An embarrassment of riches #1: Boxes of tricks

Home again...
...yesterday, from my New Year holiday: another Hogmany chez famille King in Prague; topped off with a long weekend in Cambridge visiting my old buddy Mark Dalgarno.

Time then to get 2010 off to a start here @RD/KA!. Are you sitting comfortably? :0)

Games glut guzzled!
With Badger- over xmas; Donald, Liam and 'Uncle' Martin- in the festive interregnum; and Radka, Bill and Daniel in Prague: a grand total of 54 games in 10 sessions over 14 days made my 2009-10 festive season the gamingest ever! The games I enjoyed are below:

• Combat Commander: Pacific x2.
• Ivanhoe x12.
• Fluxx x4.
• Settlers of Catan x6.
• Battlestar Galactica.
• Snow Tails x5.
• Settlers of Catan cardgame x2.
• Pandemic x3.
• Starship Catan x3.
• Backgammon x15.
• Chaos Marauders.

CC:P, Settlers cards, and Starship Catan gave me my own most satisfying victories of the festive megasession; but 2009-10's Festive Big-Win No-Prize goes to Daniel, for equalling Gav's record game-winning 5VP turn at Settlers of Catan.



DVD delights devoured
There were no tourist escapades in Prague this trip to interrupt my lazy days chewing the fat, playing boardgames and watching some choice selections from Bill's DVD collection:

• Deadwood- season 1:

1. Pilot.
2. 'Deep Water' (via HBO: Deadwood).

• Gangsters- the original 'Play for Today' first broadcast 35 years ago this very month.
• Slumdog Millionaire- need to see it again, with English subtitles.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer- season 2 finalé:

1. 'Becoming I'.
2. 'Becoming II' (via Buffyworld).

• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
• Blackadder II:

1. 'Beer'.
2. 'Chains' (whence the phrase "I shall have my rewen-ge!")

From Ian McShane's finest hour, through groundbreaking gritty urban drama, to Joss Whedon at the height of his powers, and beyond; no barmecide feast this, but a veritable smörgåsbord of some definitive works of their kind in the 20th and 21st centuries: stimulating entertainment well worth revisiting.

Meanwhile, back on Galactica
Talking of "definitive works... well worth revisiting", I was delighted to receive the Battlestar Galactica- Seasons 1-4 Boxset from Bill; and Mark and I were pleased to watch the opening miniseries and a few episodes while I was in Cambridge. Readers will no doubt remember that Battlestar Galactica was my multimedia geek highlight of 2009. The programme's merits shine through undimmed even on my 3rd viewing.

I noticed a unique thematic resonance as I watched the pilot miniseries, '33' and 'Water'; having seen the episodes before, that familiar dialectic of 'watch this bit' coupled with stringent spoiler-avoidance created a wonderful counterpoint to the paranoid tone of the show, which tone had been deepened for me by my plays of the BSG boardgame. I was left with the impression of pocket universes of paranoia rippling out as people brought their friends to watch repeats, reruns and DVDs down the years. Accidental or not, it was a delightful twist. ;)

Related@RD/KA!
- Alas- a lack!
An embarrassment of riches:
- #2: Hidden depths unplumbed?
- #3: Trick or treat?