Sinopse

A remota e isolada Mystery, no Alasca, parece um lugar frio e sem nenhum atrativo, para quem pouco a conhece. Mas, para quem a conhece realmente, sabe que Mystery possui também seus escândalos sexuais, segredos escondidos e hipocrisias políticas, como qualquer grande cidade. Mas também possui um time amador de hóquei. E, num lugar onde todos sabem tudo sobre todos, uma matéria numa revista nacional coloca Mystery sob os holofotes, fazendo com que os poderosos New York Rangers resolvam fazer uma partida amistosa contra a equipe de hóquei no local.

Desafio no Gelo - Miracle
Ator - Kurt Russel

Sinopse

Repleto de ção e muito suspense, Desafio no Gelo conta a inspiradora história por trás de um dos maiores momentos no mundo dos esportes - a vitória olímpica triunfante dos Estados Unidos sobre a União Soviética em um jogo de hóquei, em 1980. O ator indicado ao Globo de Ouro, Kurt Russell (Cortina de Fogo, O Retrato de uma Coragem), em uma de suas melhores performaces, interpreta o treinador Herb Books, determinado a realizar um sonho - derrotar o imbatível time de hóquei da União Soviética. Começando com um seletivo time de 20 garotos, Brooks treina-os para jogar como nunca haviam jogado, e os transforma em um time capaz de realizar o impossível.

Slap Shot

Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice
Diretor: Steve Boyum

Youngblood

The Mighty Ducks – 1992

Gordon Bombay (Estevez) é um talentoso advogado que está vivendo o auge de sua carreira profissional. Mas apesar do sucesso ele é constantemente atormentado por seu passado quando, ainda criança, perdeu um pênalti decisivo na final da Liga Infantil de Hóquei. Este fato fez com que ele se afastasse do esporte. Mas um dia, Bombay é preso por cometer infrações de trânsito e, para não ir pra cadeia, aceita prestar serviços à comunidade: terá que treinar um time infantil de hóquei com os piores jogadores que já patinaram sobre o gelo. Agora, ele tem que voltar a amar o esporte e ainda por cima, transformar seus garotos em vencedores!

D2: The Mighty Ducks - EUA – 1994
Direção: Sam Weisman


Gordon Bombay (Estevez) volta a jogar hóquei e está a um passo da Liga Profissional. Mas uma séria contusão põe fim ao seu sonho! Impossibilitado de jogar, ele aceita treinar a equipe dos EUA nos Jogos Infantis da Amizade, em Los Angeles. Ele convoca muitos de seus antigos jogadores para o time, que ainda conta com o reforço de jovens talentos de todo o país. Mas a equipe começa a ter problemas e Gordon, deslumbrado com o estilo hollywoodiano de viver, faz pouco para ajudar. Agora, para serem vencedores, os EUA devem superar as adversidades e a fortíssima equipe da Islândia!

D3: The Mighty Ducks - EUA – 1996
Direção: Robert Lieberman

Sinopse

Os garotos da equipe dos Mighty Ducks ganham bolsas de estudos para freqüentarem a Academia Eden Hall, uma conceituada escola particular. Mas eles se vêem numa grande enrascada quando chegam á nova escola: o time não será treinado por Gordon Bombay (Estevez), e sim por Ted Orion (Nordling), um técnico exigente e antipático. Além disso, o time principal da escola não aceita a chegada do novo time infantil e começa a desprezá-los. O time deve se unir e continuar firme, para assim suportar a nova escola e conseguir fazer frente ao esnobe time principal!

Her and her husbands wow t-shirts lead them to meeting a bunch more gamers, some of the employees, some of the customers.

I've seen that happen with other t-shirts, but I still find it pretty cool.

[Guide]    The Bellagio is a swirl of color and sound; waiters in tuxedos, the faint sound of dice rolling across felt, sequined hostesses carrying drinks in beveled glass. Everything sparkles. Two hosts pull open double doors.
[Guide]    When Raven enters, everything else seems to dim.

[Raven]    Raven is dressed in a business suit and dark glasses.
[Raven]    Ignoring everyone else, she walks up to the...you know...place where you change your chips.
[Raven]    "I need a credit line of five million dollars."

[Guide]    "Right away. Welcome to the Bellagio, Mrs. La Glasse." The man reaches under the desk and gives her a black briefcase. "Would you like me to escort you to the high rollers' room?"

[Raven]    "I would."

[Guide]    "Excellent." A young woman replaces the slender, spectacled man. He ends up walking behind Raven; she cuts a clear path, and people tend to part in her wake. He pulls a heavy velvet curtain to one side, bows a bit, and gestures her inside.

[Raven]    "Wait. I need to change."

[Guide]    "Of course, madam."

[Raven]    "Hold this bag."

[Guide]    There is a restroom next to the VIP enterance.

[Raven]    Raven ignores the restroom.

[Guide]    The host looks a bit put-off holding a woman's purse, but takes it with a polite smile.

[Raven]    Raven removes the dark glasses and gives them to the host. She removes the jacket, too. Underneath, the top half of a superbly elegant black ballgown is visible, strapless and exactly cut.
[Raven]    This is probably attracting attention.

[Guide]    The rather stunned host is blank and a bit slackjawed as various bits of clothing get unceremoniously draped cross his arms.

[Raven]    She removes the business skirt. The skirt of the ballgown slides down to cover her legs.
[Raven]    She releases something at the back of her hair and shakes it down, over her shoulders.

[Guide]    A loud texan in a cowboy hat spills his drink on the roulette table.
[Guide]    Six other gamblers grumble at him, then follow his gaze and go quiet.

[Raven]    She laughs, a little girlishly.
[Raven]    "I feel a little underdressed. Is there something in that bag?"

[Guide]    "I. Uh. Um. Well." He pauses. "Hm. Well. Um."
[Guide]    He holds the bag out to her, like a child trick-or-treating.

[Raven]    She removes a gauze black scarf from the bag and drapes it around her shoulders.
[Raven]    "Thank you. Those can go in my room."

[Guide]    "..Yes, Mrs. La Glasse." He blinks, as if dispelling a mirage, and turns to go.

[Raven]    She brushes aside the curtain and sweeps into the high roller's room.
[Raven]    "Gentlemen!"
[Raven]    "Who would like to play?"

[Guide]    The slightly cheesy opulence of the rest of the Bellagio is nothing in comparison to the quiet riches of the VIP area. All the men look up in unison-- except for one.
[Guide]    James Bond looks up a beat later, obviously affected.

[Raven]    Raven pauses for a moment. The surprise barely shows in her face, except, perhaps, around the corners of the eyes.
[Raven]    She takes a martini from a waiter.
[Raven]    She giggles.

[Guide]    He clears his throat quietly, but does not say anything. The banker asks him for his bet. He places a chip without looking away.

[Raven]    "My husband's out of town and he's left me all this money to play with. I'm afraid I'm a little drunk!
[Raven]    What sort of games do you play in here?"

[Guide]    Bond hides a smile.
[Guide]    "Why don'cha come sit here and play cards with me, sweetheart?" Calls a southern gentleman with a deep drawl. He pats the seat next to him.

[Raven]    "Thank you!" she says, and walks over, a little stumbly.
[Raven]    "People here are so friendly!"

[Guide]    He puts a hand on her shoulder. The smell of bourbon wafts out from beneath his substantial silver mustache. "Have you ever played poker?"

[Raven]    She giggles a little more. "No! No, I don't believe I have."
[Raven]    He feels a knife in his ribs as she moves closer.
[Raven]    "Have you ever played only breathing with one lung?"
[Guide]    He sputters, his eyes going wide.

***

[Raven]    Across the room, Bond can see Raven pressed close against a southern gentleman in a cowboy hat and moustache. He looks, in some way, excited.
[Raven]    The croupier turns his cards.
=-=    Raven is now known as Guide

* James Bond    gestures at the table. "Perhaps Baccarat is more the lady's game?" He inquires, quirking an eyebrow.

[Guide]    "Eight," announced the croupier. "Mr Bond?"

*[James Bond]    "I'll stand pat."

[Guide]    "Better luck next time, Mr Bond," says the croupier, sweeping his chips away.
[Guide]    He looks around the table. "Again?"
[Guide]    Raven rises to her feet.
[Guide]    "Perhaps it is," she says, "You are?"

*[James Bond]    "Bond. James Bond. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms..?"

[Guide]    "What do names matter, Mr Bond? All that matters is that I have the money to play."
[Guide]    "Shall we play?"

*[James Bond]    "Of course." The croupier scoops up the cards and starts a new hand. "Did you know, Baccarat is one of the only games where ties are acceptable?" The croupier lays down the first cards for the players. "It's funny that only in truly high stakes games, you can be rewarded for being equally matched."
*[James Bond]    As if on cue, the croupier calls "Egalite!"

[Guide]    "Do you enjoy being equally matched, Mr Bond?"

*[James Bond]    "It's a refreshing change, I will admit." He smiles and leans in, smelling her perfume. "I wasn't sure I would see you again."

[Guide]    "You may not see me again, Mr Bond."

***

[Guide]    James leans in a bit closer, the stubble on his cheek pressing into the softness of Raven's jaw as he whispers in her ear. "Then perhaps.." The scene shifts as his sentence becomes a voiceover. "..We should make the most of it."
[Guide]    The camera dissolves to follow a trail of clothing through a rather elegant suite. Tie, scarf, shirt, slacks on the floor; ballgown draped over a table. Lingerie on the bedside table. Bond and Raven are under satin sheets, kissing passionately.

[Raven]    She looks up at him. "James?"

[Guide]    "Yes, Raven?" He brushes her cheek tenderly.

[Raven]    "Can you forgive me for what I've done?". She holds the back of his neck.

[Guide]    He stops for a moment, looking at her strangely. His eyes get distant for a moment-- lost in memory. He exhales in a way that might be a faint, rueful chuckle. "Forgive you for what YOU've done. Yes, I think I can. I already have."

[Raven]    "Oh, James."
[Raven]    She closes her eyes.

[Guide]    "What is it? Is there some great offense I'm not aware of, lurking in your past?"
[Guide]    His smile is barely, gently teasing.

[Raven]    ...and fade to the next morning, I think.
[Raven]    Raven rises early in the morning. She slides out of bed, silently, and removes a metal briefcase from under the bed.
[Raven]    She checks inside. It's a sniper rifle, made out of specially hardened plastic.
[Raven]    She pulls on her business suit.
[Raven]    And, just before she leaves, leaves something ticking beneath Bond's bed.

[Guide]    James turns in the bed, sleepily reaching for an empty place.

[Raven]    (No...correct that.)
[Raven]    His hand falls on what feels like a large insect.

[Guide]    He opens his eyes.

[Raven]    His hand is resting on a scorpion.
[Raven]    It stings him.
[Raven]    It's really painful.

***

[Guide]    Bond's driving a car in the desert, nursing his hand.
[Guide]    (Dramatic music)
[Guide]    He's watching Raven.
[Guide]    To be accurate, he's watching her on his GPS tracking system.
[Guide]    Last night, he slipped a bug into her hair, as he pretended to brush her cheek. Now, she's a blip on the tracker.
[Guide]    He turns off the main highway.
[Guide]    After ten minutes, ahead of him, is something huge.
[Guide]    A vast array of mirrors in the desert. Small reactors hooked up to the mirrors; lasers in the centre. This must be the Armageddon Array.

*[James Bond]    He looks down at the GPS screen. Raven's blip is stationary.

[Guide]    A gunshot hits the car.

*[James Bond]    He pulls off the road abruptly, going up on two wheels. There's an outcropping of rock; he pulls behind it. He slips out of the car and climbs up the back of the rock formation, not getting too high profile.

[Guide]    Another gunshot. Shards of rock go flying. He flinches.

*[James Bond]    He slips on a pair of designer sunglasses, thin and very expensive-looking. The camera switches to heat-vision, and he looks about for his attacker.

[Guide]    There's a big red splodge.
[Guide]    Gunshot! Flinch.

*[James Bond]    He reaches around the rock formation and shoots at said splodge.
*[James Bond]    He flips up his glasses for a moment, to get a glimpse of his attacker.

[Guide]    Attacker falls over.
[Guide]    It's just a guy with a gun.
[Guide]    There is lots of angry Chinese shouting, as though Chinese people are upset with Bond's presence.

* James Bond    is unphased. He takes off his sunglasses, folds them smartly, and sticks them back in his pocket. He slips down the rock, and peers towards the cacaphony, to see what's going on.

[Guide]    There are lots of angry Eastern-looking people hiding behind rocks. Some of them fire guns at Bond.

* James Bond    fires off some shots, then sighs in frustration.
*[James Bond]    He reaches onto his belt and gets out a small remote. He pushes some buttons.
*[James Bond]    The Aston Martin starts up and starts barreling for the rocks.
*[James Bond]    He presses another button. It explodes. Idly, he wonders how long Q is going to spend yelling at him about THIS car.

[Guide]    There's a huge explosion. A lot of yelling in Chinese.
=-=

[Guide] It's getting dark outside Vatican City. Bond has been dropped into place outside the main wall.
[Guide] Along the top, a Vatican guard patrols. He'll have to time this carefully.

[James Bond] When the guards move to the end of the wall, Bond sends a grappling hook up; with a soft, slippery sound it shoots, and hooks to the brick with a soft thunk. Attaching the rope to his belt, he presses a button, and the rope begins to recoil, pulling him upwards.

[Guide] The guard stops in his patrol. He thinks he heard something.

[James Bond] He hits the top of the wall and retrieves his grappling hook just as the guards turn; he flattens himself against the side, in the shadows, not breathing.

[Guide] The guard walks towards the edge of the wall. He bends down. Is that a scratch?

[James Bond] When the guard bends, James soundly THWACKs him in the back of the neck with his fist, knocking him out. He falls to the ground with a quiet crumple. James drags him into the shadows and dresses in his uniform.

[Guide] The wall is long. There's a door into a tower at the end. Looking into Vatican City, the wall looks over a huge courtyard.
[Guide] Exits are: North, South, Down.

[James Bond] Sneaking a look at his watch, James heads North along the wall.

[Guide] You go North.
[Guide] You are in a tower.
[Guide] Stairs lead down. There's two guards playing cards and drinking communion wine.
[Guide] They talk in Italian.
[Guide] No, wait! German.

* James Bond waits two more minutes exactly, pulls his cap down a bit over his face, and lumbers down the stairs. With a scant wave and a brusque "Gute Nacht," he turns to go.

[Guide] They wave lazily. "Gute Nacht".
[Guide] Vatican courtyard.
[Guide] It's huge.
[Guide] And moonlit.

* James Bond strides to the Circus of Nero; attached to the obelisk in the center is a piece of paper. He reads it, raises an eyebrow, and waits.

[Guide] A gunshot hits the ground by him.

[James Bond] He slips behind the obelisk and begins shooting.

[Guide] He fires off a few shots, but can't see where the shot came from. Perhaps up high. Everything seems quiet on the wall.

[James Bond] With nothing but a slim obelisk and empty space between him and proper cover, he clears his throat and shouts for help in the most authoritative German tone he can muster.

[Guide] The two drunk guards wake up.
[Guide] "Ja? Was ist est?"
[Guide] They arrive in the courtyard, holding rifles.

[James Bond] "Ich brach meinen Fuß." Bond is slumping against the stone fixture, hat down, in the shadows.

[Guide] On the wall, Raven lines up the sniper sight for the next shot.

[James Bond] The wounded guard gestures his drunken friends to him. "Hast, hast."

[Guide] The guards run over.
[Guide] Bond notices a little red light on his forehead.

* James Bond puts an arm around each of the guards, getting in the middle, and hurriedly starts limping with them to the other side of the courtyard-- blocking the shot with similarly-dressed men.

[Guide] Raven frowns, lowers the sight and runs off along the wall.

[James Bond] Once hidden away, Bond uses his arms around the guards' necks to forcibly slam their heads together, knocking them out. He takes a rifle and heads back up the wall.
[James Bond] Somewhere, outside the wall, a naked guard wakes up with a massive headache..
[James Bond] "Natalia," he calls up the stairs, "That's no way to say hello."
[James Bond] A grenade skitters to his feet.
* James Bond bolts from the grenade, the tower lighting up the moonlit sky in red and orange as it explodes in grandiose fashion, bricks showering a guard barracks below.

***

[Guide] It's rained recently; the streets of rome glimmer, slickly brilliant in the streetlight. Tourists and townsfolk leap out of the way as Bond barrels down the narrow streets in his Aston Martin.

[Raven] In his rear view mirror is a leather-clad motorcyclist. There's a gun in her hand. She raises it.
[Raven] She shoots.

[Guide] Bond screeches around a corner, going up on two wheels, and frightening an old woman in a cafe. The bullet dings off of the car's body.

[Raven] The old woman, shaken, stands up and recovers her dignity. She mutters and touches her hair.
[Raven] Just in time to leap back as Raven zooms around the corner.
[Raven] Her hair goes everywhere.

[Guide] As Bond turns the corner, he finds himself face to face with a large hotel and a dead end. He presses a button on the gear shift, and is ejected from the car right before it explodes into the lobby.
[Guide] He is thrown to a second-floor balcony, slips down, and calmly begins walking in the other direction from the commotion.

[Raven] He feels a gun in his back.
[Raven] "Mr Bond".

[Guide] "Ms. La Glasse. It's been quite some time."

[Raven] "Take the next right."

[Guide] He turns right. "If you wanted to see me again, you know, the gun was not necessary. You could have just not left me on an empty, crashing airplane."

[Raven] "Get into the lift, Mr Bond".
[Raven] "Mr Bond. The lift."

[Guide] He turns, bracing himself in the open doors of the elevator, looking Raven in the eye. "Ms. La Glasse, every time you coax me into enclosed spaces I end up going down. By myself. Are you accompanying me this time?"

[Raven] Ignoring him, she enters the lift.
[Raven] "Turn around, Mr Bond. This is one of the greatest sights in Italy."

[Guide] "If you insist." He turns to take in the view.

[Raven] They are travelling up a cargo lift at the back of the Colosseum.

[Guide] "You're right; this is quite lovely. But why are we here?"

[Raven] They reach the top.
[Raven] "You seem distracted by beauty, Mr Bond. I brought you here to distract you."
[Raven] "Sadly, Mr Bond, I have been ordered to kill you. My husband thought I was the only one who could get close to you."
[Raven] "I told him he was wrong, but he was right."

***

[Guide] In the setting sun, Bond looks up at Raven, clad in black leather and beautiful.
[Guide] "On your knees, Mr Bond."

* James Bond obliges. "The Colosseum is an interesting place, Ms. LaGlasse. Home to five hundred years of bloody spectacles, of blood being spilled for sport. Of people killing each other at the whim of someone else."
[James Bond] "Of course, the patricians did not care about the lives of their pawns. They simply wanted blood."
[James Bond] "What is it YOU want, Ms. La Glasse? To be a gladiator? I somehow doubt it."

[Guide] "To win my freedom, Mr Bond."
[Guide] The sun's last rays appear over Bond's shoulder.
[Guide] "And you, Mr Bond? What is it you want?"

[James Bond] "Freedom is a strange and beautiful creature, and it is not won in simple ways. Obedience does not lead to freedom. Do you truly think that by proving your usefulness to your husband, he will set you free? Or will you simply be too important to release? No, sometimes the only way to get freedom is to grab it." He tentatively touches Raven's calf.

[Guide] Raven kicks Bond in the chest. He falls backwards.
[Guide] "Goodbye, Mr Bond."
[Guide] She points the gun at his head.

[James Bond] "You asked what I want: don't you want to know the answer?" He is unmoved.

[Guide] "Go on?"

[James Bond] "I want to see you truly happy, Ms. La Glasse. It would be a tragedy if you killed me before I got my wish."

[Guide] "And how do you propose to do that, Mr Bond?"

[James Bond] "By helping you take your freedom, of course. You are too strong to simply win it because it pleases someone else."

[Guide] "And you will help me how?"

* James Bond stands, his face mere inches from hers. "By staying close. By helping you destroy the chains that bind you." He brushes her face lightly; fingertips barely tracing the scar on her cheek. "By hurting those who hurt you."

[Guide] She flinches as he touches the scar.

[James Bond] His face moves closer. "If you'll let me," he adds, as a not-quite-afterthought.
[James Bond] He slips his hands tenderly on her shoulders, leans in, and.. shoves her off the back of the colosseum, with all of his might.
[James Bond] James hears a beep.. beep.. BEEEEP. There's a pause; he looks at the stone row below him, and sees a digital timer flashing 0:00:00.
[James Bond] There is an unbelievable explosion, and another large chunk of Rome's most famous landmark is lost to the ages, as Bond flies through the air.
[James Bond] He lands on the awning atop a souvenir stand, which promptly crumples under his weight. When he stands, he is surrounded by guards from the Vatican.
[James Bond] The guard Bond stripped naked the night before picks up a heavy object and soundly cracks Bond in the temple. As he loses consciousness, he realizes it was a model of the Colosseum.

***

[Guide] A bellhop lifts the ornate, antique bronze knocker on the door of Raven's suite. "Room Service, madam!" his English is heavily accented.

[Raven] Raven lies on the bed. Beside her is a laptop. "Leave it outside."

[Guide] The bellhop's voice drips with acid; he assumes she simply wants to avoid tipping. "Si Madam!" he calls. And as he leaves, under his breath: "Cheap american."

[Raven] She presses a button on the laptop. Characters flash across the screen. The words "SECURE CONNECTION" appear, in red.

[Guide] Gideon's face appears on the computer. "Is it done, my dear?"

[Raven] "It is, my sweet."

[Guide] "Excellent. I knew my trust was well placed." The compliments do not reach his opaque black eyes. "And Bond?"

[Raven] "Dead," says Raven.
[Raven] "In the explosion."

[Guide] "Excellent. I will make the announcement tonight. You should return home as soon as possible: I want you close."

[Raven] "I would like to see his body," says Raven.
[Raven] "It is currently held in Vatican City."

[Guide] "You are such a sentimental creature, my dear. As you wish. Make it quick."

[Raven] "Sentimental? I don't think so."
[Raven] "Pictures of Bond, dead, would strike at the heart of British intelligence."
[Raven] "Give me 12 hours."

[Guide] "You have ten." The screen goes black.

[Raven] Raven switches windows on the laptop, to where she has hacked into the Secret Service network.
[Raven] She presses a button. Photos of Bond, marked "Deceased", scroll across the screen.

***

[Guide] The British Embassy, Rome
[Guide] M walks down the corridor.
[Guide] "Honestly, 007, that was nearly a diplomatic incident. Have you any idea how much negotiation I've had to do with the Vatican?
[Guide] You might have well have shot the Pope."
[Guide] She pauses.
[Guide] "Do not shoot the Pope, 007."
[Guide] "That is an order."

* James Bond clears his throat. "Yes, M."

[Guide] "Yes, ma'am, 007."
[Guide] Into an office. Moneypenny rises from a desk.
[Guide] "Sit down, Moneypenny."
[Guide] "Yes, ma'am."

* James Bond looks a bit boyishly abashed, and then tosses a secretive wink at his favorite secretary.
[James Bond] "Have we heard any more about the Armageddon Array?"

[Guide] Moneypenny blushes and busies herself with files.
[Guide] "I was hoping you could tell me, 007". Into another office, now. More like a war room. Semi-circular, big illuminated screens.
[Guide] "These are our projected targets."
[Guide] "Jerusalem". A blip appears on the map.
[Guide] "Mecca". Another blip.
[Guide] "Salt Lake City." Another blip. "I don't believe it myself, but the CIA insisted."
[Guide] "The problem is, 007, we have no idea where it'll strike first."

[James Bond] "I believe the Array is somewhere in the American southwest. Near Nevada. I was getting close, but my Vatican informant.. had a change of heart."

[Guide] "Really, 007. Nevada? What do you expect us to do? Search it inch by inch?"
[Guide] A satellite zooms in on Nevada.
[Guide] It looks like a big desert.

[James Bond] "Send me back, and I will find it."

[Guide] M looks directly at Bond. "Don't be ridiculous, Bond. Where will you start?"

[James Bond] "Where I left off. I know where La Glasse's subterranean compound is.. And I think I know where it leads."

[Guide] M looks at him.
[Guide] "You have one week."
[Guide] Cut to a plane taking off.

[James Bond] The stewardess' voice comes on. "You are now free to move about the cabin. Use of limited electronic devices is now permitted. We encourage you to keep your seatbelt fastened at all times while seated, due to unforseen turbulence."
[James Bond] James opens his laptop, and sends a picture of himself holding today's paper into La Glasse's network.
[James Bond] Suddenly, the lights on the plane flicker, and the plane drops suddenly. People make quiet noises of astonishment, until the plane's nose begins to substantively dip. Oxygen masks fall, and people begin to panic.

[Raven] As Bond edges towards the furnace, there is a sudden "Clunk".

[Guide] Bond looks around wildly, and begins to writhe in his restraints.

[Raven] As he looks up to the viewing gallery, he notices a beautiful woman, dressed in a silk dressing gown.
[Raven] The conveyor belt stops.
[Raven] Raven removes her finger from the button.

[Guide] "Mrs. La Glasse, it is a pleasure to see you again."

[Raven] "Mr Bond. This is getting heated more quickly than I thought."

[Guide] Bond quirks a boyish grin. "Yes, well, in my line of work you have to move fast. I would thank you properly, but.." he shrugs his shoulders to indicate his restraints.

[Raven] "Mr Bond, you disappoint me."
[Raven] Raven begins to descend a hugely impractical glass staircase leading from the viewing gallery.
[Raven] "You need a woman to rescue you?"
[Raven] She stands over him, the fire lighting her face. She runs a finger down his chest.
[Raven] "I had hoped I would find you a man."

[Guide] "It's hard to think of a clear.. exit strategy.. when faced with your beauty."

[Raven] She sits on the edge of the conveyor belt.
[Raven] "Words do not impress me, Mr Bond. I desire action."
[Raven] She sighs.
[Raven] "Come on."
[Raven] She presses another button and Bond is released. "We must be quick."
[Raven] "If my husband knew I was here..."
[Raven] Raven looks at Bond's wristwatch, which he had switched on, ready to cut his bonds.
[Raven] "You can put that away, Mr Bond," she says, "You won't be needing it."

[Guide] "I'll assume you're speaking of my wristwatch. After you, madam."

***

[Guide] Raven leads Bond down another glass staircase, to a vast underground cavern. At the bottom of the cavern is a small electric car, on rails.
[Guide] "Quickly, Mr Bond. We may not have much time."

James Bond follows Raven into the car. "Where are we going?"

[Guide] "We are going away, Mr Bond," says Raven, "And as fast as we can."
[Guide] As Raven accelerates the car, an alarm sounds from the hall above.

James Bond kicks his shoe against the wall of the car, and the hollow sole juts out, revealing a Walther PPK. He takes the gun and kicks the sole back into place.

[Guide] The car races down what appears to be an abandoned mine shaft. Behind, three guards enter another electric car and begin pursuit.
[Guide] "Hold on, Mr Bond," says Raven.
[Guide] "We wouldn't want you to be captured again."

James Bond slips a hand around Raven's waist. "If you insist."

[Guide] A bullet thuds into the back of the car. "I suggest you do something more useful with your hands, Mr Bond."
[Guide] "And more likely to produce a result."

[James Bond] He deftly undoes the knot in the belt holding Raven's dressing gown closed, and steals the silk belt, wrapping it around his hand. "You think quite highly of yourself, madam, and I suggest you duck." He punches through the glass on the ceiling of the car with his now protected hand, and then leaps to the roof of the car, shooting at the guards behind him.

[Guide] Guards fall everywhere.
[Guide] "Hold on, Mr Bond."

James Bond flattens himself against the ceiling of the car, holding tightly.

[Guide] Raven accelerates towards a ramp.
[Guide] As one of the guards throws a grenade, the electric car smashes through a wall.
[Guide] Cut to a large, grey facility in the Nevada desert. It's still for a moment, but, then, there's a huge explosion and the electric car smashes through a wall.
[Guide] It lands bumpily on the sand and races off.

[James Bond] James flips back into the car at the last minute.
[James Bond] "I have to say, Ms. La Glasse: you're quite good in hard situations."

[Guide] "Where to, Mr Bond?"
[Guide] The car races across the sands.

[James Bond] "The Armageddon Array. I have to stop Gideon before he incinerates the--" the electric car suddenly stops, the weight of the abruptness toppling it to one side.
[James Bond] James opens the side (now top) door, stands, and helps Raven to her feet. "Electric cars. Haven't you Americans heard of petrol?" He squints toward the horizon.

[Guide] Raven holds her dressing gown together as she gets to her feet.
[Guide] "Is this how you treat all your lady friends?" she says.

[James Bond] "Sometimes we have dinner first." With that, Bond leans in closely to Raven.. and the sand gets pelted with gunfire.
[James Bond] He grabs Raven and shields the two of them behind the car, as a helicopter shoots in their direction. Two thugs-- the same ones from the elevator-- climb down a rope ladder.
[James Bond] Bond catches a whiff of something, grabs Raven, and leaps away from the car, tumbling. As the next bullet hits the leaking oil, the electric car explodes.
[James Bond] Eyepatch and Tattoo descend on them; Eyepatch has a knife, Tattoo has a club. Bond shoots, but finds he is out of bullets.
[James Bond] "Run, Raven, and don't stop."

[Guide] Raven runs across the sand, silk dressing gown fluttering in the breeze.

[James Bond] As she turns around, he steals a hair stick from her tresses.
[James Bond] Bond barely dodges the knife-wielding Eyepatch, and brings the hair ornament up to stab him in the face, ensuring he will now need two eyepatches.
[James Bond] This does not stop Tattoo from cracking Bond across the ribcage.
[James Bond] James drops to his knees in pain. He picks up the knife dropped by Eyepatch, and goes to stab Tattoo in the foot-- only to meet steel-toed boots. He looks up in surprise and gets kicked soundly beneath the chin.
[James Bond] James flies through the air, and when he lands, throws the knife. It lands neatly in Tattoo's neck. The thug falls over, and-- feeling quite satisfied with himself, Bond passes out on the sand.

***

[Guide] Bond comes to, and finds himself laying in the middle of a large circular bed, with satin sheets in a pale gold. For a moment he thinks he is hallucinating; there's a bar and comfortable seating, and a door a ways away, but.. other than that, it seems that they are floating in air.
[Guide] It takes him a moment to realize that they are on La Glasse's glass jet.

[Raven] Raven is sitting beside him, bathing his brow.
[Raven] "You slept a long time, Mr Bond."

[Guide] "It is to be expected, I suppose. I rarely get a chance to nap."

[Raven] "Would you like something to revive you?"

[Guide] "Quite. Please." Bond blinks a few times before the roguish smile returns to his face.

[Raven] Raven moves aside. At the foot of the bed, Bond can see a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.
[Raven] Two flutes are ready poured. She hands him one.

[Guide] Bond slowly sits up. "To your health."

[Raven] "With you about, Mr Bond, my health will need all the help I can get."
[Raven] Her hand rests briefly on his arm before moving away. She drinks.
[Raven] "I have risked my life for you this evening, Mr Bond."

[Guide] "I should endeavor to make your risk worth it, then."

[Raven] She looks through the walls of the plane. They must have flown for hours: the sun is setting over snowy mountains.

[Guide] With a smile he leans in smoothly, pressing his lips to hers.

[Raven] She kisses back, passionately, as if releasing something she'd been holding for a while.
[Raven] "Mr Bond!"

[Guide] He looks startled by the sudden lack of girlflesh. "Yes?"

[Raven] "You surprise me, Mr Bond. But a pleasant surprise."
[Raven] "Where do we go now, Mr Bond?"

[Guide] He pulls her down to him once more. "All the way to the end of the world."
James Bond
[Raven] Her cocktail dress slides to the floor. "Oh, James..."

[Guide] Deep beneath the Nevada desert, Bond is dumped at the foot of an ornate dining table.
[Guide] Little computer things line the walls. Whirrrrr. Beep. Flash.
[Guide] A door slides open at the end of the room. Behind is a slim, elegant Asian man.

James Bond is looking rather elegant in a white tuxedo with tails, despite the five o'clock shadow and swollen black eye. "Gideon La Glasse. We meet again."

[Guide] "Mr Bond," says La Glasse, "What am I to do with you?"
[Guide] His eyes, due to a genetic disorder, are completely black.

[James Bond] "Let me go, turn yourself in, dismantle your Armageddon Array..?" His roguish smile does not reach his eyes.

[Guide] A thug hits Bond on the back of the neck, sending him to the floor.
[Guide] "Really, Mr Bond. Let us leave such talk until after dinner. Ah, my dear."
[Guide] Raven La Glasse glides in through the same door and, ignoring Gideon, sits at the side of the table. She glances coolly at Bond.

[James Bond] "Indeed. Usually there's a little foreplay before I end up on all fou--" the words catch in his throat as he sees Raven. He stands, straightens his cufflinks, and reseats himself. "And who might you be?"

[Guide] "This is my wife Raven," interrupts Gideon. Raven continues to look, levelly, at Bond.
[Guide] "She is beautiful, is she not? I would die for her, Mr Bond. You do not believe me? It is true."

[James Bond] Bond's eyes never leave Raven's. "Oh, I believe you, La Glasse. Which is a shame, because she quite seems the sort of creature worth living for."

[Guide] Gideon's eyes flicker. Raven smiles slightly.
[Guide] "Sadly for you, Mr Bond, that is not an option you have. Take him."
[Guide] And the thugs drag Bond to the elevator.

James Bond smiles elegantly before the doors close. "A pleasure, Raven. Let's do this again."

[Guide] Bond is now in an elevator, with two heavies.

[James Bond] Pressed between two cro-magnons, Bond peers up at them curiously. "What do you suppose the weight limit is for this lift? I'd hate to get stuck."

[Guide] They look at him impassively. One holds a cattle-prod.

[James Bond] With a grunt, the thug with the eyepatch lifts him by his shoulders. The thug with the SPECTRE tattoo zaps him until he's medium rare, and unconscious.

His weekly video on youtube.com showcases various "stories" that are deemed important by those news guys. Need a laugh? Watch this unique take on "news" every Monday.

The first game I played was Transantiago, which was as good as I thought it would be. I think the playtest pointed out some important things, and also showed that the game is really playable and full of vitality; I can't wait to see its final incarnation.

Meg Baker saw me standing, hopeless and indecisive, by the signup sheets for the afternoon session, took pity on me, and squeezed me into her full game of 1001 Nights. I gushed at Meg at length about her game, and I believe most of the rest of the indie RPG world (you know, the people who played at least one indie RPG before.. yesterday, unlike myself) already knows that 1001 is fantastic, so I won't gush too much. But I adore that you choose dice for beauty, that you tell stories within stories, and that the mechanics are so elegant and simple-- there's so much complexity with the individual stories and the meta-story, and playing characters which, in turn, play multiple characters, that it's great that the dice are so simple. You get all of that dense, nuanced complexity with the plot and not the mechanics; the difference between 1001 Nights and D&D is the difference between baklava and a calculus textbook. Plus, the group was a blast to game with.

I was really excited that I got a chance to meet so many new people, and got to connect with so many online friends. Emily and Kat (I wish I knew her screenname, if any) really kind of encouraged me to dust off the wacky artsy Pygmalion concept I had a while ago, so a lot of ideas for that game started to come together during my layover in Cincinatti tonight. I'll type those up either tonight or tomorrow. And I am now the proud owner of both Breaking the Ice and Shooting the Moon, not to mention the first three volumes of Scott Pilgrim! So I'm knee-deep in reading material for quite some time.

I feel energized and inspired!

Ya, I know. The discussion is a bit heated, I'm not a very even tempered person. I had heard good things about SotC too, which is why I was dissapointed in my orginal post. It was a bit oh damn, I had hoped for better.

Anyway to your question,

Some game companies are currently trying to market cute and fluffly and romance and “social” games to women which is utterly patronising.

I cant answer this personally without examples. I see games as inherantly a social thing. Hanging out with a group of people is a social thing.

I think a lot of games have a romance angle, players like having love interests or at leasting dating interests, a game doesnt really have to add that. If a game has a good idea about the whole thing its cool to hear. So games make it not as likely, vampire (some gms leave it out, some gms bring it in), werewolf (if ur just meeting ww's in the game dating is taboo), changling (sometimes your characters are too young). But in dnd, cyberpunk or shadowrun I dont think its all that unlikely that characters will start chasing an npc.

Cute and fluffy. Depends what you mean, Ive seen games like that I like and some I dont. Breaking the Ice is very light and I can see it running well but its just not my cup of tea. Shooting the moon has a romance and light element but I can see that running better as rivallary is very fun to play. I see a lot of fun competitiveness.

Eep must go. Ill add to this later. 

Update:

More fuffy games that might be fun, the secret life of gingerbread men. Fluff? Yes. Fun, quite likely and would be fun for kids. Aimed at women? More so aimed at mothers and fathers for their kids, as there is a mother baker with her oven and a parent can cook gingerbread men for the kids based on the recipe given.

Run Robot red. Fluff? Definately. Fun. Yep. Aimed at people who like robots. Small, light, fun.

So I do think fluffy games have a place. Just because is fluffy doesnt mean its bad. Light can be good. I'm not sure if I'd play it for 20 weeks, but that doesnt mean I wont buy it and run it 3 times.

Romance games, can work, but I dont think suit everyone and everygroup. Saying that, romance can be a part of a characters rpg experience, as can friendship, rivialary, hatred, sorrow and anger. A character can have a pc or npc best friend, someone as they see as a younger brother/sister, or as a mentor or parent, or a lover or husband/wife, all the while kicking a$$ day in, day out.