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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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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) &…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
Well, I think it’s high time Flash Gordon got its sequel, so here it is, a sequel to December’s Movie Monday episode at least. Featuring messages from DarkFluid and Q, M.W. Lewis from the Worlds of M.W. Lewis (podcast), Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast), Goblin’s Henchman (podcast), and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast. Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here…
Welcome to my first episode of 2026, wherein you will hear some audio unboxings, I talk about improving my reading habits, and my in-house book reviewer, Fox Loves Carrots (formerly known as Little Munchkin), returns to talk about Carlos Sanchez’s Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces. Featuring: Helluva Town - Cartoon Gangster RPG from Achron Games, Cosmic Dark by Graham Walmsley, The Wind’s Twelve…
For December’s Movie Monday, I chose a film that’s as camp as Christmas. Mike Hodges’ 1980 cult classic space fantasy Flash Gordon starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Mariangela Melato, Peter Wynguarde, with music by Queen and Howard Blake. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) James V. West (…
The debate continues. Jason Hobbs (Random Screed, Hobbs & Friends podcast) and MW Lewis (The Worlds of MW Lewis podcast) call in to convince me that Nausicaä is mooning us all. See the case for the defence below… Exhibit A: https://www.reddit.com/r/ghibli/comments/q9z5j6/is_anybody_else_bothered_by_all_the_gratuitous/ Exhibit B:…
Welcome to another episode of Keep off the Borderlands, wherein I answer some calls, open some boxes, and chat about solo tabletop roleplaying games. Featuring calls from Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist presents…, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Joe Richter of Hindsightless and Mirke of Mirke the Meek podcast. We talk about getting older, Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,…
Welcome to Movie Monday! This month’s movie was Hayao Miyazaki’s animated post-apocalyptic fantasy Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind from 1984. A based on Miyazaki’s own critically acclaimed manga series of the same name. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) James Knight and Ellen of the Southwest London Sofa Gang James and Judy of the South Pacific Sofa Jason…
Having found myself on the wrong side of 55, I attempt to distract from this devastating realisation by responding to some Movie Monday feedback before indulging in a little retail therapy. First up is James Knight with a call about September’s movie Richard Donner’s Superman, then we have calls from Joe Richter of Hindsighless and MW Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis regarding the October choice…
Well, what do you know, it’s Movie Monday again! This month, we watched Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad from 1987. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Goblin’s Henchman (podcast & blog) & the Umber Bulk Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast, blog) James Knight, Ellen and Tyranner Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Karl Rodriguez of the GMologist…
Welcome to a mid-month Movie Monday feedback episode. I share my thoughts on the Richard Donner cut of Superman 2 and Superman 2025, James Gunn’s latest attempt to revive the franchise. I have calls from Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist presents… (podcast), James Knight and Tyranner of the Southwest London Sofa Gang, and Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast). Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list…
This episode features the welcome return of Barney Dicker from Loco Ludus, who talks about Luke Gearing’s Swyvers, Guards of Traitor’s Toll from Grey For Now Games and Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone from Monster Fight Club, some great feedback from Joe Richter of Hindsightless. I share my thoughts on Kpop Demon Hunters directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Also featuring… Bite the Bullet by…
Welcome to Movie Monday. This month we watched Richard Donner’s Superman from 1978, starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and Marlon Brando, with an unforgettable score by John Williams. I also watched the sequel Superman 2 from 1980 directed by Richard Lester. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Goblin’s…
Welcome to the 300th episode of Keep Off The Borderlands. I respond to some more Mad Max feedback from Goblin’s Henchman and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast before speaking to a special guest. Honourable mentions: Shadow Chaser by Simon Tudhope, Making a Tabletop RPG for Your Particular Kid by Steph Campbell, Star Gems by Leslie Arambula, First Fable by Matthew McFarlane, Sandbox…
Welcome to Keep Off The Borderlands. I kick things off with errata before listening to some more Mad Max messages from MW Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis, Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast. Jason recommends a great podcast called Weird Studies. Find out more here https://www.weirdstudies.com I share some brief spoiler-free thoughts on George Miller’s 2024…
Welcome to the Movie Monday Mad Max special. I watched Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior from 1981, but thanks to some very generous contributors, we take a look at director George Miller’s Mad Max franchise. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Goblin’s Henchman (podcast & blog) & the Umber Bulk Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety…
So, we’re still stuck in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth with this feedback episode. Featuring calls from Joe Richter of Hindsighless, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Goblin’s Henchman, and Joe of Dekohedron RPG Podcast. August is not only #RPGaDAY2025, it’s also Movie Monday’s Mad Max month, and I recommend those unfamiliar with the franchise watch Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior from 1981.…
Welcome to the #RPGaDAY2025 recap. Here are the first 10 prompts for August 2025. #RPGaDAY Material mentioned: Electric Bastionland by Chris McDowall, Random Realities and Everspark by Cezar Capacle, Into the Cess & Citadel by Alex Coggan & Charlie Ferguson Avery, The Weird from Monte Cook Games, Cairn 2e by Yochai Gal, Plot Unfolding Machine by Jeansen Vaars, OZ by Andrew Kolb, The Gardens of Ynn…
In this feedback episode, I field calls from Safer of the currently dormant Safer Fantasy Crafting podcast, the Southwest London Sofa Gang, who are joined by James Knight’s dad Iain, MW Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis podcast, and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast. August is not only #RPGaDAY2025, it’s also Movie Monday’s Mad Max month, and I recommend those unfamiliar with the franchise…
Welcome to Movie Monday. This month, we finally got around to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth from 1986. Starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, this musical fantasy was not the box office success I believed it to be. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast, blog) Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Goblin’s Henchman…
I respond to a message from MW Lewis of the Worlds of MW Lewis, continuing the superhero movies genre debate from the last couple of episodes. Listen to Joe Richter’s spoiler-free reviews of James Gunn’s Superman https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oUOPdwxKtFHOrSpWXzMPC Listen to Joe Richter chatting to Jason Connerley https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ljeCfHHUItSrOpB6AUm5J Listen to Jason Connerly…
Here be feedback and announcements: some Legend talk, an itch.io jam, some hero talk, and RPGaDay. First up, it’s Joe Richter of Hindsightless with some Movie Monday feedback, a brief look at Lex Mandrake’s Tree of Night adventure, and an Appendix-N itch jam that’s already well under way. Then we have a bit about superhero movies from Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, and a reminder that…
Welcome to Movie Monday. This one’s a little longer than usual, as we’ll be exploring both the US Theatrical version and the Director’s Cut of Ridley Scott’s Legend, first released in 1985. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast, blog) James Knight, Tyranner the Dwarf and Ellen the…
Here’s some more wittering about Willow. Featuring: Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Menion aka Rob of Confessions of a Wee Tim’rous Bushi (podcast) Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch, Bandcamp) The Umberbulk (allegedly) Goblin’s Henchman (blog) The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The Movie for June will be Legend, from 1985,…
Following the sad loss of both Val Kilmer and Jean Marsh in April of this year, Ron Howard’s Willow from 1988 was the only choice for May. Written by George Lucas and starring Warwick Davis, Willow is a family-friendly fantasy adventure that has stood the test of time. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Goblin’s Henchman (podcast & blog) & the Umber Bulk James…
Hold onto your purse strings, this could be a pricey one! This is essentially a promotional episode for an upcoming Kickstarter from Jess Levine and Riley Rethal, but I speak about a whole bunch of stuff I’ve backed, too. The Galactic & Going Rogue Kickstarter can be found here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galacticgoingrogue/galactic-and-going-rogue-two-ttrpgs-of-war-among-the-stars Here…
I’m really stretching this “Between” episodes format. There’s enough here to warrant a fully fledged episode, but I’m my own boss, so what you gonna do? I begin by addressing a shameful omission from the previous episode before diving into a whole bunch of feedback. Featuring: James Knight, Ellen the Elf & Tyranner the Dwarf Goblin’s Henchman (blog) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) M. W.…
It’s Movie Monday again, and the movie for this month was the Rankin/Bass fantasy animation The Last Unicorn from 1982. Adapted by Peter S. Beagle from his 1968 novel of the same name. 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) & the Umber Bulk…
I begin this episode by responding to some Movie Monday feedback for The Neverending Story from Joe Richter of Hindsightless and Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast. This leads to me discussing a bunch of different films I've watched over the last couple of weeks. Phenomena dir. Dario Argenta (1985) The Quatermass Xperiment dir. (1955) Lifeforce dir. Tobe Hooper (1985) I Saw the TV Glow…
Welcome to Movie Monday. This month’s movie was The Neverending Story from 1984, directed by Wolfgang Peterson, adapted from Micheal Ende’s children’s fantasy novel from 1979. Here’s a video comparing the German and international cuts of the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw3q65OxtCQ This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Goblin’s Henchman (podcast & blog) & the…
A little bonus for you. Here is the audio for a recent YouTube video I made. As I was denied access to YouTube’s advanced features, this is an opportunity to share links I could not share in the video description. Featuring: Brad Kerr’s Demon Driven to the Maw https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/372360/demon-driven-to-the-maw?src=DotDem Yochai Gal’s Rise of the Blood Olms & Beyond the Pale…
Yay! I’m still alive and Movie Monday feedback is back! I share an email from Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons, calls from Joe Richter of Hindsightless and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety cast. For next Movie Monday I’m sticking with 1984. The Neverending Story directed by Wolfgang Petersen is based on Michael Ende’s fantasy novel from 1979. See below for details on contacting the show. The…
Firstly, apologies for the delay in show notes. I’ve been laid up with a stomach bug the last few days and any kind of infection exacerbates my MS symptoms which effectively leaves me bedridden. But enough about that… As a tribute to the passing of visionary David Lynch, this month’s movie was Dune from 1985. An adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel. This episode features contributions…
Just here to share a little feedback from the previous episode. Featuring calls from Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast), Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast & blog), and BJ Boyd of The Arcane Alienist (podcast). And a nice little bit of feedback from Yochai himself. And here a link to Kettlewright.com Honourable Mentions: Colin Green of Spikepit (YouTube), Barney Dicker of Loco…
In this episode, I reflect on my first time in the Game Master’s seat running Yochai Gal’s Cairn 2nd Edition. Here’s a link to Yochai running Rise of the Blood Olms https://youtu.be/HcY1Ytwznyk?si=SFQZf4p4fueTLyCO Games and adventures mentioned: Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Baker & Meguey Baker One Shot World, Cairn, & Rise of the Blood Olms by Yochai Gal https://yochaigal.itch.io Into the Odd,…
Welcome to the first Movie Monday of 2025. This month’s movie was Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger from 1977. Directed by Sam Wanamaker and featuring the wonderful stop-motion effects of the legendary Ray Harryhausen. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast & blog) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) James Knight,…
