LeisureGamesHobbies

Keep off the Borderlands

"It's about RPGs and stuff" ~ Free Thrall

Welcome to Keep off the Borderlands. Initially a podcast documenting my return to table top roleplay gaming following a thirty-year hiatus. Currently searching for excuses for why I haven't GM'd yet. You can leave me an audio message here or via Speakpipe at https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands Email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/FreeThrall and join the podcast Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/FreeThrall/

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S6 · E311
September 27 · 1 hr 9 min
Movie Monday: Clue (E311)
In tribute to Tim Curry who we sadly lost last month, this month’s movie was 1985’s board game based comedy mystery Clue, directed by Jonathan Lynn. Starring Tim Curry, Madeline Khan, Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, and Martin Mull. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Darkfluid of The Silver Key (podcast) and Q Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ It’s been a while since we’ve had some proper sword & sorcery and, as it’s October, I figured it was time to check out Lucio Fulci’s contribution to the genre, Conquest from 1983. That episode will air 26th of October, so submit your message by the 24th please, to ensure you can be included in the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E330
September 14 · 27 min
Housekeeping (Backrooms, Severance, Matango, Cold City/Hot War) (E330)
There’s a whole host of stuff mentioned in this episode. First, there’s some Movie Monday feedback from Jason Connerley, then I speak a little bit about the possibility of recreating Kane Parson’s Backrooms (2026) at the gaming table. Here’s Bob World Builder talking about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBPaGuWnNmg Ben Stiller's Severance, my new favourite thing. A few things I picked up recently from Beyond Cataclysm; Donn Stroud’s Ruination Pilgrimage bundle and Eely Moon’s The Fangwitch’s Falls. Here’s the Quinns Quest review of Jeremy Strandberg’s Stonetop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH5-uQj4uOA Here’s Cody Barr’s Zones, perfect for solo play. Find tips for playing solo at Legends & Dice Cafe https://youtu.be/K0tT1ZKlPJU?is=ZM_A301Gk6psNdvN Ishirō Honda's Matango recommended by Roy Vieira as inspiration for TerrorFormed https://free-thrall.itch.io/terrorformed You can here The Good Friends of Jackson Elias discussing it here https://open.spotify.com/episode/2UxRstQ6aPeUu8ySe4Uxsu?si=VB0CSTulSKKlElAtIXfo8w&utm_source=copy-link Here's a better picture than the one I took of Jon Hodgson's Cold City/Hot War 2nd edition slipcase from Handiwork Games. Honourable mentions: Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu, Andy Goodman's Grizzly Peaks Radio, Goblin Archive's Liminal Horror, Pawel Kicman's Corp Borg, Chris Lowery's Mörk Org, William Hope Hodgson's The House on the Borderland. Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ In honour of the legend that is Tim Curry, who sadly passed on last month, I’ve chosen the comedy mystery Clue from 1985, directed by Johnathan Lynn. That episode will air on the 28th of September, so please submit your message by the 26th to ensure you can be included in the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E329
August 30 · 1 hr 7 min
Movie Monday: House II: The Second Story (E329)
This month’s Movie Monday was a little out of left field: 1987’s House II: The Second Story, directed by Ethan Wiley. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Honourable mention: Safer Fantasy Crafting (podcast) In Praise of Shadows: House: Anatomy of a Franchise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=His-f25qcmQ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ In honour of the legend that is Tim Curry, who sadly passed on 25th, I’ve chosen the comedy mystery Clue from 1985, directed by Johnathan Lynn. That episode will air 28th of September, so submit your message by the 26th please, to ensure you can be included in the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E328
August 19 · 27 min
He-Man and the Argonauts and #RPGaDay2026 (E328)
Well, it’s been a while since I’ve put out, thanks to a challenging few weeks. I’m catching up with some #RPGaDay2026 news and a few messages I’ve received since my last episode. Find out more about #RPGaDay2026 on Anthony Boyd’s Casting Shadows blog https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/07/01/rpgaday2026-starts-august-1st/ Discover how Mirke the Meek, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety, and Riley of Diegetic Advancement are tackling #RPGaDay2026 here https://podbypost.com/nerds/rpg-a-day-2026 The first message is from The Southwest London Sofa Gang with a late entry for the Jason & the Argonauts episode, followed by some feedback for that episode from Joe Richter of Hindsightless, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, and Goblin’s Henchman, who also has some thoughts regarding June’s film Gary Goddard’s Masters of the Universe (1987). Honourable mention: The Odyssey dir. Christopher Nolan (2026) Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for August is 1987’s House 2: The Second Story, directed by Ethan Wiley. The episode airs on August 31, so please submit your message by August 29 to ensure you can be added to the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E327
July 26 · 1 hr 42 min
Movie Monday: Jason and the Argonauts (E327)
Welcome to another Movie Monday, and with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube) B. J. Taylor of The Arcane Alienist (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Mirke the Meek (podcast) M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis (podcast) and The War of Independence (Youtube) Honourable mentions: Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom by Claudia Mills, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan The GMologist presents… 300 Greek-inspired Table Top Roleplaying Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse savingthegreatesthorse.com Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for August is 1987’s House 2: The Second Story directed by Ethan Wiley. That episode will air August 31st, so submit your message by the 29th please, to ensure you can be added to the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E326
July 14 · 25 min
Between the Borderlands: Post Masters of the Universe (E326)
This is a re-upload as I’d initially used the wrong audio file. This episode consists of a late entry for June’s Movie Monday from The South West London Sofa Gang (James Knight aka Lothar the Lame, Tyranner the Dwarf, and Ellen the Elf) plus some Masters of the Universe feedback for Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Jason Connerley of Nerds RPG Variety Cast. Here’s a link to Metal World: The Rough Cut https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/257412/metal-world-the-rough-cut Check of the Cerebravore review of Masters of the Universe (2026) Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. The episode will air on July 27th, so please send in your submissions by the 25th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands Follow me on Bluesky @freethrall.bsky.social You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E325
June 28 · 2 hr 2 min
Movie Monday: Masters of the Universe (E325)
This month’s movie was Masters of the Universe (no, not that one). Directed by Gary Goddard and released in 1987, this starred Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, and Courteney Cox, of all people. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Mirke the Meek (podcast) Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube) Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch) Honourable mentions: Lifeforce dir. Tobe Hooper (1985), John Blanche (1948 - June 2026) Check of the Cerebravore review of Masters of the Universe (2026) If there’s still time, you can back James Spahn’s Blades of Power here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/retroquest?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. That episode will air on July 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E324
June 23 · 9 min
Between the Borderlands: Remainders & a Reminder (E324)
In this episode, Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, Youtube) catches up on a few Movie Monday episodes. Honourable mentions: Sinbad, Ray Harryhausen, Buckaroo Banzai, Westworld, HBO, Michael Crichton. The movie for June is 1987’s Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E323
May 30 · 1 hr 1 min
Off-World Offcuts (Bonus Blade Runner Chat) (E323)
Thanks to some great feedback and some more of that awesome Barney Dicker chat to share, this episode is basically a second instalment of Movie Monday: Blade Runner. But before the Blade Runner chat, I respond to a message from M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis concerning April’s movie Michael Crichton’s Westworld. Then it’s onto some Blade Runner feedback from Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Goblin’s Henchman, before rounding things off with more of my chat with Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus. Honourable mentions: 2001: A Space Odyssey dir. Stanley Kubrick, Dark Star dir. John Carpenter, Westworld (TV series), Masters of the Universe dir. Travis Knight, Legend dir. Ridley Scott, Edge of Tomorrow dir. Doug Liman, Minority Report dir. Steven Spielberg, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, Alien dir. Ridley Scott, The Long Tomorrow by Dan O’Bannon and Moebius, The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, Blade Runner 2049 dir. Denis Villeneuve Read Barney’s “Stroboscopic Revelations in Blade Runner” here https://www.academia.edu/36398665/_Stroboscopic_Revelations_in_Blade_Runner_PhotoResearcher_No_29_2018_ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ So, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The movie for June is 1987’s Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E322
May 24 · 1 hr 44 min
Movie Monday: Blade Runner (E322)
May’s Movie Monday, was specially requested by Goblin’s Henchman “This one goes out there for Geoff”. This month, we watched Ridley Scott’s dystopian neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner from 1982. Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hanna, Edward James Olmos, M Emmet Walsh, Brion James, Joanna Cassidy, Joe Turkle and William Sanderson. Adapted from Philip K Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis (podcast) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Read Barney’s “Stroboscopic Revelations in Blade Runner” here https://www.academia.edu/36398665/_Stroboscopic_Revelations_in_Blade_Runner_PhotoResearcher_No_29_2018_ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ So, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The movie for June is 1987’s Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E321
May 11 · 1 hr 1 min
Retail Therapy (Grimscar, White Box, Vagabond, Call of Cthulhu) (E321)
This episode is an audio unboxing special. I open a bunch of parcels and describe the contents. Featuring: Gunner Almer’s Grimscar (solo) RPG https://crowheartroleplay.itch.io/grimscar-rpg-solo Charlie Ward’s we&we from EX FIRST GAMES https://ex1st.itch.io/we Man Alone’s Prima Materia https://dicenest.com/products/prima-materia-is-an-alchemical-oracle-for-solo-role-playing-worldbuilding-and-creative-inquiry Man Alone explains Prima Materia https://youtu.be/UXTwHg-HPwA?si=HTKR-x6SWTVA68mL Adam Hensley’s Monolith https://adamhensley.itch.io/monolith James M. Spahn’s White Box Dungeon Adventures from Barrel Rider Games https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-spahn/white-box-dungeon-adventures/paperback/product-57wrvy4.html?srsltid=AfmBOooPRv4dtyrYwPFipc55GwZ6Ezmikf_K1Lt4kHf7nXFIdMUpSStg&page=1&pageSize=4 Vagabond Pulp Fantasy Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook from Land of the Blind https://landoftheblind.myshopify.com/collections/vagabond-pulp-fantasy-rpg?srsltid=AfmBOoqAREu7j9Ii6dbfXCve0J5TZwKrXyaNrepT--gi_cuxCABzHWon Call of Cthulhu: 50th Anniversary Slipcase Set Honourable mentions: Andy Goodman (Grizzly Peaks Radio), Jen Fridy (HangnailJenny), Scott Dorward (The Good Friends of Jackson Elias), Mike Perceval-Maxwell (Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories), Barney Dicker (Loco Ludus) At the special request of Goblin’s Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It’s 1982’s classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. In our latest episode, we pit Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein against Luc Besson’s Dracula. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me a 90-second audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E320
May 7 · 21 min
Between the Borderlands: Beyond Westworld (E320)
In this episode, I respond to some Movie Monday: Westworld feedback from Goblin’s Henchman and Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and share my initial thoughts on the Westworld TV series from 2016. If you’d like to be a paranoid android, why not try The Gaslight Club by Stoo Goff https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/335302/the-gaslight-club Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ At the special request of Goblin’s Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It’s 1982’s classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure to check out With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E3196
April 26 · 2 hr 8 min
Movie Monday: Westworld (E319)
For April’s Movie Monday, we watched the 1973 sci-fi western Westworld, written & directed by Michael Crichton. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (itch, YouTube) & Jorphdan of Jorphdan’s Jocular Junction (YouTube, jorphdan.com) M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis (podcast) Darkfluid of The Silver Key (podcast) & Q Joseph Gill of The Dekahedron RPG Podcast Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ At the special request of Goblin’s Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It’s 1982’s classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. In our latest episode, we pit Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein against Luc Besson’s Dracula. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E318
April 21 · 41 min
Buckaroo Bonus, Bargains, Backing, Books & a Box (Blade Runner: Replicant Rebellion) (E318)
Starting with some feedback for March’s Movie Monday, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, from Joe Richter of Hindsightless and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast. Then some RPGs that have piqued my interest: Flail: an old-school fantasy brawler from Games Omnivorous https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/games-omnivorous/flail-an-old-school-fantasy-brawler FatherFog, a fairy-tale horror RPG from Tuesday Knight Games https://www.tuesdayknightgames.com/products/fatherfog0e?srsltid=AfmBOop6eoLBV6crKZMW1QtRaSxM8U_H07IpU-HT77wnUDolDvAMspXf Keeper’s Call by J. P. Coovert I also take a look at Vermis III: Old Curses & Buried Horrors by Plastiboo https://hollow-press.net/products/vermis-iii-old-curses-buried-horrors, Blade Runner RPG: Replicant Rebellion & Asset Pack from Free League Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for April is the 1973 sci-fi western Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton. That episode will air on April 27th, so please send in your submissions by the 25th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. In our latest episode, we pit Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein against Luc Besson’s Dracula. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me a 90-second audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E317
March 29 · 1 hr 56 min
Movie Monday: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (E317)
For March’s Movie Monday, we watched gonzo sci-fi comedy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension from 1984, directed by W. D. Richter and starring Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, and Christopher Lloyd. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Evil Jeff of Minions & Musings (podcast) with Minion Bravo Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis (podcast) Darkfluid of The Silver Key (podcast) & Q Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for April is sci-fi western Westworld form 1973, written and directed by Michael Crichton. That episode will air on April 27th, so please send in your submissions by the 25th if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall. You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E316
March 19 · 1 hr 21 min
All at Sea (Sinbad and Pirate Borg) (E316)
I begin this episode by sharing a couple of late submissions for last Movie Monday’s The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis, and Darkfluid & Q. I also have some feedback from Joe Richter of Hindsightless. This is followed by an unboxing of Limithron’s Pirate Borg Starter Set: Trapped in the Tropics, and an unexpected tin of delicious Palestinian dates from Donatedirectly.com. Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for March is The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension from 1984, directed by W. D. Richter and starring Peter Weller. That episode will air on March 30th, so please send your submissions by the 28th if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, don’t miss the latest episode of With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we choose movies from our youth to see how well they hold up. You can find that wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy actual plays, be sure to check out The Lucky Die and The Sprouting from Blighthouse Studio. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com, follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social, or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio and find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E315
February 23 · 1 hr 9 min
Movie Monday: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) (E315)
For February’s Movie Monday, we watched The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from 1973, a fantasy adventure directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) James Knight, Tyranner the Dwarf, and Ellen the Elf of the Southwest London Sofa Gang Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for March is The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension from 1984, directed by W. D. Richter and starring Peter Weller. That episode will air on March 30th, so please send in your submissions by the 28th if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall. You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E314
February 15 · 33 min
Games, Books, Movies & Improv (Cloud Empress) (E314)
This is an off-the-cuff episode, wherein I cover a variety of things. Free PDFs: Cairn: Barebones Edition by Yochai Gal https://yochaigal.itch.io/cairn-barebones-edition Intergalactic Bastionland: Beyond Into The Odd: Playtest by Chris McDowall https://open.substack.com/pub/bastionland/p/bastionland-goes-intergalactic?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Books: Promethean Horrors: Classic Tales of Mad Science by Xavier Aldana Reyes for British Library Tales of the Weird The Uncanny by Sigmund Freud It Was All A Dream: An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right by Brandon Applegate Films: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) dir. Rouben Mamoulian The Black Cat (1934) dir. Edgar G. Ulmer Black Pit of Dr. M (1959) dir. Fernando Mendez The Plague of the Zombies (1966) dir. John Gilling Theatre of Blood (1973) dir. Douglas Hickox Frightmare (1974) dir. Pete Walker Messiah of Evil (1974) dir. Willard Huych, Gloria Katz Phantasm (1979) dir. Don Coscarelli Weapons (2025) dir. Zach Cregger RPG Material: Cosmic Dark by Graham Walmsley The No-Prep Gamemaster: Train Your Brain to Run Tabletop Roleplayng Games Second Edition by Matt Davids https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/524180/the-no-prep-gamemaster-train-your-brain-to-run-tabletop-roleplaying-games Cloud Empress Core Boxed Set by Watts Honourable Mentions: Dave Aldridge of dPercantile (podcast) Weird Studies podcast Episode 86: On E.T.A. Hoffmann's “The Sandman” https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LwYzcmq29EJXXa9C5SSH4?si=vDE7gzUfQQay5i-gWK8uXQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A7MtLPVWIcFbl5XPsMiF9f8 Scott Doward of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias (podcast) Andy Goodman of Grizzly Peaks Radio (podcast) Jen Fridy at GrimHumor https://www.jenfridy.com/ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ This month’s Movie Monday is The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from 1973. Directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen. That episode will air on February 23rd, so please send in your submissions by the 21st if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com, follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social, or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio and find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E313
February 6 · 19 min
Between the Borderlands: The Gordon Child... of NIMH (E313)
I begin this episode by talking about two Kickstarters I recently backed. Tanya Flocker’s The Thunder Perfect Mind (ending February 10th) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/floaker/the-thunder-perfect-mind?ref=discovery&term=the%20thunder%20perfect%20mind&total_hits=1&category_id=34 Three Sail Studio’s Gallows Corner - A Peasants’ Revolt RPG https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/threesailsstudios/gallows-corner-a-peasants-revolt-rpg?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=gallows%20corner&total_hits=1 This is followed by some Movie Monday feedback from Evil Jeff of Minions & Musings (podcast), Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast), and Mirke of Mirke the Meek (podcast). Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ This month’s Movie Monday is The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from 1973. Directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen. That episode will air on February 23rd, so please send in your submissions by the 21st if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com
S6 · E312
January 25 · 1 hr 2 min
Movie Monday: The Golden Child (1986) (E312)
For the first Movie Monday of 2026, we watched dark fantasy action comedy The Golden Child from 1986. Directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Eddie Murphy, Charlotte Lewis, Charles Dance, and Victor Wong. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew M.W. Lewis from The World of M.W. Lewis (podcast) Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for February is The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from 1973. Directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen. That episode will air on February 23rd, so please send in your submissions by the 21st if you’d like to be included in the show. Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall. You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

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