The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 80: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (with guest host Brett!)

This week we journey back to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, as we check in on the brand new adventures of teen sand-hater Anakin Skywalker as he tackles the biggest attack of the clones scenario ever in the mercifully brief junior novelization of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones! And joining me on this adventure is intrepid comic book evangelist Brett! Is the new stuff better than the old stuff? Stick this in your noggin and find out!

You can download it right now from the official site!

Or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and join the discussion in our friendly Facebook group!

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for March 24th 2014! We're Not Here!

This week we were just going to do a mini episode to tell you that we were doing a podcast, but then we accidentally recorded a full half hour which probably turned out funnier than any of the stuff we've attempted in the past. Along the way, Jacinta reviews Neighbors/Bad Neighbours, Luke complains about rising interest rates in Star Wars,  plus other assorted nonsense along the way!

Download here! (Click to stream, right-click to save)

And be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes and discuss the show in our Facebook group!

The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 79: Pacific Rim! (with guest host Xavier!)

How do you take a bunch of giant robots punching the crap out of giant monsters and make it completely uninteresting? We're about to find out as we read the thickly padded snoozefest that is the novelization of Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim! Joining me on this journey to the bottom of the ocean is star of fellow Australian podcast Something Something Joystick! Will we be more realistically Australian than the characters in the book/film? There's only one way to find out!

You can download it right now at the official site!

Or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and join the discussion in our friendly Facebook group!

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for March 17th! Getting Hairy!

This week we rattle off a range of eclectic topics, not the least of which is our hairy encounter with hair-themed children's television show Ha Ha Hairies! Ever wondered about Papa's whiskery carrot or Granny's hairy pear pies? You're about to find out! Plus we talk about Scarjo's alleged pregnancy, how to reboot the Fantastic Four, why children's songs are like pop music, and a whole lot more! Stick it in the holes at the side of your head!

Download here! (Click to stream, right-click to save)

And be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes and discuss the show in our Facebook group!

The Veronica Mars Movie!

I actually feel ill from watching the Veronica Mars movie. I was way too excited and all of that excitement totally paid off. It’s a strange and wonderful feeling.

Veronica was such a large part of my teenage years that seeing her Logan, Wallace, Mac, Piz, Weevil and the team all back together brought enormous amounts of joy all by themselves. The fact that the plot was full of all of the best parts of the Veronica Mars that I loved is a credit to Rob Thomas and his writing, casting, producing and support team.

And that means the Kickstarter Backers too. Because almost 8 years after Veronica Mars was cancelled, the fans of the show funded a long awaited film to see their beloved characters back together again. To find out what happened to them all. Who did they become? Who was still together? What was Veronica going to do with her life?

I just have an overwhelming urge to thank the whole Internet right now for what I just saw. It was amazing.

I’m going to ramble some more under the cut and I will warn before spoilers so if you want to check to movie out or you want to jump up and down via text on the web then please follow me under the cut.

National Theatre Live - Coriolanus Review!

In late February a few of the Fruitless Pursuits team caught NT Live and the Donmar Warehouse's live broadcast of Coriolanus starring the likes of Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss. It was fantastic! Follow me under the cut for a review.

The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 78: NIght at the Museum (with guest host Jacinta!)

This week we spend a wacky and fantastical night at the museum when we read the tepid novelization of - you guessed it - Night at the Museum! Joining me for this unbridle dinosaur bone and Hun fun, is FPcast co-host Jacinta! How did a beloved, magical movie go so, so wrong? Plus crazy Dad stories!

You can download it right now from the official site!

Or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and join the discussion in our friendly Facebook group!

Book Review: The Stormlight Archive So Far

I'm someone who typically reads 2-3 books a week. It took me a good six days to get through the second book in Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy series Words of Radiance, and it dawned on me that it's a pretty decent clip to read nearly 1100 pages in a five day span. The book was so good, though, that the time spent was far from a chore and more of an overall experience.

Looking at the series thus far, however, it's become clear that Sanderson is definitely one of the top fantasy writers going today, and The Stormlight Archive is lining itself up to be one of the great epic fantasy series of all time. Below is a look at both books with some spoilery bits at the end. You've been warned...

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for March 10th 2014! Remembering the Nineties!

This week we are all wrapped up in Nineties Nostalgia! We reminisce on what we were watching, what we were listening to, what we were reading, and what we were wearing. And how many times we did The Bartman. PLUS we give our warts and all review of 300: Rise of an Empire. THIS. IS. PODCAST!

Download here! (Click to stream, right-click to save)

Or just subscribe to us on iTunes!

Friday Night Movie Reviews: March

And we are BACK for 2014! Sure, it's not actually Friday, but Friday is just a state of mind though, right? And we're only a time machine away from a Friday at any given point, so it's totally fine. Now that I've justified my lateness, let's get on to the movies shall we?

Once again we have an eclectic mix of movie reviews coming to you from Luke, Jeff and Jacinta. Join us below the cut to see what we've been watching this month.