This weeks Contains Moderate Peril Podcast starts with a look at the problematic launch of Update 11 for LOTRO. Brian and I reflect upon some of the bugs and problems that have arisen, as well as the positive changes such as the new Lore-master pet for Mounted Combat. We then consider Trion’s recent announcement that Rift will be going free to [...]

Contains Moderate Peril Episode 104: I'm a driving instructor from Johannesburg [ 1:02:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Assault on Precinct 13 was John Carpenter’s second feature-length film. The movies score was composed and recorded by Carpenter himself on a synthesizer in about three days. It features a minimalist style comprising of four overlaid music tracks at a time, which are used sparingly throughout the movie.  The pulsating beats and elongated eerie notes combine with a mournful main melody. [...]

Having passed at the chance to see A Good Day to Die Hard during its theatrical release (due to the UK distributors electing to cut the movie for a lower rating) I finally caught up with the movie last night. The version I saw was the US “R” rated theatrical version and not the extended edition that includes three and a half [...]

In this weeks Contains Moderate Peril Podcast Brian and I are somewhat surprised by how quickly Update 11 for LOTRO has gone from beta to final release. We also consider the ongoing issue of players not receiving their monthly Turbine Point grant. We also look two recent exploits that have affected both Diablo III and Neverwinter and the associated fallout. I [...]

Contains Moderate Peril Episode 103: Ooh You Are Awful... But I Like You! [ 59:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There is often a controversy whenever a well known literary figure is brought to the big screen. Physical descriptions previously established by the authors are often ignored in favour of casting a known star. However, books and film are very different mediums and there is always scope for positive changes, if they are done with intelligence and integrity. The casting [...]

Spoiler Warning. I have included some plot details and pictures in this review that may spoil Star Trek: Into Darkness for those who have not yet seen it. Please be aware of this before reading and scrolling down the page. After a prodigious marketing campaign, Star Trek: Into Darkness has finally arrived. At last all the questions that have kept [...]

Parker is somewhat of a departure from Jason Statham’s usual style of action movie. Based upon the character created by author Richard Stark (AKA Donald E. Westlake), Parker has an emphasis on plot and old school hard-boiled dialogue, over fights and mayhem. Although those elements are present in the film, they do sit rather awkwardly with the traditional approach to [...]

In 2010 I had the pleasure of attending Ray Harryhausens’s 90th Birthday celebrations held at the BFI. Hosted by John Landis, all manner of celebrities, character actors,  film makers both old and new and anyone who is anyone in the effects industry, queued to heap praise on this quiet and retiring gentleman. It was a wonderful evening and a fitting [...]

Twenty years ago, Super Mario Bros. was released upon an unsuspecting public and subsequently met with universal critical derision and box office failure. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight is seems incredible that this project ever got given a green light. Yet at the time, not only was it granted a generous $48 million budget but it boasted a cast and production [...]

I think it is time to finally admit that we will never know the real Alfred Hitchcock. In fact, letting  go of the notion that a film entitled Hitchcock is going to deliver The Truth about the legendary director is a key to enjoying it.  This is not a movie that overly caters to Hitchcock buffs or students of the [...]

It struck me the other day after seeing Iron Man 3, that the reason the recent swathe of Marvel adaptations have been so successful, is because they cunningly rendered into soap operas , rather than pure action movies. It was this factor that was the key to the popularity of Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy. By focusing on the lead characters [...]

Urugyan writer and director Fede Alvarez  obviously has a great deal of passion for the horror genre and certainly understands it a lot better than may other mainstream film makers. Make no mistake, Evil Dead is an extremely hard “R” and is certainly not like the usual tame studio output we see so often these days. There is an emphasis on [...]

Contains Moderate Peril podcast is back after a two week break. In the ninety ninth episode, Brian and I consider this week’s 6th Anniversary Festival for LOTRO as well as the forthcoming open beta for Neverwinter. When we say open beta we of course mean soft launch, because that’s what it appears to be. We recommend the informative documentary Star Wars Begins, [...]

Contains Moderate Peril Episode 99: That's You That Is [ 1:07:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Consider the Bourbon biscuit. It comprises of two dark chocolate biscuits sandwiching a chocolate fondant. It is a straight forward recipe made from standard elements. Yet multiple companies manufacture the Bourbon biscuit and they’re all slightly different in texture and taste due to minor variations in the base ingredients. You can make the same point about baked beans. Dark Skies is the [...]

If you care to cast your mind back to your childhood, then I’m sure  you’ll recollect a conversation that took place in the schoolyard (playground to none US residents) that went something along these lines. “Star Wars is better than Star Trek because” [insert lengthy, ill-conceived and pointless argument here]. If it wasn’t those particular franchises then it would certainly be some [...]