All For the Want of a (Rusty) Nail

About a decade ago, I bought a large bottle of Drambuie at the airport duty-free shop while coming back from a work conference. It was too good a deal to pass up, I liked liqueurs, and I had fond childhood memories of Dad wrapping up many a nice meal out with a cup of coffee and a shot of Drambuie on the side. 

And Drambuie, a whisky-based liqueur made with herbs and heather honey, is a darned fine sip on its own, but I began to wonder what else it could be used in and upon researching, discovered it was a key ingredient to one of Frank Sinatra's favourite cocktails, the Rusty Nail.

Like a lot of classic cocktails, it is pretty simple: two parts blended scotch to one part Drambuie, stirred and served over the rocks or crushed ice with a lemon peel garnish. It is a potent drink, since even the liqueur portion is 40% ABV, but as a post-dinner sipper or nightcap it is a genuine treat, with just enough head-loosening properties to engage an appropriate amount of relaxation, reflection or conviviality, as a situation might require.

When I mentioned my (at the time) recent pivot to this beverage to Mum back in 2014, I was elated to discover that it had also been a favourite of my father's, a revelation that delighted me to no end.

I don't always have Drambuie in the house, and sometimes when I do, I don't want to mix it with the whiskeys on hand that are meant for sipping on their own. But I picked up a handle of Dewar's the last time I was at Costco and used an accumulation of Scene points to facilitate the purchase of a bottle of Drambuie shortly thereafter, once I realized hopw long it had been since I had sipped or served a Rusy Nail.

We had company last weekend and I put one together for one of our guests, and they quite liked it, which I have found to be a pretty common reaction from just about anyone who will take their spirits neat on occasion.

Despite the fact they are served cold and over ice, the Rusty Nail is by no means a drink for a warm, sunny day - quenching one's thirst with a Rusty Nail is ill-advised to say the least! But on a cool winter's night, with the majority of the weekend behind you and a full work week only hours ahead, taking one's sweet time unwinding with sips of a vintage cocktail is an experience to be savoured... and shared, if one is lucky enough.

Obligatorio (But Not Bad) - Captain America: Brave New World, Reviewed

Since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel's movies have suffered from more than a bit of "what do you do for an encore?" None of the entries in Phases 4 or 5 have grabbed the interest of viewers the way previous entries did, which I suppose is kind of natural - not only is the Infinity Saga a tough act to follow in general, Captain America boasts what is likely the best superhero trilogy ever with First Avenger, Winter Soldier and Civil War. So to say that both Anthony Mackie and his character Sam Wilson have some immense boots to fill in Brave New World is a fairly significant understatement.

So let's get this out of the way: it's a fairly mediocre movie, as movies go. With the exception of the villain reveal (which Marvel has done a great job keeping out of most of the trailers and such), there is next to no tension in this film - next to nothing in the way of surprises. 

Given the death of William Hurt and the recasting of the legendary Harrison Ford as Gen. (and now President) Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, I don't know how they could have marketed this film without spoiling his inevitable transformation into the Red Hulk, but wouldn't that have been cool?

The aerial scenes are great but the on the fight segments on the ground don't appear to be up to the high standard we've come to expect from the MCU, although the climactic showdown is handled pretty well over all. But they also aren't throwing them in every seven minutes to keep you awake, so that's good. Does it feel like director Julius Onah is out of his element at times? Yeah, kind of. Is BNW too 'woke'? No, don't be stupid - what the hell does that even mean?

Story-wise, turning the snake-themed villain cadre the Serpent Society from the comics into a mercenary outfit with the same name led by an uncostumed Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder was a welcome discovery. It is a new nod to the slightly more grounded villainy the previous Cap had to deal with, and was apparently one of the big elements added in reshoots. And yes, reshoots are never the kind of thing you want to hear about, but I am willing to bet they came away with a stronger movie than they might have had without them, and besides, who doesn't like a bit more Giancarlo in their genre cinema?

So in some ways, CA:BNW feels a little like a salvage operation, not unlike the second Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever. And like it, I think the filmmakers deserve some kudos just for pulling off something coherent and entertaining while navigating the increasingly complex continuity of the MCU.

For my perspective, an adequate entry in the series is a little disappointing (given the strengths of the previous films) but not a loss or a defeat in any way. But remember, I am not buying my ticket as a movie fan who likes comic movies; I am going because I am a comics fan who wants to see beloved properties treated with respect.

And I got that, for the most part.

I like Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson a lot, and the film pulls no punches in showing that, as Pres. Ross tells him to his face, "you are no Steve Rogers." He is not as strong, not as fast, not as durable, nor as resolute. But they make it clear that his heart is just as big as skinny Steve's, the kid from Brooklyn who could do this all day and hated bullies.

Linking the story to Carl Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley, who received the super-soldier serum during the Korean War and was tasked with taking down Winter Soldier before being disavowed and imprisoned was a great touch. It lets us address the racial issues at play with a Captain America of colour without making it the focus of the film.

Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) is just as anxious to become the new Falcon as he was when introduced in the Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ series, and has much of the same swagger as Sam did when introduced in the second Cap film. He brings tech skills and heart, but will need more to become a sidekick we will clamor to see.

Saga-wise, I know many viewers will be heartened by the absence of a multiverse story (despite that being the name of this current set of Phases!), but be warned, it does get hinted at. Mostly I was glad to see them finally address the new landmass created by the Celestial emerging from the Indian Ocean in 2021's The Eternals. This was a movie where I remember more about the post-credits scene than the film itself, which is not a great sign, obviously.

More critically though, Celestial Island gives them a great way to introduce Marvel's other famously made-up mineral, adamantium. And having the initial tension revolve around an international treaty regarding the island and its miraculous metal was a great angle, but hopes for a Tom Clancy-like approach are never really met. (Note to filmmakers - despite being the Commander-in-Chief, the President should never be shouting orders like "launch interceptor missiles" on a warship - even if it is Harrison Ford!)

In the end, Captain America: Brave New World is by no means a must-see, even if you haven't succumbed to "superhero fatigue." But if you are curious at all about the progress of a character willfully stepping into shoes too big to fill, or the evolution of the MCU in general, we certainly didn't come away feeling disappointed.

Dancing and Drinks at Sub-Level 03

It's hard for me to say why, but a lot of people are surprised when I tell them how much I enjoy rave music. I mean I am probably way too inhibited (and too old) to ever actually go to one, but the family knows that "Ravey Gravy" is one of my go-to playlists on the weekend, especially in the kitchen.

So yeah, my musical tastes are pretty eclectic and there is plenty of room for EDM in my wheelhouse. 

Glory is similarly oriented and was gratified to be able to take her bestie to a proper dance club in Texas when they visited Tara there last November - a place with great sounds, good lights and a dedicated dance floor. She almost had me convinced that the two of us should go to a rave at the Aviation museum called "Bangers in the Hangar" but they sold out before I could be put to the test (save us from the time of trial).

Conversely, when she went out with her friends from nursing school on Friday they started out at Cook County and ended up at Daisy's, with her lamenting the next morning, "why does Edmonton need two country dance bars when they don't have a single other dance club?" [Note: she concedes there are places one can dance, but categorizes them as bars with dance floors, not dance clubs where one can drink.]

This triggered an ancient memory in my discocampus and I looked up from my bowl of Honeycombs saying, "hey, what if we won the lotto - would you be interested in building and running a proper dance club with a retro/future industrial theme with me?"

"Ohmigawd yes," she said, "what would we call it?"

"Sub-Level 3," I replied. "But look, here's the thing, this has been a dream in the back of my mind for like three decades."

When she nodded, I continued: "So the look is super industrial and technological - treadplate and stuff that looks like treadplate everywhere. Exposed conduit and piping, perforated metal partitioning, yellow gumball lights from the ceiling, metal cages around the naked red bulbs by the exits, OSHA stripes wherever there is an elevation change, the whole thing. Oh, and as much fog as I can reasonably afford."

She nodded, "okay, so where is this all coming from?"

"It's a fair question," I replied. "It is largely from Ripley's rescue of Newt in the movie Aliens."

There was a brief pause while her fandom confronted both her artistic and commercial appeal centres, and then she nodded, "okay, I love it. Playlists only, right, no deejay?"

"Sure," I agreed.

"What about lights?" she queried.

"Well, that and the sound system should be the big expense, since the decor should be cheap and low maintenance. And the gumballs are just for ambience, and might only be in the entryway and corridor." (in my mind, there would be a dedicated perimeter within the building for an indoor lineup, given how cold it gets in this city for much of the year.)

"And I mean a full suite of theatrical, computer controlled lights - lasers, strobes, gels, video display backgrounds, the whole nine yards. And some of them synced to immense knife switches on the wall, like in Frankenstein's lab."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "you mean like those big..." and the mimed pulling a switch like one sees for an electric chair.

"Exactly!" I confirmed. 

Her eyes rolled, "okay, that would be awesome, where I could be on stage waiting for the drop, and just when it hits - BAM I throw the switch and CHAOS."

"You get it," I smiled.

Later that day I was driving when I was hit with sudden inspiration and texted her from a red light: "animatronic ROBOT DJ." 

And I don't mean some friendly android puppet either, I am talking about some serious Kubota industrial stuff where a three-fingered robot arm occasionally holds up a platter for a screaming audience, spinning it dramatically before dropping it with binary precision onto a turntable - just for show of course, with all the actual sounds being digital, but such a show!

Samples from classic sci-fi sliding in between tracks, a cyberpunk night at least once a month, green lasers producing the Matrix effect on a sea of dancers, and a stage large enough to accommodate live acts when needed.  A lounge/bar close enough to hear the music but subdued enough to talk, with the same industrial decor, recessed lighting and a backlit bar. Something that wouldn't look out of place on the set of Blade Runner. Love of dance is a human constant, and if they can do it elsewhere around the world, why not here in Edmonton?

I am unlikely to ever win the lottery (for one thing, I only rarely buy tickets...), but if I ever should, I will have a grand time building the businesses I would have appreciated when I was younger, whether or not they ever turn a profit! I mean, what else are they going to do with the Rossdale power plant?

And hey, look: someone else has already got a t-shirt ready:

(Well Past) Midnight Suns - Reviewed

I am looking forward to getting more painting and reading done now that I have finally finished playing Midnight Suns on the PlayStation.

Even though I am still using a past-generation console, I still dislike getting my video games upon release and prefer to pick them up on sale later...often much later. This is why I only finished 2018's Red Dead Redemption 2 last fall, and I also tend to play them kind of exhaustively (all the side missions and anything story-related) whichh is why it took me 11 months to finish.

Midnight Suns is not an open world adventure game like RDR2 though, it is more of a...well, let's just say that to call it a comic-book inspired, turn-based, tactical card RPG wrapped around a dating simulator would not be inaccurate.

Set in the Marvel Comics universe (the original MCU!), the titular Midnight Suns are a group of established, supernaturally oriented characters from a variety of titles: Blade (the vampire hunter), Nico Minoru (the blood witch of The Runaways), Robbie Reyes (the most recent Ghost Rider), and Illyana Rasputin (Magik from the X-Men).

Facing an unprecedented assault from Lilith, the Mother of Demons and her new Hydra allies, they resurrect the last person to defeat her three centuries earlier - her child, known only as The Hunter, which is the character you will play. Such is the level of threat that Avengers Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel have joined you as well, and the two groups' differing approaches will lead to friction between them at times.

I love turn based games, and having been wanting to play this ever since I found it it was developed by the same crew who made XCOM, and it has been almost exclusively awesome time.

Typical combat encounters feature three characters (some you choose, some chosen for you to fit the story), each of whom as their own deck of 8 cards. On each turn, you can play three, and the order you play them in can be very critical. You can also redraw two cards per turns, franticaly trying to trade your heal card for something more damaging early in the fight, or vice versa later on.

You can also move your characters around the battlefield, which helps you align certain attacks that can hit everything in a straight line, or knock enemies back into obstacles or hazards for addtional damage.

In between missions, you can turn captured 'gamma coils' into random new cards. In addition to newer, different abitlies or attacks, you can also combine two of the same card into an improved version. Eventually you even get the ability to build your own copies of cards or modifying them in other ways.

The role-play aspects occur as you explore the mystical grounds of the Transian abbey that is the headquarters of the Suns, finding various artifacts and eventually the spell ingredients used to create still more resources and items that can be combined in seemingly limited ways. Special challenges enable Hunter to use words of power from the Elder gods, which open up even more of the grounds for exploring.

If I am being honest though, as much as I enjoy the tactical challenges of the combat, what made me love the game is the way it handles downtime. After missions, you are often given the opportunity to 'hangout' with another character, your talk guided by familiar but well-written dialogue trees. You may also have the opportunity to share a gift with them, and finding the right gift for the right individual becomes almost a game unto itself, as does choosing an appropriate activity for the hangout. Glory mocked me mercilessly for taking Wolverine on a picnic later in the game, but it turns out the dude loves some quiet time and chow away from the crowd.

Between these activities, other dialogue opportunities and sparring sessions, you can eventually 'level up' your friendship. Doing this unlocks a few ornamental gewgaws (like wardobe choices for both Hunter and the other hero), but more importantly friendship enables aboslutely brutal hero combo cards that allows two heroes in a fight to combine their attacks. The higher the team;s friendship level, the more of these combos present themselves to you.

Generally good writing and excellent voice acting (Matt Mercer and Laura Bailey from Critical Role as the male voice of Hunter (who can also be female) and Illyana Rasputin), Michael Jai White as Blade) made the story elements most compelling for me - which is why I found the abrupt ending I experienced at 2 am Friday night to be a bit disappointing.

The final fight is a protracted, multi stage affair, without the additional selection and equipping stage I had becoem used to. I also encountered a number of bugs that appear to be kind of commonplace (where the Counter I selected (to aoutomatically attack those who attack me) didn't work on two different occasions) and which at one point told me I had lost the encounter without explaining why. Thankfully the latter only happened once, and online chatter suggests reloading a saved game can mitigate the other glitch, but it still soured me a bit.

Before heading into the final fight, you are given the opportunity to converse with any other character you wish, and knowing it to be the final fight, I of course spoke to all of them. This probably took me twenty minutes, given how large the roster is by game's end, so perhaps this is meant to take the place of an epilogue anyways.Maybe they need some appendices like Lord of The Rings, and I know there's some DLC I will want to try at some point.

Despite these shortcomings, there is an awful lot to like about Midnight Suns: creative, turn-based combat, room for creative combinations and a tremendous variety of things to do, even between missions.

Most critically for me though, is seeing such a well-established universe from such a different perspective. It was touching watching Hunter discover Magik's tragic origin story, a true loss of childhood, as well as seeing him help develop the confidence of Ghost Rider and Spider-Man. Discovering Blade started the Abbey's book club as a means of interacting with his crush, Captain Marvel was fun, as was listening to an embittered Tony Stark refer to the Midnight Suns as the 'spooky teens club.' And the in-game chat board that let's characters converse with each other is worth the price of admission.

And sadly, the game's critical successes but commercial failure works in our favour as it can nowbe found for less than $20 on many platforms; consider checking it out!