And in the midst of this heatwave, I'm going to Secret Cinema's Empire Strikes Back showing tonight!

Do you think X-wing pilots wear shorts?

To be entertained I guess. It's not an unrealistic expectation with these sorts of films. That this series fails is a testament to how bad they are.

That said, Extinction was more entertaining, mostly due to Stanley Tucci, than the utter shite that was the third film.

I see what you mean in terms of closure for Brienne. It is a little weird that we don't at least see her after she 'kills' him.

I don't see how Jon's death was in any way wishy washy though. As I said before, the length of the shot clearly establishes that he's dead and there's not really anything cliffhanger about it.

That was my favourite bit as well!

I loved the season finale. I generally like most of what the show does. I'm also now comfortable with watching the show end the story, as it looks like GRRM is years away from finishing the next book, let alone the one after that.

Regarding Stannis, I thought they handled him well here. What he did last episode has had an enormous effect on him and whilst it worked with the weather, it failed to elicit the same benefit from humanity (as it should not have). Of course, his death reveals that ultimately Stannis is doomed to fail in the books as well.

To be fair, they have been laying the groundwork for a while. Shereen specifically was first mentioned a few episodes ago and Mel has been noting the power of King's blood since the early days.

I find it to be a step too far for Stannis, and although there is a heavy foreshadowing of sacrifice in the mythology surrounding what Stannis is supposed to be in the story (or rather what Mel believes him to be) I just think the show has solidified its own portrayal of Stannis as a baddie.

The problem there is that I don't quite agree with that reading of Stannis, him turning up at the wall and defeating Mance's army is an awesome and heroic moment in the books but in the show it's almost sinister. So, that they have gone that way is interesting and possibly revealing about book Stannis' ultimate direction. After all, can a Stannis that burns his daughter be a Stannis that is a hero in the story?

Ok, so the show is pretty much at that point it's passing the books. I'm not sure how I want to continue, mainly because there are some big events coming (particularly in the North) which I would much prefer reading. And whilst, yes, the show is its effectively its own thing, there are some currently hanging book resolutions that must be spoiled by the show. Not necessarily how they happen, but the what happens.

And that's the question. Anyhow else having this dilemma?

Blade of the Immortal is the best comic I have ever read. Or rather, it is my most favourite of them all. I remember the moment after reading several of the first volumes where I realised that the comics I had been reading up to that point had been superficial crap. I think this is still true for 90% of what's out there.

The artwork is rare in that you can 'see' emotions so well and not just the most obvious. For instance, pick up any comic off the shelf and you'll see someone angry (their mouth open or gritted teeth) or happy (they're smiling), but bemused? charmed? contemplative? content? Somehow, what are essentially just line squiggles for mouths reveal so much about what these characters are thinking or feeling. The artist is completely in tune with his characters.

I've not picked up the final books yet. I've also a few to catch up on that I actually have (saved for a rainy day).

So... Witcher 3 (again). Still playing this one, and today I experienced something entirely new for playing a game. Dread. A real, stomach-churning fear of what was to happen. Basically, I had a quest to return to a place where I knew there were some pretty awful and powerful people. I really didn't want to go there, and I didn't know what to expect (and my imagination was going wild), but I also knew I had to go back, because these people are utter monsters and I had unfinished business.

It turned out ok in the end, but for a brief time I was extremely uncomfortable playing a game. And that was wonderful.

Further, the cinematic presentation of this game is excellent and really effective at helping the story-telling. As is the design. It's a game where you fight monsters all the time but I couldn't help but think 'oh shit, I do not want to fight this guy' when I was going up against a knight in black armour wielding this particularly cruel axe.

I've not forgotten this, just been rather busy these last couple of weeks and I wanted to watch it again to see my take on it has changed.
Hope others were able to watch!

Bravo! I enjoyed reading that. You should do a podcast or something

I'm quite surprised we don't have an Age of Ultron thread. Awesome film. 

I concur wholeheartedly on Takeshi Kitano. His films are strange but compelling. And as an actor he has great presence. He appears in Battle Royale for instance and steals all the scenes he's in.