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Watching UFC since the beginning, I think the Max knockout was the most sensational thing I've ever seen in MMA. I was psyched with the performance as it was, because I thought Justin would be a touch too powerful to live with over five rounds, but to invite chaos and deliver glory the way he did in the end was just sublime. Whatever UFC had hoped or wanted 300 to be, Max reminded everyone what the sport can be.

I went to see the Pixies yesterday and it was probably the most annoyed I've ever been at a show. The band themselves were fine (labouring through, admittedly, letting the songs do all the heavy lifting), but the audience just wouldn't stop talking very loudly the whole way through. It was a £70 ticket to hear songs they hadn't played live for over 30 years and you'd think the entire back half of the room was ignoring some naff unknown support act. I moved around a bunch and couldn't escape it. Honestly, when I was young, I was always a bit bothered that everyone used to name other UK cities as the best place to play gigs, but last night I was just like, "yeah, I definitely see it now... any audience is better than this spoiled lot".

7 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Orion and the Dark (Netflix)

Netflix's animated output has actually been, for the most part, very good indeed. This isn't one of their better ones as it completely loses its way in the final third. A nice concept though, high quality animation and some excellent voice work especially from Paul Walter Hauser.

By chance, I re-watched Adaptation a few weeks before seeing this, and it was remarkable to me the level of overlap. It's a little like Donald Kaufman wrote the final act of Orion... I still quite liked it though. Familial love is my emotional kryptonite, so it hit enough of the right notes to win me over. 

On MUBI... is there a way to see an A-Z of what's on that service? I did the three months for £1 thing, but I have literally no idea what their full catalogue is like.

8 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

I love a time loop film, but I thought this was absolutely shit, and a bit creepy as well.

Yeah, I remember thinking, "that guy guy needs to read some Spider-Man - with great power comes great responsibility and all that". The whole time he's using this power to manipulate a woman into sex and rig the legal system in his favour. Agreed that the Bill Nighy stuff was good though.

12 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Has anyone tried Baldur's Gate 3 on the Steam Deck? I'm interested in playing it, and while I do have the option of a PS5, the Steam Deck would probably suit me better.  

Yeah, it worked fine for me on the Steam Deck. The graphics have a little fuzz to them, but honestly it still looks better than, say, God of War does, and I didn't really experience any slowdown either. It came out on Xbox when I was about 90 hours in, so I finished the game off on the Series X, and surprisingly that was the first time I experienced actual lag and slowdown playing that game. The Deck was fine. Also, the Xbox managed to lose my saves a million times - if it wasn't for having a Larian account and enabling cross saves, I'd have been absolutely livid. So yeah - the Steam Deck was actually a smoother, more reliable experience for me than the console was (although it's been out on PS for longer, so maybe they've done all the necessary patching for that by now).

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. Fire Emblem Engage
3. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

FEE wasn't quite as good as Three Houses, but I still really enjoyed it. Crazy that it's one of the shorter new games I've played this year at 60+ hours. Honourable mention to Midnight Suns from the end of 2022. December releases get a bit overlooked in lists like these,  and I played that game a lot this year. I'll still pop it on sometimes just to play a few missions. Eventually I'll get around to another full playthrough with the DLC that came out this year.

The older guy who sits next to me at the Emirates said, "what is this music!? It's awful". I told him it was a wrestling theme, but pretended I only knew that because I'd read an interview with the guy who picks the songs.

Wow. What in the actual fuck!? It's so at odds with everything about how she presented herself in the house. Imagine being Noky, Yinrun or Matty and coming out to see all this. Just awful. I mean, jeez... you kind of want to believe that something in her changed drastically and she's left all those views behind, but then also... why were the tweets still up? It's almost mind-bending. And, on a separate note, how on earth did ITV put someone on BB without going through their social media with a fine-tooth comb? Whatever efforts they may have made to try to leave behind the grotesque elements of the show, they've failed at almost corner. All the "The Ultimate Social Experiment" returns stuff beforehand... I feel like the real result is that we can't have BB without it devolving into an absolute cesspit.

For what it's worth, I probably have Matty just a nose ahead of Yinrun as who I'd like to win. Yinrun is obviously super lovely, but I like Matty. Cue the revelations that his real name is Dr. Matty Shipman and there's a very specific reason he works in geriatrics.

Spurs' defending toward the end was beyond suicidal, and a better opponent would have scored twice as many, but Ange was on a no-lose on a personal level really. A point was probably doable, just because this Chelsea team have struggled to break down anyone who's defended them deep, but I also get Ange sticking to his game. He's been banging on about it since he arrived, that he won't change his principles for anyone. This at least reinforces that message and it was interesting to see. The especially intriguing part is having Romero - probably the most recklessly aggressive defender in the league - as your lynchpin in a team that won't adjust when he inevitably gets sent off. Those two things don't  marry well. If I'm Ange, I'm thinking, "long-term I need someone who can stay on the field". Maybe he can whip him into shape, teach him a bit of self-control, but I'm not so sure.

Arsenal fan, venting a bit here. I don't mind taking the loss, to be honest. All things right with the world, it was a super tight, well fought contest that should have ended 0-0. But sometimes one team gets a moment of luck or magic and it swings for/against you. That's football. But I am a bit seething about the Bruno thing and the VAR in relation to that. From behind, elbow to the base of the neck, forearm across head behind the ear; not even close enough to the ball to pretend it's a challenge - clearly just wants to leave one on him to send a message. For every 3-6 minute VAR check we go through every game because everything's so complicated and subjective, that one was textbook violent conduct, open-and-shut. And I hate that VAR doesn't have the courage to give these kind of things. I remember last year at Southampton, Gabriel Jesus got petulantly punched in the back and nothing happened. Saka got absolutely fucking kicked to the moon by James McArthur the other year. And I'm sure every team has their own examples. It's just super annoying to me that football still pitches itself in this macho pretence where acts of violence get downplayed because people question how much things "should" hurt rather than looking at the actual act or the intent. "It was a forearm, not an elbow"? Give me a break. Anyone deliberately striking anyone off the ball should be as easy as it gets for VAR.

Considering I think most of the housemates - drama aside - seem like they'd be reasonably sensible sorts on the outside, I can't believe how bad the food situation is in there. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it on BB. Were there ever rules on food hoarding in the past (essentially so BB could better use it as a carrot/stick)? I can't remember, but this seems new, at least on this level. They're like hyenas or something.

Dylan's reaction is classic BB silliness really; something a million housemates have been guilty of over the years. "People nominated me, but were polite and friendly in our daily interactions - how dare they!?" But that's just life for everyone in the BB house. People don't owe you explanations for nominations and it's usually forbidden outright anyway. You just have to get on with things. The aggro on top is less becoming, but I don't think it was bordering on violence or anything truly bad; it's more the case that it's a bad look to be losing your head over something that's a fundamental part of the game. He literally nominated Trish last week. Getting bent out of shape about nominations is poor form anyway, but when it's someone you nominated at your last opportunity, you don't really have much ground to scream betrayal, surely? That all said, I don't think he's a massive dickhead or major villain or anything. He's just not been great at handling the nomination process. 

Hopefully everyone cools off and the house doesn't become fully bisected. As people have said, it's hard not to feel for Noky in this situation. She really didn't do anything wrong.

Who do United fans think should be captain? From the outside it's genuinely hard to see anyone with the requisite character and/or ability.

While everyone gets on with Spider-Man 2, this week I've been working through Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the first time (via Steam Deck) and it's beautiful stuff. I finished it last night and it made me cry. I remember people complaining that it was a bit short when it came out (although maybe that was to do with the price?), but it was perfect for what I want from games at the moment. Zelda: TotK and Baldur's Gate 3 are both brilliant, but I've had to put them both down halfway through because it all just feels too much. This was just what I needed. God of War is next on my list of games I finally get to play thanks to the Steam Deck. Looking forward to it.

I usually watch and talk about BB with my mum, but she's on holiday, so I'm going to get some of my thoughts out here:

Trish is a fascinating character, I think. So far, I've find myself almost always agreeing with her and constantly impressed with how she expresses ideas to housemates. Honestly, I think she'd be my pick to win, yet I can see why that's unlikely and others may find her difficult to live with. She's kind of like having a live-in therapist or mediator. It brings to mind how much Michael hates Toby in The Office. People just don't like feeling like their behaviour is being checked by someone in their own group, even if it's largely to positive effect. 

On Henry, I think he comes across well and I don't have a hard time rooting for him despite his political allegiance (well, not day-to-day at least, him winning would still be a hard swallow), but I wouldn't put a lot of stock in him learning and growing. I think it's more the case that he's an amiable enough lad with the social nous to recognise and reflect the group he's in. After the show, I'd put my money on him going back to his rich mate set and doing the same.

Jordan feels like what might have happened if Morrissey was born in the 90s and couldn't sing. I mean, I'm a huge fan of The Smiths and Morrissey (well, y'know, the music), so I definitely enjoy the droll cynic act, but the best I can hope for the guy is that this experience helps him to realise that he's better off living without a created persona. I feel like the way Morrissey found fame and success locked him into his worst impulses. I hope Jordan learns a different lesson.

On a slight pivot about tying shoes, I wonder if this is a common feeling...

So, I can tie my shoes. I do it fine, I do it at what I believe is a completely average speed, yet any time I have to stop to tie my shoes in the presence of another adult, I feel as if they must be looking at me, thinking, "man, he's so slow tying his shoes... and he still does it in that way that little kids do it... why hasn't he learned the adult way to do it, the faster way? How embarrassing for him. I shouldn't mention it". And, I mean, I'm pretty sure I am doing it the normal/adult/faster way, but it feels like such a juvenile thing somehow, like whomever I'm doing it in front of instantly takes on this parental presence and I feel like a dumb kid holding them up. But then I wonder if maybe there are new techniques on shoelace tying that I've missed out on, like the way all the science on dinosaurs has changed in the same timeframe.

We all think this every time we tie our laces, right? Right?

Cheers for the Sniper Elite recommendation, guys. Been playing SE5 on Game Pass this week and it's definitely my type of game.

Also tried Gotham Knights on Game Pass, but I had to pack it in. I mean, I know some people didn't like Arkham Origins when it came out and WB Montreal took a bit of a hit for it, but I thought it was a decent enough chapter in the Arkham series. How they then managed to make something as stiff and janky as this is beyond me. Literally everything feels so much worse: combat, puzzles, traversal, game layout. Would Rocksteady have had major grounds to sue or something if they'd borrowed more from from came before? It feels crazy that a game made by some of the same people can take such a drastic backwards step.

Overall I still like Klopp. Inevitably there have been some less savoury moments when Liverpool have been less good, but no-one lasts this long in the job without blotting their copybook on occasion. Wenger's one of the most genteel guys to ever do it and he ended up in shoving matches towards the end. The replay stuff is ridiculous, but as people have said, it's just a textbook move. 

I'm not quite sure why people get so pearl-clutchy about Arteta being animated on the sidelines though. It's not like he's doing crazy stuff like pulling a hamstring sticking it to the fourth official or poking someone in the eye and running away; and he's not Jason Tindall either, constantly badgering the officials. 99% of the time he's just coaching his own players and people get very weird about it.

I think the only manager in the league I don't have much time for at the moment is Ten Hag. I don't know if it's just him or the mess he's found himself in, but he almost feels like the manager version of Bruno Fernandes, constantly blaming everyone and everything else around him when things go badly.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good WW2 games? It's not really a setting I've explored too much in games, but I've been watching The World at War recently, so my interest is piqued a bit. I don't really mind what genre of game, although I'd say I'm not really into FPS if they're frantic (I'll always choose stealthier approaches over run-and-gun) and I have literally zero interest in multiplayer. Strategy games or even offbeat things like a Valiant Hearts would be welcome too. Cheers

I've never shaved with an actual razor before (including standard disposable types, not just like... Sweeney Todd straight razors). I've only ever used an electric shaver. I hit puberty pretty late and, by the time I actually needed to shave at all, I felt too old and embarrassed to ask anyone to show me how. Seems a bit unnecessarily dangerous now, like the doorbell will go and I'll accidentally cut my throat. 

3 hours ago, RedRooster said:

I'm with you here. I enjoyed the segment, but everything MJF said about him rang true to me. You take away Juice and The Gunns, and what do you have? Having said that, Bullet Club Gold have surpassed my expectations, and they do feel like a hot stable - it makes sense to have White feud with MJF; taking advantage of the momentum BCG has built up. He was solid on the mic here, and I'm certainly interested in seeing how he performs as this storyline continues. 

I've always said this is my biggest complaint about MJF. He's electric on the mic, but his main aim is almost always to put himself over, and it often makes his opponents look weaker rather than stronger, especially in the early going, where it can really matter. There's probably an element of truth in what you/he have said, for example, but that's surely not the way you paint it on TV. I'll tell you what absolutely no-one was saying before Jay joined AEW: "they should put him with the Gunns and Juice Robinson, that's an act I'll want to see". But suddenly it is. Three guys suddenly look a hundred times more interesting than they did before, all thanks to Jay's leadership and friendship. BCG just slayed The Elite at Wembley. Jay won everything in New Japan. Would it kill MJF to make a guy with that resumé look like a worthy opponent? Instead, I think a lot of people come away from that promo remembering "TOFU" and thinking this is just filler.

The thing that's bugging me the most is the balance of gameplay to travel. For fairly nothing side quests, having to pop in and out of a hugely clunky menu system to *fast travel* between multiple planets can take longer than you spend actually doing the missions. "Go to this planet and talk to Person." Okay. Menu, menu, menu, menu, menu... loading screens... orbit... land... walk to Person. "Oh hi, you're the new guy. Go to this planet for me!". Repeat the process. With any RPG I always try to exhaust the side quests before finishing the main story, but I'm not sure I'll be able to with this. The time spent in menus is just too much for the meagre gains.

3 hours ago, Matthew said:

On the death march through Wembley Park, there was a family there, mother, father, son, daughter (just in case anyone needed clarifying what a family is), the daughter was flagging a bit, the mother turned around to her and said “scissor me baby”, and proceeded to do the scissor hand gestures. The daughter was no older than 12. Unreal parenting there.

This is what a round trip through the true blue British heartlands will do to you.

3 hours ago, JLM said:

Yeah a dad in front of us had to try and cover for Mox  (kid mist have been about 9 years old) by telling him  Penta had put spaghetti all over Mox’s head. The lad thought it was hilarious and also had a big Scissor Me sign and foam finger thingy. Think the violence is less child appropriate than the Scissor me merch really. 

Hah. "Is that spaghetti!?" was genuinely my first thought while watching that spot. Glad I didn't say it outloud to anyone.

I'm so pleased with the finish. Of course, I would have been thrilled by a heel turn, too, but there's something especially wonderful about AEW closing this massive show on such a heartwarming note. Before all the Punk shenanigans and backbiting, AEW was a company coloured by its sense of camaraderie and a different outlook on machismo and hypermasculinity. Choosing to end the show in a way that leant back into that, a finish that says, "this is who we are, what we do and the feeling we're going for" rather than just "here's a narrative reason to watch next week" was brave and, I think, a good call.

19 minutes ago, jazzygeofferz said:

They've got a roof. 

Wembley - Does the Roof Close? / Will I Get Wet If It Rains?

Just as a heads-up for people who don't know the roof situation: if you're near the floor and it rains, you're going to get wet. The weather report for tomorrow looks pretty similar to what it was today in North London - decent temperature but consistent showers - but those "showers" today were a fucking deluge, complete with the kind of lightning storms that could see Samoa Joe back in a poncho come show time tomorrow. Bring your coats.