Ending June with Junes

Milla Meets the Cat People

It's time for another of our quarterly visits with a favorite here at Shades of Gray: Milla Jovovich!

Milla's been menaced by virus-borne monsters, hunted by assassins, and kidnapped by mandroids. Now, the Cat People are being a pain in her neck! 

But who are they? What do they want? Find out by rolling on the following random tables, which allow you to generate a random story outline that you can then turn into an adventure to use with players in a roleplaying game. (NUELOW Games has released an entire book of this sort of thing, themed around murder mysteries, which you can get a copy of here. You can also see more random outline generators and similar material at the NUELOW Games blog. )

WHO ARE THE CAT PEOPLE? (Roll 1d6)

1. Invaders and/or refugees from an alien planet

2. Explorers from an alien planet

3. Visitors from another dimension

4. Neighbors who have been living among humanity since the dawn 

    of civilization.

5. Travelers from a secret city, deep in the jungle.

6. Refugees from the Hollow Earth.

WHAT ARE THEIR POWERS (Roll 1d6)

1-2. Standard lycanthropes who transform from humans into 

    black panthers (1-4) or tigers (5-6) when subjected to appropriate 

    triggers. Natural felines are frightened around them.

3. Shapeshifters who can turn from humans to black panthers (1-4) 

    or tigers (5-6) at will. They have amazingly good rapport with 

    natural felines.

4. Shapeshifters who can turn from humans into humanoid cat-beings 

    (their true forms). They have amazingly good rapport with natural 

    felines.

5. Shapeshifters who can turn from humans into black panthers or 

    humanoid cat-beings at will. They have amazingly good rapport 

    with natural felines.

6. Roll again. The Cat People are as described, but they are locked in 

    their human forms due to a curse.

   (Additionally, see "d20 Cat People" below, if you're using a d20 System-based rules set.*)

WHAT DO THEY WANT? (Roll 1d6)

1. To find lost Cat People who are unaware of their true natures due to an ancient curse, remove said curse, and return them to their civilization.

2. To conquer Earth.

3. To return home.

4. To breed with humans to make more Cat People.

5. To stop a demonic invasion of Earth.

6. To remove an ancient curse that is slowing causing them to go extinct.

--

*If you like the d20 System, and you liked this post, come back next week when we'll present rules for D20 CAT PEOPLE!

Happy birthday to Lalla Ward!

Lalla Ward, best known for her role as the second regeneration of Romana (and perhaps the cutest of all Timelords) on "Doctor Who", turns 70 years old today! Here are some pictures from of her from the 70s in celebration!

Musical Monday with Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields was formed in 1989, with Stephin Merritt (the band's primary songwriter) and Claudia Gonson forming the band's foundation and John Woo, Shirley Sims, and Sam Davol arriving to build on it. Merritt is the primary songwriter for the group, as well as the primary vocalist (with Gonson taking a turn as lead singer every now and then); all members are multi-instrumentalists. 

For more than 30 years of recording and touring together, Magnetic Fields has been one of the more interesting (not to mention amusing) performers of experimental pop around. Today's song is taken from their latest album--Quickies (2020)--and it seems like they're only getting better with age. It's song with a premise that seems more and more likely to be true with each passing week.

The terror of the KILLDOZER!

Here's a series of tables that you can use to randomly generate ideas for an adventure inspired by artwork from the great Gil Kane for a rejected cover for a comic book adaptation of the 1941 short story "Killdozer" by Theodore Sturgeon.

   Roll a six-sided die and record the result to make your basic outline. If results seem incompatible, you can re-roll, or you can use them as a mysterious element in your story and/or an avenue to come up with a truly outlandish and unique backstory for the rampage of the Killdozer!

NIGHT OF THE KILLDOZER

A Randomly Generated Roleplaying Game Adventure Outline

A series of mishaps and accidents at a worksite culminate with a bulldozer rampaging through the area, crushing everything and everyone in its path. Will the player characters put an end to the nightmare, or will it put an end to them?

WHEN DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE [optional]

1. In the early 1930s.

2. In the mid-1940s.

3. In the late 1950s.

4. In mid-1970s.

5. In the early 1990s.

6. In the late 2020s.

REGION WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE [optional]?

1. In Main, in the north-eastern United States.

2. Near Hadrian's Wall in northern England

3. Near Four Corners in the American Southwest.

4. In southern Afghanistan.

5. In the Amazonian Jungle.

6. In Egypt, not far from Cairo.

WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE (SPECIFICALLY)?

1. At a newly opening mine.

2. At a mine that is reopening.

3. At a construction site.

4. At an archeological site.

5. At a lumber camp near a river or lake

6. At a decommissioned military facility

HOW DO THE HEROES BECOME INVOLVED?

1-2. They are hired to provide security.

3-5. They are part of the project from the beginning.

6. They uncover rumors of strange events that have happened at 

     the site through the centuries, and they come to investigate.

WHAT IS THE WORK TAKING PLACE?

1. Mining

2. Logging

3. Road Construction

4. Demolition of an Abandoned Mental Hospital/Secret 

    Government Research Facility

5. Archeological Excavation of an Area Once Home to a 

    Mysterious and Long-Lost Civilization

6. Construction of a Housing Development

WHAT GIVES LIFE TO THE KILLDOZER?

1. Spells protecting a buried Atlantean artifact that have been 

    activated because the vault housing it has been partially 

    unearthed and damaged.

2. Angry spirits (3d6, maximum of 13) of those interred at an 

    ancient burial ground on the site.

3. Demons (3d6, maximum of 13) who were trapped in buried 

    containers but were released when they were damaged.

4. Nature spirits (1d3+1) summoned by militant environmentalist 

    mystics who want to avenge the damage the project is doing 

    to the Earth.

5. An alien device has projected its awareness into the Killdozer.

6. Highly advanced circuitry and an IA, created and installed 

    by a mad scientist.

WHO GAVE LIFE TO THE KILLDOZER AND WHY?

1-3. The "who" and "why" are the same as the "what"; the very 

     activity on the site animated the Killdozer.

4. A crazed mystic seeking revenge against the funders or leaders 

    of the project.

5-6. A mysterious cabal that wants to keep things buried on the site 

     exactly where they are.

WHAT DOES THE KILLDOZER WANT?

1-2. To destroy everyone and everything in its path, for the sake 

    of destruction.

3. To avenge the damage to nature that has been caused by the work 

     at the site.

4. To have proper respect shown to the location and the supernatural 

     beings who dwell there via the performance of ancient, now very 

     obscure, rituals.

5-6. To be transported to another world/dimension.

HOW CAN THE KILLDOZER BE STOPPED?

1-2. Explosives. Lots of explosives.

3. Ramming it with other heavy machinery until it's destroyed.

4. Finding a way to communicate with the spirits/demons animating 

    it and putting them to rest.

5. Letting it run out of gas.

6. Uncovering an ancient artifact hidden at the site (or nearby) and 

    turning it on the Killdozer.

IS IT TRULY OVER?

1. Yes. The Killdozer is destroyed and work can continue safely.

2. More or less. The root cause of what animated the Killdozer may 

     cause more mayhem unless additional action is taken.

3. No. Once the Killdozer is stopped, the force animating it seizes 

    control of another vehicle on the site. (Treat as #2 if the solution

    is to put angry spirits/demons to rest.)

4. No. Once the Killdozer is stopped the force animating it possesses 

    workers and the site, turning them into homicidal puppets. 

    (Treat as #2 if the solution is to put angry spirits/demons to rest.)

5. No. Once the kill Killdozer is stopped, the force animating it turns 

    ALL vehicles at the construction site in murderous engines 

    of destruction.

6. No. Once the Killdozer is stopped, a mystical burst of 

    energy transports everyone at the site to the distant past (1-2); 

    an alien planet (3-4); a nightmarish other-dimensional hellscape 

    (4-6).

--

If you enjoyed this post, you can find more outline generators and other ideas for your roleplaying campaigns at the NUELOW Games blog! And if you REALLY liked this post, you should consider buying some of the many products by Steve Miller & Friends, here, because it will encourage them to make more!

The Avengers: Silent Dust

Silent Dust (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, William Franklyn, Jack Watson, Isobel Black, Joanna Wake, Charles Lloyd Pack
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

An investigation into the use of a banned pesticide puts a pair of government agents (Macnee and Rigg) in the crosshairs of a group of land owners intending to blackmail the British government.

The best things I can say about "Silent Dust" is that it never gets boring--one can almost always rely on Roy Ward Baker to keep things moving--and Steed has some funny exchanges with a scientist he consults during the investigation (played by Charles Lloyd Pack, who perhaps Great Britain's hardest working bit-player during the 1950s and 1960s.). Diana Rigg also has some amusing lines when Peel is expressing opinions about the episode's villains to Steed... but they are nowhere near as witty as what can found found in other episodes.

What is also better in many other episodes is the villains. Not only are the ones in "Silent Dust" mostly bland, but their scheme is absolute nonsense and one that had no chance of success (or even resulting in long-term benefit to the villains if anyone had bothered to think things through). And yeah... that's how bad it is--I am complaining about something in an episode of "The Avengers" that doesn't make sense.... 

One interesting aspect of the show is how fox hunting figures in the show, even if it becomes a bit lame toward the end. It's one of the many times when the societal changes that were shaking the long-standing British class system and gender roles in the mid-1960s. It's also one of the reasons that this episode is still worth watching today--it's something of a historical artifact.

It's a Picture Perfect Wednesday...

 ... and I'm certain there's a Schrodinger joke to be made here.

Meet Frances Carroll & The Coquettes

On this Musical Monday, we bring you not just one song, but a full set along with with a floorshow! Check out the Girl Band 1940s-style, along with some really interesting dancing that's a cross between ballet and tap!

Bandleader Frances Carroll is like the female version of Cab Calloway--she's good-looking, she's charismatic, and she can sing and dance while swinging her baton!

Frances Carroll & 'The Coquettes' (1940)
Starring: Frances Carroll, Viola Smith, Eunice Healey, and the Coquettes Big Band

Director: Roy Mack

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Frances Carroll and the Coquettes was a popular all-woman big band during early 1940s and through the end of WW2. The short film we're presenting today is the only time Carroll appeared on screen

'The Fatal Note' is a lot of fun

The Fatal Note (1933)

Starring: Anonymous Singers

Director: Vernon Stallings

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

An anarchist tries to assassinate the Little King by rigging a bomb to a grand piano, but the miniscule monarch and his pet dog turn the tables on the would-be killer.

In 1933, the Van Beuren Corporation licensed Otto Soglow's "The Little King" comic strip (and associated characters) for adaptation to animated shorts. The result was two "pilot" installments under the "Aesop's Fables" banner and 10 branded "Little King", all of which can be counted among the best items to ever come out of Van Beuren's animation department. The credit for this can largely be attributed to Jim Tyer, the lead animator on projects related to "The Little King"; he was reportedly firmly committed to never cutting corners or otherwise not produce the best possible product his talent and resources would allow. (And while his dedication to his art can easily be seen on "The Little King" series because he received screen credit, it is also evident in cartoons he worked on anonymously, such as some of the best Tom & Jerry cartoons, such as "Magic Mummy" and "The Tuba Tooter".

 
"The Fatal Note" was the first of ten "The Little King" episodes. While it's not exactly a faithful adaptation of the comic strip--while it gets the character designs right, the nature of the story and how it unfolds is far from what one would expect--it is seven minutes of non-stop action and humorous hijinx. The animation here is also among the best you'll find in a Van Beuren produciton, with detailed backgrounds, crowd scenes where almost each character has been given a unique characteristic, and very little looping of footage. (There's some of it during a series of fights up and down a staircase, but the foreground action is so varied that it's not noticeable unless you're the sort of jerk who watches cartoons in order to pick them apart for review fodder.).

Parts I'm sure you'll enjoy include the Little King frolicking and playing the piano with this dog, and the Little King's running battle with his would-be assassin (including the aforementioned action on the staircase). One thing I'm sure you wish you'd seen was the Queen somehow getting caught in the crossfire between the Little King and the assassin; she's an even greater villain than the murderous anarchist.

Why don't you take a few minutes to see if I'm right by clicking below  and sitting back to enjoy yourself with some of the best the Van Beuren Corporation had to offer?

The Avengers Dossier, Page Twelve

With the Year of the Avengers at the halfway point, we present another look at a supporting cast member from the fourth season.

ATHENE SEYLER
In "Man-Eater of Surrey Green", Athene Seyler plays a botanist who joins Steed and Peel in a battle to save Earth.

Born 1889, Athene Seyler dreamed of being an actress from a young age, and by 1909, she had already made a name for herself in British theatre. With the coming of film, she pursued the new horizons and once again found success--first in early movies and then in early television as a character actress who could be relied upon to deliver quirky performances that were always as British as British could be. 

Seyler was at her busiest during the mid-1930s, but her less-frequent screen appearances as the years wore on were not because she wanted for work, but because she was very picky about the roles she accepted and also because she turned her attention back toward theatre work.

Throughout her eight decades as a working actress, Seyler appeared in every mainstream genre of film and television show, from screwball comedies to dark horror films. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles in "Night of the Demon" (1957) and "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (1958), as well as her numerous turns as matronly characters in screen adaptations of Charles Dickens stories. 

Seyler literally worked as an actress her entire adult life. She make her final stage appearance in 1990, at the age of 101, mere weeks before she passed away.

Aside from her role in "Man-Eater of Surrey Green", she played a different character in an episode that aired in 1964, "Build a Better Mouse Trap".

Silent Movie Magic Fun

The Living Playing Cards (aka "Card Tricks") (1905)
Starring: Georges Méliès
Director: Georges Méliès

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A stage magician (Méliès) performs some extreme card tricks.

A number of the short films by special effects pioneer Georges Méliès simply take a stage illusionist and transfer him and his stage performance onto the screeen, with the illusions augmented and taken up a notch through trick photography. Typically, they fall among my least favorites of Méliès's efforts--some I've felt so indifferent toward that I didn't even feel motivated to write a post.

"The Living Playing Cards" is one of the exceptions to that general rule. It stars out like it's going to be just another "illusionist performs" film--even to the point where the magician is shown engages the audience in chatter while setting up his trick--but it then goes in a spectacularly over-the-top direction. What's more, it's very technically accomplished, with Méliès' in-camera effects and double-exposures being pulled off in such a smooth fashion that they're hardly noticeable. 

This is one of those films that demonstrate what a shame it was that Méliès became so imbittered at the film industry he walked away and turned to toymaking... but not before burning the original prints and negatives of his films. (We should could ourselves fortunate to have even the fraction of his work that has survived to the present day.)

Take a couple minutes (literally) to check out a fun bit of foundation for the movies we know and love today by clicking below.

The Swank Quarterly

 No mask. No pants. Hilary is celebrating the end of Covid-19 restrictions in her own way!

'The Howling Wind' became even more impactful because of Covid-19 paranoia

The Howling Wind (2020)
Starring: Anthony Arkin, Nicky Boulos, and Mark Silverman
Directors: Lorian Gish and Justin Knoepffel
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A strange storm carrying a dust cloud that drives people insane has engulfed a rural county. A gruff farmer (Arkin) allows a young stranger (Boulos) to take shelter with him in his house... but soon discovers he may have made a deadly mistake.

"The Howling Wind" is an interesting little chiller that effectively captures not only the look and feel of a 1960s horror film, but it's got a storyline that resonates very strongly due to the way Covid-19 shook up everyone's lives and some of the hysteria that came with it. The film is further lifted by excellent performances from Anthony Arkin (as a gruff but ultimately good-hearted farmer) and Nicky Boulos (as a mysterious young man who may or may not be carrying the deadly plague sweeping through the area).

Of course, the actors were aided by excellent dialog and a clever storyline. One thing that was especially effective was how the film was moved toward its climax by how Arkin's character trusted the media reports about how the plague was being spread through the county and how lethal it was

Also impressive about this short film is the cinematography and lighting. The filmmakers clearly knew how to use the black-and-white media to its full dramatic advantage, something that's not seen often enough in films like this. (That's the second time in recent weeks I've said that; either my trawling through YouTube short films has been yielding better pay-offs of late, or there's a generation of up-and-coming filmmakers who have absorbed what the great black-and-white films of the past had to teach them.)

I recommend you take a few minutes of your day to check out this moody, well-executed film. (If I steered your wrong, let the world know in the comments section. The same is true if there's something great about the film I didn't mention and you want to call attention to!)

Musical Monday with Hot Butter

Nearly 50 years ago, in 1972, Hot Butter (keyboardist Stan Free) released his cover of Gershon Kingsley's immortal, history-making tune "Popcorn." This is the version that everyone from lone keyboardists to death-metal bands to symphony orchestras have covered rather than Kingsley's original.

Here it is, along with an interpretative dance which should give all of your budding dancers and choreographers hope. If these people couple make it on some French television show in the early 1970s, then you can make your dreams a reality, no matter how insecure you feel!

The Avengers: Two's a Crowd

Two's a Crowd (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Warren Mitchell, Julian Glover, Wolf Morris, Maria Machado, and Alec Mango
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Super-spies John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are on the verge of unmasking a mysterious Russian agent, but his crafty assistants (Glover, Mango, Machado, and Morris) stymie their efforts by replacing Steed with a lookalike (Macnee) in their employ.

"Two's a Crowd" got off to a really fun start for me. I watch so many old films with cheap and pathetic effects that I thought I was in for another "treat" in that department--but then the model turned out to be a model. (The foe of the Avengers loves model airplanes and he uses remote controlled model planes to committ assassinations.)

This bit of trickery/playing on perception sets the theme for the entire episode where many things aren't what they seem and models take the place of the real thing... but can be just as lethal. John Steed's double is literally a model: The man is a male fashion model, and while he may not be a trained combatant, like Steed, his completely lack of morals and regard for other human beings makes him every deadly to those who think he's Steed.

Storywise, this is a fast-paced episode that's as full of twists and turns as one would expect a tale involving a "faceless" assassin whose identity is kept secret by a cadre of ruthless assistants, traitorous dopplegangers, and elaborate assassination schemes. The balance between humor and suspense is expertly maintained throughout, with lots of witty banter, quirky characters, and lots of fun situations. The best scenes involved Steed's evil double--with the fashion show where he is first introduced being absolutely hilarious, and the scene where Emma Peel has to decide if Steed is himself or the double and whether she should kill or not is quite suspenseful.

The best thing about the episode is the performances by Patrick Macnee--and yes, I did say "performances". Not only does he play two characters in the episode, but the fake Steed goes in and out of the character of Steed... so Macnee is playing a character who is playing John Steed. It's lots of fun to watch a talented actor getting show off!

Wonder Woman Wednesday

Legend has it that Wonder Woman's personal presence is so powerful that she causes some people to see stars by just showing up. Today, we test that theory. Please let us know if any of the featured portraits cause you to see stars (other than the ones on her outfit).

Part homage, part spoof, all good

Miss Barton's Famous Cakes (2019)
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Michael Doherty, and Charlie McElveen
Directors: Jared Hirsch and Nelson Vicens

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

On a rainy night, Miss Barton (LaVera) learns that a pair of homicidal maniacs are searching for her in order to sate their hunger for her award-winning cake.

"Miss Barton's Famous Cakes" captures the look and feel of 1950s film noir, slanted more in the direction of the British manifestation of the genre than the American one. It has fun with the style and conventions of the genre, but it's also obvious that the filmmakers have love and respect for the material they drew inspiration from. Viewers are treated to about 15 minutes of excellent cinematography and lighting (that takes full advantage of the black-and-white medium); tight dialogue and fine acting (that is equal parts dramatic and the delivery vehicle for several moments of hilarity you won't see coming); and nicely done period costumes and hair styles (which is where many films that this usually fail).

The only complaint I have is that Miss Barton's visitors are slightly miscast. Both actors (Charles Doherety and Michael McElveen) give fine performances, but they both seem a little young and/or fresh-faced for homicide squad detectives in a film noir bit. This might be an unfair and nitpicky complaint, but it's the only thing about the whole film that didn't quite work for me.

Take a few minutes to check out "Miss Barton's Famous Cakes" by clicking below. I'm sure you'll find it time well spent.

Tom Jones and the Art of Noise

Who needs Indiana Jones when we've got Tom Jones?! 

Consider these titles of action-filled adventure stories...

Tom Jones and the Thunderball  --  Tom Jones and the Voice

Tom Jones and the Sexbomb  -- Tom Jones and That Wonderful Sound

Tom Jones and the Green Grass of Home

Happy birthday to Emily Ratajkowski

 Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski was born on this day in 1991.

(And we know for sure this this is her 30th birthday, because we counted the rings in her hat.)

As for presents... we don't know she wanted for her birthday, but these pictures make it clear as to what she needs.

Musical Monday with June Christy

It's the first Musical Monday in June, so we're bringing you a Musical June!

Born in 1925, June Christy has been described as one of the most talented jazz singers to ever perform. She began her career in the mid-1940s, and had a career that lasted until the mid-1970s. She recorded numerous albums for Capitol Records, working primarily with arranger Pete Rugolo. Rugolo had been the arranger for the Stan Kenton Orchestra where Christy got her start. (Like Christy, Kenton and Rugolo are considered giants in jazz music.)

June Christy recorded her final album in 1974 and then retired from show business. She passed away on June 21, 1990, but her performances live on!

Otterly Human is Utterly Humorous

"Otterly Human" is a cute web comic that often features pun-based humor. It's done by writer Connor Stone and artist Jaime Smith. We hope you enjoy the samples here, and, if you do, be sure to swing by the official site by clicking here.

The Avengers Dossier, Page Eleven

It's time for another look at a supporting player from the classic fourth season of "The Avengers"!

JAN HOLDEN
In "Dial a Deadly Number", Jan Holden played a financier's wife who actively maintained a diversified portfolio of male assets (if you know what I mean [wink-wink, nudge-nudge].)

Born in 1931, Jan Holden spent her early childhood in India, but returned to with her family to England as World War II broke out. She developed in interest in acting while at school, and proved to have a talent of comedy. At 18, Holden was offered internships at several renowned theatres and theatrical companies, but her father disapproved of her theatrical ambitions, so he refused to let accept any of the offers. He eventually softened her stance, and she was able to enter the Old Vic's director's course. In 1951, she became the theatre's assistant stage manager.

Holden soon established herself as a popular and respected stage actress in light comedies. By the mid-1950s, she began to add movie and television roles to her workload, including "Stranglers of Bombay" and other films from the famous Hammer Studios. For the next 30 years, Holden would balance theatre and screen work. Her most famous role was, arguably, as Mrs. Newhouse on the sitcom "Casanova '73", as the wife of a husband who spends each episode making sure she doesn't learn of his extra-marital affair.

Aside from her role in "Dial a Deadly Number", Holden also appeared as a different character in "The Avengers" Season Three episode "The Undertakers".

In the mid-1980s, Holden was plagued by a series of health problems, so she eased back on her work schedule and retired in 1990. She passed away in 2005.