletop fanatics go wild in their efforts to establish a collection only to shoot themselves in the foot when they discover themselves lacking time and storage for everything they've acquired. Who can blame them? Boards games hold a wonderful allure with their combinations of lovely bits & pieces, brain-twisting systems, and the promises of memorable times with friends and family. With this year already being marked by a variety of changes and another birthday on the horizon I decided to launch a campaign to blaze through as many titles on my unplayed list as possible. If you'd all be so kind I'd love to report on this experience and in the process perhaps share a few hints, highlights, and cautions with you.

Hanabi

The first title on our adventure was Hanabi, an award-winning cooperative card game with limited communication. Imagine playing classic Klondike solitaire alongside another person only you can't see your cards, just theirs, then add in a system for sharing limited clues about each-others hands and try to play from one to five in different suits with only a few mistakes allowed.

Despite the great praise this one has received over the years I'd avoided it until finding a thrift copy because I usually disagree with the notion of limiting communication between players. A big part of the reason I got into tabletop gaming was to get back to one-on-one entertainment and all the wonderful table talk. While I'd softened on this approach thanks to another awesome card game called Okey Dokey there was still some hesitation. Luckily Hanabi proved to be quick and compelling enough that the limitations start to fade away leaving a solid and fun puzzle for everyone involved. The experience was very surprising as I truly thought the game wouldn't match my style or be outclassed by another game and end up traded-off or sold. Instead it stands on its own and has earned a comfy spot alongside Okey Dokey.

Kaijudo

Digging into the stash of dead collectible card games I pulled out a stack of starter decks for Kaijudo. There's a whole backstory to this one involving the original Duel Masters and the eventual relaunch but in short this is an anime inspired hyper-streamlined take on the core principles of Magic: the Gathering. It was clearly made with a younger audience in mind and the result are simplifications like a much better mana system and a quick play style that makes the game ramp up and finish quickly.

The single session of play was fairly enjoyable, if not exactly groundbreaking. There were a few laughs and surprises to the extent I'd call it a good title. From what I've read the game changed dramatically later in its life introducing aspects that totally unbalanced the system, unless I ever get my paws on some later boosters that won't be a problem. What's here is a very straightforward ccg which is exactly what I sought it out for. While it wasn't an amazingly fun experience it did provide something unique in that my nephew not only seemed to slightly enjoy it but actually won our bout. Keeping this around for now and might track down some more later on.

Mystery Rummy: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Last year I endured a few games of Phase 10 which inspired me to design a rummy style card game of my own. In an effort to learn as much about that wing of card games I watched hundreds of videos and even hunted down some special titles like this entry in the Mystery Rummy series. Each installment in the series has it's own specialties with this one being a strictly two-player affair where melds can only be played if they match the current personality of the doctor whose card changes due to various circumstances.

While I wouldn't call this a bad game exactly it was stilled affected by much of what bothers me regarding rummy titles. For one there are so many turns where there's absolutely nothing to do, to the point that even my Phase 10 loving relative (who won by the way) found it obnoxious. Rounds take forever to ramp up and even with the slight bit of fun we had it wasn't enough to make me pick this over other, better, card games in my stash. This one's going to find a new home with more love for rummy antics.

Sonar

The original Captain Sonar is supposed to be one of the greatest large group gaming experiences around. For someone like me whose table might top at five with luck that made playing the game a pipe-dream. Finding this trimmed-down version meant for less players at the local Goodwill afforded the opportunity to at least sample what all the fuss is about.

The game is essentially modernized Battleship and makes no bones to hide it. Players sit behind a huge divider and call out movements while their opponent tries to deduce their location on a dry-erase sheet and hunt them down. The key difference is how moving charges a power meter that allows for special actions like silent movement or firing a torpedo.

I had a good time with this one and would like to hold on to it though my opponent didn't seem all that pleased with it. Granted this may have been due to me stomping them out but the fact remains that if I can't get anyone to play this one then it may have to go. Fingers crossed it gets to stay.

Codenames Duet

The first absolute knockout of this marathon. I never bothered with the original Codenames as it, along with so many other word games, reportedly functions best with a large group which, need I remind you, is a luxury I lack. This two-player cooperative variation seemed like a decent option to finally get a good word game into the collection and boy did that gamble ever pay off. Not only did I enjoy my time with the game but so did my co-operative player and even some people who simply watched us in action.

The game provides an excellent back and forth with players trying to come up with one-word hints for multiple words, often without accidentally hinting at the wrong cards. It's a great brain workout and tons of fun.We went through the game a good nine times in one day sometimes winning, occasionally on the very last turn, one time losing on turn one due to a rather careless hint on my part but always having an excellent time.

Smile

Smile came and went with little fanfare when it released a couple years ago though the lovely artwork and general concept were appealing enough for me to nab a clearance copy of the shelves. In essence this is a more thoughtful take on No Thanks! With players using beads in order to avoid taking certain cards while waiting patiently for others. Some cards are positive points others negative but there's always a chance of getting rid of cards with a matching symbol which makes it a worthwhile strategy to grab that negative card in order to lose another one and get some beads in the process.

Smile isn't a showstopper or something to base your whole night around but it is solid fun and more importantly blows No Thanks! Out of the water thanks to better presentation, smart design, and more interesting scoring. This gets to stay in my library by virtue of pushing No Thinks! Out.

These games can get a wee bit suggestive.

Code of Nine

Sometimes you buy a game for the sheer audacity of what it promises to do. Of course it helps when it's also on sale for twelve bucks. That's how I ended up with Code of Nine; a worker-placement, bluffing, deduction game where each player only knows a quarter of what endgame scoring will entail.

Played this one at the game store with friends and a new acquaintance who won by losing the pair of books I knew would lose him ten points. Overall the game felt like something that would improve drastically the more a group plays it. However I don't see it getting that level of attention here which means every play-through would be an awkward dance around the weak rulebook and slightly sloppy production. I really believe some people will love this game, hopefully I can find someone like that to give this copy a home.

Sleuth

Generally I'm not the biggest fan of deduction games. Sure there's the occasionally exception but usually it's better if deduction is a small part of a greater whole rather than the main attraction. That being said I was very eager to try Sleuth due to it hailing from one of my favorite designers, Sid Sackson.

Unfortunately Sid just couldn't work his magic on me this time around. Like so many of his designs Sleuth feels very much like it respects your brain but unlike his other games it fails to respect your time or patience. Players have to manage two separate batches of cards along with a notepad that is poorly equiped to handle the level of detailed notes required. Add to that how the mystery is very abstract, figure out if the face down card is a blue opal cluster for instance, and it just feels cumbersome. For die-hard mystery gamer I'm sure this is awesome but for this group it simply didn't work. Off it goes.

Burger Joint

Almost completely forgot about this one, which should be a hint at how well it went over as my opponent and I didn't even care to finish it. Burger Joint is functional but boy is it ever dull. Players pick cubes, make buildings, get some points, and try not to fall asleep. The whole thing almost feels like a joke about dull euro-games come to life. That's a shame too as some of the designers other titles look pretty fun. This oddity however has to return to the wild.

Focus/Domination

Sid Sackson gets another shot during this marathon with an award-winning abstract strategy game and boy howdy does Focus ever make up for our lackluster experience with Sleuth. I've played stacking style abstracts in the past with titles like Cappuccino yet I was unprepared for how unique this old gem still is. The movement and capturing methods produce so many options that it threatens to make your brain hurt unless you willingly submit to a sort of zen state where all of reality amounts to towers of colored plastic. Absolutely holding on to this though I may have to ditch the old and comically large box.

Mystic Vale: Mana Storm

Among all the unplayed games there are also a few expansions to already established titles such as this little return to the crad-crafting world of Mystic Vale. The additions from this expansion, and those before it help to make the game a bit more lively though I'm not very impressed by the talismans so far. That being said the core gameplay of constructing cards piece by piece is both engauging and speaks to my inner shopaholic.

I still enjoy the game a great deal though my opponent once again noted that it seems to end too quickly for us to enjoy our fancy fully-built cards. I'm somewhat inclined to agree with means keeping this in the collection comes with a note of increasing the point limit a bit.

You want to find which piece exactly?

Star Wars: Imperial Assault

Fantasy Flight Games and I have a troubled relationship. Unlike companies such as Space Cowboys which has yet to let me down Fantasy Flight is akin to flipping a coin. Some of their productions have become all-time favorites while a few others have left me questioning why I bother with this hobby. This only gets worse when you consider their pricing structure as they tend to make expensive games with lots of expansions. As you might imagine the amount of time Imperial Assault has been sitting on the shelf has left me licking my chops with worry. Yes it was purchased on sale with store credit which is the only thing that made me willing to try it, but still, what if it sucked?

Since this one is bigger and meatier than most I decided to tackle it myself by using the companion app for a solo game. In the sense of disclosure I should note that I've tackled a fair share of complex games, I've enjoyed app-assisted games, and have worked through a myriad of messy Fantasy Flight instruction manuals. Going in I thought I had a solid grasp how the game flowed but the app left me feeling absolutely befuddled which was made worse by the constant need to go spelunking in the cavernous box for more components every few turns. Nothing like learning you should have split the cards into twenty different baggies instead of ten. The set-up and take-down times were absurd. Worst of all was that not only was I not having fun, I found myself downright angry at the experience with plenty of questions that required repeat trips into the different rule manuals. Part of the problem is the complexity of the game feels off. For me it's not simple enough to be easy-going dice throwing fun nor is it really deep enough to be fully engrossing.

As it stands I still want to like this game, and given how it has multiple modes of play there's still a chance of finding something to enjoy. Still; that first impression was easily one of the worst in my gaming life with even some trouble-free turns failing to offer excitement. There has to be more than move, check the app, read some cards, roll dice, possibly fail, dig out some more components, and roll more dice... right? I'm planing on giving it another chance but right now it doesn't seem like something that will work with my group at all. If that is indeed the case than it's better to send it off to someone who'll enjoy it.

Let's call part one finished at that. There's still a number of games to go ranging from painfully basic kids card games to massive complex titles. Fingers crossed I can have this pile largely emptied out before my birthday. For those of you waiting for Sentai recaps I swear they are coming soon, likely in time for the site's birthday in just a couple of nights. My allergies are cranked up right now so I opted for this piece as it was already mostly complete. Come back soon and we'll have plenty of silly superhero antics to discuss.

Hammer Frankenstein Series Review Part 2

It's currently staycation time for CosmicSparky, a rare treat that makes up for its lack of glamour with pure freedom. Essentially I'm house-sitting with less people than usual to deal with and smaller chores to boot. Naturally I've been spending this time with my oh so many interests be it clearing through a small hill of board games (expect more on that soon) or catching up on some movies I've been meaning to watch. In a classic snowball effect the act of ignoring updates in order to do all this stuff leaves me with an ever increasing amount of content for further updates. So let us call an end to this cycle of sluggishness by wrapping up a feature I began some months ago. Let us finish our overview of the Hammer studios Frankenstein series by looking at the final three films in the franchise.

Frankenstein Created Woman

A massive upgrade over its immediate predecessor, this fourth outing finds our mad scientist stepping away from his usual antics of patching dead bodies together. He’s seen the extent of that research for now. Instead his aims have shifted to far more esoteric notions like preservation of the soul.

I'd like to preserve as much of the story as possible for you all as I find this to be a film that rewards patience. In fact nearly the whole first hour of the film has little in the way of traditional horror to offer, opting instead for whacko science and interpersonal drama. That build-up makes the eventual terror all the more thrilling. What I can at least offer you is the nature of this films monster. A young woman who undergoes a soul transplant thus the title of the film.

As for Frankenstein himself he is physically damaged, presumably from the castle explosion that capped off the previous movie though it is never outright stated to my knowledge. This results in him always wearing black gloves and relying on assistants to carry out his work since his hands aren’t what they used to be. His physical abilities aren't the only thing that has softened as we find him to be a more sensitive person than in past films with the ending actually showcasing some remorse on his part.

It cannot be stressed enough how this is absolutely one of the best Hammer films. From the atmosphere, storytelling, characters, and eventual horror this delivers on every front. Easily one of the best entry points for those curious in Hammer films.

Frankenstein Must be Destroyed

In a rather unexpected display of quality the fifth film in this franchise nearly overtakes the fourth to claim the title of best installment, Sadly a few sloppy choices weigh this one down just enough to come in second place, but man what a silver medal it is.

The plot is fairly complex considering how stripped down the science and monster elements are. Instead of hulking monstrosities or mystical soul tomfoolery this is straight up about brains. Franky wants to perfect the process of storing brains long after the original bodies have died. He was never able to complete the formula but a fellow associate of his solved the issue. Only problem is that former associate has gone nuts and is locked away in an asylum. Frankenstein must free his friend & fix the poor guys brain banana and he's forced a young couple into helping him. Further developments I'll leave unspoiled.

There are two key factors that make this such a fine film. The first is the aforementioned storyline while the other is Peter Cushing at the top of his game. While he played this character a bit softer in part four he transforms into the most dickish and self-assured version seen so far. Nearly every moment spent with this character is pure bliss which is odd when you take into account how much nastier his behavior has become. In an odd twist the doctors physical health seems much better as he's able to do much more on his own rather than depend fully on assistants. Still the point is this isn't a movie you watch for a monstrous creation. It's one to watch for the best mad-scientist ever.

As was noted earlier there are a few tidbits keeping this one from the top spot. One of these is a controversial rape scene that was tossed in to spice the movie up against the wishes of the stars and director. I don't find this part as problematic as some have claimed mainly because it calls back to how Frankenstein treated women like trash in the first film, remember when he locked his mistress in with the monster? That being said the scene is obviously an afterthought as it is never referenced again and merely exists to shock which is not the way to handle sensitive subject matter like this. The other big issue is a recurring comedic sub-plot involving bumbling police failing to track down Frankenstein. Much like the assault this bares no weight on the primary plot and is only used to lighten the mood with the actual result being a bloated run-time.

It may be troubled and sloppy on occasion but Frankenstein Must be Destroyed really feels like something special. It seemed like the studio wanted to send out the series on a high note, which they nearly did. You know how the film industry is however. It wasn't long before the series returned.

Note: There is some debate over the actual length of this series as the sixth Frankenstein film produced by Hammer was a more light-hearted take on the original tale, essentially a funny reboot, called The Horror of Frankenstein. Some viewers choose to keep this title as a totally separate piece of work which is the method I'm applying to this article. Later in the year once Scream Factory brings the movie to blu-ray I may give it a proper go-over.

Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell

The final film is often given the cold shoulder by many and the first time I saw it I found the response hard to understand. That may have been due to my slimmer experience with Hammer's work at the time having only seen a few films, with this being possibly the second of their Frankenstein films I'd encountered. Having revisited it I can now see some of what bothers people about this entry though I still believe it does enough right to keep from becoming the worst entry in the series.

The early focus is on a budding young doctor with an obsession for Frankenstein's teachings. He spends his time on experiments to produce life and stitch-together body parts as illustrated in books by the old baron. He's soon found out and sent to a madhouse where the staff and inmates treat him rather poorly, that is until the asylum's surgeon arrives.

Since we last saw him Frankenstein has once again changed his name, this time to Dr. Carl Victor. He lords nasty secrets over the director of the madhouse which essentially allows him to run the joint in secret while maintaining a secret lab to further his work. His only helper at the moment is a mute female inmate though he soon takes the new arrival under his wing as well. This proves to be a godsend as the series continuity has reverted to his hands being burnt and near-useless again.

Unlike the past two adventures which concerned themselves with matters like the mind and soul this one takes Frankenstein back to his old ways of picking and choosing bits & pieces with the asylum serving as a living supermarkets for supplies. The newest creation is based on the body of a neanderthal man who is soon given the eyes, hands, and other aspects of gifted yet troubled people. I'll leave you all to find out what else goes down though there is an odd flip on the fourth film's ideas with it being presented that a body might be able to override a new brain, though little is done with this concept.

You can probably guess that the story is a bit slim for this outing which means madhouse antics and a grim attitude are left to fill in the run-time. And that's really the trouble here as this is by no means an awful film, just very empty. Even the way it ends is anti-climatic as it hints that the good doctor will simply continue to develop his theories and destroy lives forevermore. It makes for an interesting flip from Hammer's other big series, Dracula. In those films the immortal fiend is killed time and time again, never able to achieve his greater goals. Meanwhile this completely mortal man never fails to carry on.

And thus I mark yet another horror series complete (mostly anyway). By and large I'd say this collection of films is a success despite stumbling blocks like the continuity issues and the boring third installment. If nothing else I highly advise you all seek out the fourth and fifth films as they mark a strange occurrence of later installments being far greater than their predecessors. With that done there are only two other Hammer produced series for me to complete. First the Mummy, of which I've seen half of them, and then Quatermass of which I'm missing one... I think. For now I assure you updates will be picking up posthaste as there are plenty of items to share with you all.