Tom Murch

Peace. Yeah. Obviously peace. (inane YouTube comment about peace & love)

"No, sorry, I'm a real war person." says a small shell on a laptop keyboard

I sign all my personal letters, "War." says a small shell on a laptop keyboard

"Let the battle begin. Marcel." says a small shell on a laptop keyboard

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is:
a) a delightful 80 minute stop-go animation 'documentary'
b) on iPlayer www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002nzy7 for another 18 days
c) a real sasspot

YouTube video by A24 Marcel The Shell With Shoes On | Official Trailer HD | A24

After being a fan of the children’s phenomenon that is Marcel The Shell With Shoes On for a few years (via YouTube). I’ve finally seen the movie (currently on iPlayer).

What a heartwarming start to the New Year.

youtu.be/k98Afd7Nf3Y?...

Had Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) on in the background and forgot about the “Whale Jet Ski” joke and that’s how I’m choosing to refer to the noted hockey player from now on.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is such a cute film. How have I never heard of it before?

Rewatched “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” (just as charming and moving the second time around) and Cocaine Bear (just as brilliantly stupid the second time around).

Ah geez, that semi-sanguinated blood is the WORST.

I'm a lucky guy ... how many Doctor Who fans do I follow online?

And I didn't see ONE of them spoil the ending of Stranger Things for me with a "If I had a nickel for every time..." joke.

That's definitely one thing I like about the Indiana Jones films; watching Indy solve one problem ("I'm no longer tied to that chair!") at the cost of creating a bigger one ("The room is now on fire.")

I started picturing one Knight with a squadron of Trojans to keep it supplied with ammo ... but I'm afraid it didn't take my mind long to drift towards imagining an army that's one Stompa with a giant Shokk Attack Gun, and A THOUSAND SNOTLINGS.

An advert for the video game Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, showing dual protagonists Raziel and Kain bearing their respective Soul Reaver blades, with Janos Audron behind them.

A screencap from Soul Reaver 2, showing Raziel approach Kain with his spectral Soul Reaver blade drawn.

An advert for the video game Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, showing dual protagonists Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, with Caledon University behind them.

A screencap from Life Is Strange, showing Chloe glancing towards Max whilst driving her truck home. Golden sunlight spills through the trees in the background.

I've made a few jokes about the similarities between the Legacy of Kain franchise and Life Is Strange over the years, and now they're both releasing games that each have their two iconic characters playable - IN THE SAME MONTH.

Fingers crossed for them both being great...

Bundles All our ebook bundles contain books significantly discounted from their standalone prices. And naturally they're all DRM-free, and come with our lifetime free replacement guarantee.

...So in local news: I still need to get some more heating oil for the house before the prices, uh, do what they're going to do. Want some pretty-low-priced #ebook bundles that have never been anywhere near AI slop? Grab one of these and help keep a writer warm! 🙂 dduane.link/EBDBundlesLi...

Humble Choice March 2026 gets you Tempest Rising and 7 more games! Grab them all or skip a month? Check out everything included in the March 2026 Humble Choice lineup, available now for $14.99.

🔥 The Humble Choice lineup for March 2026 is here!

Grab Tempest Rising, SWORN, Chants of Sennaar, and 5 more games for $14.99.

gg.deals/bundle/humbl...

I spent a long time thinking that the Dark Urge was just a "sometimes you kill people" mode, but I've recently learned that there's a lot more to it than that... Looks like I need to study my list of potential characters and see who'll benefit most from a bit of extra blood-thirsting!

If it's no trouble, yes please!

Looks nice - but did you (or any other UK resident) manage to download it yourself? My own Square Enix account doesn't seem to work on the Japanese site, and I'm so app-phobic that I'm reluctant to sign up a second time to another region's website (if it's even possible).

Two characters from Stranger Things - Eleven and Max - standing in a doorway.

Four characters from Stranger Things - Dustin, Robin, Erica and Steve - walking down a corridor.

Three characters from Stranger Things - Joyce, Jim and Murray - looming over the camera in Soviet Union uniforms.

A character from Stranger Things - Ted Wheeler - snoozing on his armchair with a bowl full of popcorn.

So, you waited for 10 years to see what my brother and I thought of Stranger Things before deciding if you'd watch it yourself? Very wise!

We both enjoyed it. I could point out some flaws, but there aren't many modern shows that have given us so many entertaining characters.

I hear that the advert for their next big product is just thousands of people chanting, "Grond!" over and over again.

a cartoon pink panther is standing in front of a building ALT: a cartoon pink panther is standing in front of a building

That pink Panther... Well played.

They should've just called the Space Marines themselves dreadnaughts, considering that famous "they shall have no fear" (naught dread) quote about 'em.

My phone just told me that today is "Ramadan 3", and you know what? That's a movie franchise I'd watch.

Ramadan: 2 Furious 2 Fast would be the greatest title for a sequel ever.

A screencap from the TV show The Nevers, season 1 episode 4. The image shows a chess board, where all the regular pieces have been replaced by small pieces of cheese, each bearing a tiny flag to show which side and piece-type it represents.

I'm the kind of dweeb that people ask, "Do you like chess?" of fairly regularly (twice in the past fortnight alone), and I now have my definitive response:

"I like Cheese Chess."

Still need work.

Thanks; you too!

Call me a soppy old romantic, but I'm still wondering how many more episodes it'll be before you and Adam hook up...

A screencap from the TV show Small Prophets, series 1 episode 4. An old man (played by Michael Palin) is telling his son that he recently won "Remote-controlled cars. Six of them," in a competition.

My only complaint about Mackenzie Crook's new series, Small Prophets, is that the protagonist starts growing six tiny mythical creatures and accidentally acquires six small remote control cars, but doesn't then result in six homunculi driving about the place.

Maybe next series…?

Started Small Prophets last night. I am loving it. It’s as if Terry Pratchett and the Inside Number 9 guys collaborated on an Alan Moore biopic

Small Prophets is funny, gentle and weird, the loveliest programme I’ve watched in ages.

Pleased to report Small Prophets is ace, a Joy. Mackenzie Crook is a national treasure.

YouTube video by BBC Trailers Small Prophets | Official Trailer - BBC

It is rare for something shot in Manchester to feel absolutely Hooklandian, but Small Prophets is a rare thing - an esoteric TV comedy that grows the heart. Mackenzie Crook is a genius. Small Prophets is television treasure.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=wLKL...