The Avengers Dossier, Page Fifteen

Some of the British Commonwealth's most talented actors and actresses made appearances in episodes of "The Avengers". Here's a look at one of them.

PHILIP LATHAM

In "Room Without a View", Philip Latham is a hotel manager keeping a dark secret.

Born in 1929, Philip Latham was a familiar face to British television viewers during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to is lead role on the long-running BBC drama "The Troubleshooters" (1965-1972), he popped up in supporting roles and bit-parts in dozens of other series and made-for-television movies, ranging from "Emergency Ward 10" and "The Treasure Seekers" through "Danger Man" and "UFO" and even "Doctor Who". He appeared on two different episodes during the original run of "The Avengers", playing a different character each time.

Latham spent to bulk of his career on television. The most noteworthy of his Big Screen appearances were in Hammer Films productions, such as his co-starring turn in "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1966) and in pirate movies "The Devil-Ship Pirates" and "The Secret of Blood Island" (both in 1964). Latham also appeared in an episode of the Hammer-produced anthology series "Hammer House of Horror".

Latham retired from acting and withdrew completely from the public eye in 1990, after a busy 35 years in showbusiness. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 91.

Koko's off the rails while driving the crazy train

KoKo's Toot-Toot (aka"Toot-Toot") (1926, re-released 1950)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Director: Dave Fleischer

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

While traveling by train, the Animator (Fleischer) doodles in his sketch book. His drawings of KoKo the Clown and his pet dog come to life, and soon they are causing train-based havoc in both the animated and real worlds.

"KoKo's Toot-Toot" is another tale where animated characters escape their two-dimensional world to cause chaos in ours. It's not the best I've seen of this series--there are several sequences that go on for just long enough to stop being amusing--but it does have its high points. My favorite bit is where KoKo, after disassembling the sketch of a non-operational train and putting it back together again all wrong but now working, as well as much of the train-ride that follows.

A common weakness that all the Out of the Inkwell shorts seem to share is a lack of a satisfying close to the films. That is mostly the case here, too, but it is also so surrealistic that I can't help but give the filmmakers points for thinking big.

I've embedded the film below for your convenience and viewing pleasure. I believe the version I watched (and featured here) is the one that was aired on Australian television, with added sound effects and soundtrack. I felt the music got a bit tiresome as it looped through the same tune for the third or fourth time toward the end, but you're mileage and tolerance for such things may be higher than mine. I actually found myself wondering if someone has put this 'toon to "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Obourne--which in turn led to finding the "bonus" I've included at the bottom of the post. (Yes, it's two-for-one day here at Shades of Gray!)

And here's a bonus--Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" performed by cartoon characters!

Picture Perfect Wednesday with the Batgirls

It was announced last week that Leslie Grace has been cast as Batgirl in an upcoming film from Warner Bros. We celebrate her casting here at Shades of Gray with a picture of her and another Batgirl, Yvonne Craig--separated by almost six decades yet equally fit to play the role of Babs "Batgirl" Gordon, and equally fit for sea-side frolicking!

And while we're at it, there's the Batgirl who came in-between the first actress and the most recent one-Alicia Silverstone. Maybe she'll hit the beach, too... if she gets out of bed!

It's that moment when...

We don't post many straight-up art film here at Shades of Gray; we're simple folk, with simple tastes. But when we came across "Moment" on YouTube, we thought it was so excellent that it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. 

Take a couple minutes to enjoy this bit of visual and spoken poetry.

Moment (2021)

Starring: Jean Lodescar, Jr.

Director: Jean Lodescar, Jr.

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

Musical Monday with Leslie Grace

 Last week, it was announced that singer/actress Leslie Grace has been cast as Batgirl in an upcoming movie. We'd never heard of her until now, but a little research showed that one of her songs features a video that's a perfect Musical Monday selection: It's a 1950s retro video for a modern romantic song. In black-and-white, of course.

Christmas in July with Jingle Bones

I thought I'd get onboard with the whole Christmas in July thing  with a review of Christmas-themed Coffee! So here goes!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: JINGLE BONES

The Jingle Bones blend is a medium roast, and, as the name implies, it's Christmas-themed. Jingle Bones is one of about half-a-dozen Christmas-oriented blends that Bones Coffee Company offers (other examples are Oh Fuuuudge and Eggnog).

This review is based on coffee brewed from a 4-oz. pre-ground pack, in a drip coffeemaker. Like previous Bones blends I've reviewed, the coffee smelled great while brewing, filling my kitchen with an air of caramel that wafted into my office. This was off to a promising start.

The Jingle Bones blend tasted as good as it smelled, with the advertised coconut, caramel, and vanilla being present both in the aroma and in each sip. The flavor was sweet and smooth enough that even someone like me who almost always cuts his coffee with almond milk or creamer (or a mix of the two) could drink it straight from the mug without cutting it. 

Hot, this blend leads with a caramel flavor but the vanilla and especially the coconut shine through as well. When it's consumed iced, the coconut flavor comes through even stronger, but however the blend is consumed, its flavors remain nicely balanced.

I can't quite see how Christmas-y this blend is honestly--unless it's supposed to bring to mind a plateful of cookies?--but it's very tasty and one I recommend highly if you like coffee.

Kylie Approves of Coffee

The Avengers: Small Game for Big Hunters

Small Game for Big Hunters (1966)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Peter Burton, Liam Redmon, James Villiers, and Bill Fraser
Director: Gerry O'Hara
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Men, dressed for jungle safaris and shot with poisoned darts, are turning up near the manor of retired army officer Colonel Rawlings (Fraser). Government problem-solvers John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are tasked with getting to the bottom of the mystery and stopping the violence before scandal occurs. 

"Small Game for Big Hunters" features both the best and the worst of what "The Avengers" series has to offer. 

First the good. It's got a supremely goofy plot that everyone treats with the utmost seriousness and straight faces of characters who exist in a comic-book universe where, on the outskirts of London, a delusion military officer can be kept within a recreation of a British military outpost in colonial Africa while his staff execute evil schemes--and no one notices for an extended period of time. It's also got comic relief characters who are, likewise, treated with absolute seriousness by those around them, because, again, everyone exists in a comic book universe where Crazy is Normal. This is the sort stuff, along with witty banter between Steed and Peel, that make most episodes of this series such a joy to watch.

On the downside, it's got an incoherent plot that sometimes seems to lose track of its own story-threads, which is made worse and even more obvious due to the way there are two separate narrative tracks for most of this episode, one of which is not all that interesting... and it's made worse by some comedic antics that aren't all that funny. At least we're not subjected to the all-too-common action/fight scenes that are so badly rehearsed and/or badly choreographed that one has to wonder if people actually got paid for working on the show--it would have dragged the rating down from a Seven to a Six. It might have been a rating of 5 if not for a couple twists that I didn't see coming, and for the clever social commentary on the faded British empire and the insanity (and inanity) of those who were still trying to revive it as late the the 1960s.

All that said, Diana Rigg's performance in this episode is also one of the strongest things about it, because it made me realize something that hadn't quite clicked before: She always seems to dial up the intensity of her performance if her Emma Peel character has been parked in the more boring parts of an episode, like she is here. It adds a greater sense of drama or comedy to sequences that are otherwise borderline drab. (Here, Rigg's dialed-up intensity saves a few scenes from coming across as too frivolous or silly.) .

Princesses of Mars, Part 37

The Princesses of Mars are spending this Picture Perfect Wednesday just lounging about and enjoying the summer heat.

(And yes. It's a hot during the summer on Mars, too. Why do you ask?)

Felix goes the distance in search of 'False Vases'

False Vases (1929)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (although no sensible lines are spoken)
Director: Otto Messmer
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After his wife's favorite vase is broken, Felix the Cat (who is fearful of her wrath) goes all the way to China to get a replacement.

If there ever was a text book example of doing something the hard way--even in a cartoon universe--than this is it... even if Felix cleverly tricks a dog into digging him a hole all the Earth so he can get to China. It's a cute execution of a joke that was probably old when this film was made. 

And "cute" is the byword for everything in this cartoon, with a cartoonish surrealism dose. There's not much here that will make you go "wow", but it's a solid piece of fluffy entertainment without any spectacular highs but also without anything that's so bad it's worth calling out. I don't think it's "False Vases" age that makes me say that, I think audiences in 1929 would say the same thing: Whether you compare it to previous Felix the Cat cartoons, or to some of the other fare available around the same time, this Felix adventure is nice, but nothing spectacular.

From a purely personal standpoint, there are two minor factors that drag "False Vases" down. First, there's my basic dislike of Felix when he's causing chaos unprovoked and just generally being a trickster for no solid reason; we're given a little of that here, so my reaction to a few of the sequences are equal parts amusement and annoyance. Second, there's a strangely recurring gag/theme of Felix turning human beings into musical instruments and playing them. I suspect the bits are there because this was reportedly the first Felix cartoon was was made with sound in mind (instead of being retrofit with a soundtrack as many of them were), but a little less repetition would have been nice. (Some modern viewers might also gasp with outrage and horror and need some time on the fainting couch due to some of the character designs, but I think those would be in the tiny minority of people interested in old cartoons like this, of which an even tinier fraction would be looking at this blog. Personally, I see them as cartoon characters living in a cartoon version of China, and they are no more or less rediculous or offensive or insensitive than other human characters that appear in the various Felix cartoons. I feel a little silly even commenting on it, but it also feels like a necessity these days.)

"False Vases" is one of ten Felix the Cat cartoons included on the "Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics" from Alpha Video. It's the latest collection curated by film preservationist and lecturer John Carpenter, and it's got some rarities on it you won't find easily elsewhere. Even if you do find them, they're not likely to be in as good condition, nor as complete, as the ones featured on this disc.

Take for example the version of "False Vases" that's available on YouTube (embedded below, so you can sample Felix if you want to) versus the one of the DVD. The latter has a much sharper picture.

But I recommend getting the Carpenter/Alpha Video's "Felix the Cat" collection. It's fun stuff as a VERY reasonable price!

Musical Monday with Lykke Li

Experts in such matters as Ancient Aliens, the Greys, and Lizard People claim that ten years ago, in 2011,  singer Lykke Li, two musicians, and a film crew were sent to the Moon where Lykke Li and the musicians performed a concert. We have come upon footage that seems to bear out this claim. It's embedded below.

The question then becomes: Why was Lykke Li and those particular musicians chosen to perform a live concert on the Moon? Who did they perform for? Or maybe Lykke Li is actually a time traveler, and the Live From the Moon concert didn't happen ten years ago, but rather 410 years into the future? What is the truth here? We want answers!

Take a look at the video evidence and prepare to have your mind blown on this Musical Monday. (Or maybe just enjoy this minimalist, haunting performance of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers".)

Bones Coffee's Maple Bacon Blend

A little while back, I ordered some coffee from Florida-based Bones Coffee Company because the name of the blend amused me--Army of Dark Chocolate. It was so good that I ordered a whole bunch of 4-oz. sample packs of their amusingly named blends (and a few of their 'straight' ones) to try them... and to post brief reviews of them here at the blog--because what's more black than coffee... or more white than the unsweetened almond milk I pour in it? (Okay, REAL milk is whiter than almond milk, but just go with it, okay?)

All the cool people drink coffee, like Vincent Price!

I'm starting this new type of post with a blend I ordered, expecting NOT to like, but the concept was so odd I had to try it: Maple Bacon.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: MAPLE BACON 

The Maple Bacon blend is a medium roast, made with Brazilian Arabica beans. I admit that I a sample  the idea of bacon flavored coffee seems... well, absolutely terrible. Yeah, I know bacon is supposed to go with everything, and I DO eat bacon while drinking coffee... but didn't think much of the idea of bacon IN coffee!

The first thing I noticed about this blend was how great it smelled while brewing. It didn't just smell like coffee--it smelled like maple syrup. Even better, when I took the first sip from my mug, I discovered it didn't taste much like bacon at all. It has a sweet and salty flavor to it, with a maple flavor coming through strong enough that someone (like me) who hardly ever drinks their coffee black could do so with this.

When drinking the Maple Bacon blend with added almond milk (unsweetened), the undercurrent of bacon flavor emerges more strongly become more of a clear flavor than just a touch of saltiness. It's not so strong so as to be off-putting, but instead adds a fascinating flavor twist.

The Maple Bacon blend is equally good hot or iced. Interestingly, when I drank it iced, the bacon flavor seemed to come through even stronger. (That could just have been my imagination though.)

If you like coffee, I recommend giving this a try!

 

Here's a Pinterest page that relates to this topic: Famous People Drinking Coffee!

It's Record Store Day 2021!

Today is the day when we celebrate music-lovers who are further behind the times than your host, Steve Miller, and his flip-phone! Record store owners (and those who still release music on vinyl) have created this day to remind they're around--and if you still have a working turntable, we join them in encouraging you to see what they have to offer! This year's record store ambassador is Fred Armisen.

Meanwhile, Monica Lewis offered by to demonstrate that records have at least one advantage that CDs might not (and that streaming audio files certainly do not) have...

The Avengers Dossier, Page Fourteen

It's time for another look at one of the many actors and actresses who guest-starred in an episode of "The Avengers".




ISOBEL BLACK
In "Silent Dust", Isobel Black plays the daughter of a scientist who was wronged... and who may or may not be out for revenge.

Isobel Black was born in Scotland in 1942, and she landed her first professional acting roles while still in her teens. She spent most of her career playing supporting roles in historical dramas and police procedurals and action-adventure series on television, with a few excursions into horror and science fiction along the way.

Black's major television credits include starring roles in "Witch Wood" (1964), "The Rise and Fall of César Birotteau" (1965), "This Way for Murder" (1967), "The Rebellious Red Gauntlets" (1970), "Castaway" (1970), "The Capone Investment (1974), "The Brief" (1984), and "Tygo Road" (1990); and key recurring roles in "Emergency-Ward 10" (1962), "Mogul" (1967), and "The Castle of Adventure" (1990). Both her big screen appearances were in Hammer Studios gothic vampire films "The Kiss of the Vampire" (1962) and "Twins of Evil" (1971).

Black married director/producer James Gatward in 1969. From that point forward, her acting career began to slow down. Several of her major roles were in series that were either produced or directed by Gatward. As the 1980s came to a close, Black grew increasingly involved with the administrative side of high educaton. In 1994, she served as a governor of the Southhampton Technical Collection as it was being transformed into Solent University. She has also been heavily involved with the Mayflower Theatre Trust in Southhampton since the mid-970s, and she was awarded the British Empire Medal for that work.

This 'Jest of Honor' deserves your attention

Jest of Honor (1934)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (delivering two lines consisting of nonsense words)
Director: Vernon Stallings

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Little King inadvertently triggers an insurrection in a coastal town after getting busy with a mermaid.

"Jest of Honor" is seven-and-a-half-minutes of fast-moving nonsense. In fact, it will go by so fast that you'll be surprised that it's over. This is because this film, like many of "The Little King" series features animation that is among the best you'll find in any Van Beuren offering, and because there is not a moment where something that is visually interesting isn't happening on-screen--and there isn't a set-up that doesn't resolve itself into a well-timed visual gag.

Two of the most interesting points about this installment in this series is that although it consists of bits of action that are almost entirely nonsensical (from the Little King's introduction, though his interaction with fish and a mermaid, through a bizarre tickertape parade, and into the revolt during the climax) they all fit together to form a story that is more complete and coherent than what you'll find in most Van Beuren animation--with a beginning, a middle, an end, and even a denouement. The fact that the nonsense bits feed into each other and add up to a complete story is perhaps also one of the reasons the "Jest of Honor" flies by the way it does; there's nothing to take you out of the moment as you watch it. Secondly, the character designs continue to distinguish between the Little King and his servants and staff and the subjects of the kingdom. The subjects have few sharp angles, unlike the king and those at his court.

One other interesting bit of trivia in the character design department... the mermaids that the Van Beuren heroes Tom & Jerry came across a year earlier in "Rocketeers" were both more sensible in their outfits and even a little sexier than the one in "Jest of Honor". It doesn't really impact the overall cartoon, but it is the one point where a Tom & Jerry outing not animated by Jim Tyre beat "The Little King" series quality-wise.

But why don't you check out "Jest of Honor" and maybe let everyone know if you agree or disagree with my take on it? Just click below, sit back, and watch.

It's International Nude Day...

… and we're getting as close to celebrating it as we can here at Shades of Gray!

'The Stranger' leaves unanswered questions

The Stranger (2020)

Starring: Helen Crevel, Richard Boland, Mark Topping, and Kieron Attwood
Director: Alexander Dunn
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After the mysterious disappearance of her father (Topping), Kate (Crevel) and her husband (Boland) return to the house she grew up in, the last place he was known to be. The trip intended to put affairs in order instead results in the revelation of secrets and a descent into terror.



"The Stranger" has an air about it of a psychological thriller/supernatural horror movie from the 1950s or 1960s. The atmosphere is mostly one of underplayed dread, and the true nature of the supernatural (or superscientific?) horror at play in the story remains in question until... well, in the case of this film, until the very end and beyond.

While I could rightfully criticize this film for weak sound mixing, second-rate sound effects, wooden acting, and lackluster camerawork and lighting that doesn't take advantage of the black-and-white media, I'd only be doing it because I want more! And I want more in a good way.

Some films end with the viewer feeling unsatisfied, with a "That's It?" sensation. You'll be saying "That's It?" at the end of this one, too, but it'll not because you're unsatisfied, it's because you'll want to know what happens next. For all of its technical weak spots, "The Stranger" has such an interesting story and leaves so many mysteries and unanswered questions as the end credits flick by on the screen (and even adds one during those credits) that the only disappointment you'll feel is that it's over and those questions are left for you to imagine the answers to.

"The Stranger" is available for viewing on YouTube, and I am embedding it here for your convenience. If you have 15 minutes of free time, I recommend checking it out. And if you have a few additional spare moments, you can leave a comment below to let your fellow readers know if I've steered you right or wrong with suggesting this neat little film.

Hick-Hop on a Musical Monday

A co-worker brought a musical sub-genre that crosses rock, hip-hop, and country with an off-roading, beer-swilling, American back-country aesthetic here at Shades of Gray. After she showed us a few videos, she said we were watching and listening to "hick-hop." 

One example of "hick-hop" comes to us from Gangstergrass, fronted by Rench. (I think the video for this one is especially good, with some small clever touches [easter-eggs?] here and there.)

Here's a sample of "hick-hop" from a favorite performer of my coworker, Brantley Gilbert.... 

In anticipation of the new "Cinderella" film...

... we're going to bring you some black-and-white adaptations of that famous fairy tale (along with commentary). You may also treat these posts as a public service if you don't have access to Amazon Prime (where the new "Cinderella" will premiere on September 3), or if you want to be able to say you've seen "Cinderella", but don't want to sit through 90+ minutes of sap.

First up, we have TerryToon's adaptation of "Cinderella" from 1933. Drop down to the end of post and click to watch it. Although you can also read our thoughts on it first... and then maybe you can leave some thoughts of your own in the comments section below this post!

Cinderella (1933)

Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors

Director: Frank Moser

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A hedonistic king throws a party while his stern queen is out of town. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters are invited while she has to stay at home... but she ends up at the festivities anyway.

 

To say this is a loose adaptation of the familiar "Cinderella" story is an understatement. It begins in familiar territory and then transforms into something completely different. The creators seem to kinda-sorta remember what they were doing every now and then--a "Cinderella" adaptation--but only momentarily.

After opening with one of most annoying songs you're likely to encounter, but very much on track to be a standard "Cinderella" tale, it then it goes spinning off in bizarre directions. Cinderella is almost a minor character in her own story, with most of the focus being on the lecherous king, his dippy son, and the drunken bash the king throws. Some of the expected elements show up, but they are strange and surreal distortions of what we'd typically expect. 

Are you in the mood for something weird? Sit back and enjoy this wild ride, along with a king on his tricycle, a prince on his wooden horse, and Cinderella in her magic carriage.

The Avengers: Room Without a View

Room Without a View (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Philip Latham, and Paul Whitson-Jones
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

One scientist who vanished returns home, out of his mind. Seven others remain missing. Top government investigators John Steed (Mcnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) discover the common link is that they all stayed at the Chessman Hotel. Can Steed and Peel identify the sinister forces that have taken up residence at the Chessman before they themselves fall victim to them?

"Room With a View" has lots of great things about it. The mystery of how top scientists are vanishing from a London hotel is one that grows more compelling as the show unfolds--and the apparent solution seems outright nightmarish when it first begins to come to light. The twists that are introduced here are also nicely done. Steed  gets to be the center of some really funny bits as he goes undercover as a food critic to curry favor with the equal parts flamboyant, publicity-hungry, and shady owner of the Chessman (Wutson-Jones). Even Wokesters will find things to enjoy about this episode, such the fate of a sexist government bureaucrat, and the Chinese wife of an abducted scientist being scarcastic about cultural and racial stereotypes.

The scenes involving an imprisoned Mrs. Peel as the episode heads toward its climax are also extremely well done... and ones I can't comment upon without ruining the plot. Suffice to say, you're going to find them compelling.

What is less compelling is the episode's villain, the corpulent owner of the Chessman Hotel who has dreams of building a hospitality empire. He's as evil and petty as any Avengers villain we've come across so far in the series, but there's a disconnected stiffness about the actor portraying him--particularly in the scenes he shares with Patrick Macnee--that saps some of the life from what is an otherwise fast-moving, well-mounted episode helmed by the great Roy Ward Baker.

D20 Cat People

The basics of the Cat People can be found in this post (in which they were revealed to be stalking Shades of Gray favorite Milla Jovovich). This post expands on some of that information while providing rules for creating Cat People player characters in d20 System games.

   The material in this post was inspired by the classic films "Cat People" (1942) and "Curse of the Cat People (1944), and the not-so-classic "Cat People" (1982).

D20 CAT PEOPLE

All text in this post from this point forward is released under the Open Game License. It may be produced in accordance with the terms described in the license. Copyright 2021 Steve Miller.)

Who are the Cat People?

They are whatever fits best into the GM's campaign (or as determined by these tables), but, in general, they are an ancient species of beings that are closely related to Humans and who have lived among us since before the dawn of recorded history. They appear Human generally, but they are often able to change into either the form of a great cat and/or a humanoid form with feline characteristics. If they are to be used as player characters, they should not all be hostile toward humanity... although it's possible that a player character with Cat People blood may not know of his or her true nature initially.

Creating Cat People Characters
Cat People characters are generated in the same fashion as Humans in your preferred d20 System variant, with the following changes:
   Racial Bonus: When created, Cat People characters gain ability bonuses of +2 Dexterity and +2 Charisma. They are naturally agile and can project an aura of friendliness (or the opposite) when they want to.

    Starting Feats: Cat People characters must choose Blood of the Cat People (see "New Feats and Talents", below). Additionally, the character must choose one of the following as the second feat: Acrobatics,  Alertness, Athletic, Agile, Blind Fight, Confident, Deceptive, Favored of Bast, Jump, or Run.

   Special Ability: Cat People have the inborn ability to shape change from their human form into either the shape of a panther, or a humanoid with feline features. They must learn how to use this ability, however. Mastering their shapeshifting abilities is represented by a talent tree, Cat People Forms. (See below.)

NEW FEATS AND TALENTS

The following feats and talents are unique to the Cat People.

FEATS

Cat People characters have access to the Cat People group of feats through the started feat Blood of the Cat People. They may select  one of these feats in place of feats and bonus feats gained from classes and level advancement.

Existing Feats

The following feats from the base rulebook are part of the Cat People group. In addition to the new feats listed below, they may also select feats from the following list: Acrobatics,  Alertness, Athletic, Agile, Blind Fight, Confident, Deceptive, Improved Initiative, Jump, Lucky, and Run.

New Feats

The following new feats are part of the Cat People group.

Blood of the Cat People [Starting Feat Only]

You are one of the Cat People. Whether or not you are aware of your true nature and heritage, the blood of an ancient race blessed by the goddess Bast herself, runs through your veins.

   Benefit: The character has an affinity for felines and gains a +4 bonus to any skill rolls involving felines.

   Special: The character gains access to feats of the Cat People feat group. These feats may be selected whenever the character would gain feats through level advancements or class bonuses, and may be chosen in place of feats prescribed in class descriptions. The character must still meet any prerequisites to qualify for the feat.

Danger Sense [General, Cat People]
You have an uncanny ability for sensing trouble just before it strikes.
   Benefit: The character gains a +2 bonus to all Sense Motive and Spot skill checks.

Favored of Bast [Cat People]
The patron of the Cat People has looked favorably upon you, and she has granted you a special talent.

   Prerequisite: Blood of the Cat People feat

   Benefit: Gain a +4 bonus to all d20 rolls made in an effort to help, defend, or advocate for otherwise defenseless beings. The character also gains a +2 bonus to Sense Motive and Spot checks.

Feline Affinity [Cat People]

You have a particular way with cats of all kinds.

   Prerequisite: Blood of the Cat People feat

   Benefit: By taking a full round action and making a successful Charisma check (DC12), the character turns felines with Intelligence scores of 1-3 friendly towards him and neutral toward allied characters. He can influence a number felines equal to his Charisma bonus. The creatures remain calmed for the duration of the encounter with them, or until they are attacked by the character or his allies. Targeted felines must be within 30 feet of the character, and they must be able to see him under normal visibility conditions.
   Special: When selecting this feat, you gain a +4 bonus to Handle Animal skill checks involving felines.

Lucky [Cat People]
You lead a charmed life.
   Prerequisite: One attribute above 12
   Benefit: Once per game session, you may declare a single attack roll, skill check, or saving throw that faled to be a success. The success is never a critical.
Special: This feat can be replaced with "The Reports of My Death..." under the right circumstances. See "The Reports of My Death..." for more details.

Shadow Meld [Fast Hero, Cat People]
You can use even the slightest shadow to "hide in plain sight."
   Prerequisite: Hide 6 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks
   Benefit: When in an area that features at least some shadow, the character gains a +8 bonus to Hide skill checks.

"The Reports of My Death..." [Cat People]
You were dead... but you got better!
   Benefit: If the character dies (reduced below -10 hit points, disintegrated, blown to tiny bits, lost and drowned at sea, eaten by rabid weasels--any death, no matter how mundane or terrible), this feat allows them to instantly return from the dead. The character reappears somewhere out of harm's way, with 1/4 of his or her hit points and a semi-plausible explanation of how he or she survived (the GM or player may invent something).
   The feat can only be used once. After the character has miraculously (perhaps literally) escaped death, the feat must be replaced by one of the following (with all prerequisites needing to be met): Attentive, Cautious, Dodge, Lucky, Never Say Die
   Special: There is no benefit from this feat until the character dies. If the character possesses the Lucky feat, the character can replace it with this feat after he or she is killed, essentially getting a two-for-one on rising from the dead.
If the character replaces this feat with Lucky, the cycle can repeat itself.

NEW TALENT TREES

The talents on the "Cat People Forms" tree represent the mastery the Cat People may develop over their shape changing abilities. The talents on the "Chosen of Bast" tree are gained by Cat People who have been tasked to be her agents on Earth--and they may eventually gain completely immortality.

Cat People Forms

The Cat People are born with the ability to change between a human form, a feline animal form, and a humanoid hybrid feline/human form. Changing between forms is a conscience effort and one that takes practice, physical strength, and mental focus to do. 

   Clothing and equipment does not transform with the character. It may be dropped or torn during a transformation.

   If one of the Cat People falls unconcious or goes to sleep while either in the animal or hybrid form, he or she reverts to his or her human body within 1d4 hours.

   Unlike lycanthropes, if one of the Cat People is killed in animal or hybrid form, he or she does not revert to their human body. 

   Great Cat Form: As a full round action, and with a successful Willpower check (DC11), the character may switch to or from human to animal form--specifically, the form of a panther. If the check fails, the character may attempt to transform again the following round.

   When in animal form, the character gains all the abilities, attributes and qualities of a panther (one of the Great Cats, click here for rules details) with the following adjustments: The character retains his or her base saving throw modifiers (unless the animal form provides better ones), class abilities, and benefits and bonuses gained from feats and talents. The character also retains his or her hit points (unless the basic animal form provides better hit points), as well as his or her Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma attribute scores. Some class abilities, feats, and talents are not usable in animal form; common sense should easily allow GMs and players to determine what those are.

   With the GM's permission, the character's cat form may appear different than a panther==and may even conform stat-wise to one of the other great cats--but it remains the same for each transformation once specified.

   Prerequisite: Blood of the Cat People feat

   House Cat Form: As a full round action, and with a successful Willpower check (DC11), the character may switch to or from human to animal form--specifically the form of a black house cat. If the check fails, the character may attempt to transform again the following round.

   When in animal form, the character gains all the abilities, attributes and qualities of a small feline, typically referred to as a "house cat" (click here for rules details), with the following adjustments: The character retains his or her base saving throw modifiers, class abilities, and benefits and bonuses gained from feats and talents (unless the animal form provides better ones). The character also retains his or her hit points, as well as his or her Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma attribute scores. Some class abilities, feats, and talents are not usable in animal form; common sense should easily allow GMs and players to determine what those are.

   With the GM's permission, the character's house cat form may appear differently than described, but it remains the same for each transformation once a look has been settled upon.

   Prerequisite: Blood of the Cat People feat

   Hybrid Form: As a full round action, and with a successful Willpower check (DC15), the character may switch to or from human to a hybrid human/animal form that is humanoid with feline characteristics. If the check fails, the character may attempt to transform again the following round.

   While in hybrid form, the character retains all his or her base attribute scores, saving throw modifiers, class abilities, and benefits and bonuses gained from feats and talents. The hybrid from grants the following advantages, all of which stack with any other similar bonuses: +2 to Strength attribute; +4 to Dexterity attribute; Lowlight Vision; Natural Weapon--Bite attack, +4 melee, damage 1d4+3; +4 skill ranks to Balance, Climb, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot.

   Prerequisite: Great Form talent

Chosen By Bast
You have felt the touch of Bast upon you and you have been blessed with near-immortality.
   Unaging: The character remain the age at which this talent is selected talent. The character can still be aged by extraordinary, magical or supernatural effects, but . Further, you no longer need food or drink to survive, although you still feel hunger and thirst.

   Prerequisite: Favored of Bast feat
   Immunity: Select a type of damage from the following list. You are immune to all damage of that type. Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Piercing, Poison/Venom, Magic.
   This talent can be selected more than once. Each time it is chosen, a different immunity must be specified.
   Prerequisite: Unaging talent.

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If you enjoyed this post, you can find many more like it at the NUELOW Games blog. If you REALLY enjoyed this post, please consider buying one or more of the actual game booklets written, co-written or otherwise produced and published by your kind host, Steve Miller. It will encourage him to make more!

Don't litter or the Mask Man will get you!

Mask Man (2021)

Starring: AJ Ashok

Director: AJ Ashok

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A litter bug (Ashok) has a bizarre and life-altering encounter.

While I was annoyed by the self-important Mask Nazis roaming around forcing their obsession with face masks on the rest of us over the past year-and-a-half, I was REALLY pissed off by those damn masks were strewn in parking lots and on sidewalks everywhere. because the pigs who had worn them were too lazy to dispose of them properly in a trash can. I hope that the Mask Nazis and their filthy habits are well behind us now.

When I first came across AJ Ashok's short silent horror film "Mask Man", I hoped that he'd made a film about some supernatural terror would haunt a Mask Nazi who was also a pig and just threw their disposable masks on the ground instead of in the trash. Alas, it is not my revenge fantasy brought to the screen, but it is an interesting little anti-littering film. (Even if I come to the conclusion that Ashok must live in a strange place... or do adults really carry snack-sized bags of crisps and juice boxes with them while out for a stroll?)

Click below to enjoy Ashok's moody little film. And remember: Don't litter.

Musical Monday with Panic! at the Disco

We're starting this first work-week of July with a stylish video (and a great song from Panic! at the Disco's 2014 album "Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die") that presents a warning about smoking/vaping, relationships, and loss.

Happy birthday to the United States of America!

Vera Ellen is letting freedom ring!

And Vera Miles is bringing the booms!

It's a Vera Special Fourth of July Celebration!

Something a little different...

Today, we got the laziest, most pathetic scam e-mail we've ever received at Shades of Gray. In fact, it's so bad that we felt it should be placed here and preserved for posterity. (Click on the image for a larger, more legible version.)

The email address from which it originated has already been reported for phishing, but you should feel free to call the phone number if you are really bored (and have a blocked caller ID).

The Avengers Dossier, Page Thirteen

Many actors familiar to fans of action films or spy dramas of the 1960 and 1970s could be found as guest-stars on "The Avengers". Here's another look at one of those.

JULIAN GLOVER

In "Two's a Crowd", Julian Glover is one of several handlers for a Soviet assassin so elusive it's as if he's made of smoke.

Born in 1935, and trained as a classical actress, Julian Glover made his professional debut in 1953. He has spent the past seven decades dividing his work between the stage, film, and television work. His sharp facial features, talent for doing voices and accents, and an ability to project an icy coldness made him ideal to play refined villains, haughty academics, and aristocratic military men and police officers.

Beginning in the early 1960s and continuing on into the 1980s, Glover was a familiar face to British television viewers, making frequent guest appearances and playing recurring or starring roles on a range of television series, such as "Doctor Who" (on which he played three different characters over the years), "Spy Trap" (in which he co-starred during the 1972 season), and "The Avengers" (where he played four different characters, in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 1969 respectively. During the 1980s and 1990s, he became known to American television viewers with appearances on shows like "Remington Steele". During the 2000s, he had a recurring role on the HBO fantasy series "Game of Thrones".

 

Glover has the distinction of being the only actor who's appeared as a villain in a "Star Wars" movie ("The Empire Strikes Back"), a James Bond movie ("For Your Eyes Only") and an Indiana Jones movie ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"). He's stated that a great unfulfilled ambition of his career was to play the time time-traveling alien Doctor Who, but there may be time for that yet: Glover is still a working actor who maintains a busy stage and film schedule.

'Forgotten Sweeties' should be visted

Forgotten Sweeties (1927)
Starring: Charley Chase, Anita Garvin, Shirley Palmer, Mitchell Lewis, and James Finlayson
Director: James Parrott
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

When an absent-minded office worker (Chase) and former lover (Palmer) end up living across the hall from each other, neither his wife (Garvin) nor the ex-lover's husband (Lewis) are happy about it.

"Forgotten Sweeties" is a comedy of errors where coincidences morph into misunderstandings that are piled onto mistakes until our hapless hero is about to lose his marriage if he's not murdered first. Like many Chase films, it's structured in such a way that the gags and situations feed naturally into each other, with their being a sort-of realism to the film that is not found in many silent comedies. Even better, the main character of the film is another one of Chase's Nice Guy heroes who is very literally just trying to get through the day and not looking for any trouble. You can actually feel sympathy for this guy, especially since there is almost nothing he could have done differently that would have not put him in the situations he ends up in.

This is one of those short films that will be ruined if I talk too much about what happens in it. However, I can assure you if you enjoy sit-coms and like silent comedies, you'll find plenty to entertain yourself here. Anita Garvin also gets to play a more sympathetic character than usual, so that's a nice change of pace.

Not every bit in "Forgotten Sweeties" works--and I suspect that part of that may be due to a social context that has been muted by the passage of time, but others are just a little too silly and drag on just a little too long--but the good outweighs that bad. The running gag with James Finlayson and a cat during the second half of the film is one of the highlights here.

"Forgotten Sweeties" is one of a handful of Charley Chase shorts included in the "Silent Comedy Classics" collection, all of which were digitized from the collection of film preservationist John Carpenter. It's a great DVD... at a price that's a steal. It's more than worth the price, I think.