tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106520018259921892024-03-16T14:53:08.133-04:00Wobble Reviews - Bob Surlaw's Words of Mouth<p align="center">
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</p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.comBlogger417125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-33431965282362999852023-01-03T15:33:00.000-05:002023-01-03T15:33:08.631-05:00Year in Review 2022 - Movies<p style="text-align: left;">I watched more movies this year, old and new, than any other year in my life! Almost all of them were at home on streaming services, but I did get to see a bunch of new releases in theaters (almost entirely empty.) I strongly believe that 2022 was the best year in film of the modern era! I've written reviews of nearly all the films I watched this year on <a href="https://letterboxd.com/surlaw/list/2022-films-ranked/detail/">Letterboxd; they're each available here, along with a listing, in order, of my 2022 new release watches from favorite to least.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/surlaw/list/2022-films-ranked/detail/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="680" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI6WA0QhB-Wm-jHYAO9shTVDti5VvbOoorLZ0vATYld5vaaY8Rh1uZ_xmzVJM822XvVOuPbJHlglphnLQqbuallo9tYnAVr0QkYB_zmjPoU0QW80UuhW5QORMD0ykoJb6Zeq4cVs-fM_DzS772OM3L5Vzt5SkiR3gJzyfdt9bm1KQcc52SEfQiN56Sg/w640-h364/Capture.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-2656413104832712662023-01-02T16:44:00.001-05:002023-01-02T16:44:42.490-05:00Year in Review 2022 - Games<p>This year was largely spent on movies rather than games, but I still had time to play quite a few! I deeply disliked a handful of otherwise well-regarded games, but I don't feel the need to go into that; let's focus on what was good rather than stink it up. This time around, games are in order of enjoyment rather than alphabetical.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Top Ten Games of 2022</span></b> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwfLsEvH0JUCZMBh9D_28_5pAGwuBA-pJyVlPlETXggHr6TEzFNxTri7-tYKTuvAvh2Ujj8VqdjZfYqVu7bsRVZJDkhQskLn1HF5d-GfrjrwvRiSsQjbZukUs8F_1pZbkoN1mzZTL4V6y83B03JAOSCnhE_oJRgSlHwcM7U8agfakDa_-WoX-oStnNQ/s3840/FRUpxs3XMAAhpKg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwfLsEvH0JUCZMBh9D_28_5pAGwuBA-pJyVlPlETXggHr6TEzFNxTri7-tYKTuvAvh2Ujj8VqdjZfYqVu7bsRVZJDkhQskLn1HF5d-GfrjrwvRiSsQjbZukUs8F_1pZbkoN1mzZTL4V6y83B03JAOSCnhE_oJRgSlHwcM7U8agfakDa_-WoX-oStnNQ/w640-h360/FRUpxs3XMAAhpKg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Elden Ring</b> - The latest FromSoftware adventure was easily my favorite game of 2022. Aside from putting more hours into it than anything else, it was just an amazing, engrossing experience that I've already played through multiple times. I'm going to keep coming back to this one for years. There's just so much to find and every little corner of the map has something useful, deadly, or funny, and while it's not as tightly tuned as Sekiro or Bloodborne, it's an amazing game.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kso-nWSQDeVShTvjNm7FLwpIvp3yVi_nytWYZFOyq3Vhm51vvP97jzJsyJ0eGxsQdS5lBm4hlhyfHXpSEJSfDFiLlxvqXkbHGVCfGGfB_kNzo4enjXttazuy5s1igWblzMFqw4v9DxHgbylUpnIlD5Jrh49c2DaCGjTlRShC3ix4IRo8CM7dChtSOA/s1280/Kirby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kso-nWSQDeVShTvjNm7FLwpIvp3yVi_nytWYZFOyq3Vhm51vvP97jzJsyJ0eGxsQdS5lBm4hlhyfHXpSEJSfDFiLlxvqXkbHGVCfGGfB_kNzo4enjXttazuy5s1igWblzMFqw4v9DxHgbylUpnIlD5Jrh49c2DaCGjTlRShC3ix4IRo8CM7dChtSOA/w640-h360/Kirby.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Kirby and the Forgotten Land</b> - The most adorable post-apocalyptic game ever made, and Kirby's first true 3D platforming title. My daughter and I had a ton of fun playing this in co-op mode, completing the game multiple times. When you're not going through action stages you can goof off in Waddle Dee Town listening to music, eating food, fishing, etc. That was her favorite part. A game with an enormous amount of charm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzl3NNvLZcZZ22X5SHhuoWN7suyd82L4kugQliN_NMp2fTWFP7T4oDdPb0Aux5kXlrWiZw1P_Cwc8jV07NvTuszg9CfCVvggtTFtIwTG-IZ6E44D0g_o3H4GkJBe3sEYUd6ceuCFrQcBobqRZW2UaFNQj03_PI2c66dEM2vNQ1irK7paTI-ofFNR5N1g/s1280/Fgm0aGaakAAdmqy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzl3NNvLZcZZ22X5SHhuoWN7suyd82L4kugQliN_NMp2fTWFP7T4oDdPb0Aux5kXlrWiZw1P_Cwc8jV07NvTuszg9CfCVvggtTFtIwTG-IZ6E44D0g_o3H4GkJBe3sEYUd6ceuCFrQcBobqRZW2UaFNQj03_PI2c66dEM2vNQ1irK7paTI-ofFNR5N1g/w640-h360/Fgm0aGaakAAdmqy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Bayonetta 3</b> -There are some real performance problems in action-heavy scenes, some graphics issues, and the story is genuinely bad, but the action is so fun that I can overlook that and still think this is the most fun game in the series. The original game has the best art design, the second has the most fun story, and this one was my favorite for the actual fighting. Another game that I replayed multiple times, I was very satisfied to get all platinum trophies on hard mode. Fighting is divided between standard over the top Bayonetta action, Elevator Action style sidescrolling stages, and the more defensive-heavy new character, Violet. She's a divisive character but I had a ton of fun with her fighting style.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Z_XD6d2ElzFNDF93UGjeNltYOeyI9YILv0xMtEwt9KNfxZHnI4C2ElT3bLREV0V018dXSfUZ4GNSgEMM5w5uSpiTeuXE_ft8rnIvXwWXG0s5BYz8PgBrmmy9ofI6lvXouDgL-kjz4ZQoIRXPoTohyDReOxe5KxcEJHozS9-gyAqvcy_hIGRiHh87w/s1280/FksJ5SbaMAEVotC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Z_XD6d2ElzFNDF93UGjeNltYOeyI9YILv0xMtEwt9KNfxZHnI4C2ElT3bLREV0V018dXSfUZ4GNSgEMM5w5uSpiTeuXE_ft8rnIvXwWXG0s5BYz8PgBrmmy9ofI6lvXouDgL-kjz4ZQoIRXPoTohyDReOxe5KxcEJHozS9-gyAqvcy_hIGRiHh87w/w640-h360/FksJ5SbaMAEVotC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>The Punchuin</b> - An indie action-puzzler where a penguin knocks blocks around to make matches. The concept is very simple and easy to learn, but the stage design, controls, and art style are so tight that it elevated this title to one of my top five of the year. There's a nice vs. mode included, but it's unfortunately local multiplayer only. The only knock against this game is I wish it had online leaderboards.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFL5KPzy2N2pCzagK6HqWK4Dmpas_a7g3v4Mo2G0K2I83VwYWTa66EI5vCOCD38dasytQu2sQ-C9fqZ_P5-pfKzXMYwl_JmLDo_b0luDEzSqyM3AMR4JBR7YbERVC8UB3NsLHe8mZM8K_GL6anUAb-KG3-udMaT5WBUSufAu_VAbtfqY0ghoH_KoCLg/s1280/donut_dodo_screenshot_1280x720_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFL5KPzy2N2pCzagK6HqWK4Dmpas_a7g3v4Mo2G0K2I83VwYWTa66EI5vCOCD38dasytQu2sQ-C9fqZ_P5-pfKzXMYwl_JmLDo_b0luDEzSqyM3AMR4JBR7YbERVC8UB3NsLHe8mZM8K_GL6anUAb-KG3-udMaT5WBUSufAu_VAbtfqY0ghoH_KoCLg/w640-h360/donut_dodo_screenshot_1280x720_05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Donut Dodo </b>- A single-screen arcade experience with <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">the platforming of Donkey Kong, the enemy pathing strategy of Burger Time, and the bonus collection structure of Rally-X. It's a love letter not just to one game, but to an entire genre, and it's masterfully made. The controls are excellent (and much more forgiving than the games that inspired it) and the designers really understood how to give this game its own personality without ever feeling like a knockoff. Surprisingly rare in retro revival style games, Donut Dodo is one of the very best of its kind.</span></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtMCAnxAzTU8svL351U-Uzws4L8vTxvCP_1TUAqw-PpUD8OnnbVOaFYbruXjrpKBRkliidq8I3i_hDygmiY4lieLhl6HtY06W19e2LHDOpQIeDHHuXgd7_4ujUyppEb2ciGFjPdmXZGIUf_LJA1k_q0VlcT3qMTQVNazYJ1Su1yazQ2iKx4eNlQl3eQ/s1600/51835083285_8056befa3f_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtMCAnxAzTU8svL351U-Uzws4L8vTxvCP_1TUAqw-PpUD8OnnbVOaFYbruXjrpKBRkliidq8I3i_hDygmiY4lieLhl6HtY06W19e2LHDOpQIeDHHuXgd7_4ujUyppEb2ciGFjPdmXZGIUf_LJA1k_q0VlcT3qMTQVNazYJ1Su1yazQ2iKx4eNlQl3eQ/w640-h360/51835083285_8056befa3f_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span></b><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger of Paradise</b> - A weirdo action-heavy remake/prequel/maybe more based on the original Final Fantasy, I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. It's a bombastic melodrama that walks the line of comedy and drama really well, with an awesome soundtrack and very entertaining monster fighting. I haven't had a chance to try any of the DLC stories yet, but the core game is completely satisfying on its own. The only real flaw is the endless dump of gear you never need, similar to the developer's previous Nioh games. It's a pain to sort through and dump the trash items.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqYmm27iAABg5mVJ_kV299j9HmomerNh3Fy9y78xg1aabiIlnhUs_NBgjUFZ8U85unOOLm9IPaxHenA7WtdiLhU1nVNjKak4kTnhhHo_ceh9q_Y9Nq0KeifiCHqRd4osyi40F3XPnjI5m54VnLdzuIbiSfjuWiJDnBnedtB0_bMZ-LJuwmIx18FZpwA/s1920/FiyWxg8WIAElctz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqYmm27iAABg5mVJ_kV299j9HmomerNh3Fy9y78xg1aabiIlnhUs_NBgjUFZ8U85unOOLm9IPaxHenA7WtdiLhU1nVNjKak4kTnhhHo_ceh9q_Y9Nq0KeifiCHqRd4osyi40F3XPnjI5m54VnLdzuIbiSfjuWiJDnBnedtB0_bMZ-LJuwmIx18FZpwA/w640-h360/FiyWxg8WIAElctz.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Tactics Ogre Reborn</b> - A remake of the PSP remake of the PS1 remake of the Super Famicom title from 1995. Each iteration adds more quality of life improvements and remixes the way skills work just enough that they feel like new experiences. This is one of the all time great tactical RPGs and it still feels fresh today with largely excellent voice acting and dialogue choices that actually DO have a massive impact on the story. This time around the game is a little more random, with skill cards popping up in battle near both players and enemies. This was one element I didn't like; the tide of battle can turn quickly based on luck rather than skill. Otherwise, it's still a stellar title.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3mLwPVxIvussy0muL1xvMNaYPBGxGBPAkPe-SQQFphbEp3FcFRvqfkinZ55pP2ysp6CN25h8m85MM0QQSs5FWgDvdQupdhh_qUNOxqxIkfrIu41A9AqDj-XtFMrMX4f5IMqjbg-wh8XJR9mPgtL53ENeVgICItwPIOPNAntF9tyLarFmjFtTVloBhw/s3840/FPoPiqpXoAMWziV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3mLwPVxIvussy0muL1xvMNaYPBGxGBPAkPe-SQQFphbEp3FcFRvqfkinZ55pP2ysp6CN25h8m85MM0QQSs5FWgDvdQupdhh_qUNOxqxIkfrIu41A9AqDj-XtFMrMX4f5IMqjbg-wh8XJR9mPgtL53ENeVgICItwPIOPNAntF9tyLarFmjFtTVloBhw/w640-h360/FPoPiqpXoAMWziV.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream</b> - A big improvement over the battle and alchemy systems of 2015's Atelier Sophie, this is a very relaxing game with a fun cast of characters. The story is bizarre and feels like a complete derail from the original game's ending, but individual bits are cute and delightful. No one in the game seems to find the core concept of "goddess traps random people in a dream world of her own creation" upsetting, weirdly.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsQ0IXfJXX6_uk252Uac35dS94UNZ6FkGlsbmxtNdZes85xR_Jh_yklQutNyNPogG57w0a5wq2Air0MpfGU12zaiaFRD4WzFbXmFNUht5f73jiWW0r_hLqcu1b0Z8LFCABdaGcOGYcwyY66kas2SmPssKcoJ01P1V_Azjetu8nrlM3LqPy0rcZhCsVw/s3840/Fd3Y3GNWYAIZJpj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsQ0IXfJXX6_uk252Uac35dS94UNZ6FkGlsbmxtNdZes85xR_Jh_yklQutNyNPogG57w0a5wq2Air0MpfGU12zaiaFRD4WzFbXmFNUht5f73jiWW0r_hLqcu1b0Z8LFCABdaGcOGYcwyY66kas2SmPssKcoJ01P1V_Azjetu8nrlM3LqPy0rcZhCsVw/w640-h360/Fd3Y3GNWYAIZJpj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Valkyrie Elysium</b> - A revival of the PS1 classic Valkyrie Profile series, Elysium is an action-brawler rather than an RPG. It's not particularly deep, but it's a very fun game to just wail on ghosts and blob monsters in while melodramatic Norse gods yell at each other. Everyone's pretty and the costumes are cool and there's some surprisingly tender backstories here; I heard very little buzz about it, but there's a well-written trans character here and she's great. I haven't played the God of War series; Valkyrie is more my style, I'm guessing.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhate7IXBdR75WJu1bChttXOWe67dbdNB_LVScY8YDGt_LXOPl3uvJ0s6v_pxmtxO3Sy5yxEjaACkgU9N7jb5vJPtHW1gEC_dzbF3bHo4rCTrCnm2dJg5AIjIi5q16nI9l2q6XdOqFwhq5KGNeiawAx7DWjK5bQGSO_gVnsUhDrOfJurDPNpUIdw6Cmyg/s1600/Fi6FzTtUUAAaYvb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhate7IXBdR75WJu1bChttXOWe67dbdNB_LVScY8YDGt_LXOPl3uvJ0s6v_pxmtxO3Sy5yxEjaACkgU9N7jb5vJPtHW1gEC_dzbF3bHo4rCTrCnm2dJg5AIjIi5q16nI9l2q6XdOqFwhq5KGNeiawAx7DWjK5bQGSO_gVnsUhDrOfJurDPNpUIdw6Cmyg/w640-h360/Fi6FzTtUUAAaYvb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Tetris: The Grand Master</b> - The first ever home port of the 1998 arcade Tetris focused on high-speed rounds and attaining master rankings. This isn't a new game by any means; it's a straight port that's part of the always excellent Arcade Archives series. It's release is a landmark, though, with the title finally playable outside of fan emulation. The exact opposite of the relaxing, meditative Tetris Effect, this one's a panic attack in puzzle form and I love it.</span></p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-6027143407117396442022-01-06T19:19:00.001-05:002022-01-06T19:19:31.121-05:00Year in Review 2021 - Games<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxXQrL5-bGNSPkM2iEH5EmK5pJO99EJJPqzl6jG-cOLa5Auqfayuin23eJsMsznExVmxSImQuxPhAoVd9Sces50j-kVMU6EWBFboELfsQWjw-tyo-_ym1Y2hWJwszVIk0rZV9UYX6K8B-mi7y3U4EzUYYPOayJmDfKzWXWUfdqn7SY19AuwmKrbWnHQQ=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxXQrL5-bGNSPkM2iEH5EmK5pJO99EJJPqzl6jG-cOLa5Auqfayuin23eJsMsznExVmxSImQuxPhAoVd9Sces50j-kVMU6EWBFboELfsQWjw-tyo-_ym1Y2hWJwszVIk0rZV9UYX6K8B-mi7y3U4EzUYYPOayJmDfKzWXWUfdqn7SY19AuwmKrbWnHQQ=w640-h240" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2022/01/year-in-review-2021-movies.html" target="_blank">Click here to view Year in Review 2021 - Movies </a></b><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2021 was a solid year for movies,
but what about games? This year I replayed a lot of games, including the three
Game Boy Advance <i>Castlevanias </i>(my first time playing them on a TV
instead of an unlighted GBA; being able to see the graphics so much clearer was
amazing) and half of the <i>Souls </i>series (and I finally finished <i>Sekiro </i>after
being stuck on the final boss for ages). For new games, I tried out the <i>Atelier</i>
series for the first time, starting with <i>Atelier Ryza</i>, and was
pleasantly impressed. On that note, let's look at my top ten! </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Top Ten Games of 2021</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGl5YtEtMMIgTWMQyJW7HF1mleB62EFKJEKOozSN2qCzvrEy6mti2HyQ1VcK95uIFKNEYyNsXr4lpnP-UmEi70mHHKZWql33iEwAGWPRmKQLSayz96sU0NV_tBzHrTy1t88qVgfFizpYlW4WlqwcPzRceBK1gZrsMdK8X8lg-Sj63XGZA08HtS4v5bkA=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGl5YtEtMMIgTWMQyJW7HF1mleB62EFKJEKOozSN2qCzvrEy6mti2HyQ1VcK95uIFKNEYyNsXr4lpnP-UmEi70mHHKZWql33iEwAGWPRmKQLSayz96sU0NV_tBzHrTy1t88qVgfFizpYlW4WlqwcPzRceBK1gZrsMdK8X8lg-Sj63XGZA08HtS4v5bkA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends &
the Secret Fairy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Whether it's action movies or
video games, I'm tired of "We've got to stop the bad guy from blowing up
the world" plots. <i>Atelier Ryza</i> goes in a completely different
direction, with its threats local and its focus on uncovering the past and
becoming better people by recognizing the sins of our ancestors. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first <i>Ryza </i>game is a
coming of age story with a climate change backdrop and the second focuses on
drifting around trying to find your place in the world once your friends have
graduated and moved on to new jobs/lives. The biggest shock to me is that it's
a series focused on gather items and brewing potions that's actually fun! Both
the RPG fighting and the alchemy scenes are more refined this time around,
which makes sense as our heroes have grown smarter and stronger in the years
between these two stories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The atmosphere is so laid back and
delightful, even when covering serious topics, that <i>Ryza</i>'s world is just
an incredibly comfortable place to live in. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv2_qUjxT1uPv_j5uL9Mw9TsTTU_rTexfNF-jPIH8mTUwO5SCLArjpdyD2acNXw-eVx-HLpBpJYyTsMgAs94ajqVUtabflqBfYHu4BfOVJL9Bx5xgPv3OIAjybK5rgC6_fdi7_VL3RVCY2mkAkPGGbDIKSUGA__hQpagpNbSyHcGQt0cS3P-qr6WjD4w=s3840" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv2_qUjxT1uPv_j5uL9Mw9TsTTU_rTexfNF-jPIH8mTUwO5SCLArjpdyD2acNXw-eVx-HLpBpJYyTsMgAs94ajqVUtabflqBfYHu4BfOVJL9Bx5xgPv3OIAjybK5rgC6_fdi7_VL3RVCY2mkAkPGGbDIKSUGA__hQpagpNbSyHcGQt0cS3P-qr6WjD4w=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Chicory: A Colorful Tale</b> - A combination <i>Zelda</i>-style adventure
and paint program, players color their black and white world to complete
puzzles, fight enemies, and bounce from platform to platform. It's a game that
celebrates creativity and it's genuinely funny, whether you're laughing at the
jokes or your own miserably messy attempts to paint portraits. There's the
expected plot about depression, but the far more interesting aspect of the
story is a movement to take ownership of art away from the elite and give its
power to all people.<p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZs0jk1hlaKrj7cJxDxE4gcqi4OULGjL3-OSAzQxIoKk4y58dZ3yG7SRJlHlWZvV9pQY-X0IsA9A_wgDTjlTRcEk4l1qqqSQq13hfTeyrPU9SaQKcNfhYVdMK8dlcTWNi5QmHXyFDwyHXhxZhpTVBajnFclNC23XMf9QFISOWqX7ARZ00laNUir4TbxA=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZs0jk1hlaKrj7cJxDxE4gcqi4OULGjL3-OSAzQxIoKk4y58dZ3yG7SRJlHlWZvV9pQY-X0IsA9A_wgDTjlTRcEk4l1qqqSQq13hfTeyrPU9SaQKcNfhYVdMK8dlcTWNi5QmHXyFDwyHXhxZhpTVBajnFclNC23XMf9QFISOWqX7ARZ00laNUir4TbxA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
<b>Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights</b> - This is a <i>Castlevania</i>-type
game that never wastes the player's time: Huge respect for giving players a
double jump in the first 10 minutes instead of holding it back. Travel is easy,
figuring out where to go next is simple even with all of the possible branches,
and combat is challenging without being punishing. The entire game, from story
to music, has a fairytale/lullaby mood, and players move from feeling
defenseless to empowered as they take control of their world. <i>Ender Lilies</i>
is the best indie <i>Castlevania</i>-type I've played in a long time!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJwvJYK8rPQhD-tKrknfJIYYtDBUsO59h6TBZmVd_YLdU_JtZJzZW5KyeI6IMsAXWCZzvaKXf4dnU99DbpmS0kSlwFxhaof9e-8bkG2bDNJ23emh1dnhQo6m9M4_hzVm8Qecl8yNQxUn3W7kieMUtQTFFA6Svx1YfLN2JjNfz63oc8Occz0XgKvz455g=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJwvJYK8rPQhD-tKrknfJIYYtDBUsO59h6TBZmVd_YLdU_JtZJzZW5KyeI6IMsAXWCZzvaKXf4dnU99DbpmS0kSlwFxhaof9e-8bkG2bDNJ23emh1dnhQo6m9M4_hzVm8Qecl8yNQxUn3W7kieMUtQTFFA6Svx1YfLN2JjNfz63oc8Occz0XgKvz455g=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Life is Strange 3</b> - The fourth <i>Life is Strange</i> installment is
called <i>Life is Strange 3</i> and it moves from episodic releases to a
single, long form story focused on a character who has the ability to observe,
manipulate, and absorb the emotions of others. This story could easily be
written as a horror tale, but instead follows a troubled but genuinely good
person who just wants to live a normal life. Smaller than the road-trip story
of <i>Life is Strange 2</i>, #3 is set entirely in and around a small mountain
town that players get to know intimately. I've got a ton of respect for this
series focusing not only on different characters but on entirely different
story structures each time, and #3 is a mature refinement of the series'
signatures.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg86F7DGQhnk_o8414hJmfEOXZN8rUhtJyaFghpOXL2NtQbeAILuVLu_Pfj-Lmqh1Wc0Q9vgWivTnllG2DA-oeuPYLubgA94xTgE0gu9lAjVsEUSiuaw9qI62CaDupyhD2vpakKXRHp6pdAt1hzqmzB38ohKiZ02Qy3Soee5Cs9XPTFAuc5QFg4yy5Rg=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg86F7DGQhnk_o8414hJmfEOXZN8rUhtJyaFghpOXL2NtQbeAILuVLu_Pfj-Lmqh1Wc0Q9vgWivTnllG2DA-oeuPYLubgA94xTgE0gu9lAjVsEUSiuaw9qI62CaDupyhD2vpakKXRHp6pdAt1hzqmzB38ohKiZ02Qy3Soee5Cs9XPTFAuc5QFg4yy5Rg=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Lost Judgment</b> - The second installment of Sega's <i>Yakuza </i>spinoff, <i>Lost
Judgment</i> is a refinement of the first game's combat and world exploration.
While <i>Yakuza </i>moved from its classic brawling gameplay to turn-based
mechanics in <i>Yakuza: Like a Dragon,</i> the <i>Judgment </i>series continues
where the series tradition of solving mysteries and making friends by actively
punching people in the brain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This time, detective Takayuki Yagami
goes undercover as a teacher at a local high school in order to make sense of
an extremely convoluted series of crimes. When he's not playing detective or
lawyer, Yagami gets to teach kids how to dance, build robots, and play Virtua
Fighter. Some of these minigames are great, others (the motorcycle races) are
exhausting, but overall it's a great time even if the story isn't quite as
impactful as the previous game's.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikvDP7gL2-iGMLTUwHA3t9IQQZc_pOJs6GZZagkYX3nAU-sqC8FxRXrrguVQ-4v63J12sjP5NLd1f94kJNkM0jjeknw8I7VB4XQOng72Zg8pUDADbx7YiDpxJ0hMZw9GXWd5W2ixi6IIFDfTKJpeC_AgWDz7-lroql_3fM72sXCgv45oP1Zt_jR6a9qA=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikvDP7gL2-iGMLTUwHA3t9IQQZc_pOJs6GZZagkYX3nAU-sqC8FxRXrrguVQ-4v63J12sjP5NLd1f94kJNkM0jjeknw8I7VB4XQOng72Zg8pUDADbx7YiDpxJ0hMZw9GXWd5W2ixi6IIFDfTKJpeC_AgWDz7-lroql_3fM72sXCgv45oP1Zt_jR6a9qA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Metroid Dread</b> - Nintendo's long-awaited follow-up to 2002's <i>Metroid
Fusion</i>, <i>Dread </i>is an incredible experience that shows why this series
is still so special even after decades of tributes, imitators, and knockoffs.
The map feels large but straightforward, exploration feels organic, and, most
importantly in an action game, movement feels wonderful. It's the most
challenging game Nintendo's released in ages, but you usually restart very close
to where you failed so every loss feels like a learning experience instead of a
punishment. It's on the shorter side compared to some games in the genre, but
I'm fine with that; I immediately wanted to replay a second time once I
finished it.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg30nYyogVqrjFK6MMtZ2Ul4Y7LC9KrDYKmTgWUaPwvsMFiSKRudKxsccpdTfSn6uJGP7jIICNQa68lbclLCzAwRzzLIWWfMiP_ESm2tnhCRZogfR0AXe9rUtAK2sdNc4i6fpqkDkvnGUIOChYYCNZ1d3M2KsJ7f6HOY2h6GkGu2nQjeWtsymBQU0C3w=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg30nYyogVqrjFK6MMtZ2Ul4Y7LC9KrDYKmTgWUaPwvsMFiSKRudKxsccpdTfSn6uJGP7jIICNQa68lbclLCzAwRzzLIWWfMiP_ESm2tnhCRZogfR0AXe9rUtAK2sdNc4i6fpqkDkvnGUIOChYYCNZ1d3M2KsJ7f6HOY2h6GkGu2nQjeWtsymBQU0C3w=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Nier: Replicant</b> - A remake of 2010's <i>Nier</i>, made in the wake of
the popularity of its 2017 sequel <i>Nier: Automata</i>. While <i>Automata </i>struck
a chord with audiences worldwide, its character left me feeling cold, with a
story more focused on the greater world rather than individuals. While there's
nothing wrong with that, I always preferred the character-focused original, and
this remake just reinforced how much I love these characters. The art is
updated, combat is refined and there's an additional (excellent) ending, but
everything that made the original <i>Nier </i>so special to me is still here,
just as great as ever.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmUxPF5j29hiQJbNAYF_Vpi3eKD4ZpAPFGbDXgA3V0jTVwo5XK4gTyiuBdTj_LW8F5JEwIfu3Vf39dxVfmeOhFvFWy0ZFeX2uTzC2o9sCxPweyMtUQ57U3-zhd4HmNPecgBjOJlIU3FagmS_TbyZ2RA4MjqUlCXXoh5iMI3yztU0DF-d7maS6FkDjFPw=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmUxPF5j29hiQJbNAYF_Vpi3eKD4ZpAPFGbDXgA3V0jTVwo5XK4gTyiuBdTj_LW8F5JEwIfu3Vf39dxVfmeOhFvFWy0ZFeX2uTzC2o9sCxPweyMtUQ57U3-zhd4HmNPecgBjOJlIU3FagmS_TbyZ2RA4MjqUlCXXoh5iMI3yztU0DF-d7maS6FkDjFPw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Persona 5 Strikers</b> - An excellent sequel and a very fun brawler, <i>Persona
5 Strikers</i> is a nice, relaxing summer vacation mystery. This is one that
you can't really follow without playing <i>Persona 5</i> first, but for those
who have, it feels great to return to its world and characters in a more
low-key story where the cast gets to party and solve mysteries on a road trip
across Japan. I enjoyed the turn-based combat of <i>Persona 5</i>, but had even
more fun with the massive brawls in <i>Strikers</i>. More so than the previous
game, the cast of <i>Strikers </i>feels like a genuine group of friends and in
a year where everyone was locked down, a virtual vacation helped make things a
little less dreary.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTgwHFqIOm_HbS58B_C8SceKDcOMBhTdjcx1NA-8PpybgWKolbmXkSOibXQxmhHF-1sgx0jIaAD3gUG6uNKRW0i5L_Xhjh_VpVg3qJqGGzVzLZWCibT5cGl2Ybmm_dFQcU0xVOg8RVCSDClU8DCruPzPE0ovhF-3D_vteh_Tr_cJ5S5VqVfJEPkwIXzw=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTgwHFqIOm_HbS58B_C8SceKDcOMBhTdjcx1NA-8PpybgWKolbmXkSOibXQxmhHF-1sgx0jIaAD3gUG6uNKRW0i5L_Xhjh_VpVg3qJqGGzVzLZWCibT5cGl2Ybmm_dFQcU0xVOg8RVCSDClU8DCruPzPE0ovhF-3D_vteh_Tr_cJ5S5VqVfJEPkwIXzw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Resident Evil 8: Village</b> - Which genre of horror is this one? All of
them. It rules. Funny, spooky, great atmosphere. The first-person exploration
of <i>Resident Evil 7: Biohazard</i> returns, but with more emphasis on combat
and a campier cast of villains that feels more like the wonderful weirdos of <i>Resident
Evil 4</i>. You fight werewolves, gillmen, borgs, vampires, Transformers, and a
very tall lady. Similar to the underappreciated <i>The Evil Within</i>, the
experience here is reminiscent of a real nightmare that shifts often and
violently, defying logic and reality at every turn. It's hard to pull this sort
of thing off, but <i>Village </i>does so spectacularly. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizUOX0-rzCQ9n4sKy13z0bjCOuLmFYLTFSLLNs9iB5_wnjAGGM4TpVI3xW5KX8KZ9Vj8feYIMcalCu0st0h6O6oheD-4dM1Xk2F99rt3GEDEyQLlyecPbRW8izReagfdh4fBol-oYruWFYclacr86KAeMWsZaSp3aB1tkwxpceMPRzyCbbs-W23E2lLg=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizUOX0-rzCQ9n4sKy13z0bjCOuLmFYLTFSLLNs9iB5_wnjAGGM4TpVI3xW5KX8KZ9Vj8feYIMcalCu0st0h6O6oheD-4dM1Xk2F99rt3GEDEyQLlyecPbRW8izReagfdh4fBol-oYruWFYclacr86KAeMWsZaSp3aB1tkwxpceMPRzyCbbs-W23E2lLg=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Returnal </b>- The best sound design of the year, this is a game that I'm
very happy I played with decent headphones. A timeloop robot-alien adventure
with randomly shifting arenas, <i>Returnal </i>has some of the best feeling
action of the year, and is my favorite shooter since <i>Doom 2016</i>. The
random shuffling of rooms and items isn't the most interesting (the game would
honestly work better as a singularly designed world) but movement and fighting
is so spectacular that I was able to overlook that. Some of the year's best
boss fights! This is a classic arcade experience combined with modern, cinematic
game design philosophy.</span><br /></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Honorable Mentions</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAGr72HD1a7J7SskfKu-fbCPROs9ZDGaezCBiY0_p6fbDwnmoSz-9h8QB6RcAEf8R7gD9rnBcc_Vg8dz_ne1ubTLa7b03caW1OMdIvIemG21h7r4VmG51GzI-VW44iGupoDSE7YfCOe845see5gYnHmDRdedcYyGdIUdpbuOzH0CuNGQWoI7cW8NqFPw=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAGr72HD1a7J7SskfKu-fbCPROs9ZDGaezCBiY0_p6fbDwnmoSz-9h8QB6RcAEf8R7gD9rnBcc_Vg8dz_ne1ubTLa7b03caW1OMdIvIemG21h7r4VmG51GzI-VW44iGupoDSE7YfCOe845see5gYnHmDRdedcYyGdIUdpbuOzH0CuNGQWoI7cW8NqFPw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actraiser Renaissance</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - A surprise remake of Quintet's 1990 SNES classic, <i>Actraiser
Renaissance</i> takes the platforming/city-building hybrid cult classic and
refines its combat, adds a new, almost claymation visual style, remixed music
(the original is here as an option), an entirely new zone, and a
tower-defense/real time strategy element. The original is one of my favorite
16-bit titles and the remake is an absolute great time as long as you aren't
interested in 100%ing it. If you are: Prepare for a grind. Don't do that to
yourself!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipCD07fD8VraYZ-VF18W-Nh8H3IXkd_4f1sKcQ6deL_0H3KnM6Oe3UQ5WQ8uIG9CDB_ebeURDWPixIfOmI6OXOWhp9LryGCg4aEsOclkn1pdTpY34tcq4sne2Pny2mQeUdswMWaNSGAUiDuJtYkmUoqrdEMubOXwBQUM7mD68LnSXPJJk_AcVL4D9QsA=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipCD07fD8VraYZ-VF18W-Nh8H3IXkd_4f1sKcQ6deL_0H3KnM6Oe3UQ5WQ8uIG9CDB_ebeURDWPixIfOmI6OXOWhp9LryGCg4aEsOclkn1pdTpY34tcq4sne2Pny2mQeUdswMWaNSGAUiDuJtYkmUoqrdEMubOXwBQUM7mD68LnSXPJJk_AcVL4D9QsA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Deathloop </b>- Another sci-fi timeloop shooter, <i>Deathloop </i>feels
completely different from <i>Returnal</i>, with its focus on learning patterns
and solving puzzles within the same repeating areas time after time. It's more
linear than it first appears, but figuring out everything that makes <i>Deathloop
</i>tick is extremely satisfying. There's a lot of style here and a cool world
design, but then it just ends abruptly with what can barely be called an
ending.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq-YyQ3yagbJ0jX6fYRUEIdmEq6sETlwBElf4P3jkg1G0_xr3a9oGd4QlaPMNPlDHp9MgoUqCrsy4WLMJNLBKThhWcFSFNC-yPmfV3Rzvlu4nVbXwssXr7ikR34IMgoKuVPIzjX_t_-fV7MhXpXsn8cMLp0YCfVA1Zl-cTDIDPOLthPZEq-AFWVWOq5w=s3840" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq-YyQ3yagbJ0jX6fYRUEIdmEq6sETlwBElf4P3jkg1G0_xr3a9oGd4QlaPMNPlDHp9MgoUqCrsy4WLMJNLBKThhWcFSFNC-yPmfV3Rzvlu4nVbXwssXr7ikR34IMgoKuVPIzjX_t_-fV7MhXpXsn8cMLp0YCfVA1Zl-cTDIDPOLthPZEq-AFWVWOq5w=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth</b> - Another excellent <i>Castlevania</i>-type
action game, this one is based on a classic anime that I watched in the 90's
and remember next to nothing about. That's fine; the story isn't important here
at all. Combat focuses on hitting elemental weaknesses and quickly switching
between Fire and Wind modes to negate damage, giving this game's combat a
unique feel from the dozens of similar games released each year. Its pixel art
is also top-notch.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi82O8YtFlI_JqgvPnbCZ4m258KyZAYHnX-MGTo3SxPyZPPYv0HpkqsSFfhNTRBFW-R8raeLQbFV7MQtYS2G7nS0-YS7YiNzrJUFNSiaMgFjKFmQU57LhVae6Q5H8OAcY-VGEPDZHwyYL-djp7X5Mp0yx81W64sbViIXDDIsoItpdTH8ygmSQBZERZVqw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi82O8YtFlI_JqgvPnbCZ4m258KyZAYHnX-MGTo3SxPyZPPYv0HpkqsSFfhNTRBFW-R8raeLQbFV7MQtYS2G7nS0-YS7YiNzrJUFNSiaMgFjKFmQU57LhVae6Q5H8OAcY-VGEPDZHwyYL-djp7X5Mp0yx81W64sbViIXDDIsoItpdTH8ygmSQBZERZVqw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Super Mario 3D World & Bowser's Fury</b> - A minor update of Nintendo's
2013 <i>Super Mario 3D World</i>, one of my all-time favorite Mario titles,
packaged together with <i>Bowser's Fury</i>, a brand new, open world Mario
adventure. Two very different Mario games, both are a ton of fun, but I am a
little surprised to see the amount of slowdown and performance issues that pop
up in <i>Bowser's Fury</i>. Still, it's worth it to see a Godzilla fight
between a giant Bowser and a gigantic kaiju Cat Mario. </span><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlbPW9mg2RQ6d1ih_-IMc0rKWLoC4SMe48SYnoZnSf5tt89dBpREXINnIqEONTrIALulbDbHdngv8omc4jKCMxDcYplNnHTZZyuAoKGySRDbFTO37sLHDmKCYpyDA5N136cLxtM49S9vGjrUVDdyI0AoIgGJQhDt_uBXex6Y1awav5Erxl1eomFjTNzQ=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlbPW9mg2RQ6d1ih_-IMc0rKWLoC4SMe48SYnoZnSf5tt89dBpREXINnIqEONTrIALulbDbHdngv8omc4jKCMxDcYplNnHTZZyuAoKGySRDbFTO37sLHDmKCYpyDA5N136cLxtM49S9vGjrUVDdyI0AoIgGJQhDt_uBXex6Y1awav5Erxl1eomFjTNzQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Tales of Arise</b> - The latest installment in the long-running <i>Tales </i>series,
<i>Arise </i>follows a group of rebels fighting against space fascism, only
unlike <i>Star Wars</i> it's the rebel leader that gets to wear the cool mask.
Combat is fun (but can get a little hard to follow at times), the world looks
great, and the story is genuinely compelling, but it loses a lot of steam
towards the end, when the game's open structure becomes a series of hallways
and extremely long exposition scenes. Still, at least 75% of the game is
excellent, and there are lots of goofy owl buddies to collect.</span><br /></p>
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<![endif]-->surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-33481170508627899552022-01-03T20:15:00.007-05:002022-02-11T19:25:51.623-05:00Year in Review 2021 - Movies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfv-jAaFQMiVs1-qzPAEISXqjvU_5Wfb4N6SkTkb6yx0ezsYzY6lWRhIr4ie6kR2VOiSvGRqMl37wmBJhBoInBdTTRtvyulYodIjFa5a7jaOQYm8NwDr-wiCwUPMkLJDCE7qYpoOl-8LnmHIT5L9awMUhRyA3Ny51uqVxuQbuhot0rf09aE0dEWrx0hQ=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfv-jAaFQMiVs1-qzPAEISXqjvU_5Wfb4N6SkTkb6yx0ezsYzY6lWRhIr4ie6kR2VOiSvGRqMl37wmBJhBoInBdTTRtvyulYodIjFa5a7jaOQYm8NwDr-wiCwUPMkLJDCE7qYpoOl-8LnmHIT5L9awMUhRyA3Ny51uqVxuQbuhot0rf09aE0dEWrx0hQ=w640-h240" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2022/01/year-in-review-2021-games.html" target="_blank"><b> Click here to view Year in Review 2021 - Games</b></a><br /></p><p>This year I'm doing things a little differently, focusing on my top ten movies and games (plus honorable mentions) rather than summarizing everything I watched and played. I watched a total of 100 movies this year, 50 of them new releases, and still didn't see everything I wanted to! That's an all-time record for me in yet another deeply weird year spent mostly at home. Work continues steadily on <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">Walthros: Renewal</a>, which I'm hoping to release later this year, and we adopted a second cat!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieL2Cih3DLXMv5_eXV6gTRcB9oiAyAV0W-LpZkWK225lp_Z5h5glOBOTzF4A4qp6PHGcJm1Nr3YUQJvmFWu3bIk9Drr0ypT92zUtGP2XhOu1gq24Xukw6DQb6-0drsEc5oFrGDr8G2p8zrjdXXlfIJfMbU-7XmQKZHZlwTHGObHsiCUSw7J2K_uzROGg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieL2Cih3DLXMv5_eXV6gTRcB9oiAyAV0W-LpZkWK225lp_Z5h5glOBOTzF4A4qp6PHGcJm1Nr3YUQJvmFWu3bIk9Drr0ypT92zUtGP2XhOu1gq24Xukw6DQb6-0drsEc5oFrGDr8G2p8zrjdXXlfIJfMbU-7XmQKZHZlwTHGObHsiCUSw7J2K_uzROGg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy the Seal<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Let's start things with my movie picks! I watched a lot of horror this year, both old and new, obscure and mainstream; I rewatched all of the <i>Nightmare on Elm Street</i> and<i> Friday the 13th</i> movies and then went on a deep dive into folk horror on the basis of recommendations in the excellent documentary <i>Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched</i>. Of my top ten new films this year, seven out of ten were horror with six more filling out my Honorable Mentions section! It was, to say the least, a very spooky year.<br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Top Ten Films of 2021</b></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG2mlwIQt-Xkg1CK5QpJj1llzzkNuje88vZwr09JErmcVC-ojbguuValKhL-TfpJXcoMig65QtTZSnMb6Ty7qY6BvPcO0PCl_Zo4_uRt3AfrNExC87g8YyeerR17uH_DIW_9L5quOXx2uP-l_a3TkCkjQvLu_rAeW_SdtDk5lOugYs_j2hgKX0I2jjxA=s736" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="736" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG2mlwIQt-Xkg1CK5QpJj1llzzkNuje88vZwr09JErmcVC-ojbguuValKhL-TfpJXcoMig65QtTZSnMb6Ty7qY6BvPcO0PCl_Zo4_uRt3AfrNExC87g8YyeerR17uH_DIW_9L5quOXx2uP-l_a3TkCkjQvLu_rAeW_SdtDk5lOugYs_j2hgKX0I2jjxA=w640-h314" width="640" /></a></b></div><b></b><p></p><p><b>Candyman </b>(Nia DaCosta) - <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">I
like stories about the intersection of fiction and reality and this
movie answers the question, "What if <i>Velvet Buzzsaw</i> was actually good?" This is a great sequel to the 1992 original of the same name that both recontextualizes the original story and stands on its own as something new, with its most powerful moments being the fantastic finale. It's rare for a horror movie to have a great ending, let alone have the ending actually be the best part! The atmosphere throughout is great, but it's
the shadow puppetry that absolutely steals the show.</span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3S8RXv01sjZLQ5qpGs6_WMhZSfbpUhSbMssQGE1qTSxo71dqKW8zfIXWcOYr84CKqF7VBFJMIBdsnxkywiNv3QP6xLxGdh3_VV_8gdx_XLp6cxunpRPgFGGjj7aV7tQGPfal4b3EwjXDPNKdGMm_1iDdNk94Nd7FeY62lIIg1zYBDWLtSwsvdZhLbBw=s1329" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1329" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3S8RXv01sjZLQ5qpGs6_WMhZSfbpUhSbMssQGE1qTSxo71dqKW8zfIXWcOYr84CKqF7VBFJMIBdsnxkywiNv3QP6xLxGdh3_VV_8gdx_XLp6cxunpRPgFGGjj7aV7tQGPfal4b3EwjXDPNKdGMm_1iDdNk94Nd7FeY62lIIg1zYBDWLtSwsvdZhLbBw=w640-h264" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <b>Censor </b>(Prano Bailey-Bond) - Another one that blurs the line of reality and fiction, <i>Censor </i>is my favorite horror film of 2021. Niamh Algar's lead role as Enid Baines is one of my favorite performances of the year; watching her world slowly unravel and mutate into a cinematic nightmare is both unnerving and compelling, a loss of self-identity that's easily relatable even as it crosses into horrifying. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixzEXS_0ms8_Zp87OqDps8wje9Hu4qbawp9lrwVgEPhFSgR0kvRxWjT_44p7no_vHKL-FbAIWQonYI1RILj2nYRFfIb80rbo7er-O4zUZN7pZyimpkNTFt9ksrx22o0jeK8rmUKsdhnQHPKavyf2dMRcE32vfeen3u22WNFMFD1bT9SU1vvuJIlrVqhw=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1200" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixzEXS_0ms8_Zp87OqDps8wje9Hu4qbawp9lrwVgEPhFSgR0kvRxWjT_44p7no_vHKL-FbAIWQonYI1RILj2nYRFfIb80rbo7er-O4zUZN7pZyimpkNTFt9ksrx22o0jeK8rmUKsdhnQHPKavyf2dMRcE32vfeen3u22WNFMFD1bT9SU1vvuJIlrVqhw=w640-h324" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>Come True</b> (Anthony Scott Burns) - <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">This is a movie that really made me miss theaters. An incredibly
effective mood piece about dreams with outstanding art design in its
nightmare realm, I'd have loved to see this in a dark room just completely consumed by its sights and sounds. The ending is a bit iffy, but otherwise this is a film with an incredible sense of unease throughout every scene.</span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3GXiB6VV9svtsKehMFOzUPboZMp6GadPiwAeZ3kWQ72GYprrN-pRQUnpbDUvNn8pz7KYgI9Wv0UeYxWEMojaJL0-hsn1vSz3vcrNa3ONWDnZY81V_obqERR9W2E2Q-DLAgFinSnfhqxnEreAr2KmO1yd9VYJ6XLgldEOplRQgQZRGQVAz-oQPlpktnA=s660" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="660" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3GXiB6VV9svtsKehMFOzUPboZMp6GadPiwAeZ3kWQ72GYprrN-pRQUnpbDUvNn8pz7KYgI9Wv0UeYxWEMojaJL0-hsn1vSz3vcrNa3ONWDnZY81V_obqERR9W2E2Q-DLAgFinSnfhqxnEreAr2KmO1yd9VYJ6XLgldEOplRQgQZRGQVAz-oQPlpktnA=w640-h346" width="640" /></a></p><b>Encanto </b>(Byron Howard, Jared Bush) - <i>Encanto </i>includes some of my favorite things: Capybaras, tapirs, and exploration of generational traumas. Disney musicals still stand out way, way ahead in quality over anything else the company makes. Gorgeous color with some nicely surreal sets and a fantastic soundtrack! Features Diane <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">Guerrero in a "super powered misfits living in isolation trying to
overcome an overbearing parent figure" story with a living house and a
desperate need to break hetero-normative expectations so it's basically a
PG version of <i>Doom Patrol</i>.</span><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_5pVCNZR-F9OMj080Kh_N4WisLZ8dcnvLhses4TdCbucitHyqwFECc0GerTCk12QUjoyRD2R5B2NBukEIRzHITWVpPTOk0-8OEyiI-cjuBD77DqnXVRpmFhbwYVsMoJOdCr5zZ1kamTNEqdzX-qdSdEV7TRc-9kiOwIAOK9CAMkluDf15hkb0C842jQ=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="900" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_5pVCNZR-F9OMj080Kh_N4WisLZ8dcnvLhses4TdCbucitHyqwFECc0GerTCk12QUjoyRD2R5B2NBukEIRzHITWVpPTOk0-8OEyiI-cjuBD77DqnXVRpmFhbwYVsMoJOdCr5zZ1kamTNEqdzX-qdSdEV7TRc-9kiOwIAOK9CAMkluDf15hkb0C842jQ=w640-h322" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /><b>The Green Knight</b> (David Lowery) - One of the few movies I actually did see in a theater this year (with a grand total of four people present) and I'm thankful I did; this is a moody audio-visual masterpiece from the director of <i>A Ghost Story</i>, one of my all-time favorites. It's a spooky, funny, and appropriately weird adaptation of a 14th century story that never feels dry or dated. In spite of its distance in time and setting from modern life, <i>The Green Knight</i>'s themes of guilt and responsibility feel absolutely relevant today.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6VHjpfLxRomyfm4MwD2bzpS4Rnc4wEx2PP2rRR7ozawv8p8S61WPFiEcYFQNYSsfB-8uIewF86b7g34D0211y9RHv9cHQkGUok4qRFY-R5-uC4RX9gZEFveLfKjPgEb7iVZFArYp3SJWLkZaTv_Qrn8sXkOPNMWwF5Vkc8XnpwRFv6s4oYGn0v84BKg=s762" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="762" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6VHjpfLxRomyfm4MwD2bzpS4Rnc4wEx2PP2rRR7ozawv8p8S61WPFiEcYFQNYSsfB-8uIewF86b7g34D0211y9RHv9cHQkGUok4qRFY-R5-uC4RX9gZEFveLfKjPgEb7iVZFArYp3SJWLkZaTv_Qrn8sXkOPNMWwF5Vkc8XnpwRFv6s4oYGn0v84BKg=w640-h362" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /><b>Last Night in Soho</b> (Edgar Wright) - The perfect film for anyone who's ever walked by a mirror and thought, "I really wish Anya Taylor-Joy was on the other side." I loved the fashion, the music, every bit of colorful lighting, and the sheer drunkenness of the film's atmosphere. Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomson McKenzie are both fantastic and I'm always a sucker for Psychic Trauma Lives On In A House stories.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOUcv20DZYuUqJjk4Dy20LiJD-p2Iq3ieI71ENUs35centwMUrWFDAd5lIJ_m4bY6P6Qb1ATK9hZfdKvA_946UIzK0NwRPqLutjSs_LkZLv5hTdDh0TGgudzKz6jAXXQuPLAQ14DqNMrbZsX3VzK74VRUWCNx0yYqi4GByz7p7GlwH86uG4QsbKVTW-Q=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1024" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOUcv20DZYuUqJjk4Dy20LiJD-p2Iq3ieI71ENUs35centwMUrWFDAd5lIJ_m4bY6P6Qb1ATK9hZfdKvA_946UIzK0NwRPqLutjSs_LkZLv5hTdDh0TGgudzKz6jAXXQuPLAQ14DqNMrbZsX3VzK74VRUWCNx0yYqi4GByz7p7GlwH86uG4QsbKVTW-Q=w640-h374" width="640" /></a> </p><p><b>The Night House</b> (David Bruckner) - A quiet horror film about
trying to find something, anything, that can explain the unexplainable
as a woman tries to find a way to make sense of her husband's suicide
while surviving her own nightmares. Rebecca Hall is excellent, as
always, and her supporting cast shows more warmth than usual for the
genre.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEd9SACeqReY9Y_ESW5H1TitNYpXia2VhXvrUdIPe6tvFZIxKZZUPEUpWKdzLpLja7GBJm9SkWbeMrccPapA8XCb8_QbmmCG8bAYV5TtN97kvWncgc8PVplFJfDPJZqCSoD1-iPcciH8Tn5ZBXWc7fCz2C5wf5-mXuPa5eapyNR9I38Urw_qwAuN0OqQ=s681" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEd9SACeqReY9Y_ESW5H1TitNYpXia2VhXvrUdIPe6tvFZIxKZZUPEUpWKdzLpLja7GBJm9SkWbeMrccPapA8XCb8_QbmmCG8bAYV5TtN97kvWncgc8PVplFJfDPJZqCSoD1-iPcciH8Tn5ZBXWc7fCz2C5wf5-mXuPa5eapyNR9I38Urw_qwAuN0OqQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>The Paper Tigers</b> (Daniel L.K. Caldwell) - I love stories that walk the line between genuine drama and abrupt silliness and this one balances that perfectly. It's sweet, moving, funny, and has really solid fight choreography. Our bumbling, past-their-prime heroes do their best and are all fleshed out, human characters, never just the butt of the joke. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDWIDVU0a0Kwl69CD1Nyhd5lp6bjaqhm3QAQmoXFIZde6RidVf4VyItAePLO1GFWfSIcLqVQnHVvXkXFeZofcnGvElRJ2hmR-JvwHJbMqP3ezXjPL4HqL5VVkjqrHdDkl41r6dMgrfu8F4zw4x4Tu5xUyu4ESlVvdnHUyHYz8yoxYyuXW07hnikdFi9g=s1260" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1260" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDWIDVU0a0Kwl69CD1Nyhd5lp6bjaqhm3QAQmoXFIZde6RidVf4VyItAePLO1GFWfSIcLqVQnHVvXkXFeZofcnGvElRJ2hmR-JvwHJbMqP3ezXjPL4HqL5VVkjqrHdDkl41r6dMgrfu8F4zw4x4Tu5xUyu4ESlVvdnHUyHYz8yoxYyuXW07hnikdFi9g=w640-h268" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Pig </b>(Michael Sarnoski) - What could have been a revenge story is instead a quiet meditation on grief, mortality, and remembrance. Robin (Nicholas Cage in my favorite performance of the year) is both subdued and powerful as a reclusive gatherer whose companion hog has been stolen and the time we spend with the pig itself is delightful; anyone can appreciate a pet like this. <p></p><p>We follow Robin on an odyssey through Portland, seeing the hopes, pains, and dreams of the people he encounters as he moves from the wilderness through the underworld and into the light of truth. It's a celebration of cooking as an expression of the soul while simultaneously condemning the artifice of Fine Dining.</p><p>Robin possesses a perfect memory, a gift that both brings comfort and pain; he can open the hearts of those who suffer, but at the same time cannot move beyond his own loss. Sad but compassionate, this is a film that asks its audience to see and respect the pain of those around them, rather than box everyone into cartoonish "good guy, bad guy" columns.</p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIaXm6TLCf2_x_-1eAXtEoB3kScWg2CcfresiBkMIsBrDAbgZOsxGfZnBfHx20d1sOz65PrqPbiH9HlRdteT77XKZ4Ed4Y7bPHx7wQP5Vpk-7_WQ_e_ArpIuDOcPWXLFkP3GZej7zQORZkYKvwBWseZiuE49d5q6AEpU-a8sJNXZocClmZlSDguxYQkg=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIaXm6TLCf2_x_-1eAXtEoB3kScWg2CcfresiBkMIsBrDAbgZOsxGfZnBfHx20d1sOz65PrqPbiH9HlRdteT77XKZ4Ed4Y7bPHx7wQP5Vpk-7_WQ_e_ArpIuDOcPWXLFkP3GZej7zQORZkYKvwBWseZiuE49d5q6AEpU-a8sJNXZocClmZlSDguxYQkg=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></span><b> </b></p><p><b>Saint Maud </b>(Rose Glass) - A slow-burn Satanic Catholic-guilt
psycho drama looking at the thin border between life and death, epiphany
and delusion, love and hate; Morfydd Clark is a fantastic lead and this
movie felt 100% designed to give me, personally, an absolute deepest
dread. Obligation, trauma, and regret are bundled together into an
existential time-bomb that there's no good way to diffuse. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQnJdNxBlpCFRCAmwpeuou0RqarJYExI01BsP-uM6Y7UnUIWWvCIas-WhbCbv2hZFkdnIwwRjrLoamW9h_Oxj8j5EkPLxR-1eD6VNBGFHvP-ibWvAh12KYGd-aJuTgdLoSARMcr_Yd93VzvmvHybasCeZ5kbVjpRWXonPIbUzfE1_KmHLYD7LlEyCKQA=s4096" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1716" data-original-width="4096" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQnJdNxBlpCFRCAmwpeuou0RqarJYExI01BsP-uM6Y7UnUIWWvCIas-WhbCbv2hZFkdnIwwRjrLoamW9h_Oxj8j5EkPLxR-1eD6VNBGFHvP-ibWvAh12KYGd-aJuTgdLoSARMcr_Yd93VzvmvHybasCeZ5kbVjpRWXonPIbUzfE1_KmHLYD7LlEyCKQA=w640-h268" width="640" /></a></div></b></h2><p><b>Bloodthirsty </b>(Amelia Moses) -<span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto" lang="en"> A
gothic-musical-horror film with werewolfism as a metaphor for both primal
creativity and repressed trauma, following a singer-songwriter invited
to the manor of a literally predatory record producer. Gets campy and
weird and the music rules. Absolutely made for me.</span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto" lang="en"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB_l3fe8BPsChZTsHFys7cuzzMyKo8ztEpXxz0jEvYY09QNwCjXoYW0X7kkqWUlVr0e9Vu1rVQ7LAJMhvm5HbST7RjWrI5HyXGaP_p_eczLYlv7Upj_kpVX0vn_YFBbPtz-SerSNTgpa0e5zrp1MqP5i2AfHXjJliMoZoouYcZPZer73wcEBq0nkvkwA=s776" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="776" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB_l3fe8BPsChZTsHFys7cuzzMyKo8ztEpXxz0jEvYY09QNwCjXoYW0X7kkqWUlVr0e9Vu1rVQ7LAJMhvm5HbST7RjWrI5HyXGaP_p_eczLYlv7Upj_kpVX0vn_YFBbPtz-SerSNTgpa0e5zrp1MqP5i2AfHXjJliMoZoouYcZPZer73wcEBq0nkvkwA=w640-h358" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>The Columnist</b> (Ivo van Aart) - A satisfying revenge-horror film about manners, free speech, and online weirdos, The Columnist/De Kuthoer plays well paired with Promising Young Woman. This one leans further into the comedy side of horror-comedy, but the absurdities of the online world it presents are sadly completely true to life.</p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVPINMQFVzfWyQu8-DDxo1Bnt3VOa-yocdPVkHuC_QwuBBMjbDfgv6cFtMSSU29VAFsqI452fAGphLE7gfBYH-PQg_C9JgRE-7Jehjk8iuNf8kVDoPPtMH8SSuor6iQSoL-rKxEJS-JXgZDEIyg-JQSNyDKq_yw7WfiFQWG3CMKyax0rfX55GZOCxTSA=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVPINMQFVzfWyQu8-DDxo1Bnt3VOa-yocdPVkHuC_QwuBBMjbDfgv6cFtMSSU29VAFsqI452fAGphLE7gfBYH-PQg_C9JgRE-7Jehjk8iuNf8kVDoPPtMH8SSuor6iQSoL-rKxEJS-JXgZDEIyg-JQSNyDKq_yw7WfiFQWG3CMKyax0rfX55GZOCxTSA=w640-h266" width="640" /></a></span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span><b>Detention </b>(John Hsu) - There sure are a lot of movies and TV
shows with this title! I'm not well-versed with the historical setting
(Taiwan under martial law in the 60's) but the paranoid hopelessness is
certainly universal. <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto" lang="en">I
always like movies where dreams are just as real and important as the
waking world. The desperate need for any kind of comfort leading you
into a nightmare world where even your dreams aren't a safe place to be
is always powerful horror. </span>I didn't know this was based on an indie game but that's pretty cool!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiU5d0varKoNKrK0XnW9WOVgZ3DVkdSYBGA40hnd4B7NBwMgq2une8-0Za0kPKrTMTNnarTbkyb2Bm5TWdV89Tbcs9UHc8Vs_zj2uW-anlwUmojAuNXQ-RTit359PJi9ntv1VZ-kw8UuyRACNDaVRQzd3XM9T_hR9IL0_a_16MF7IFqoV5vLatqNKM3g=s742" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="742" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiU5d0varKoNKrK0XnW9WOVgZ3DVkdSYBGA40hnd4B7NBwMgq2une8-0Za0kPKrTMTNnarTbkyb2Bm5TWdV89Tbcs9UHc8Vs_zj2uW-anlwUmojAuNXQ-RTit359PJi9ntv1VZ-kw8UuyRACNDaVRQzd3XM9T_hR9IL0_a_16MF7IFqoV5vLatqNKM3g=w640-h332" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><b>The Feast</b> (Lee Haven Jones) - A Witch vs. Rich movie about nature bringing vengeance on people spoiling the earth for their own material gain. A combination of Parasite and Under the Skin if that's a selling point for you (it was for me)! <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVwaAnnyOFbthASabaAQeHm9wvpl99Lu0qHK5EAOQ8bAapkAXfvSJiXitM8VeXnK4SGXe64ckQAMjnxUGyIhIvlJLJO6v-kGAmYTZ9HjPG6fDey-lCK_yscFrGTTmnv082x-DKVwE3gs-wtmrRc0Lfv8omsX3PNYeqOukqfTFHHmxVbmTVXAXcS76seQ=s696" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="696" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVwaAnnyOFbthASabaAQeHm9wvpl99Lu0qHK5EAOQ8bAapkAXfvSJiXitM8VeXnK4SGXe64ckQAMjnxUGyIhIvlJLJO6v-kGAmYTZ9HjPG6fDey-lCK_yscFrGTTmnv082x-DKVwE3gs-wtmrRc0Lfv8omsX3PNYeqOukqfTFHHmxVbmTVXAXcS76seQ=w640-h272" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /><b>Lapsis </b>(Noah Hutton) - An incredibly real look at automation and the exploitative nature of the Gig Economy told through the eyes of a grumpy, ordinary dude just trying to pay his brother's medical bills. Noah Hutton creates an incredibly natural scifi world just barely ahead of our own, and Lapsis Beeftech has got to be the best character name in ages.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6wsi0myWdcvCS2RGOuQoySOdxrtOSRQdLME5DwY9WtRAz4TSmgaZZ-cgDynharsa-fnp5jmWTseWHhip1BajfghydIIaWyGcaxbzgUgzD4YcTZJYRHnovqgW0VjfFh-4msmEGAcqgEAxd_7rDMgcDklIj1rgtCIh3Qbm-MjZV3akCrkIoLXTlnw8jSw=s1013" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="1013" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6wsi0myWdcvCS2RGOuQoySOdxrtOSRQdLME5DwY9WtRAz4TSmgaZZ-cgDynharsa-fnp5jmWTseWHhip1BajfghydIIaWyGcaxbzgUgzD4YcTZJYRHnovqgW0VjfFh-4msmEGAcqgEAxd_7rDMgcDklIj1rgtCIh3Qbm-MjZV3akCrkIoLXTlnw8jSw=w640-h278" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /><b>The Matrix: Resurrections</b> (Lana Wachowski) - This is the only one of the four <i>Matrix </i>movies where I really bought into the love story, which is the core of the film this time around. It also goes so much further into issues of fluid identity than the rest of the series, it's indulgent and over the top and great! Much funnier than expected too. I'm always up for both writing and watching self-referential art about art where life and fiction collide. Yeah, <i>New Nightmare</i> is one of my favorite horror movies, of course I liked this <i>Matrix</i>.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3AQ19PuFj8sPRM-FPe7tvnjtgbe3hap-71hs6lob-4uYPW0JKxrjeDJ9bfzIZEUb3A_YMhOVuRiFYZsQr5iVG6n051tav_Xw7ps-SD0HRn3K2vTkvePlwHoDzyaoMqRrNO1Tik3j3GY1vuvaeGGh-SyQBRTaVx0kpBg247Jv19EsadFGwCYGc1aOoQg=s609" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="609" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3AQ19PuFj8sPRM-FPe7tvnjtgbe3hap-71hs6lob-4uYPW0JKxrjeDJ9bfzIZEUb3A_YMhOVuRiFYZsQr5iVG6n051tav_Xw7ps-SD0HRn3K2vTkvePlwHoDzyaoMqRrNO1Tik3j3GY1vuvaeGGh-SyQBRTaVx0kpBg247Jv19EsadFGwCYGc1aOoQg=w640-h396" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>The Power</b> (Corinna Faith) - <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto">One
of those great double meaning titles, here talking about both
electricity and patriarchal power. A classical Ghosts n' Trauma film that
evolves into a modern feminist revenge story that goes beyond a story of
conquering fear as our heroine learns to weaponize that fear. Fantastic
atmosphere and an excellent performance by Rose Williams. Another horror film with a great ending! </span></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGlWqxE3OMnTF_Bv-RjVuWOPpdcJ5NJ08jaAREN3m0VxAGMOgRc04bw_MQI6NWsNDUDHa22KYnN_o5fLRkVBWBKsvAGXUwJHjFw8mH6sVV7b941h0L3UHSaPSy0Mu1PzmLYmaRBiZYcCfHKRpZNOxLLak6rX5nYCbPDYcaxeubuuxfI4mP36NKmuhF9g=s1194" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="1194" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGlWqxE3OMnTF_Bv-RjVuWOPpdcJ5NJ08jaAREN3m0VxAGMOgRc04bw_MQI6NWsNDUDHa22KYnN_o5fLRkVBWBKsvAGXUwJHjFw8mH6sVV7b941h0L3UHSaPSy0Mu1PzmLYmaRBiZYcCfHKRpZNOxLLak6rX5nYCbPDYcaxeubuuxfI4mP36NKmuhF9g=w640-h264" width="640" /></a></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto"><b>Promising Young Woman</b> (Emerald Fennell) - An incredibly
grounded horror/revenge movie driven by a remarkable performance by
Carrie Mulligan, this is Fennell's directorial debut and I can't wait to
see what she does next! A crushing condemnation of a society and legal
system that looks the other way when the accused is too big to fail. The
revenge scenes are uncomfortably satisfying and the finale is both
triumphant and tragic. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbX8YEddyz9Cxj5FlYCEEVMx5O0Ya_vCS8gDmPKj5uuz23ndr3BcuCV0KXnBuhJnpNOVP1gjnsSLvfbZ_La1kq-I42ARG29wRKaXJfkNOrXK1OPW48z-jivBpXnOL5gRxZm5oBkCPxZnMm_p0YXZoMFxYlS57Nbfvaun2Seh54_hiHszGRFKGZETB6bQ=s956" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="956" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbX8YEddyz9Cxj5FlYCEEVMx5O0Ya_vCS8gDmPKj5uuz23ndr3BcuCV0KXnBuhJnpNOVP1gjnsSLvfbZ_La1kq-I42ARG29wRKaXJfkNOrXK1OPW48z-jivBpXnOL5gRxZm5oBkCPxZnMm_p0YXZoMFxYlS57Nbfvaun2Seh54_hiHszGRFKGZETB6bQ=w640-h332" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Spider-Man: No Way Home</b> (Jon Watts) - The best of the Marvel Studios <i>Spider-Man </i>films, a series I've otherwise been very lukewarm on. Tom Holland finally gets to show some real range, the Tony Stark and SHIELD stuff I hated in the other two movies is reduced to almost nothing, and we're given a reminder of how good the previous two <i>Spider-Man</i> film series were (Yes, I like <i>Spider-Man 3</i>, yes, I like both of the <i>Amazing Spider-Men</i>.) While it hits a lot of similar themes, it's no <i>Into The Spider-Verse</i>, but it stands above anything else Marvel has released.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSuWGbqibEScpVxJ8e5neOxtLAbSUrDlaHNjaOkTK9NzzeXV3lae27YPQMol8oeUNklNsy6DkqpeBjTmv53-5szu9XX36mrQM0VZfPqm2GXq4SBaRCaRoBfzlJvqcU1TrDVK5jTtOEEx4GynfVOVxcLm2UtC-fNf50dm5rn3WDTjIgh5a5x68oaTnUnw=s2148" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="2148" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSuWGbqibEScpVxJ8e5neOxtLAbSUrDlaHNjaOkTK9NzzeXV3lae27YPQMol8oeUNklNsy6DkqpeBjTmv53-5szu9XX36mrQM0VZfPqm2GXq4SBaRCaRoBfzlJvqcU1TrDVK5jTtOEEx4GynfVOVxcLm2UtC-fNf50dm5rn3WDTjIgh5a5x68oaTnUnw=w640-h418" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /><b>Zack Snyder's Justice League</b> (Zack Snyder) - A really fun movie on its own plus a damning look at studio meddling, Zack Snyder's director's cut of <i>Justice League</i> is immeasurably better than Joss Whedon's ghastly 2017 reshoot. Ray Fisher's Cyborg/Vic Stone, reduced to a supporting cameo in the theatrical film, is a centerpiece of Snyder's version and the lost heart of the film. There are some missteps (The Martian Manhunter scenes derail some emotional impact and I will never care about a "Bad Guy Needs X Doodads to Win" plot) but otherwise this is far better than the average comic book film and an excellent sequel to the unfairly misjudged <i>Batman v. Superman</i>.<br /></p><p></p><br /><br /><br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-64406053283499614092021-07-01T13:51:00.002-04:002021-07-01T13:51:10.930-04:00Mid Year Favorites 2021<p> </p><div data-contents="true"><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="9hi1m-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9hi1m-0-0"><span><span data-offset-key="9hi1m-0-0"><span data-text="true">First</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="9hi1m-1-0"><span data-text="true"> half of the year's up, here's my favorite things of the year so far! Expect a more in-depth write up on each of these at the end of the year.<br /></span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="1ui51-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1ui51-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1ui51-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="88us3-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="88us3-0-0"><b><span data-offset-key="88us3-0-0"><span data-text="true">Games: </span></span></b></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="8irt3-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8irt3-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8irt3-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="cg6bo-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cg6bo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cg6bo-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Persona 5 Strikers </b>- Excellent sequel and a very fun brawler, a nice relaxing summer vacation mystery.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="aa58n-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="aa58n-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aa58n-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="cvl4k-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cvl4k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cvl4k-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Later Alligator (Switch Version) -</b> Cute, funny, nice minigames, great writing.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="bg5v0-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bg5v0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bg5v0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="98ovv-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="98ovv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="98ovv-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Nier Replicant</b> - A remake of one of my all-time favorites, now with better fightin' and a great new ending.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="6bf6v-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6bf6v-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6bf6v-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="8geb7-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8geb7-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8geb7-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Resident Evil Village</b> - What genre of horror is this one? All of them. It rules. Funny, spooky, great atmosphere.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="cv7f8-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cv7f8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cv7f8-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="ftt9h-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ftt9h-0-0"><b><span data-offset-key="ftt9h-0-0"><span data-text="true">Movies:</span></span></b></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="31fu9-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="31fu9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="31fu9-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="aikbi-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="aikbi-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aikbi-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Promising Young Woman</b> - An incredibly grounded horror/revenge movie driven by a remarkable performance by Carrie Mulligan</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="d5shk-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d5shk-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d5shk-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="7qdcq-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7qdcq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7qdcq-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Come True </b>- An incredibly effective mood piece about dreams with outstanding art design in its nightmare realm.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="3toh8-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3toh8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3toh8-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="aieml-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="aieml-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aieml-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>The Paper Tigers </b>- I love stories that walk the line between genuine drama and abrupt silliness and this one balances that perfectly. It's sweet, moving, funny, and has really solid fight scenes. </span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="7lput-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7lput-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7lput-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="5fn0i-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5fn0i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5fn0i-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Lapsis </b>- A look at automation and the exploitative nature of the Gig Economy told through the eyes of a grumpy, ordinary dude just trying to pay his brother's medical bills.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="7vt9o-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7vt9o-0-0"><b><span data-offset-key="7vt9o-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></b></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="1cbuc-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1cbuc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1cbuc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Zack Snyder Justice League</b> - A really fun movie on its own plus a damning look at studio meddling.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="cq28a-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cq28a-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cq28a-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="1vc1u-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1vc1u-0-0"><b><span data-offset-key="1vc1u-0-0"><span data-text="true">Music:</span></span></b></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="5cf7d-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5cf7d-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5cf7d-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="233um" data-offset-key="fjc1a-0-0"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fjc1a-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fjc1a-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Marina - Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land</b> - A refinement of and iteration on everything that came before, Marina's 5th album is her best work to date and probably my favorite new album of the last decade.</span></span></div></div></div>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-43490822299218351622021-03-15T14:20:00.004-04:002021-03-15T14:20:49.322-04:00Persona 5 Strikers (PS4, 2021)<p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">In the interest of getting myself back into writing reviews, here's a mini review of Persona 5 Strikers! I hope to be writing more of these in the future, but it's tough to balance free time between my day job, my game development work, and parenting. Let's see how it goes!</span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">-----<br /></span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18EnYNjkkGx9hrNlz5DELWRpB0fLEBpMWYFhyUmVRo9qTSiCABgZaEbGlNrNrHblhmBEHBfhjwu2yUH9xZYn9CvD8HDvEEVogYOOPok5jdxI7wEBSUN-43QNOopwfoclLLIUIWShmBbi2/s1920/EvcirigXUAQQ43m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18EnYNjkkGx9hrNlz5DELWRpB0fLEBpMWYFhyUmVRo9qTSiCABgZaEbGlNrNrHblhmBEHBfhjwu2yUH9xZYn9CvD8HDvEEVogYOOPok5jdxI7wEBSUN-43QNOopwfoclLLIUIWShmBbi2/w640-h360/EvcirigXUAQQ43m.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">A direct sequel to 2016's Persona 5 with a completely different style of game play, Strikers moves from turn-based RPG to brawler. Just as stylish as before, but with a more empathetic story and stronger writing; there's less cartoonish villainy here, and more exploration of how unconfronted trauma can cause us to lash out in unhealthy ways. The previous title's themes of "those in power abuse their power" is still present, but we're asked to understand what makes people this way, even if we are not asked to forgive them.</span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">There's also an examination of toxic fandom, which is the first time I've seen it discussed in a mainstream game. Online radicalization, unhealthy levels of projection, and the rejection of people that don't share your passion are major themes here from start to finish. There are also shades of gray here; one of the game's most interesting supporting characters uses fandom to escape from her own trauma in a way that's completely sympathetic. </span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true"></span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">Similarly, the game's look at police and police culture is realistically cynical; one of our new cast members is a police officer who directly tells the rest of the crew that it's a thankless job that grinds the goodness out of anyone with pure intentions. He got into the job to make a difference, but can't stand to look at himself in the mirror, acknowledging that the system is rotten from within and needs a dramatic overhaul.</span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2VKEVAub0jPG_4CkvaxGmLXvOrYpp07vXUMRARO4nmDIZdsBfLdBFdK8Rk2J6YdQMRcPYFOd9Sr8F994vK5GSkGi2wmEdGJWsjj3BNFO5eor7c17IMbFNPIo4ThmeYlGRP-QEJhRQuTK/s1920/EvXhwTXWgAEFtLV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2VKEVAub0jPG_4CkvaxGmLXvOrYpp07vXUMRARO4nmDIZdsBfLdBFdK8Rk2J6YdQMRcPYFOd9Sr8F994vK5GSkGi2wmEdGJWsjj3BNFO5eor7c17IMbFNPIo4ThmeYlGRP-QEJhRQuTK/w640-h360/EvXhwTXWgAEFtLV.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">When you're not fighting off trauma monsters and brainwashed projections, Strikers is surprisingly light and comfortable. It's a road trip story with a group of friends touring Japan and eating everything they can, one last big summer excursion before everyone goes their separate ways. Funny enough, following more than a year of Covid isolation, THIS is the fantasy element I desire more than the larger super heroics. A month on the road with buddies, checking out restaurants and landmarks, sounds divine. The social dynamics are far simpler than Persona 5's, but the character interactions are lovely. <br /></span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">This is a much smaller game in both scope and length compared to Persona 5, but it works perfectly as a summer memories side story. The combat's fine, the boss fights are fun, and the dungeon layouts are pretty straightforward, making it a breezy game to play through vs. the marathon that makes up the previous title.</span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"><span data-text="true">My only big criticism is that too many of the dialogue choices you're given are practically identical; being able to choose between "Yes," "For sure," and "You got it" isn't interesting. I don't expect large, branching dialogue choices, but it's fun being able to shift the tone of a conversation when you get a good one. When given the right opportunities, I picked the "Be a complete dummy and give away your secret identities" options every time. I also meowed.</span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="bqv2r-0-0"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1TDzNlNeui6kMnMTFcIAv64hTCHKJJPeioT2d9lanSKRBWTlpBHbEXmA2-1uJeSDOlkYhU2p8I2T4gzaMqXJhDcjR7exvmAj6EklyMGY4Hg_azHJ7kvUksXOk8syaMlBqqLkW7gt1DKG/s1920/EvhGEIZWYAMVtkD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1TDzNlNeui6kMnMTFcIAv64hTCHKJJPeioT2d9lanSKRBWTlpBHbEXmA2-1uJeSDOlkYhU2p8I2T4gzaMqXJhDcjR7exvmAj6EklyMGY4Hg_azHJ7kvUksXOk8syaMlBqqLkW7gt1DKG/w640-h360/EvhGEIZWYAMVtkD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span data-text="true"><br /></span><p></p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-10643175168623578712021-01-08T22:12:00.000-05:002021-01-08T22:12:39.929-05:00Year in Review 2020: Games<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHktqJGbj7yYkClf7Xav7mwlcogHt9xLhtqvESmknzlxpLnkeWVpNDTBbTt0PYDvm_TF-xFayuY6o8FyeSSyqOuo5I0JaMF15HhX308H9SxzDwzOxIEXInPgsAdNbLKGEzlWRopzGGTmS/s800/2020BestOfGames.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHktqJGbj7yYkClf7Xav7mwlcogHt9xLhtqvESmknzlxpLnkeWVpNDTBbTt0PYDvm_TF-xFayuY6o8FyeSSyqOuo5I0JaMF15HhX308H9SxzDwzOxIEXInPgsAdNbLKGEzlWRopzGGTmS/w640-h240/2020BestOfGames.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>2020 was a great year for games big and small! In some ways, this was the year of the remakes of all sorts: A visual overhaul of<i> Demon's Souls</i>, a story-faithful remake of <i>Resident Evil 3</i> with modern gameplay, and a radical, excellent reinvisioning of <i>Final Fantasy 7</i> among others. It was also a year of wonderful indie games, including the latest from the always excellent Supergiant Games. We also saw the release of two new consoles from Sony and Microsoft; I was happy to pick up a PS5 to replace my PS4, which had been struggling to run for the last year and a half. It's great seeing my existing games run smoother and with way shorter load times, and the new controller feels wonderful in the tech demo pack-in title <i>Astro's Playroom</i>. </p><p>In my own gaming world, I released a demo version of my upcoming RPG <i>Walthros: Renewal</i>, available on <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317270/Walthros_Renewal/" target="_blank">Steam</a> and <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">Itch.io</a>. Please take a look and let me know what you think! The final version is planned for an early 2022 release.</p><p>Here's a look at everything I played this year, arranged in tiers in alphabetical order.</p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Top Tier - My five favorite games of the year:</b></span></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPtBHY2K_SirGxbbp0PhLTB4FrDKVOzEP4db34Aj0ME8AGt3HfkD_Wz7W3FAWAQBclz6TuE9K-wEDJS1SWQFplxSUlNnr8iYiqzTOT8ZJGpGe-YWtzb7GVSx013CG-T7jN51_nNe37ruN/s1920/13Sentinels.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPtBHY2K_SirGxbbp0PhLTB4FrDKVOzEP4db34Aj0ME8AGt3HfkD_Wz7W3FAWAQBclz6TuE9K-wEDJS1SWQFplxSUlNnr8iYiqzTOT8ZJGpGe-YWtzb7GVSx013CG-T7jN51_nNe37ruN/w640-h360/13Sentinels.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><i>13 Sentinels </i>(PS4) - One of my biggest surprises of the year, 13 Sentinels is a story-driven title that asks, "What if every kind of sci-fi premise happened simultaneously?" And, shockingly, it works! Divided between light exploration scenes focused on dialogue and a strategic overhead war game, <i>13 Sentinels</i> follows a large ensemble cast whose stories are told across short chapters that unfold in a nonlinear fashion. It's a complex story told with impressive clarity, and as crazy as the constant plot twists can seem, they all serve the growth of our heroes and villains. It's a coming of age story, an exploration of gender norms, a look at the trauma of war, and a study of how we correct the sins of our ancestors.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhztAcpnM-s-_OKtL0R-oBK6ZeElWYODH0ftWdoT_a_9WZr7JAW8GuyV_8HFqwIfW6ufkCNiMeB_itmVzXfthzeeA_27pcO-4QAmOfgOXIicMp3iG6c-dfi9qI84xf1zBDD39KK-hwdNw/s1920/FF7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhztAcpnM-s-_OKtL0R-oBK6ZeElWYODH0ftWdoT_a_9WZr7JAW8GuyV_8HFqwIfW6ufkCNiMeB_itmVzXfthzeeA_27pcO-4QAmOfgOXIicMp3iG6c-dfi9qI84xf1zBDD39KK-hwdNw/w640-h360/FF7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Final Fantasy 7 Remake</i> (PS4) - One of the medium's most ambitious remakes, <i>Final Fantasy 7 Remake</i> abandons the original 1997 version's turn-based combat in favor of a phenomenally fun action system. It also makes dramatic changes to the original story, fleshing out side characters and expanding the early sections of the original game into a full-length title. I was worried that a remake would lose the original's oddball sense of humor, minigames, and surprises, but this new version hit all the right notes. It keeps the best parts of the original <i>FF7</i>'s tone while making some really ambitious changes to the story. While the entire story of <i>FF7 </i>isn't told here (it will be continued in an upcoming sequel,) this remake nonetheless feels very complete and ends on a satisfying note.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3Xy4RmCG3LXX7xx46-HDzfSY4raGXktXL636idUyXaxDSzlKMMxoxZcwdf2G2OzPsMrDHOkcUuTKQzxFgHGxvIV5Aoj56xyDTB808Iy7Si91JjjXDOl_W3iXM8SUWlhoaaYFNz5YjJsY/s1280/Hades.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3Xy4RmCG3LXX7xx46-HDzfSY4raGXktXL636idUyXaxDSzlKMMxoxZcwdf2G2OzPsMrDHOkcUuTKQzxFgHGxvIV5Aoj56xyDTB808Iy7Si91JjjXDOl_W3iXM8SUWlhoaaYFNz5YjJsY/w640-h360/Hades.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Hades </i>(Nintendo Switch) - I've loved everything Supergiant Games has released, but I'm not a fan of roguelikes. I wasn't very excited when I first heard about <i>Hades</i>, but they pulled off the impossible and made one that I not only enjoyed, but actually consider one of the year's best games. What makes <i>Hades</i> different is the way fighting, dying, and trying again complements the plot so well. You play as Zagreus, son of the underworld god Hades, as he tries repeatedly to escape from his father's domain. Each attempt adds more to the story and its characters, unlocking new options, conversations, and abilities regularly. A successful run is fairly short (by the end I was usually completing a run in around 30 minutes of game time), so very little time is wasted if you have a bad run. Even then, the game feels so fair, and gives you so many powerful options, that it never feels like you failed because of bad luck. While most roguelike games are out to get you, <i>Hades </i>instead welcomes you into its world with a constant flow of "Look at THIS cool thing!" moments.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hfWjamNplL7t1AajfzBzLLFFa0_aipY-VdWnrnVheX5DjbqVqc2egD8M2UzkFB41T-ePGZ6lRpjnsZoSd-8atJlv3Uh7PtbfPWI3cINwv7X1WafBpV-5G-Ca6HwQPQ9JSlFX-jxz8dt5/s1920/LastOfUs2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hfWjamNplL7t1AajfzBzLLFFa0_aipY-VdWnrnVheX5DjbqVqc2egD8M2UzkFB41T-ePGZ6lRpjnsZoSd-8atJlv3Uh7PtbfPWI3cINwv7X1WafBpV-5G-Ca6HwQPQ9JSlFX-jxz8dt5/w640-h360/LastOfUs2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Last of Us 2</i> (PS4) - A phenomenally good sequel that improves on the first game in nearly all ways, <i>Last of Us 2</i> presents a story of revenge and acceptance from two different perspectives, both equally compelling. Both Ellie and Abby are strong leads dealing with trauma in very different ways, and it would have been very easy to write a story like this that boils down to "All violence is wrong." Instead, the game approaches the topic of violence with more nuance, showing it as a consuming force when used selfishly, but also something that can be used to fight for and protect the oppressed. While this is a gruesome story, it's not all violence; the game's best moments are quiet, peaceful scenes where we get to know our characters in "normal" situations. On top of that, it features some of the best stealth-driven gameplay I've experienced and an incredible range of accessibility options.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHEGtyLHlXZUaHeHzRtXOl7rsF4PhUdElv5Vc_wpsp8OAdq84IxDZ4zz5Uk-0ojEAHvfzjH5f2vBRuFJs-jO-AIZz83AOjutYCpZ1uBWhvk0X-bNUrBKgQKrly90F1r8PPndYwVuY8fOJ/s1920/Yakuza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHEGtyLHlXZUaHeHzRtXOl7rsF4PhUdElv5Vc_wpsp8OAdq84IxDZ4zz5Uk-0ojEAHvfzjH5f2vBRuFJs-jO-AIZz83AOjutYCpZ1uBWhvk0X-bNUrBKgQKrly90F1r8PPndYwVuY8fOJ/w640-h360/Yakuza.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i></i></p><p><i></i></p><p><i>Yakuza: Like A Dragon</i> (PS4) - This might be the only Japanese RPG I've played as an adult where almost the entire cast is my age or older! A tribute to the <i>Dragon Quest</i> series, the latest <i>Yakuza </i>title moves away from the series' traditional brawler gameplay and instead uses a turn-based system. It takes a little while to get going, but once you've unlocked a decent amount of abilities and characters, the battles become a ton of fun. This is also a fresh start for the series and a perfect starting place for new players; the series' longtime hero Kazuma Kiryu's story concluded in the wonderful <i>Yakuza 6: The Song of Life</i>, and now we follow newcomer Ichiban Kasuga, a man who hits rock bottom after being left for dead. </p><p>One of the most human stories in the series, <i>Like a Dragon</i> focuses heavily on class issues, showing two men born in similar circumstances moving in opposite directions on the social ladder. Kasuga fights for the dignity of sex workers, the homeless, and other marginalized groups, opposing corrupt cops and politicians. In addition to the excellent main story, there's also a ton of minigames, including a very full-featured <i>Mario Kart</i> clone.<br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Excellent games worth your time:</span></b></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSVugaF4ABfBLQKcfEXMokO-6D-T14NKDl9CRYXEfL1qG9JDvM_bXpBT-9_Ci15XMFbAPjIxXsHjT-bF2ZKBSWo5vlpKZeYeCJgJS9sSD5nWWl5ZinE7O9D9XZYHEJUU8PCw-qqDnkq1B/s1280/ShortHike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSVugaF4ABfBLQKcfEXMokO-6D-T14NKDl9CRYXEfL1qG9JDvM_bXpBT-9_Ci15XMFbAPjIxXsHjT-bF2ZKBSWo5vlpKZeYeCJgJS9sSD5nWWl5ZinE7O9D9XZYHEJUU8PCw-qqDnkq1B/w640-h360/ShortHike.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><i>A Short Hike </i>(Nintendo Switch) - As the name implies, this is a short, delightful little game. A peaceful adventure where players explore an island full of animal buddies, <i>A Short Hike</i>'s obstacles are conflict with the environment and conflict with self-doubts and worry. The writing is funny, the world is cute, and it's just a warm, relaxing experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJVJ2HilT8Fe3il4lKGfwLhL6bzOW_r9iznCM_RvaY5BK9PT1RxkoAxnSkryv_NYWnFRMyeN3rt2S3899t6NdkyG2M8SQ9WZio8EIL0Uyztwt5aafDTScnq5-8Yt9dN8aiEd54_6Pa9He/s1185/Astrobot.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1185" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJVJ2HilT8Fe3il4lKGfwLhL6bzOW_r9iznCM_RvaY5BK9PT1RxkoAxnSkryv_NYWnFRMyeN3rt2S3899t6NdkyG2M8SQ9WZio8EIL0Uyztwt5aafDTScnq5-8Yt9dN8aiEd54_6Pa9He/w640-h358/Astrobot.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Astro's Playroom</i> (PS5) - A short platformer included with every PS5, <i>Astro's Playroom</i> is a tribute to Playstation history designed to show off the system's new controller, fast loading, and shiny graphics. It's a cute, fun follow up to 2018's <i>Astro Bot Rescue Mission</i>, one of the best VR titles on the PS4 console, and features excellent controls and level design. It's not very long, but it's a delight from start to finish and I'd love to see it expanded into a full-length title.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp9FQqdIL6keClBMMT0C2fuGf02P5Bqmgfe4tnQwfT36C7CSBUtQZ0qlBrjuBdoKUQ3-MGYB3bNjDGmyBRhQJRspOZ5Mq1o7zSUkenyQIIF0M8ok7OwEroIkbMbkniCCuXT3kI6VY0yKX/s1920/Bugsnax.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp9FQqdIL6keClBMMT0C2fuGf02P5Bqmgfe4tnQwfT36C7CSBUtQZ0qlBrjuBdoKUQ3-MGYB3bNjDGmyBRhQJRspOZ5Mq1o7zSUkenyQIIF0M8ok7OwEroIkbMbkniCCuXT3kI6VY0yKX/w640-h360/Bugsnax.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Bugsnax </i>(PS5) - A delightful take on the monster catching genre from the creators of <i>Octodad</i>, <i>Bugsnax </i>is a puzzle game focused on tricks, traps, and photography. Snaktooth island is full of hilarious bug-food hybrids and a society of grumpy Muppets looking for a better life. Like <i>Octodad</i>, <i>Bugsnax </i>features a silly exterior while exploring poignant themes. While <i>Octodad </i>looked at issues of identity and disability, <i>Bugsnax </i>looks at addiction, isolation, and finding a new path in life. It's told in a way that's accessible to kids as well, even if the final act might be a little too spooky for the younger ones. <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">My daughter enjoyed watching me play and now insists on "Playing <i>Bugsnax </i>in real life," which means leaving ketchup packets around the house and setting up laundry baskets to catch hamburgers.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZG8h9YeOCxETTmGWKFcM-Xv10Gj3NMVp57ltONPTPMGdbdaL8amw4Lg2gI9KvoHiRgm1OkhCFYsdK4wmm2iyCh3l9DRmAikHKe7Sf23L8kZrE8R0ypnki4AJpJ5UHrOowuUuVFluv-T9/s1280/Games.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZG8h9YeOCxETTmGWKFcM-Xv10Gj3NMVp57ltONPTPMGdbdaL8amw4Lg2gI9KvoHiRgm1OkhCFYsdK4wmm2iyCh3l9DRmAikHKe7Sf23L8kZrE8R0ypnki4AJpJ5UHrOowuUuVFluv-T9/w640-h360/Games.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics </i>(Nintendo Switch) - A collection of board and card games both ancient and modern, featuring nice, easy-to-learn tutorials and in many cases online play. Each game features a variety of difficulty levels and playing repeatedly unlocks trivia about the game's history. I'm mostly here for Riichi Mahjong, and the version included is great!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVauVPOy_nSGa8uGd4_Txg5Vm5q5xkrd3WSBPncTlf7cwHrMxOSgmFGebmMYQXAJzIk695RKyv_-h7YfPxEq2GHd_lbUDiI8BOia59juCdR3Pd3fsuOuPWFxrnoIkdVC0AUKxRL-vlqTr1/s1920/DemonsSouls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVauVPOy_nSGa8uGd4_Txg5Vm5q5xkrd3WSBPncTlf7cwHrMxOSgmFGebmMYQXAJzIk695RKyv_-h7YfPxEq2GHd_lbUDiI8BOia59juCdR3Pd3fsuOuPWFxrnoIkdVC0AUKxRL-vlqTr1/w640-h360/DemonsSouls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Demon's Souls</i> (PS5) - A gorgeous visual remake of 2009's phenomenal <i>Demon's Souls</i>, this title takes the opposite approach of the <i>FF7 Remake</i> and leaves the original gameplay largely untouched outside of some minor improvements. It felt great to once again enter the world of Boletaria with a lively online player base, one that will continue to grow as PS5s become more readily available. There are a couple of bad choices when it comes to updated character designs, but for the most part this is a faithful revival of the classic that launched the <i>Souls </i>series.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB-LhSMBdmR_oJl79k9USfsq9p-N30V4P22ZryHO8sd3BewpAx68m1rE-7uYOCiCFUShEuScLU7b5MwWx6XzgGj6Uou81t04Sa15ZFe0x6nnxR5d7D8MDIxACjsJ20kyH74i9eRK1KQ89/s720/Kentucky.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB-LhSMBdmR_oJl79k9USfsq9p-N30V4P22ZryHO8sd3BewpAx68m1rE-7uYOCiCFUShEuScLU7b5MwWx6XzgGj6Uou81t04Sa15ZFe0x6nnxR5d7D8MDIxACjsJ20kyH74i9eRK1KQ89/w640-h360/Kentucky.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Kentucky Route Zero</i> (Nintendo Switch) - A long-haul episodic adventure game whose first episode hit PCs back in 2013, the final episode of <i>Kentucky Route Zero</i> was released along with a complete edition of the game on Switch in 2020. A surreal odyssey that wavers between point-and-click adventure gameplay and interactive art piece (I absolutely love that some scenes have you call into a number on a real life phone to hear messages,) there's nothing quite like this one. I didn't love the final episode as much as I did the rest of the game, but that's fine, this is absolutely an experience that's more about the journey than the destination.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQcfRXUPzBy9LKvjkYSi7zsDjzlvWL7tEIeKMtZQ2u5hbsT7B_5mW5S-gYe1l9oFX1g_PIh3kFmCaDKT9xDm6qwIX6y0y8-4ysm47NxwHrY28c7XZjeVGSckuo8IoR5M_SSuDXHOCgGfo/s1920/RE3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQcfRXUPzBy9LKvjkYSi7zsDjzlvWL7tEIeKMtZQ2u5hbsT7B_5mW5S-gYe1l9oFX1g_PIh3kFmCaDKT9xDm6qwIX6y0y8-4ysm47NxwHrY28c7XZjeVGSckuo8IoR5M_SSuDXHOCgGfo/w640-h360/RE3.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><i>Resident Evil 3</i> (PS4) - A follow up to 2019's remake of <i>Resident Evil 2</i>, Capcom's latest REmake takes on one of my least favorite titles in the series and turns it into a wildly fun, if short, action-packed adventure. The puzzles aren't as interesting as <i>RE2</i>'s and the maps aren't as inventive, but <i>RE3 </i>makes up for that by focusing on nutty action set pieces and refined combat that feels smoother than ever thanks to a helpful dodge button. It doesn't have the replayability of <i>RE2</i>, but aside from that, this remake is a great time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRqG2HwgyiUPo6Tam-2AywOjfaQ5Q5SxEsGN5D-eFkfJhtg9a3HeR6CeEAHTEbZyeneoZBzlkV0aOl6b0QhiJGGk3hBNNPbyxKVg53U8MsoqOn53pJ8-O9PWJtCe6veNfLioqNa4zNozV/s1920/Spiderman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRqG2HwgyiUPo6Tam-2AywOjfaQ5Q5SxEsGN5D-eFkfJhtg9a3HeR6CeEAHTEbZyeneoZBzlkV0aOl6b0QhiJGGk3hBNNPbyxKVg53U8MsoqOn53pJ8-O9PWJtCe6veNfLioqNa4zNozV/w640-h360/Spiderman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i>Spider-Man: Miles Morales</i> (PS5) - <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">Short and sweet, I'd be happy with this size game in more open world adventures! It took me about ten hours to run through the game and while that's far smaller than the previous <i>Spider-Man </i>title, I'm good with it. </span><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto">The previous game had a much more epic scale for sure, but I liked Miles here a lot more than I liked Peter there. It's nice to see a hero whose focus is on being a good neighbor rather than Peter Parker's bizarre love of cops that ran through the last game. The most unbelievable thing here isn't a kid getting magical spider-powers but rather that a billionaire would ever be held accountable for their crimes. </span></span><p></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5Jw26PFjY2zJU_ckvZkhLoCIJqMF2V0wTxWJF97f3Ui28h7rwOUhmN_4aYa6Zd3rHfnC9Wnfm9G87kjaMntKHGnhr5NU1zBlqDrqoFW8herHvh2MnoDSHYDA7UZWPxfE3dccyoLblFXF/s1280/Mario25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5Jw26PFjY2zJU_ckvZkhLoCIJqMF2V0wTxWJF97f3Ui28h7rwOUhmN_4aYa6Zd3rHfnC9Wnfm9G87kjaMntKHGnhr5NU1zBlqDrqoFW8herHvh2MnoDSHYDA7UZWPxfE3dccyoLblFXF/w640-h360/Mario25.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto"></span></span><p></p><p><i>Super Mario Bros 35</i> (Nintendo Switch) - Nintendo's follow up to the wonderful <i>Tetris 99</i> uses a similar concept: What if 35 people played <i>Super Mario Bros</i> at the same time and just kept dumping trash all over each other? Released for the 35th anniversary of the original <i>Super Mario Bros</i> on NES, this frantic multiplayer platformer can get wonderfully chaotic, with players leaving dozens of Bowsers all over the place. You'll see a few stages repeat too many times, but otherwise this experience is golden.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEIGhT9kk0N1YibJjE5Cg35nmTeoGuk1f18N5m6Ia1VbdUwUNHeBDemswyegoNSHCm7WjIFHhDIx9i7L6ej6pOHudt0jXtFGwQDDHiZ9IGzDlZYojSv41GZ6n-5PhPgIgy_7WWYEvyE59/s1920/Pathless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEIGhT9kk0N1YibJjE5Cg35nmTeoGuk1f18N5m6Ia1VbdUwUNHeBDemswyegoNSHCm7WjIFHhDIx9i7L6ej6pOHudt0jXtFGwQDDHiZ9IGzDlZYojSv41GZ6n-5PhPgIgy_7WWYEvyE59/w640-h360/Pathless.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><i>The Pathless </i>(PS5) - Like <i>Spider-Man: Mile Morales</i>, <i>The Pathless </i>is a short-form open world adventure focused on fluid, fantastic movement. Where <i>Miles </i>is full of action, <i>The Pathless </i>takes a different approach, giving players a world filled with puzzles big and small, leading up to puzzle-based boss fights. It feels influenced by <i>Zelda: Breath of the Wild</i> and <i>Shadow of the Colossus</i> in all the best ways and is highly recommended to fans of either.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9zyscMFJhhLeOXfSzXv3wCTlj2mvH3sRyeMf0L_yngc3cpROopEDFwbYyfaq2LImYfMgWtRnCVK4eXcoXZwo_Gpep9a7ry42hf1-_KtIuAmzMPouOw7x8mddXdLpouXfdB7XRYBJCr24/s1280/Past.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9zyscMFJhhLeOXfSzXv3wCTlj2mvH3sRyeMf0L_yngc3cpROopEDFwbYyfaq2LImYfMgWtRnCVK4eXcoXZwo_Gpep9a7ry42hf1-_KtIuAmzMPouOw7x8mddXdLpouXfdB7XRYBJCr24/w640-h360/Past.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>When the Past was Around</i> (Nintendo Switch) - Great puzzles and a well-built experience about loss and grief. Lovely art and music! Some of the later puzzles definitely need a pen and paper and that's cool, it's short enough that nothing can become frustrating. I played through a lot of the puzzles with my wife and that felt thematically perfect. Told without words, this is a story best experienced in one sitting.</p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Games with standout elements:</span></b></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZbyrxJZBAsiPuFekJLQEzYplb9Ky2DOOEpm2YMIgpMH-VNmmxj_oZYWlUEsxQ-d7BXHjhRLuA7m9sh-YisZTXXu1CRow0Niq5sJXmbh0QhE0PWXTnTjRSRMbOD17OjIu7PJkGJNV1rFA/s1280/Stained.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZbyrxJZBAsiPuFekJLQEzYplb9Ky2DOOEpm2YMIgpMH-VNmmxj_oZYWlUEsxQ-d7BXHjhRLuA7m9sh-YisZTXXu1CRow0Niq5sJXmbh0QhE0PWXTnTjRSRMbOD17OjIu7PJkGJNV1rFA/w640-h360/Stained.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><i>Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2</i> (Nintendo Switch) - An iteration on Inti Creates' 2018 nostalgia platformer that's a lot of fun to play but doesn't offer much new. You'll use new characters and weapons, but it feels about as distinct from the previous games as the later <i>Mega Man</i> games do. I'm honestly fine with that here; both games are good times, and it can be nice to get more of a good thing. Solid level design and some big, spooky bosses.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9VLPEujiqASgGgmwwCcQTKovaYn7yemxV2uhXdQnJKFMuDnv9vR6dxlMIEq6hUd4yHikWVxUFf6ewbiuTZCZ5cyNAOdAmlRVKvWSC60JZIktSp3ygJv2PT9budGIvfwI_s8KYnqzgVvi/s960/Doom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9VLPEujiqASgGgmwwCcQTKovaYn7yemxV2uhXdQnJKFMuDnv9vR6dxlMIEq6hUd4yHikWVxUFf6ewbiuTZCZ5cyNAOdAmlRVKvWSC60JZIktSp3ygJv2PT9budGIvfwI_s8KYnqzgVvi/w640-h360/Doom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><i>Doom Eternal</i> (PS4) - <i>Doom Eternal</i>, on the other hand, tries to do things a little too differently from its predecessor, the 2016 masterpiece that revived this series. While <i>Doom 2016</i> offers minimal story, <i>Doom Eternal </i>buries you under mountains of world-building lore that don't amount to anything interesting. They're largely optional, but it's still bizarre to see. There's a much heavier emphasis on platforming this time around, which I personally enjoyed but can see growing tiresome for other players. It feels like there's a game missing in between this one and 2016's; in spite of being so story-driven, you're launched into a plot that doesn't really make any sense given the conclusion of the last game. Still, it's exceptionally fun to fight hordes of gross monsters, even if it doesn't live up to 2016's high standards.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8mBDNN1S2qEl3Hrv5qPj61V325FprPTFB65lhmh1odpxZ106toM8cyDab685yYvC4RJP9mLvzGYyhErtf348efRh_GrUMIWEvwNLfJPSAK2NMI0xiouQQo2YgXFeH8_BHGZZYd4Zfznz/s1920/Ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8mBDNN1S2qEl3Hrv5qPj61V325FprPTFB65lhmh1odpxZ106toM8cyDab685yYvC4RJP9mLvzGYyhErtf348efRh_GrUMIWEvwNLfJPSAK2NMI0xiouQQo2YgXFeH8_BHGZZYd4Zfznz/w640-h360/Ghost.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><i>Ghost of Tsushima</i> (PS4) - The absolute opposite of<i> Spider-Man: Miles Morales</i>, <i>Ghost </i>is an enormous open world samurai adventure that could have been one of my favorites of the year if it had better pacing. Side stories often involve nine repetitive quests each, almost all overstaying their welcome by the time you're finally done. The story is built in three acts, all of which have the same basic structure. It's not as egregious as the repetition of <i>Shenmue III</i>, but it's still annoying when a tighter experience would benefit this story greatly. It's a visual masterpiece and the combat is a great <i>Sekiro</i>-lite, but it's just a little too much. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyMgTJxiCgvFu3ov1DmKiPHALuHKFtXAXP9kt2kfbAB9A0TwvsZkdtL4M4iVUUyWU7QkyK1NNo59QRsAyH6-FePCSCBV5zmyLdbZO51wcwaQXMbVU-muADO9TdJNYvHcw7UslvXgpxTWS/s1920/Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyMgTJxiCgvFu3ov1DmKiPHALuHKFtXAXP9kt2kfbAB9A0TwvsZkdtL4M4iVUUyWU7QkyK1NNo59QRsAyH6-FePCSCBV5zmyLdbZO51wcwaQXMbVU-muADO9TdJNYvHcw7UslvXgpxTWS/w640-h360/Shell.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Mortal Shell</i> (PS4) - A <i>Dark Souls</i> inspired title that could be great in a more refined sequel. Like most <i>Souls</i>-likes, the map design isn't particularly good, leading to players feeling lost in a frustrating way rather than an exciting one. Still, this game's got style and it's a nice attempt at building a smaller, more compact <i>Souls </i>adventure (it took me around 10 hours total.) It gets a lot better once you figure your way out of the opening area.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrJOXtCMnnRcfEdBHBoDbV-sNc50xJA4xhgPl7KAvQq-Fhduhy3Lnd2wpBT66v5dMkzXSQTTm0OSxmi66lcXjuJK1_tkA4viNWU8gaoK6KVm5bb8RMnaLB8h4BFQ5-mVaxMeTnqeARuqn/s1920/Saura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrJOXtCMnnRcfEdBHBoDbV-sNc50xJA4xhgPl7KAvQq-Fhduhy3Lnd2wpBT66v5dMkzXSQTTm0OSxmi66lcXjuJK1_tkA4viNWU8gaoK6KVm5bb8RMnaLB8h4BFQ5-mVaxMeTnqeARuqn/w640-h360/Saura.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Sakura Wars</i> (PS4) - Relationship drama mixed with giant robot fighting: At its core, this revival of Sega's long-running franchise isn't too different from the structure of <i>13 Sentinels</i>, but <i>Sentinels </i>just completely blows it away when it comes to both writing and gameplay. <i>Sakura </i>is cute and silly, with its comedy working far more effectively than its drama, so if you want your smashy robot dramas a little more playful and a little less apocalyptic, this is an alternative to <i>Sentinels</i>. The combat's a decent enough button masher, but could have used a lot more depth.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">All the rest:</span></b></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC8hAvq0jZ1pc8YG3VEtaM-qfy52UorKiUC5BpeBayL70iCuSbEI6UU61vMFuRlVvpe0LNazDFWva6RHJegQs1YRTk8akjHKFFEgwhvCbhaiS8338V_YZ1v5mXZzwAgdC_W0RFTOJuPN1/s916/FallGuys.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="916" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC8hAvq0jZ1pc8YG3VEtaM-qfy52UorKiUC5BpeBayL70iCuSbEI6UU61vMFuRlVvpe0LNazDFWva6RHJegQs1YRTk8akjHKFFEgwhvCbhaiS8338V_YZ1v5mXZzwAgdC_W0RFTOJuPN1/w640-h394/FallGuys.PNG" width="640" /></a></p><p><i>Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout </i>(PS4) - An online multiplayer Takeshi's Castle where dozens of players rush toward a goal while avoiding rubbery obstacles and clownish pratfalls. I had a lot of fun with it for a couple days, but I lost interest after that. There's been a decent flow of free, new content released since launch for players who are still into it, but this wasn't really a game for me.</p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdRLkym8pVXA0-bddnvruRSJHESRrdgBI7cBOM9IvFbzdcGzJ-Zrn4e5KyflU1hB7G_7T1VzrKWGlDdwTQsgfjqqp1GVFag1wK1-s9tSVCCOB05kleg9p96ojRlS8Rzbtq1C19w6g2zNC/s1280/Scourge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdRLkym8pVXA0-bddnvruRSJHESRrdgBI7cBOM9IvFbzdcGzJ-Zrn4e5KyflU1hB7G_7T1VzrKWGlDdwTQsgfjqqp1GVFag1wK1-s9tSVCCOB05kleg9p96ojRlS8Rzbtq1C19w6g2zNC/w640-h360/Scourge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Scourge Bringer</i> (Nintendo Switch) - When I said roguelikes aren't usually for me? This is the kind of game I'm talking about. It's punishing in a tiresome way, hard for me to follow, and makes me feel like I'm wasting my time on each loss. It's a smooth game that will absolutely appeal to some players, but I got to the end and never felt any real connection. Regardless of difficulty: Every single encounter is exactly twice as long as it needs to be.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmmX-QUk66xdUDlvhSnP0-k08Pg_mzF7P0Jh9mzka02RCvokaIyNtNkGBqcjtr-T6HjddNLo_lg5QKs7pPgK9kwIwex4WATOnjZoXrNQX0QHqcAl1K0kmXbFFkJiFHeoPdjaTn-gW3Z0F/s876/Streets.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="876" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmmX-QUk66xdUDlvhSnP0-k08Pg_mzF7P0Jh9mzka02RCvokaIyNtNkGBqcjtr-T6HjddNLo_lg5QKs7pPgK9kwIwex4WATOnjZoXrNQX0QHqcAl1K0kmXbFFkJiFHeoPdjaTn-gW3Z0F/w640-h294/Streets.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><i>Streets of Rage 4 </i>(PS4) - Another revival of an old-school classic, released 26 years after 1994's <i>Streets of Rage 3</i>.
This is a good arcade beat em up with cool music, great art, and a nice
variety of playable characters. The problem is it's a genre I only
really enjoy when playing with other people in the room, online match
ups just aren't the same. 2020 was probably the worst time for me to
play a game like this, but I still had a good time on my couple of
plays.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6t2EdvTlPGFlddjacC-bRP_lgSlp9FNyGKiWgUCojSWvoUmWFDNi1GBcc5ti1k02An-e46Y9FmPcyk6ls6B4LWb5moyeiOObqvpF2rFBHANA5GVUnXv5fev2FulhAvq1ju5j2yci_620/s1280/Space.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6t2EdvTlPGFlddjacC-bRP_lgSlp9FNyGKiWgUCojSWvoUmWFDNi1GBcc5ti1k02An-e46Y9FmPcyk6ls6B4LWb5moyeiOObqvpF2rFBHANA5GVUnXv5fev2FulhAvq1ju5j2yci_620/w640-h360/Space.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Space Invaders Forever</i> (Nintendo Switch) - It's absolutely weird that a title sold as a <i>Space Invaders</i> collection includes only three games; one that's brand new, a 2017 phone game, and a redo of the excellent <i>Space Invaders Extreme</i> from 2008. <i>Extreme </i>is as good as ever, but it's the only decent game in this package. The mobile title <i>Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders</i> is a bare-bones port that's only playable on the touchscreen and features no controller support and has that obnoxious mobile game design where you spend just as much time selecting stages as you do playing them. The new title on display, <i>Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE</i>, is a four player version of <i>Space Invaders</i> that doesn't offer much excitement compared to something like <i>Pac-Man Battle Royale</i>. </p><p>I'm one of those people who actually does still enjoy the original <i>Space Invaders</i>, but this collection doesn't work for me when it contains only one worthwhile title out of the many oddball sequels and spinoffs they could have packed in. Still, if you've never played <i>Extreme</i>, it's worth it just for that if you can pick up a cheap copy of the collection. <br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-67876282065641178912021-01-07T23:31:00.007-05:002021-01-17T16:11:11.509-05:00Year in Review 2020: Movies <div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIteWiJXZQByLSxTWCx5cZX2FSziHjyWar74eQxrtCjzO3Sr_CT_DDaVRXcVWEVUiCfao3_eYSY5XeZMU-F-STGT5drS5k_q5gf8NOf_SEx7Q_vU5D6DuHQjx5-Y9PPNu_vNyY0HTL6Q5/s800/2020BestOfMovies.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIteWiJXZQByLSxTWCx5cZX2FSziHjyWar74eQxrtCjzO3Sr_CT_DDaVRXcVWEVUiCfao3_eYSY5XeZMU-F-STGT5drS5k_q5gf8NOf_SEx7Q_vU5D6DuHQjx5-Y9PPNu_vNyY0HTL6Q5/w640-h240/2020BestOfMovies.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>There's nothing I enjoy more than going to the movies; even when I end up seeing something I don't like, I love the immersion of being in a dark room with a huge screen and minimal distractions. I love physically feeling a film's score pulsing through the room. I find it freeing in a way that watching at home cannot reproduce, so while I still watched a lot of new movies this year, it really wasn't the same. I saw three films in theaters at the very beginning of the year before Covid shut everything down (<i>Birds of Prey</i>, <i>Just Mercy</i>, and <i>The Way Back</i>), and I'm thankful I at least had that.</p><p>In spite of practically everything suffering long release date delays, a good number of excellent films were released in 2020 and there remains a number of them that I had no way to see (<i>Minari </i>and <i>Promising Young Woman</i> are the two I most wanted to check out, neither will be widely available until later this year.) </p><p>Aside from those 2020 stragglers, there are a handful of films I'm very excited for in the upcoming year: Robert Eggers' <i>The Northman</i>, Shaka King's <i>Judas and the Black Messiah</i>, Nia DaCosta's <i>Candyman</i>, David Lowery's <i>The Green Knight</i>. Here's hoping I can see some of them in an actual theater! Now let's take a look back at what I watched in the last year. Each tier is arranged in alphabetical order.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Top Tier - My five favorite movies of the year:</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b> </b></span><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc1I0E5zFFXBv1n3PDi4V2qiZnPYQOocSiWQFShn-PSZDNCdM64Na_v2jarySuz1UJS_XxoiA6Zi3X9i5ebnEHbO_neM5Anv_ojD-l7f649rg2hg2zMIVIRC5YbIC5TtcUFxo_p_-x-GF/s1303/135042694_10108450439643020_3617260071434893077_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1303" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc1I0E5zFFXBv1n3PDi4V2qiZnPYQOocSiWQFShn-PSZDNCdM64Na_v2jarySuz1UJS_XxoiA6Zi3X9i5ebnEHbO_neM5Anv_ojD-l7f649rg2hg2zMIVIRC5YbIC5TtcUFxo_p_-x-GF/w640-h314/135042694_10108450439643020_3617260071434893077_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></p><b><br /></b><p></p><p><i>Another Round / Druk</i> (Thomas Vinterberg) - <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">A
Danish dark comedy/drama with a great performance by Mads Mikkelsen. A
look at the lengths we go to to justify our actions; in this case, four
high school teachers in midlife crisis using scientific study as an
excuse to be perpetually drunk. More than just a cautionary tale about
excess gone too far, it's a surprisingly warm film that breaks down the
emotional walls men build around themselves and their fear of failure.
Even at their low points, there's an outpouring of compassion, chipping
away at the social and physical build up of toxicity.</span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKArW2Xbee-LHQFf6fR7KuQ7sCtTNb_mA14w9hNnnVkC-zigp9gVPZW124Zqo7TPhn1dD-ql4nDM4Dr8_WtfCSIOEQlC-Orc9OAZAL61TEFyUt4ctooHJYTpw7uOBiGVDiWDMBSYO5_xn4/s928/135324745_10108450807495840_8455572666932165538_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="928" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKArW2Xbee-LHQFf6fR7KuQ7sCtTNb_mA14w9hNnnVkC-zigp9gVPZW124Zqo7TPhn1dD-ql4nDM4Dr8_WtfCSIOEQlC-Orc9OAZAL61TEFyUt4ctooHJYTpw7uOBiGVDiWDMBSYO5_xn4/w640-h360/135324745_10108450807495840_8455572666932165538_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><i>Ham on Rye</i> (Tyler Taormina) - Taormina's feature film debut is a weird, wild, and poignantly real one. </span><br /><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">A town's teenage population heads to the local deli to pair up and find their destiny while the deli's surly owner/God figure putters unhappily behind the scenes. A
David Lynch-style coming-of-age mood piece focused on the mundane
grotesqueness of suburban life in a broken world that either casts you
out or grinds you down. Divided cleanly into a day and night half (plus
an epilogue) transitioning from very genuine teenage awkwardness to
utter, abyssal unease. A whimsical score in the first half gives way
to electrical noise and silence in the second.</span></span></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizx_GO9SGj8Oo867_NHpWs6ZEXDfwQn-rMABRnR07aSZJeLMVCpK8WY-jv5P0qu-AQB6aCrN6OspaCVzE4o8CEO6-a9u2Pt6E3ojeis1bQKp20QDEkZEpi3BD_lrFCHV3UIt_MkAkWxipb/s840/Things.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizx_GO9SGj8Oo867_NHpWs6ZEXDfwQn-rMABRnR07aSZJeLMVCpK8WY-jv5P0qu-AQB6aCrN6OspaCVzE4o8CEO6-a9u2Pt6E3ojeis1bQKp20QDEkZEpi3BD_lrFCHV3UIt_MkAkWxipb/w640-h426/Things.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i>I'm Thinking of Ending Things</i> (Charlie Kaufman) - Kaufman's third film walks a similar line as <i>Ham on Rye</i>, showing us an almost-ordinary world that teeters on the edge of painful realism and an uneasy dream state. What starts out as a relationship drama becomes an exploration of memory, loss, and how the retrospective lens through which we view our past can skew our understanding. Love, family, art, and gender are approached as cloudy concepts that we can never quite pin down as the film examines who we are, who we wish to be, and who we're seen as from the outside.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PRznZrF5Y062vaL8tiY-QRvKgIE7PayEpU_s01s4hXxMSi07WgTm7kyaMhb1ppJS36IjLEZptIny2cWycBVNHXp3U87nYVIp3cLFw-r7-eJo37YN2A9BWeWAvFBUVIyP1v3AC8E-FjFv/s1200/Shirley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1200" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PRznZrF5Y062vaL8tiY-QRvKgIE7PayEpU_s01s4hXxMSi07WgTm7kyaMhb1ppJS36IjLEZptIny2cWycBVNHXp3U87nYVIp3cLFw-r7-eJo37YN2A9BWeWAvFBUVIyP1v3AC8E-FjFv/w640-h338/Shirley.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Shirley </i>(Josephine Decker) - An excellent performance by Elizabeth Moss anchors a powerful film that shows utter
contempt for 1950's America. A semi-biographical film looking at author Shirley Jackson's life in 1951, <i>Shirley </i>inverts the
expectations of the genre, focusing on a hazy uneasiness that
shifts from intimate discomfort to a forceful rejection of patriarchal
systems of power and upper class academia. There's a deep feeling of isolation here
that goes perfectly with 2020's quarantine dread and a deeply blurred line
between friend and foe, with a titular character that rejects the ideas of protagonist and antagonist.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IBBQS0LGBzdr5UZWC5IWPwcgJValXU3Oco9yJGxXL96IPYSQvwsohNHScxJMtFTr0OBIIMa6gEaEX_Qg1K5Kiy1611trD5E-YOmFsE3uOrejpbPBpEEmWB05dBMxzlqZHPRCQcoHUwTs/s1200/133264915_10108434848173450_8024890850622533437_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IBBQS0LGBzdr5UZWC5IWPwcgJValXU3Oco9yJGxXL96IPYSQvwsohNHScxJMtFTr0OBIIMa6gEaEX_Qg1K5Kiy1611trD5E-YOmFsE3uOrejpbPBpEEmWB05dBMxzlqZHPRCQcoHUwTs/w640-h360/133264915_10108434848173450_8024890850622533437_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Swallow </i>(Carlo Mirabella-Davis) - Another powerful feature film directorial debut, this one by Carlo Mirabella-Davis. A film that feels made for the mood of 2020, Swallow follows a newly married, newly pregnant woman trapped both physically and emotionally in a life she doesn't want. <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto">Haley
Bennett is outstanding and what could have easily been an exploitative
story about illness and craving ends up being liberating. </span>It's incredible that such a grim film can simultaneously feel this victorious in the end. <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto">It's also amazing how unappetizing the
film makes regular food look!</span> I don't really think of it as a horror movie, but <i>Swallow </i>has that "triumph over a monstrous situation" element that's part of just about every horror movie I like.</p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto"></span></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Excellent movies worth your time:</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbqMtEr1zGTKoKzu8M0OVfchJJ2-Zg0znJKPSR6itkp9-kBgay04XbaE0MIbhj7NdHuhMAhsEqciQryjhB28McX2wkPJ2hLCVhdbj6SQxWUfwwx3BOoeH6ArHOqXqLfYtY3EgT6mUQoyl/s1777/Birds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1777" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbqMtEr1zGTKoKzu8M0OVfchJJ2-Zg0znJKPSR6itkp9-kBgay04XbaE0MIbhj7NdHuhMAhsEqciQryjhB28McX2wkPJ2hLCVhdbj6SQxWUfwwx3BOoeH6ArHOqXqLfYtY3EgT6mUQoyl/w640-h326/Birds.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><p></p><p><i>Birds of Prey</i> (Cathy Yan) - A much better than average comic book movie that feels nice and personal with no dumb, world-ending stakes. Solid comedy and nicely made, goofy action scenes are punctuated by gruesome moments that don't fit the tone at all; I don't think it benefited in any way from being an R film, but that's my only real complaint. Margot Robbie is perfect and it's a huge improvement over <i>Suicide Squad</i>, which this film serves as a kind of, sort of sequel to. It's not a film that's overly concerned with canon or universe continuity and that's for the best. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKIS1dOPu3zY8DdyyeEWAHYHoVaVel0YnLVO_54vRHQCK9bxBamYSrh_4QWkIxinKVnRSUrzzAJcJg06rwhhYOcQo3gpZVQKtQLPjRn6T1FBY9wAdjqxQufWFIwR6qbW_e2YVqOeb_CaI/s1024/BlackBear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKIS1dOPu3zY8DdyyeEWAHYHoVaVel0YnLVO_54vRHQCK9bxBamYSrh_4QWkIxinKVnRSUrzzAJcJg06rwhhYOcQo3gpZVQKtQLPjRn6T1FBY9wAdjqxQufWFIwR6qbW_e2YVqOeb_CaI/w640-h360/BlackBear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Black Bear</i> (Lawrence Michael Levine) - <i>Black Bear </i>is wild; simultaneously bizarre and utterly, uncomfortably real. As with <i>Ham on Rye</i>, the film is cleanly divided into two halves with distinctly different tone and appearance. There are some real <i>Mulholland Drive</i> vibes here and Aubrey Plaza is fantastic, taking on the same character from three very different angles. The film pushes her (and her character) into some really dark, human places that are hard to look at but impossible to look away from. There's a lot to relate with here for anyone who's felt stuck on the direction of creative project.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGmMJ9NUQufRAyHyaCzYlwjyGacBeXz7LhHyRVPOhaVVnGGanr6HcuDZrvx6zu8egGjdDuHrUOr9jsbwolWdhqtT1bbNp77B_9_BjcONvmcjZZ3x6i0q0BzmHnVXwCI6EBARAe7Q7HNc_/s1475/ColoroutofSpace.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1475" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGmMJ9NUQufRAyHyaCzYlwjyGacBeXz7LhHyRVPOhaVVnGGanr6HcuDZrvx6zu8egGjdDuHrUOr9jsbwolWdhqtT1bbNp77B_9_BjcONvmcjZZ3x6i0q0BzmHnVXwCI6EBARAe7Q7HNc_/w640-h272/ColoroutofSpace.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Color out of Space</i> (Richard Stanley) - A gross, nutty ride and a worthy installment in the Nicolas Cage Goes Berserk canon. Richard Stanley's first film in a decade is a candy-colored piece of madness based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name; we follow the unraveling of a family in the middle of nowhere as a mysterious object from space transforms their world into something unrecognizable. It's a knowingly campy, sometimes trashy film shot with the eye of an art film director, and it's great!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU9bD5mXvHD4ai4EDhB0y1nYHTBjDY5qKB-0BrGVI18Tsvl_GYblWBmTyi4vteigvrcA26It_puYVk8QZyJSh_12996IoYeTVZialc6oum75sk2XjGNSOMp015aURlWm5kSxxSf83iH_X/s1010/Da5.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1010" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU9bD5mXvHD4ai4EDhB0y1nYHTBjDY5qKB-0BrGVI18Tsvl_GYblWBmTyi4vteigvrcA26It_puYVk8QZyJSh_12996IoYeTVZialc6oum75sk2XjGNSOMp015aURlWm5kSxxSf83iH_X/w640-h368/Da5.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Da 5 Bloods</i> (Spike Lee) - Lee's latest is an intense, extremely well-made nightmare collage of dark humor and absolute horror. A frequently surprisingly, powerfully anti-war war film, <i>Da 5 Bloods</i> <br />is more visceral than usual for Lee, but still manages to carry his sense of humor and quirks. Four aged Vietnam vets return to the country decades later to find a lost treasure and pay tribute to their fallen commander in a story that cuts between past and present and between buddy comedy and war film until the two styles converge in tragedy. Though we're watching old men try to regain glory and absolve guilt, there's a very strong message that it's the next generation that will make the world a better place. There's a great ensemble cast, but Delroy Lindo's Paul is the standout character, a man lost in rage. <i>Da 5 Bloods</i> is also, sadly, one of Chadwick Boseman's final performances.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2oYOzgCE-DOky8eFH1RA5oJYcbDh30_0ZTNCv0H8S7R58bc6ZIv7jf1B4z1r_Ox3JcOMpnemj9c8-WS-JOeBZ99srLKsaHxAQax9QTNGK2gs2m57awj1MqAGTDHwI-uyo8fSG6r4uXDO/s2559/Honey-Boy-online.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2559" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2oYOzgCE-DOky8eFH1RA5oJYcbDh30_0ZTNCv0H8S7R58bc6ZIv7jf1B4z1r_Ox3JcOMpnemj9c8-WS-JOeBZ99srLKsaHxAQax9QTNGK2gs2m57awj1MqAGTDHwI-uyo8fSG6r4uXDO/w640-h308/Honey-Boy-online.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Honey Boy</i> (Alma Har'el) - Shia LaBeouf wrote an autobiographical film as a form of therapy and plays the role of his father; it's a concept that doesn't sound like it should work, but absolutely does. Directed exceptionally well by Alma Har'el in her directorial feature debut, <i>Honey Boy</i>'s story of distant fathers and sons hits home in probably too many ways. It's an uncomfortable film made even more painful by recent abuse allegations in LaBeouf's real life that basically show the sweet little kid at the start of this film never does manage to break out of his tragic cycle.</p><p> <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RVa4LKlAqiOoBPeTxn6_1t5E2b3veC2l55GrVe9kNe-7JtcWvbe6I9x2bI6XwtNSX-r03XLpNVfMEKgNlEUmI_qlrUVF2TkF7lNjj6VH0H5XKPiFgoOWPVzXqVANSgzbdbi9z6F9aHB7/s1500/Never.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1500" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RVa4LKlAqiOoBPeTxn6_1t5E2b3veC2l55GrVe9kNe-7JtcWvbe6I9x2bI6XwtNSX-r03XLpNVfMEKgNlEUmI_qlrUVF2TkF7lNjj6VH0H5XKPiFgoOWPVzXqVANSgzbdbi9z6F9aHB7/w640-h346/Never.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b></p><p><i>Never Rarely Sometimes Always</i> (Eliza Hittman) - A road-trip
odyssey following a teenager traveling to New York for an abortion and
her saintly-patient cousin, <i>Never Rarely Sometimes Always </i>is a
criticism of the undue pressure put on women in need. The burdens Autumn
faces are social, financial, and temporal, braving a world where nearly
every man she meets is filmed like a horror-movie predator waiting to
strike. The most real film of 2020, we watch the mundane details of life
fade away into the deepest tension as Autumn meets more roadblocks
along the way. From boredom to exhaustion to fear to desperation, every
shot of the film puts us deeply into Autumn's mental space as she wholly
owns its point of view.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbKxkRRNvttCJwItc14I_oMS4qsJtnop17NXF8Abco-UUXqmHcDmZUEftof-6cGYNDT9GJnQa4Gn9IC-O3JzAida0BlKNLosRBokgbTRRqzW8_TGYQsjUJlsQMo3y0uj5Cc_wKxxykQa9/s1165/Portrait.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1165" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbKxkRRNvttCJwItc14I_oMS4qsJtnop17NXF8Abco-UUXqmHcDmZUEftof-6cGYNDT9GJnQa4Gn9IC-O3JzAida0BlKNLosRBokgbTRRqzW8_TGYQsjUJlsQMo3y0uj5Cc_wKxxykQa9/w640-h336/Portrait.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Portrait of a Lady on Fire </i>(Céline Sciamma) - An absolute visual delight, every shot in <i>Portrait </i>is composed in a painterly fashion. This is a beautiful film whose style is its substance; every composition gets us inside the head of Noémie Merlant's Marianne, a painter brought to a remote island to paint a portrait of a reclusive woman who she falls in love with. The film feels simultaneously otherworldly and totally modern. Featuring an almost entirely female cast, it feels like a shock when a male character finally intrudes on this world towards the end. Another good pick for a 2020 Isolation Playlist.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJZVIBZvNNd5q4Ov-3m2gykDKuxIFaAsZRc8v3DTMbFO6prde5jZFw8pLi7gzGKLgJzaQxxh1rr_kBYkOzNQlGqro-TLgvw8QD3ZAIvDeQnr7aBun8cfuYHqvifaqNTHOQjwyhg_3hemg/s1200/Tomorrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1200" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJZVIBZvNNd5q4Ov-3m2gykDKuxIFaAsZRc8v3DTMbFO6prde5jZFw8pLi7gzGKLgJzaQxxh1rr_kBYkOzNQlGqro-TLgvw8QD3ZAIvDeQnr7aBun8cfuYHqvifaqNTHOQjwyhg_3hemg/w640-h308/Tomorrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>She Dies Tomorrow</i> (Amy Seimetz) - A tightly tense hour and a half thriller, I really wish I could have seen this one in a theater! It's got some moments that are just so deeply oppressive that they belong on a giant screen you can't get away from. An existential horror film in which anxiety takes the form of a psychic virus, this is, again, a perfect film for that 2020 mood. A film whose focus shifts from character to character, giving us a wide variety of perspectives on feeling like your world is about to collapse.<br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Movies with standout elements:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYswtckVCNJxVea_wQWYS2q3ikAawvnqnzFgeLg7I5QGlLjsg_liePAsR7MK6Rc82DNOjl5le6shVd1FE2LjbrikkS3DkpzWF07l5HKK6Lb0RLlxscO8hbf3IIa2RPV4r_kKwwUVzm-ar/s780/Borat2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYswtckVCNJxVea_wQWYS2q3ikAawvnqnzFgeLg7I5QGlLjsg_liePAsR7MK6Rc82DNOjl5le6shVd1FE2LjbrikkS3DkpzWF07l5HKK6Lb0RLlxscO8hbf3IIa2RPV4r_kKwwUVzm-ar/w640-h360/Borat2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</i> (Jason Woliner) - 14 years after the original <i>Borat </i>film became a pop culture phenomenon, Sacha Baron Cohen revives his satirical reporter character in a funny but oddly disjointed sequel. It's a more story-heavy film than the first, as we follow Borat and his daughter Tutar on an American odyssey, and is at times surprisingly heartfelt. <i>Borat </i>#2's jokes are at their best when aimed at people with power, but other times just feel too weightless.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8J2x4xIvZyku2UItNqRHJ_8Gvzlk7U7joL3cd-pBWQoew328bjskUapFHE7Ne9qKsEWdNpbMLKhjlVGh9ujYteeWXFjbnZw6PaOfCIYI1lD5YuMY-8shtK0utPIbe84UIZOhm1UF5ENE/s1600/FirstCow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8J2x4xIvZyku2UItNqRHJ_8Gvzlk7U7joL3cd-pBWQoew328bjskUapFHE7Ne9qKsEWdNpbMLKhjlVGh9ujYteeWXFjbnZw6PaOfCIYI1lD5YuMY-8shtK0utPIbe84UIZOhm1UF5ENE/w640-h360/FirstCow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>First Cow </i>(Kelly Reichardt) - A love story about baking and wilderness survival, and also a commentary on how the rich will destroy everything you have if you try to take even a portion of their unused wealth. This film follows two men who embody the goodness of brotherly love by defying the cruelty and toxic behavior in the world around them; they aren't interested in brawling and posturing, they'd rather bake and clean. <i>First Cow</i>'s search for kindness in an hopeless world can be heartwarming, but honestly it needed more cow.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelQ8z07pGgEi3W4vHyGyt3acCbAbJ22UqoqfQAW7MCoWSyeliLKqKH9EnvsMzY2Mbq7k8kaGDRl2NUDxDNYCDJeDcAGLqCgOtUYGVI8Ra2olKO-Hfl4vInfNivkhkT6bKkaeeT5HBWfyP/s783/JustMercy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="783" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelQ8z07pGgEi3W4vHyGyt3acCbAbJ22UqoqfQAW7MCoWSyeliLKqKH9EnvsMzY2Mbq7k8kaGDRl2NUDxDNYCDJeDcAGLqCgOtUYGVI8Ra2olKO-Hfl4vInfNivkhkT6bKkaeeT5HBWfyP/w640-h376/JustMercy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Just Mercy</i> (Destin Daniel Cretton) - Michael B. Jordan gives an excellent performance as a Harvard-educated lawyer who moves to Alabama to fight for prisoners on death row. The film gives us a look at a few different cases, but most of the focus is on the wrongly imprisoned Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) and the systemic racism found even among people who consider themselves allies. Courtroom drama isn't usually my thing, but this film approaches it with expertise by a cast of excellent actors.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw5NtcAuitANsTRnzAWNMQUJlm0xfj3Gd1jB-EDgP-HIjLjVz3xT3Yfe9OPjWcMA1P3mF_39KUaLQNx2_v6LBNKSOHqysv5wbBPG7WnRoG3ofgfyAQyYAXpnxnbQfr3Afx4o0YS_MFfJX/s1296/Unp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1296" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw5NtcAuitANsTRnzAWNMQUJlm0xfj3Gd1jB-EDgP-HIjLjVz3xT3Yfe9OPjWcMA1P3mF_39KUaLQNx2_v6LBNKSOHqysv5wbBPG7WnRoG3ofgfyAQyYAXpnxnbQfr3Afx4o0YS_MFfJX/w640-h360/Unp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Unpregnant </i>(Rachel Lee Goldenberg) - I watched this back to back with <i>Never Rarely Sometimes Always</i> and that's quite a way to go into it; these two movies follow essentially the same plot in totally different genres. While <i>Never </i>focuses on the grim reality and horror faced by a young woman who needs to travel for an abortion, <i>Unpregnant </i>is a buddy comedy. <i>Never</i>'s lead characters struggle to pay for each step of their journey, while <i>Unpregnant</i>'s money troubles are fluffier and used as set ups for jokes. They're both good films that approach their subjects with dignity and it's great that this is a comedy that never punches down; the difficulty faced by women in need of care is important to discuss, and having two very different approaches to telling that story is valuable.<br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">All the rest:<br /></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xVlkizZ5aicu4GNGTsb0CIQaEZi9yARI5S0dYDs6mVmjfZGnkuckN2MtVp6YwR6tOCm4E-zbGNOiePTs5xjqx4OWyyClhKV6jwDxmlOAA4Rby1lLmftWDuwfrPCICdKAnk9IX5nWg6VA/s633/Bob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="633" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xVlkizZ5aicu4GNGTsb0CIQaEZi9yARI5S0dYDs6mVmjfZGnkuckN2MtVp6YwR6tOCm4E-zbGNOiePTs5xjqx4OWyyClhKV6jwDxmlOAA4Rby1lLmftWDuwfrPCICdKAnk9IX5nWg6VA/w640-h360/Bob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Jay and Silent Bob Reboot </i>(Kevin Smith) - A sequel to Kevin Smith's living cartoon comedy <i>Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back</i> made 19 years after the original, this is a very light satire of superhero films and fan culture along with a celebration of Smith's own film history. It's one of the most self-referential films I've ever seen and I can't imagine anyone who didn't grow up with Smith's films finding much here, but it's charming in its audacity. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pHFfI72PQAmzBCoAZ83nOEVPCn8Wdv1off-xPHdVOtS33ZjlsImTpcuQzM0h2BsGGqLjiYmBE73hs477YVV4n48KoKALEeLsnlyrvQHWBEnCTylYTJv1LzR2aegaTcFiSxsrePmOPb4Y/s676/Blockbuster.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="676" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pHFfI72PQAmzBCoAZ83nOEVPCn8Wdv1off-xPHdVOtS33ZjlsImTpcuQzM0h2BsGGqLjiYmBE73hs477YVV4n48KoKALEeLsnlyrvQHWBEnCTylYTJv1LzR2aegaTcFiSxsrePmOPb4Y/w640-h358/Blockbuster.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>The Last Blockbuster</i> (Taylor Morden) - A very light documentary following the birth, growth, and near death of the world's largest video rental chain, focused on what would end up being the last store standing. This same story could be told with a more biting focus on the predatory capitalism angle, but this is purely a nostalgia piece. I certainly related to spending hours browsing tapes and I genuinely do miss that. Kevin Smith's here too, and I liked his scenes. There's way, way too much Doug Benson.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNpLUkIYA9b4I7WzoRcVG6fno61obCczkuc4VZTvRCGTlBMJNFsB8FaG0y3eqlU6aVx-JSlOEz990uAYzlJvMPtUW4mtFLu25QQ0t1XIZeFEVXAIc_7sdCdDTDYmwJCJdjWXfE4WCPVPU/s1200/Mulan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNpLUkIYA9b4I7WzoRcVG6fno61obCczkuc4VZTvRCGTlBMJNFsB8FaG0y3eqlU6aVx-JSlOEz990uAYzlJvMPtUW4mtFLu25QQ0t1XIZeFEVXAIc_7sdCdDTDYmwJCJdjWXfE4WCPVPU/w640-h360/Mulan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Mulan </i>(Niki Caro) - Far better than most of the Disney live action remakes I've seen, the new <i>Mulan </i>is at least its own film and not a recreation of the animated version. It's a very colorful, pretty film with a pleasantly campy witch played by Gong Li. This is an action film that discards the animated version's musical format, and the action here feels very much in tune with Disney's <i>Star Wars </i>sequels. Kenneth Branagh's 2015 take on <i>Cinderella </i>remains the best of this series of films.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1s7TTgMpcLtnogel3UFz0MwHqO0CUzFKpKaqtqZU9APiOfE0j65f2a_hUdXy0gDg6rHVR_3W-jjvF8-O_CXCIR7r6M2knKjjAunfL8lr52W9fHr6zOpV-CK7rzEeo27hCXdd3r2pplIy/s668/NewMutants.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="668" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1s7TTgMpcLtnogel3UFz0MwHqO0CUzFKpKaqtqZU9APiOfE0j65f2a_hUdXy0gDg6rHVR_3W-jjvF8-O_CXCIR7r6M2knKjjAunfL8lr52W9fHr6zOpV-CK7rzEeo27hCXdd3r2pplIy/w640-h358/NewMutants.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>The New Mutants</i> (Josh Boone) - A horror/teen comedy/coming of age drama superhero movie for no one that managed to pull off two impossible tasks: Making an X-Men movie worse than X-Men 3 and Dark Phoenix, and putting Anya Taylor-Joy in a role I disliked. At least she was able to shine on TV this year in <i>The Queen's Gambit</i>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY4fAedlZ2Iq6Zd9qmRzbqu2uT8eBIvwwi3gAOH1xH4it5JsHh2cpUiWh5OP_YNmItUWo9DpGWlJDpqhYJA-fZHu_CsttuX1Ga43gqlr_2UUTDXMbRwVi2HAA2sK85NrypuKM7mN811Fc/s697/Possessor.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="697" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY4fAedlZ2Iq6Zd9qmRzbqu2uT8eBIvwwi3gAOH1xH4it5JsHh2cpUiWh5OP_YNmItUWo9DpGWlJDpqhYJA-fZHu_CsttuX1Ga43gqlr_2UUTDXMbRwVi2HAA2sK85NrypuKM7mN811Fc/w640-h432/Possessor.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Possessor </i>(Brandon Cronenberg) - A sci-fi/horror film about corporate assassinations and hijacking people's brains that I expected to like a lot more than I did. There are some cool visuals here, but I felt that it needed to go way weirder than it ever did. A mixed feeling of, "That was gross, but wasn't gross enough to work." The film's posters are more effectively unsettling than the film itself.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Yw7ikdt_kVwo4peKb6u6nGAAJu4OOpqf_wJ1r4DqFEXIXb9uffVlG5cEeSGlHzsovUJ3PoB3F1BuSadUbQD6s-nvS8cewclCjRNKODV2ammLqiYJuj0NyVuLNBX2sVhahw9ZTQyyzcxW/s654/Soul.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="654" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Yw7ikdt_kVwo4peKb6u6nGAAJu4OOpqf_wJ1r4DqFEXIXb9uffVlG5cEeSGlHzsovUJ3PoB3F1BuSadUbQD6s-nvS8cewclCjRNKODV2ammLqiYJuj0NyVuLNBX2sVhahw9ZTQyyzcxW/w640-h268/Soul.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Soul </i>(Pete Docter) - Pixar's latest is a film both about and consumed by an identity crisis. We start out following a New York City music teacher, bored with his career, on the verge of making something of himself in the NY jazz scene. It's real, it's gorgeous, and then he dies and becomes a ghost and we've got a typical Pixar odd-couple comedy that once again treats the fantastical as a bureaucracy. For a while, the film becomes a lesser version of <i>Inside Out</i>, until it become a body-swap film in which our black lead only learns to appreciate his life and his community once he sees it through the eyes of a middle-aged white woman. The grounded, human elements of the film are excellent, but they're stuck to a bad comedy with choices that range from dull to baffling.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELiDXQ6Ejw5RUj6GqktGZkCl_I0CnQyOk-mm4_4RUkjQISvJUdalPxT5mPyCXDSuy15_wrWS7NJmGNNA2y0o-dn5C-dA3ko1n5MPhPTMh3EpjW1U6O5VsSYWxJWBVT5AgFdXFWvM2e7qE/s1024/WayBack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELiDXQ6Ejw5RUj6GqktGZkCl_I0CnQyOk-mm4_4RUkjQISvJUdalPxT5mPyCXDSuy15_wrWS7NJmGNNA2y0o-dn5C-dA3ko1n5MPhPTMh3EpjW1U6O5VsSYWxJWBVT5AgFdXFWvM2e7qE/w640-h428/WayBack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>The Way Back </i>(Gavin O'Connor) - O'Conner reunites with Ben Affleck following their surprisingly fun 2016 action film <i>The Accountant</i> for a story about overcoming tragedy and addiction via basketball. This is a pretty standard sports underdog/recovery film, but Affleck puts in a great performance that elevates the material. It's a good movie, but one that I felt I'd already seen a dozen times.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSe0DuQ0xSTzCegar_RI9nXeU6v39bEe-W6uEJqILqNd_QCvI0NLnmdJUfbIi0NoXFdilhzADxRGX2tQdpvo0zjYhd_ZtUWUPziUCkgyUsGkoQ1ZnjPlU0p-WB_1XiPCNpc-qyl9whBe_/s700/WW1984.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="700" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSe0DuQ0xSTzCegar_RI9nXeU6v39bEe-W6uEJqILqNd_QCvI0NLnmdJUfbIi0NoXFdilhzADxRGX2tQdpvo0zjYhd_ZtUWUPziUCkgyUsGkoQ1ZnjPlU0p-WB_1XiPCNpc-qyl9whBe_/w640-h274/WW1984.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Wonder Woman 1984 </i>(Patty Jenkins) - Jenkins' first Wonder Woman film, released in 2017, was excellent, among the best of the modern genre. I loved Gal Gadot's take on the character in 2016's <i>Batman v Superman</i> and was excited to see where she and Jenkins would take the character next. I wasn't expecting this. <i>WW1984 </i>is a bizarre mashup of family friendly comedy ala 2019's <i>Shazam!</i> and a lost romance story that weakens its heroine, both physically and thematically. Some of the jokes are good, Gadot and Chris Pine still have the same chemistry, and I liked Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal's characters for the first half of the film. </p><p>The messages here are baffling; it's a romance where our heroes don't care at all that they basically kill a random dude to give Wonder Woman her boyfriend back. It's a story about a man who feels like a Trump analogue until we learn that it's all a front to hide the pain of an abusive childhood. We're then told in a horrendous monologue that Truth is Beautiful, intercut with shots of said abusive childhood. A woman is cast as a villain for beating the hell out of a man who tries to rape her, twice. The world basically ends, until it doesn't, and no one really seems to care after the fact. It's such a damn weird film that it's never boring, and I appreciate the image of a confused Ronald Reagan joining hands with a TV conman to pray for more bombs.</p><p>The action, costuming, music, script, everything here is just such a massive step down from the previous film that it's hard to believe the same team made it. There's nothing like the spectacular No Man's Land scene from the first film; instead we get a flight scene that's a little nicer looking than <i>Superman III</i>. The action in the first film and in <i>Batman v Superman</i> has such remarkable physicality to it, but this film feels absolutely weightless. It aims for the campiness of a Raimi Spider-Man or 90's Batman film, but doesn't really get what makes those movies work. Also, it's very obvious that there was supposed to be a romance between Gadot and Wiig's characters but the film ends up being gutless in that regard.<br /></p><p>It's a bad sequel to a great movie, but it did give me a lot to talk about without even getting into half of the film's perplexing details (issues of consent, the entire Middle East expedition, a secret super armor that's just sitting around in an office until needed that ultimately doesn't do anything, an 80's film without a single song from the era, hammering the audience with the idea of status quo as a beautiful ideal.) I haven't had such a sense of "What the hell is happening, how did this happen?" since <i>Transformers: Age of Extinction</i> in 2014, which, I've got to admit, is at least better than the "Oh, this again" feeling I usually get from superhero movies these days.</p><br /><br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-54798442171215164092021-01-04T20:13:00.002-05:002021-01-04T20:13:21.366-05:00Walthros: Renewal Demo 2.0 Now Available!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw9PeIrEqeC6rBXOEv4NIn9NhHKFR3mU-UDPawkJXi485zfZA5NXB8Gj6UrjZFS2F5W0eFCLmhl2-VGSotYdHO7neQ00sPyNwhNwA15SUpzQY-QgeUwdVjjG9NGA4hSMOqGHHxYdEUw4z/s638/Red.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="638" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw9PeIrEqeC6rBXOEv4NIn9NhHKFR3mU-UDPawkJXi485zfZA5NXB8Gj6UrjZFS2F5W0eFCLmhl2-VGSotYdHO7neQ00sPyNwhNwA15SUpzQY-QgeUwdVjjG9NGA4hSMOqGHHxYdEUw4z/w640-h246/Red.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>
Steam: <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317270/Walthros_Renewal/">https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317270/Walthros_Renewal/</a><br />
Itch.io: <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal</a><br />
<br /></p><section class="object_text_widget_widget user_formatted post_body"><p>A
new year, a new demo! This update adds some little bonuses, fixes some
bugs, and adds a new dungeon not available in the previous demo.<br /></p><p><b>Please note: While save files from the previous version should work in Demo 2.0, there may be some unexpected behavior.</b></p><p>Demo Version 2.0 - January 2021</p>
<p>Change Log: <br /></p><p>-Updated some content so that demo saves will be usable in the final<br />release.</p><p>-Demo now ends after Red Shrine.</p><p>-Bug fixes/stability.</p><p>-Added Trophies menu.</p><p>-Added Salom's Phone to main menu.</p><p>-Removed Key Items menu (too underused.)</p><p>-Added more mist to Bayswater Woods and altered area's title card.</p><p>-Redid opening credits.</p><p>-Added animations for Bob throughout the game.</p><p>-Altered animation for Dig Site cutscenes.</p><p>-Added permanent stat boost items to some shops (limited number)</p></section><p><br /> <br /></p>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-49800266577281105772020-06-12T17:34:00.003-04:002020-06-12T17:34:47.292-04:00Walthros: Renewal Demo 1.6 Now Available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMHX-itQrPYalyxNMCSyYXdLufMcQdVWXK9D4-SJdh_bOaN89T5GfQevz6z5foHOvEXaONvJvuPQmH4XYmirxL8pVBIqW0lrXnTctCA2qMUA-rMatRxgwvP73j5NkNSVlRCtC_a_SbttL/s1600/EYpT6oSXkAskDqF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="639" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMHX-itQrPYalyxNMCSyYXdLufMcQdVWXK9D4-SJdh_bOaN89T5GfQevz6z5foHOvEXaONvJvuPQmH4XYmirxL8pVBIqW0lrXnTctCA2qMUA-rMatRxgwvP73j5NkNSVlRCtC_a_SbttL/s640/EYpT6oSXkAskDqF.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<section class="object_text_widget_widget user_formatted post_body">The latest Walthros: Renewal demo is now available! Aside from bug fixes, this is planned to be the final public demo. Download it below:<br />
<br />
Steam: <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317270/Walthros_Renewal/">https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317270/Walthros_Renewal/</a><br />
Itch.io: <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal</a><br />
<br />
What's New:<br />
<br />
-Added Retry option when you’re defeated in battle.<br />
-Added Continue option to title screen to load last autosave.<br />
-Added additional secret treasures to find on the World Map.<br />
-Balance adjustment: KO’d heroes now recover 1 HP after battle in Normal Mode.<br />
-Completed Bayswater Village zone.<br />
-Completed optional dungeon (Grounded Ship).<br />
-Added Bayswater side quests.<br />
-Added Dinner with Friends scene to Bayswater.<br />
-Fixed animations on some healing items.<br />
-Fixed a bug with Salom’s Flip Flop attack.<br />
-Adjusted costs of weapon upgrades.<br />
-Adjusted cost of Salom’s multi-hit attacks.<br />
-Added limited visibility to Alpha City Ruins.<br />
-Added transparency effects throughout game.<br />
-Added Burpin Bros arcade machine to Bayswater (In final version this will be moved to Flopsberg)<br />
-Expanded hero bios and bestiary.<br />
-Updated some hero and NPC graphics.<br />
-Fixed uncommon glitch during Blue Shrine emergence scene.<br />
-Fixed a visual glitch with Bunny Soda revive item.</section>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-84435255553723458862020-03-13T14:08:00.003-04:002020-03-13T14:09:11.222-04:00Walthros: Renewal Demo 1.5 Now Available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-bM0bgvCkr0MX7MtYGVPazbqIKd4RH4Ashnp34u_RHwW0b6DwCFHdc_lIRWtKk1Q0AUXmQ5qUBgYCpi6_j8kVRUZBRRUHVEL0b-lhGT9gUjfAOS56tLuqkTgok9UoOKhIswm9VZtcR3L/s1600/moonfrog_130.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-bM0bgvCkr0MX7MtYGVPazbqIKd4RH4Ashnp34u_RHwW0b6DwCFHdc_lIRWtKk1Q0AUXmQ5qUBgYCpi6_j8kVRUZBRRUHVEL0b-lhGT9gUjfAOS56tLuqkTgok9UoOKhIswm9VZtcR3L/s1600/moonfrog_130.png" /></a></div>
<br />
A new demo is now available! This adds another 45+ minutes to the
original demo release on top of a variety of balance and quality of life
improvements.<br />
<br />
Download it here: <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal </a><br />
<br />
What's New:<br />
<ul>
<li>Key Items menu added to main menu.</li>
<li>Three hidden locations added to World Map.</li>
<li>Three side quests added to Beta City</li>
<li>Side quest NPCs have quest indicators over their heads.</li>
<li>Area Map menu option now available in cities and in World Map.</li>
<li>New music added to some maps.</li>
<li>New friend: Miffany friend quest available in Bayswater Woods.</li>
<li>Story expansion: Bayswater Woods dungeon is now available. Bayswater <br />Village is partially available, incomplete areas are blocked off. One side quest is available there.</li>
<li>Balance changes.</li>
</ul>
Please let me know how you're enjoying the game so far!surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-13365164959458094532020-01-17T22:08:00.002-05:002020-01-17T22:08:59.375-05:00Year in Review 2019: Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWefwc4BQ0rfu4vgp1NYRqN_yKWBgLp4zEgFjlBf4qa3tzw3oNfkaIxIfZy2Bn89DuHLEe0oro8DQkOHn5eCqqb3eBaCXNXjQdf89XFRtD10uMIBg9NjzgHUWiFmkjY8zpHbYmbABvpzL/s1600/2019BestOfMovies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWefwc4BQ0rfu4vgp1NYRqN_yKWBgLp4zEgFjlBf4qa3tzw3oNfkaIxIfZy2Bn89DuHLEe0oro8DQkOHn5eCqqb3eBaCXNXjQdf89XFRtD10uMIBg9NjzgHUWiFmkjY8zpHbYmbABvpzL/s640/2019BestOfMovies.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now that my <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/p/article-index.html">decade retrospectives</a> are finished, it's time to look at this last year's media! This article covers the movies I watched in 2019. I actually saw almost every movie I was interested in this year! There were a lot of awful blockbuster sequels released this year (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, It Chapter 2, Spider-Man: Far From Home, I can't believe I actually saw all of these) and Disney continued consuming the entertainment world, producing 8 of the year's top 10 highest grossing films (of those, only one was a great film.) In spite of that it was still a great year for independent film, with A24, Annapurna, and Neon publishing great works from some brilliant artists. <br />
<br />
This year I'm not going to
write summaries of games or movies that I strongly disliked. I think these lists are more fun when
focused on the positive side of things. Let's look at those instead!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Top Tier - My favorite movies of the year:</b></span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3MwsflyHV5PjOSVY1m_viTPLdRgKRDw2L9Vyi8miWHtt4Vq3r64M_7ebPhCeOJ8l-T1eXh-3v99eDY_sShUstgXFMtIDizHuCiMUOWniGLvNPr2xhX0aHasCodNEJiMlZ2Qzprj-aSue/s1600/Elsa+Long+Hair.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="1009" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3MwsflyHV5PjOSVY1m_viTPLdRgKRDw2L9Vyi8miWHtt4Vq3r64M_7ebPhCeOJ8l-T1eXh-3v99eDY_sShUstgXFMtIDizHuCiMUOWniGLvNPr2xhX0aHasCodNEJiMlZ2Qzprj-aSue/s640/Elsa+Long+Hair.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Frozen II (Jennifer Lee & Chris Buck)</b> - It's hard to get excited about a Disney sequel following the abysmal Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018 and honestly it's hard for me to support the company at all as they continue to grow their monopoly in popular film; that said, Frozen II is a legitimate excellent film, and one of Disney Animation Studio's modern bests. <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/11/frozen-ii-2019-magic-and-monsters-and.html">I've written extensively about it here</a>, where I go into the film's risks and surprising themes. It's a film that was more divisive than I expected among critics who normally give anything Disney a free pass, and that alone should signal that there's something interesting going on here. The animation's gorgeous, the music's great, and the art and costume designs are all wonderful. A family film that focuses heavily on issues of personal, cultural, and spiritual trauma and features no villain and no easy answers is not what I expected in a Frozen sequel and I'm absolutely happy to see directors Lee and Buck take the story in this direction.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8afKbSLarS-NQX7hl7ben2K58NFNa51B-N2129K_3UMM0mjNUn0MKGlY41wHiLmQu6vxfi6Yf9YiHD7rvDCcOxKTYO3S50ANWTs70Bbf3yR7J6eCpRs1SRyACrs-04T6FmVz9qLxszNLV/s1600/in-fabric-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="807" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8afKbSLarS-NQX7hl7ben2K58NFNa51B-N2129K_3UMM0mjNUn0MKGlY41wHiLmQu6vxfi6Yf9YiHD7rvDCcOxKTYO3S50ANWTs70Bbf3yR7J6eCpRs1SRyACrs-04T6FmVz9qLxszNLV/s640/in-fabric-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>In Fabric (Peter Strickland)</b> - A horror/satire film about a spooky cursed dress and the witchy department
store it came from with a side of mundane workplace drama. In Fabric perfectly walks the line between clever and stupid and it's an
audio/visual delight. The film is divided in two halves, followed two different owners of the cursed dress, and while the first half is much stronger they're both great and quietly funny in totally different ways. It's a bizarre mixture of Suspiria and Office Space that feels like it shouldn't work but absolutely does, leaving us with one of the funniest movies of the year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYwpPMiEszRIefSgYhOaD4LZQFeOHGPiwKYgTT6LjkWW1ZtTmwnTv8TxMUR7_j2mEZdrFC6nZ0s12LOJF3O30XvR9IBvqtR1YXYD6gF_KYO91Cu_PkN-Q_vsGDE_EenwAuAeUfbf2Jnlv/s1600/Lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="759" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYwpPMiEszRIefSgYhOaD4LZQFeOHGPiwKYgTT6LjkWW1ZtTmwnTv8TxMUR7_j2mEZdrFC6nZ0s12LOJF3O30XvR9IBvqtR1YXYD6gF_KYO91Cu_PkN-Q_vsGDE_EenwAuAeUfbf2Jnlv/s400/Lighthouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers)</b> - I went in expecting a tense psychological thriller and instead got a
hilarious, campy, beautiful morality play. Willam Dafoe and Robert Pattinson's chemistry is fantastic as they spar, curse, and hug one another as coworkers driven mad on an isolated island. Loaded with both Greek and Christian imagery, The Lighthouse also continues The Witch's theme
of "just be nicer to animals you jerks." Eggers' second film asks the question, "What if The Shining was set in 1890 and had way more fart jokes?" With deafening blasts of foghorns and flatulence, The Lighthouse features the year's best sound design. I drove through a really horrible storm for an hour to get to the theater and I'll say that's the ideal way to experience this one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi-RVRVJT5OEyVej2FA7AbRSRgZ91_L7L_54aarkgjrGm3eajTknqNu2CQOe4IbChxz1Jcq8Sa40WECkYcgWN4_q2BHEXO8EdAy5Ak7KXKEYQbHvXSTnK7Wrkp0CiIjS_mX6hnYNOhmXF/s1600/Parasite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi-RVRVJT5OEyVej2FA7AbRSRgZ91_L7L_54aarkgjrGm3eajTknqNu2CQOe4IbChxz1Jcq8Sa40WECkYcgWN4_q2BHEXO8EdAy5Ak7KXKEYQbHvXSTnK7Wrkp0CiIjS_mX6hnYNOhmXF/s640/Parasite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Parasite (Bong Joon-ho)</b> - Three of my top five movies this year fall into the "I didn't expect this to be so funny" category; Parasite is a hilarious working-class farce before everything takes a dark turn. The film follows a family scamming their way into employment by a gullible rich family and it's extremely satisfying to watch until their ambition finally crosses paths with another downtrodden family and the resulting nightmare that unfolds. The social structures at play are so rigid that advancement seems impossible, leaving the poor to cannibalize each other's dreams while the rich wander by indifferently. Parasite succeeds at blending silly and horrifying events with far more grace than Bong's uneven 2017 Netflix film Okja did.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-5VpBorEX1zQgLktjG9Cp-gTk3C6ijJ7BHMZ-y9ZXDQ0gY2_GpCarZhUt5Pauo6U-V8FgTdtlr6dClxXaxHhpywik5srAypHqP1sZfWSqcs2KC5ULFqvANV0pfWWLkm28cxddrZTUVSp/s1600/Rocketman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-5VpBorEX1zQgLktjG9Cp-gTk3C6ijJ7BHMZ-y9ZXDQ0gY2_GpCarZhUt5Pauo6U-V8FgTdtlr6dClxXaxHhpywik5srAypHqP1sZfWSqcs2KC5ULFqvANV0pfWWLkm28cxddrZTUVSp/s640/Rocketman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Rocketman (Dexter Fletcher)</b> - Jukebox musicals and celebrity biopics are so common and follow such
standard design cues that I never really have a lot of interest.
Rocketman defies expectations and uses traditional forms to blast off in
weird, wild directions, with phenomenal costume and art design and a
performance by Taron Egerton as Elton John that deserves to be award winning.
The spectacular style is the substance here, with visual flourishes and
carefully recomposed pop songs telling us just as much about Elton's
life as its dialogue does. The film focuses on universal doubts and
fears and struggles rather than the purely celebratory or encyclopedic
presentation of way too many biopics.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Excellent movies worth your time:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSoTj7M28wRF_cheTAZZLKYjPFzoKJ2a1Ayia115ZX_DNR7tl8YMkMZDpFdSCStbp4_glo_4ZGKqPKsaSlP9Y9R23WaWmI0pRt0f22VBcvD4xHpyA1MUTTqFpMjWBua295HuBwzpwjJCP/s1600/Booksmart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSoTj7M28wRF_cheTAZZLKYjPFzoKJ2a1Ayia115ZX_DNR7tl8YMkMZDpFdSCStbp4_glo_4ZGKqPKsaSlP9Y9R23WaWmI0pRt0f22VBcvD4xHpyA1MUTTqFpMjWBua295HuBwzpwjJCP/s640/Booksmart.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Booksmart (Olivia Wilde)</b> - A funny coming-of-age comedy that never punches down, I recognized almost every character here as someone
I've known at one time or another (especially Jared and his recursive shirt.) I've been an Amy at too many points in my life. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever's chemistry is excellent and every interaction completely believable; it's a movie that
refuses to allow anyone to be one dimensional and is surprisingly warm
and optimistic in a way I'm not used to in modern comedy. This film should have been a major mainstream hit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgugnCOfbgVndHs0p7geJb8nLLciol2BQaIi0pyLRV521bF7s7UJ42mN5y7gd6__S9o0hbtAA8MEwKAn2DRw-UOWs6guPXK5DPYd6OTrgqiulCMTe8Ipbd0nGttZfHbOJHHuiRkelBBHvt/s1600/Dolemite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgugnCOfbgVndHs0p7geJb8nLLciol2BQaIi0pyLRV521bF7s7UJ42mN5y7gd6__S9o0hbtAA8MEwKAn2DRw-UOWs6guPXK5DPYd6OTrgqiulCMTe8Ipbd0nGttZfHbOJHHuiRkelBBHvt/s640/Dolemite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dolemite is my Name (Craig Brewer) </b>- I'm always up for movies about regular people making movies and Dolemite
is My Name is funny, heartfelt, and Wesley Snipes is awesome in his role as director D'Urville Martin.
Everyone's great here but Snipes just owns every scene he's in and
between this and Chi-Raq he really deserves more roles. Eddie Murphy plays comedian/actor Rudy Ray Moore as he struggles to find relevance in a changing entertainment landscape, a sort of metacommentary on Murphy's own career.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqBz4jioniP0KtkK-9PtSglSsPn3LPDFXJStBnRXLe4ULc-t7EBGl8tLZKhDhLzQpP75dfCa7fdaHz8GR8qRENTzCfekrQ6apdnxlxU19QrEm1_Tap-WtxqPmLFrlbCrogrBqtpsRk0xK/s1600/hero_glass-image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqBz4jioniP0KtkK-9PtSglSsPn3LPDFXJStBnRXLe4ULc-t7EBGl8tLZKhDhLzQpP75dfCa7fdaHz8GR8qRENTzCfekrQ6apdnxlxU19QrEm1_Tap-WtxqPmLFrlbCrogrBqtpsRk0xK/s640/hero_glass-image.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Glass (M. Night Shyamalan)</b> - I feel like I'm willing to go to bat for M. Night Shyamalan's films more than most, so it's not really a surprise that I was into Glass.
It's incredible that this film functions as a sequel to two very different Shyamalan films
(2000's Unbreakable and 2016's Split)<br />
and yet is completely faithful to both while still feeling new.<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"> The most interesting figure here is Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey, the lone survivor of the events of Split. She's a mirror figure to Bruce Willis's David Dunn, and a
modern woman shown in contrast to the violent male figures that litter
history before her. She's the one who's actually going to change the
world for the better. Samuel L. Jackson's Mr. Glass is, knowingly or not, talking about her when
he says, "This is an origin story."</span></span><br />
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<b>Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria)</b> - A story following a group of strippers scamming clients out of thousands of dollars, Hustlers is probably the most positive, empowering crime-drama I've
ever seen. It goes to some dark places and there's a lot of pain but it
takes the idea of a "crime family" and really plays up the loving side
of family life over the obligation/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>loyalty
side. It rightly paints the real criminals as the ultra rich who were
able to wreck the country with no repercussions. Constantly defies
expectations; there's neither shaming nor exploitation of the women in
the film, and the love shown is genuine. Jennifer Lopez is great and her
final scene is the kind of excellent ending that recontextualize<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>s
everything that came before it without invalidating anything; a look at
objective reality after spending a whole film listening to a subjective
story. It's not dishonest but profoundly human to see how much
someone's love can color their perceptions. Constance Wu plays the naive
newcomer tossed into a crazy world and that story usually ends with
that kind of character being destroyed; instead she becomes a fuller
person though her experiences and by the end has taken command of her
situation.<br />
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<b>The Irishman (Martin Scorsese)</b> - Telling the maybe true, maybe not, half-remembered recollections of mob enforcer Frank Sheeran as he sits alone in a nursing home waiting to die, The
Irishman goes far out of its way to show how little every terrible action in Sheeran's life amounted to. Robert DeNiro's Sheeran narrates the story while carefully avoiding topics he
doesn't want to discuss (divorce being the biggest) and giving cold, clinical
descriptions of murder that say everything about who Frank was (or believes he was.) It's ultimately the story of a man at the end of his life asking, "I mattered, didn't I?" Al Pacino's performance
as Jimmy Hoffa is a little cartoonish but it works, and he's hilarious! My dad would have loved this movie and I couldn't help but think about him the whole
time.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Joe Talbot)</b> - A look at how hard it is to let go of the places that made you, even if
the memories there are unpleasant. I'm always hit hard by stories about
desperately trying to hold on to a home that's no longer yours. The
friendship at the core of the film is totally real and is so warm,
understanding, and supportive that we as an audience feel completely welcome in the squatted home that Jimmy and Mont put together; it becomes out home, if fleetingly, as much as it becomes theirs. The film is visually excellent and it's the kind of movie that I finish watching
and then say, "How can this be this director's first film?"<br />
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<br />
<b>Little Women (Greta Gerwig)</b> - Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel manages to feel contemporary without losing any of the details of the classic novel. With a framing device that simultaneously explores the way women are treated in the business world and the way audiences engage with stories, Gerwig's Little Women cuts back and forth between her four protagonists' childhood and young adulthood. The childhood scenes feature rich colors as writer Jo March looks back on youth with warm memories, contrasted by the cooler tones that represent her present day. There's plenty of excellent acting here, with Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen playing the four March sisters and Laura Dern in the role of their strong, patient, and exhausted mother.<br />
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<br />
<b>Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach)</b> - Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play two young artists on the verge of divorce, a simple story told extremely well through top tier acting. A real testament to Scarlett Johansson's talent when she's not in a junk
action movie, both she and Driver are fantastic leads and Laura
Dern and Alan Alda are excellent supporting actors. There's a lot of human warmth here and the film is careful to condemn a destructive legal system rather than either the husband or wife in the middle of their separation.<br />
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<br />
<b>Midsommar (Ari Aster)</b> - A stressful, brightly-lit horror film that couldn't look more different from Aster's 2018 debut film Hereditary. Florence Pugh's Dani goes on a trip abroad with her boyfriend and his buddies to try to heal following a family tragedy and soon finds herself submersed in a culture with very different ideas about life and death than hers. It's absolutely a horror movie, but it's also an odd self-therapy film mixed with a breakup film. Midsommar powerfully <span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x">subverts the typical "outsider finds a strange new culture and redeems/destroys it" expectations often seen in stories like these. </span></span><br />
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<br />
<b>Us (Jordan Peele)</b> - An amusement park sets the action in motion and the film itself becomes a
roller coaster, a scrambler, a hall of mirrors, and a game of whack a
mole by the end. A film about a family facing down their doppelgangers, it's a slasher, a PTSD drama, a zombie film, a dark
comedy, etc. but manages to hold together marvelously thanks to Jordan
Peele's writing/direction. Lupita Nyong'o is compelling as a woman divided against herself and Winston
Duke's hilarious as a not-actually-funny dad. There are a lot of sides to this attack of the clones story; it feels like a story about American culture becoming so weak and vain that we've
invited our shadow selves in to take our place, and it's simultaneously an
uprising story with an oppressed/abused underclass organizing their labor and
uniting to take their place in the sun. Features the year's best sound design after The Lighthouse.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Movies with standout elements:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><br />
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<br />
<b>Abominable (Jill Culton)</b> - A sweet film with gorgeously animated nature scenes, Abominable is, oddly, one of several yeti/sasquatch family adventure films released recently. The fluffy monster is a lot of fun to watch, but this is really the story of Yi, a teenager using a road trip with her new buddies to mourn the loss of her father. This trip ends a lot more happily than Midsommar's. My only complaint is that it's another film where the weirdo billionaire ends up having a heart of gold, just as we saw in The Incredibles 2 and in Marvel's dozens of Iron Man films. We don't need more of that.<br />
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<b>The Beach Bum (Harmony Korine) </b>- The movie's an endless stream of good things happening to an awful
person; it's gross, stupid, and hilarious and I was laughing
the whole time. Author/poet Moondog (the most Matthew McConaughey character McConaughey has played in years) watches the world burn and just keeps smiling.
Martin Lawrence steals the show as a dolphin tour captain and Jonah Hill's
southern accent is the worst thing I've ever heard and I love it. Korine's first film since 2012's Spring Breakers, The Beach Bum lacks the teeth that that film had, opting instead to just lounge around and soak up the sun.<br />
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<br />
<b>Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (Steve Sullivan)</b> - A documentary about musical clown Frank Sidebottom and his creator Chris
Sievey, dramatically different from Lenny Abrahamson's fantastic 2014
fictional Frank story. I deeply connect to the idea of a performer
growing bitter and frustrated with his creation; I've never thrown
myself into a role like this but I did spend around five years writing
characters and jokes that I never enjoyed and were at times very painful
to me. And of course those were the ones an audience latched on to,
while reacting to my more personal, authentic stories with a mix of
ambivalence and confusion. Sad and sweet, Being Frank is worth a watch whether or not you've ever heard of the great Mr. Sidebottom.<br />
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<br />
<b>Blinded by the Light (Gurinder Chadha) </b>- A very light-hearted family drama about fitting in from a cultural
point of view that isn't usually seen in mainstream films released in
the US, Blinded by the Light focuses on the teenage years of British-Pakistani writer Sarfraz Manzoor and how the music of Bruce Springsteen set him free. It has shallow characters but I think that's fine; it's aimed at
a younger audience and features a hopeful message for kids about
family/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>expectations/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>discrimination (even if there's a stark "nothing's really improved since the 80's" sentiment at times.)<br />
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<br />
<b>The Death of Dick Long (Daniel Scheinert)</b> - The latest film from one of the two Daniels that directed 2016's amazing Swiss Army Man, The Death of Dick Long is a weird as hell movie that feels like a farcical version of nonstop, tension-driven crime films like the Safdie Brothers' Good Time and Uncut Gems. The first half is gruesome, tense, and uncomfortable, and once we figure out what exactly caused the titular death of Dick Long, the entire thing breaks down into an absurd comedy about shame and degeneracy. It's actually quite similar to Good Time in execution, if that film followed a much dumber lead. Expertly made and acted, this is still a very hard film to recommend to a wider audience than "People who liked Swiss Army Man."<br />
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<br />
<b>The Farewell (Lulu Wang) -</b> A story of deception in the name of love, The Farewell has the rare distinction of being a PG-rated A24 film. This semi-autobiographical film by director Lulu Wang focuses on a family trying to throw one last grand party in tribute to their terminally ill matriarch who has been kept in the dark about her own diagnosis. The point of view character here is Billi, played by actress Awkwafina, who grew up in the US and is at first horrified by her family's deception. Love wins out and Billi slowly comes to understand the reasons her family does what they do, building up to a bittersweet but hopeful ending. There's strong acting all around but the relationship between Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen's granddaughter and grandmother pair holds it all together.<br />
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<br />
<b>Hail Satan? (Penny Lane)</b> - A documentary about the The Satanic Temple that examines its foundation, its leadership, and its political activism as it clowns on state governments attempting to endorse Christianity as a state religion. The film falls firmly on the side of the Temple, but doesn't shy away from looking at the uglier parts of its internal drama. It also avoids being a condemnation of Christianity as a faith, focusing instead on government misuse of faith and a failure of separation of church and state. It's funny, sad, and has a surprising heel turn, making Hail Satan? one of those documentaries that works well as a drama too.<br />
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<b>High Life (Claire Denis) </b>- A film with a scifi setting that could just as easily be set on a ship in the distant past, High Life follows a man and his daughter as the last survivors of a long voyage into unknown space. It cuts back and forth between the past and present, showing the horrifying situation that led to the young Willow's birth, and the core of the film's strength is Robert Pattinson's portrayal of a single father on a doomed mission; he even gets to sing a lovely lullaby. <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">The thin line between desperation and joy in new parenthood is depicted with incredible accuracy and director Claire Denis is unafraid to look at our most painful mental intrusions.</span><br />
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFKdSm5PM_KiNCvrOW-KNpX99w5BwvHUkFirUjg8e3qVxvQxp9UnAiHYR-ovLajLAkgl-Xj7oWKTsy277tgbMxK6TwYfiUfzPDZ4lApk7ehiH5kKOG2F3RKlUVEEkn_yu25fUFh1tIihX/s1600/Joker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFKdSm5PM_KiNCvrOW-KNpX99w5BwvHUkFirUjg8e3qVxvQxp9UnAiHYR-ovLajLAkgl-Xj7oWKTsy277tgbMxK6TwYfiUfzPDZ4lApk7ehiH5kKOG2F3RKlUVEEkn_yu25fUFh1tIihX/s640/Joker.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<b>Joker (Todd Phillips) </b>- Todd Phillips' take on the iconic Batman crime clown is visually rich and driven by an excellent performance by Joaquin Phoenix. This take on the character is more interested in the mental anguish of a man lost in a system that lacks the funding and resources needed to give him the care he needs than on caped heroics. It leans heavy on Scorsese references in a way that can feel a little cheap, and it could have worked fine without any Batman connection at all. I do think it's fascinating seeing audience reactions with people
projecting pretty much every possible political read into the film's
riot scenes, and that's basically how the character of Joker is treated within
the film. He's whatever convenient symbol you need. <br />
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<b>Shazam! (David F. Sandberg) </b>- DC's lightest film is a family adventure aimed at slightly younger audiences than
usual that still takes itself seriously when it needs to. Shazam! is willing to be sad or scary without undercutting the mood with jokes, and like most
of DC's films, the action has a lot of physical weight to it. A power fantasy for kids that feel unloved and invisible, Shazam! could stand to be more tightly edited and
trimmed down by about 15 minutes, but it's a nice story with a "Love is the real power" message in the end. <br />
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<b>Toy Story 4 (Josh Cooley)</b> - The first movie I took my daughter to see in a theater, Toy Story 4 is a good, if unnecessary, conclusion to Pixar's long-running series that I had thought had already concluded well with Toy Story 3 in 2010. This one focuses on the toy cowboy Woody feeling unneeded and directionless, never quite bonding with his new owner the way he did with Andy in the first films. It's a roadtrip movie about an aging hero trying to rekindle his glory days while doing his best to be a sort of father figure to a newly created toy. It's a good film (and it's amazing that the third sequel to a family movie from 1995 could still be good) but there was already a perfectly fine conclusion at the end of the third one.<br />
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<b>Uncut Gems (Josh & Benny Safdie)</b> - Uncut Gems is an addiction film focused on gambling rather than
drugs/alcohol. Adam Sandler is genuinely great as gem dealer/gambling addict Howard Ratner; it's a very different role for him but
some of his traditional mannerisms come through. Relentlessly tense, I
preferred the Safdie Brothers' previous film Good Time, but this is quite a ride. There are a dozen opportunities for Howard to get out clean and clear his debt, but he just can't do it; he's too desperate for the next big win to just take the one right in front of him. Sadly I've known a few people like this, and there's very little you can do to talk them down.<br />
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<b>Under the Silver Lake (David Robert Mitchell)</b> - Just about every piece of this movie is a stylish, weirdo fever dream. Andrew Garfield plays a directionless young dude searching for his missing neighbor in a surreal Los Angeles filled with conspiracies around every corner. There are greater forces than man operating in the periphery of the film, including a supernatural owl woman, a mythical dog killer, and a demigod figure who takes sole credit for the last few decades of popular music. There are secrets hidden in cereal boxes and in issues of Nintendo Power. Silver Lake is a long, meandering ramble that doesn't capture the tension of Mitchell's excellent 2014 horror film It Follows, but is way more ambitious and delightfully strange. Credit goes out to him for making something so starkly different, even if he stumbles along the way. A more polished story wouldn't fit this odyssey.<br />
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<b>What We Left Behind (Ira Steven Behr & David Zappone)</b> - A documentary on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine released twenty years after the series ended, What We Left Behind is an intimate look at the struggles the show faced, the triumphs of what it accomplished, and how well it predicted some of today's political struggles. This one is strictly aimed at fans, with a ton of cast and crew interviews and a writers' room session where the original creative crew gets together to brainstorm a theoretical revival of the series. It's bittersweet to watch now, following the deaths of cast members René Auberjonois and Aron Eisenberg.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Decent movies with some issues:</span></b><br />
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<b>Avengers: Endgame (Joe & Anthony Russo)</b> - This was a strange one for me; I am very much not a fan of the Avengers films and I thought the previous film (2018's three-hour action scene Infinity War) was a giant mess. I was genuinely surprised to watch Endgame and actually think it was decent. It's a generally fun movie that does a way better job balancing action and melodrama than the rest of the Avengers films do, and the focus on a smaller crew of characters is nice. I never thought there would be a year where I liked an Avengers film more than a Spider-Man film (this year's morally repulsive pro-surveilance, pro-drone warfare Spider-Man: Far From Home) but here we are. Could have done without the deification of billionaire Tony Stark, but what could be more 2019 Disney than that?<br />
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<b>Doctor Sleep (Mike Flanagan)</b> - As a sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep is both tonally
and narratively inappropriate, turning a very human story of trauma and addiction into a world-building comic book movie. As a campy, slightly-spooky movie taken on its
own, it's actually a lot of fun! It feels like a trilogy of stories stuffed into one movie, shifting focus oddly between a young girl named Abra as she discovers her psychic powers, The Shining's Danny Torrance as he deals with his personal demons, and a crew of soul-sucking vampires down on their luck in a world that's moved on from magic. The villains just get clowned
on so hard and so often that it feels like a supernatural Home Alone at
times. I didn't know how to feel about Rebecca Ferguson's Rose at first
but by the time she was flying through psychic space I was all in with
whatever weirdness awaited.<br />
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<b>Lucy in the Sky (Noah Hawley)</b> - The feature film debut of Noah Hawley, creator of the excellent Fargo and Legion TV series. Natalie Portman does a good job playing a character sort of, but not really, based on the life of astronaut-turned-criminal Lisa Nowak. The film goes all-out camp melodrama by the end but never quite gets crazy enough to live up to Hawley's previous works. <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I like all the ways Hawley plays with aspect ratios, Jeff Russo's soundtrack is solid and I actually found it a lot funnier than I expected. </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">One of my favorite gags in the movie is Portman running into a grocery store that has everything you need for crimes in one convenient aisle: Rope, axes, wigs, you name it. </span>This film was poorly received by critics and completely unseen by audiences (my only film in 2019 seen in an entirely empty theater) but it's actually fine; the real problem is it could have easily been better if Hawley just got to go full force with his style.</span><br />
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<b>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)</b> - While I enjoyed Taratino's latest, I felt mixed overall. The production design and
costuming is phenomenal (one of my favorite scenes is just a montage of
LA's neon signs coming to life one after another) and I loved several
individual scenes, but it didn't cohere for me the way I hoped it would.
Knowing the history of westerns, Sharon Tate, and the decline of Old
Hollywood feels essential, with Tarantino dropping us into this world as
is with little introduction for outsiders. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are both great and I
appreciated the idea of rewriting Sharon Tate's story to celebrate her
life rather than dwell on her death, transforming her from a lurid
victim into a beautiful, hopeful human being. It's oddly sweet but at
the same time doesn't give Margot Robbie's Tate enough to do; I would have appreciated more time spent on an actual story for
her character beyond the "An ordinary day in the life" vignettes we get. The violence at the end goes too far (though not in a way I at all expected) in contrast to the rest of the film's tone and just ends up feeling stupid.<br />
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<b>Pokemon Detective Pikachu (Rob Letterman)</b> - A pretty dumb story with great animation, the main draw was my daughter hootin' and hollerin' every time a new Pokemon
appeared and it's funny hearing people say things like, "This is made from Ancient
Mew DNA" in a completely straight-faced way. Way, way better than an average video game adaptation, Detective Pikachu is basically a series of chase scenes, some of which are a lot better than others.<br />
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<b>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (JJ Abrams)</b> - The final chapter of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy is the strangest installment of this trilogy. It's at times openly contemptuous of Rian Johnson's Episode 8: The Last Jedi, there's way too much rehashed from Return of the Jedi, and it bluntly shows that every piece of heroism in the original films was more or less pointless. Luke's pacifism and Vader's sacrifice in Return of the Jedi is trivialized and Emperor Palpatine rises from the grave unexplained, off screen, and is once again the most entertaining part of the movie. His return is such a lazy and dumb decision, but simultaneously the most fun part of the film, so can I really complain? The World's Angriest Jedi Rey defeats a cackling Space Satan by making a pair of lightsabers into a cross and exorcising him. For every other misstep here, at least that rules.<br />
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<b>Velvet Buzzsaw (Dan Gilroy)</b> - <span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I
really appreciate "Jake Gyllenhaal acts like a complete maniac" movies
and this is a fun one, but it's nowhere near as good as Gilroy's fantastic Nightcralwer. Velvet Buzzsaw's a strange soap opera/horror/black comedy about
The Art Industry, a sort of Final Destination via fine art. It's very episodic, follows such a wide cast, and has
so many B and C plots that, structurally, it feels like a short TV series
compressed into a two hour movie. It probably would have been better as a series instead.</span></span><br />
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<b>Yesterday (Danny Boyle) </b>- Perfectly pleasant, Himesh Patel's singing is nice and the jokes are good. Kate
McKinnon is a solid comedic semi-villain and a crestfallen Ed Sheeran is funny.
Not enough is really done with the premise; a guy's in an accident and
wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed and nothing much
else changes. He reintroduces the songs to the world and they're just as
popular as they were in real life, even devoid of any social context.
It's breezy and cute but it's just really bizarre that nearly everything
is unchanged even as the film goes to painstaking lengths to ensure us
that no other band's ever been greater than The Beatles. As a celebration of a musical icon goes, it's nowhere near as interesting as Blinded by the Light, but there is a surprisingly nice John Lennon tribute.<br />
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That's it for 2019! I'm sorry I didn't like the new Godzilla movie enough to say anything about it. Better luck next time, big guy.<br />
<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-825098719901273542020-01-16T21:13:00.005-05:002020-06-12T17:26:48.037-04:00Year in Review 2019: Games <br />
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Now that my <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/p/article-index.html">decade retrospectives</a> are finished, it's time to look at this last year's media! 2019 marks the start of my new game project: <a href="https://super-walrus-games.itch.io/walthros-renewal">Walthros: Renewal</a>, a full re-imagining of my very first game, originally released in 2002. The full game is planned for a 2022 release on the 20th anniversary of the original, but unlike <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/611710/Kaiju_Big_Battel_Fighto_Fantasy/">Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy</a> I'm releasing a very early demo to the public in February, covering the first couple hours of the game. I want this new game's development to be very open to the public and I hope that helps build hype for the eventual release!<br />
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I didn't have time to check out every game I wanted to play (The Outer Wilds, Shenmue 3, A Plague Tale) but otherwise this was a great year for games! This year I'm not going to write summaries of games or movies that I strongly disliked (there was <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-friends-of-ringo-ishikawa-2019.html">only one game</a> that qualified this year anyway.) I think these lists are more fun when focused on the positive side of things. Let's look at those instead!<br />
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<i>All titles are listed in alphabetical order in each tier category and the system on which I played is listed after the title. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Top Tier - My favorite games of the year:</b></span><br />
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<b>Baba is You (Switch)</b> - One of the <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/05/baba-is-you-2019-switch-learning-is-love.html">few full length reviews</a> I wrote in 2019, Baba is You is an excellent, adorable puzzle game that uses language and syntax as the foundation of its world design. This game takes traditional block pushing puzzles and adds a linguistic twist: Players push nouns, conjunctions, and verbs to rewrite the rules of each stage until they can finally reach a Win condition. It feels like you're reprogramming the world, and the satisfaction that comes from turning a seemingly impossible puzzle into something logical is immense. A lot of the game's later puzzles were beyond me, but that's fine; you don't have to solve everything to "complete" the game, and there's also a very generous rewind system so you never have to start a stage over entirely.<br />
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<b>Control (PS4)</b> - Jesse Faden sneaks into the Federal Bureau of Control in search of her missing brother; next thing she knows reality has been rewritten and she's the new director of the bureau, with a sort of living gun in her hand and newly awakened telekinetic powers. Players work to shut down incursions from outside of our dimension and pacify haunted/cursed/otherworldly objects (including a rubber duck!) using a mixture of average shooting and very fun psychic abilities. It's a game that thematically could work without combat at all, but the powers you get are so much fun that I've got no problem with its inclusion. The world of Control is fascinating, weird, and funny, as it messes with both the player and Jesse's ideas of reality. It's also a very personal story, as Jesse works to take control of her life and come to terms with traumatic events in her past.<br />
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<b>Death Stranding (PS4)</b> - My favorite game of 2019, Hideo Kojima's first title since leaving Konami is an oddball
masterpiece. Death Stranding features Kojima's signature blend of
serious social commentary (on, among other things, climate change,
childbirth, the commodification of human interaction, etc.) with goofy
humor (Conan O'Brien appears as a failed comic who gives you an
otter-shaped hat and some of the game's tougher missions involve pizza
delivery.) There's some Metal Gear style combat and sneaking here, but
very little; the main focus is on hiking, delivering packages, and
making the world a happier place.<br />
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Players take deliveryman Sam Porter
Bridges on a cross-country odyssey to reunite a post-apocalyptic America
by, basically, rebuilding the internet. The innate kindness of the
people he meets along the way pairs perfectly with the game's online
mechanics, where players can share resources, construction, and Likes
with other players they'll never meet face to face. It's much more
hopeful and optimistic than I ever expected from this kind of story, and
while the story can get crushingly brutal (especially for new parents),
there's always an undercurrent of hope that really makes this game
something special.<br />
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<b>Resident Evil 2 (PS4)</b> - While Resident Evil 7 took the series in a completely different
direction, Capcom's 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 goes back to the
series' roots and refines everything that made the original such a
phenomenon back in 1998. Unlike the HD remasters that have became so
common in the last decade, Resident Evil 2 is an actual remake, a new
take on the original horror masterpiece's story and game play. There's
plenty that will be familiar to players who loved the original over 20
years ago, but this is essentially a new, and excellent, game. It's not
as radical a reimagining as Shattered Memories, Climax Studios' 2009
remake of Silent Hill, but Resident Evil 2 feels like a blend of the
best elements of 90's and modern game design.<br />
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<b>Tetris 99 (Switch)</b> - It's Tetris, but with a 100-player battle royale twist. I haven't had
any interest in the current trend of battle royale shooters, but Tetris?
That's something I'm into. It's wild that it actually works so well;
100 players compete for first place, dumping garbage on each other
strategically as they clear lines. It's such a simple concept but it
works incredibly well, and the Nintendo-themed backdrops add some
stylish fun. This game is free as part of Nintendo's Switch Online
service and is by far the best part of the service. This is the second year a Tetris title ended up in my top five, following 2018's spectacular VR Tetris Effect.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Excellent games worth your time:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><br />
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<b>Astral Chain (Switch)</b> - PlatinumGames' latest isn't as technical a brawler as Bayonetta or Metal Gear Rising or as open an RPG as Nier: Automata, but it's a lot of over-the-top, silly fun. The unique twist here is the player's ability to control both a human and a monster character simultaneously, actively moving both fighters during intense battling. It takes a little while to get the hang of, but once you do it's delightfully chaotic. The characters are thin, but the story (which feels like a parody of Evangelion) gets zany enough to be a lot of fun, and like Bayonetta several of the regular bosses feel like they could be the finale to another game.<br />
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<b>Gato Roboto (Switch)</b> - It's a black and white Metroid-type game starring a cat in a robot suit! This is a minimalist game in both design and graphics, and it feels great; it's far smaller than a great many other indie attempts at Metroid and that's why it works so well. The stages are tightly designed and there's no wasted space, no long treks through hallways devoid of purpose. Everything here is so carefully crafted and it's a testament to the strength of good map design. There's no bloat and there's a reasonable number of collectables, making it a great game to replay a few times.<br />
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<b>Judgment (PS4)</b> - Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Yakuza spinoff following the conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's story in 2018's Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Featuring an entirely new cast and a new point of view, players take the role of Takayuki Yagami, a lawyer-turned-detective solving crimes, running afoul of the mob, and taking pictures of cats. Yagami's still tough, but not the absolute powerhouse that Kiryu was, making the world's threats feel a lot more credible than usual. Everything good about the Yakuza series is here; hilarious side quests, soap opera mobster antics, and plenty of nice minigames. A couple of new elements are the game's only weakness; there are a lot of subpar missions where you have to follow a suspect unseen and a really sloppy system where local punks gang up on you across town until you defeat their boss.<br />
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<div><b>The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)</b> - Unlike this year's Resident Evil 2 remake, Nintendo's update to their 1993 classic is purely visual with a couple quality of life improvements. Puzzles, dungeons, and characters are immediately familiar to players who have fond memories of the original, but the updated art style gives them a vibrant new life. I absolutely loved how this game looked, and I'd love to see other old Zelda titles given the same update. There are some weird technical hitches and bits of slowdown that feel like they shouldn't be happening, but otherwise this is a great introduction to a classic for new players and a welcome trip back to Koholint Island for the old.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKWaP6DeT3d7FOgp_vLXmB_V5mR6GtiK6Sm5QYQhWsaEmYC7ohoJ8Pt1x-uRG0c66nGpCUOAcUZhrECGC2bQIJcx6Dz8cc5ipbk1zSO7apSx5y0cYqxi0Mjr0m7mkKFEYuwD4dpBBdtmC/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKWaP6DeT3d7FOgp_vLXmB_V5mR6GtiK6Sm5QYQhWsaEmYC7ohoJ8Pt1x-uRG0c66nGpCUOAcUZhrECGC2bQIJcx6Dz8cc5ipbk1zSO7apSx5y0cYqxi0Mjr0m7mkKFEYuwD4dpBBdtmC/w640-h360/EYl6g6QWAAQjymf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><b>A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4)</b> - One of the year's most impressively atmospheric games, A Plague Tale is a Last of Us-inspired stealth/action game set in France at the height of the Black Death. Players guide Amicia and her young brother Hugo through a plague-riddled countryside evading guards and swarms of remarkably grotesque rats. The puzzles and stealth elements are both straightforward but satisfying, and in spite of the grimness of the setting this is actually an optimistic game, with our two sibling leads slowly forming a new family with the other lost children they meet along the way.<br /></div>
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<b>Return of the Obra Dinn (Switch)</b> - A two-tone mystery where players explore a derelict ship whose crew
vanished years earlier, Return of the Obra Dinn is a remarkable
experience. As an investigator with the ability to see flashes of
people's moment of death, players must identify each passenger and
figure out if they lived or died; if they died, it's up to you to figure
out how, and by whose hand. Players are left to piece the story
together on their own as the story unfurls in a fragmented, nonlinear
manner. It's an astonishing tale of the sea told exceptionally well, and
puzzling out the fate of the crew is deeply satisfying. <br />
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<b>Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4)</b> - The latest action-adventure
game from Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware shares plenty of DNA with
the Dark Souls series but is decidedly its own beast. Players
grappling-hook around 16th century Japan as an undying warrior with the
reflexes of Spider-Man. This title is more character-driven than a Souls
game typically is and features a heavier emphasis on platforming and
vertical movement, but it's still a game that requires careful
steadiness in combat and rewarding exploration, with a world whose story
is told through the objects you discover. It's fast and furious and
extremely satisfying to parry everything an enemy throws at you, but I
wasn't quite as enamored as some; the lack of multiplayer meant that
once I was done, I was done. For me, nothing tops assisting players in
need against giant Souls bosses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1skAVIqXgxDxqj6FZIo_gPLwLK0_0s7CSjUmnAFV65lRlO48gZ_9Y6CsMXhgKJoqy8ppf8ifB0d-1flKWMuzbvnWQ0wgIFMMBUIZGe-HiY42OIlCE89eGnGm49M41qtMeyAB61kkRweGg/s1600/KingofCards.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1skAVIqXgxDxqj6FZIo_gPLwLK0_0s7CSjUmnAFV65lRlO48gZ_9Y6CsMXhgKJoqy8ppf8ifB0d-1flKWMuzbvnWQ0wgIFMMBUIZGe-HiY42OIlCE89eGnGm49M41qtMeyAB61kkRweGg/s640/KingofCards.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Shovel Knight: King of Cards (Switch)</b> - The final update to Yacht
Club Games' 2014 retro classic Shovel Knight, King of Cards is the
game's third complete expansion pack, a fully-featured new campaign with
new stages, a new playable "hero", and even an expansive card game.
Staying completely in line with the bratty King Knight's personality,
players can openly and often cheat their way to victory in the card game
and can cry and whine until things turn in their favor in the
platforming parts. Shovel Knight and all of its expansions have been a
ton of fun, but I'm excited to finally see Yacht Club move on to
something new now that this saga has concluded.<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><br />
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<b>Untitled Goose Game (Switch)</b> - It would have been so easy to just release a goofy sandbox in the style of Goat Simulator and its dozens of knockoffs, but House House's Untitled Goose Game is a genuinely great little environmental puzzle game. As the titular untitled goose, you're given clear objectives to progress the simple, wordless story, and a village full of hapless humans to clown on. It's fun taking the role of the neighborhood nuisance, an obnoxious but ultimately harmless bird the quiet English village has learned to tolerate. It's funny and cute without ever feeling too mean, and we probably all have someone in our lives who reminds us a little too much of this goose.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Games with standout elements:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b><br />
<b>Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PS4)</b> - When Hideo Kojima left Konami, he made Death Stranding, a game that both plays and reads remarkably different from his iconic Metal Gear series. When Koji Igarashi left, he made Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a game indistinguishable from Igarashi's work on the Castlevania series he had been a part of since the 90's. Bloodstained felt exactly like I expected it to, but since there hadn't been a new Castlevania in this style since 2006's Portrait of Ruin I was fine with that. There's nothing here that's really fresh, but it is so well-designed and refined that it feels like a top tier Castlevania, in spite of some odd glitches and a little too much emphasis on farming for items.<br />
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<b>Cadence of Hyrule (Switch) </b>- An indie developer's dream, Ryan Clark asked Nintendo if he could add Zelda characters to the Switch port of his 2015 hit Crypt of the Necrodancer and was soon working on an entirely new, official Zelda spinoff. Crossing the action-rhythm game play of Necrodancer with the audio-visual delightfulness of the Legend of Zelda series, Cadence of Hyrule is fun from start to finish, even if it gets a little too easy too fast. There are roguelike element here, but they're minimal and there's really not much punishment for failure. For some that's a negative; for me it was a positive.<br />
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<b>The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS4)</b> - Supermassive Games' Until Dawn is one of the best titles in the interactive movie genre; with Man of Medan, the team returns to what made Until Dawn work but on a smaller scale. This is the first of a planned series known as The Dark Pictures Anthology, a series of unrelated horror stories connected by a Alfred Hitchcock-esque curator who guides you through his library of spookiness and taunts/compliments you as you make your possibly foolish choices. This installment focuses on a group of deep sea divers inadvertently drawn to the ghostly Ourang Medan, a ship lost at sea sometime after World War II and rediscovered in the modern day. It relies a little too heavily on jump scares, but the atmosphere is excellent and it does a great job of convincing me that my reflexes are too dulled to survive a horror movie.<br />
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<b>Devil May Cry 5 (PS4)</b> - It's honestly a little hard for me to get back into a Devil May Cry game post-Bayonetta, but DMC5 is among the best in the series. Ignoring Ninja Theory's unfairly maligned 2013 reboot of the series, the latest DMC is a direct follow up to 2008's Devil May Cry 4. It's grungy and goofy in just the ways longtime fans would expect, and features three playable characters, including one who controls shadowy monsters similarly to the dual-character system seen in Astral Chain (which I preferred.) There's a lot to love here for fans of the series' combo-heavy fighting and over-the-top antics.<br />
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<b>Life is Strange 2 (PS4) </b>- Moving away from the high school drama of Life is Strange and Before the
Storm, LiS2 is a road trip focused on two brothers on the run after
their father is shot by the cops. It walks a very fine line between grim
and hopeful, carefully pacing out the darkest events with moments of
innocence and kindness. Like the original game, Stephen King-ish mental powers play a major role in the story, but this time you're the
observer rather than the conduit. The first episode was released in 2018 with the next four coming throughout 2019; I played the first one and then waited for the rest to be finished before playing them all in a row. Each episode takes the Diaz brothers to new settings with new groups of people to meet, so you never get to know the supporting cast quite as well as you do in other Life is Strange titles, but the overall plot is strong and the conclusion (whichever one you get) is excellent.<br />
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<b>Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)</b> - A refinement of Nintendo's 2015 game making software, Mario Maker 2 includes a full-length, excellent campaign mode full of premade levels and a new visual/play style based on Super Mario 3D World. There's even an online mode where you can race other players through randomly selected stages! I had a great time playing the official creations and some player-made ones, but I honestly got my fill of that with the previous version, so my attention didn't last long. I made very few stages of my own this time; whenever I'd try I'd realize I would rather be spending time working on my own game projects.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH1KZsaHcAuZ8dq1LjN7ANA9zgzSsA_OFmKf-FK8pL-GciE3pnAtdkdNyvO-Xq08_Nkgyov0niScvWJV0PFwVbSzbBJ_9LHomow5dtNmHEWepTpDPzrxLvY43_OnEtdyF_LfE7d-bp9Je/s1600/Pikuniku.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH1KZsaHcAuZ8dq1LjN7ANA9zgzSsA_OFmKf-FK8pL-GciE3pnAtdkdNyvO-Xq08_Nkgyov0niScvWJV0PFwVbSzbBJ_9LHomow5dtNmHEWepTpDPzrxLvY43_OnEtdyF_LfE7d-bp9Je/s640/Pikuniku.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Pikuniku (Switch) -</b> A puzzle-platformer starring a long-legged blob monster who helps take down capitalism. Pikuniku is fun, colorful, and has some good jokes, but it's a short experience that feels like it's ending right as its puzzles are really starting to get interesting. The framework here is strong and the puzzles are good, I just wanted to see them taken further. Very similar to my feelings on 2018's short-but-sweet Donut County.<br />
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<div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Decent games with some issues:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></b></div><br />
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<b>BurgerTime Party (Switch)</b> - A sequel to one of my all-time favorite arcade games, BurgerTime Party adds four-player competitive and cooperative game play and an art style inspired by classic cartoons (or, more likely, by the success of 2017 indie hit Cuphead.) It's easier and faster than the original, but it's a lot of fun with friends; it just doesn't give me a whole lot of reasons to play it over the original game. There's nothing badly done here, but it could have gone a lot further.<br />
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<div><b>Penguin Wars (Switch)</b> - Another remake/sequel to an arcade classic, Penguin Wars is an update to the 1985 game of the same name. The new version features a great disco theme and fun art and adds special moves to bring new life to the classic "animals throw marbles at each other" game design. Where this one stumbles is a bizarre amount of grinding to progress through the campaign mode that feels straight out of a junk free-to-play title and an online multiplayer mode where I was never once able to connect to another player. The core mechanics here are great, but there are some baffling design decisions that hurt it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGKRo3saQ9_BwIkyUe_Dbhnfo0G3V-g5hwZHCL0_pi6PUNH4NRVa_OUb_T80eev8a5s2UuHXEadSnQJOf5ZziC8BS6p1OxExYo8ViqAvDYsIxORNsRwZQeebyx3jouE9TU7MpbUzlvxgK/s1920/EZ9ZFvBXYAAVZYe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGKRo3saQ9_BwIkyUe_Dbhnfo0G3V-g5hwZHCL0_pi6PUNH4NRVa_OUb_T80eev8a5s2UuHXEadSnQJOf5ZziC8BS6p1OxExYo8ViqAvDYsIxORNsRwZQeebyx3jouE9TU7MpbUzlvxgK/w640-h359/EZ9ZFvBXYAAVZYe.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
<div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Shenmue III (PS4)</b> - Released nearly two decades after the last
Shenmue title, #3 ignores the passage of time, both in-game and out; it
feels like it was taken directly from the Dreamcast and polished up. As
such, it's dated, stilted, but oddly lovable. The rural and urban areas
you explore are beautiful and the side content appropriately silly
(turtle racing, duck catching, etc.) but the story structure is a mess.
Both halves of the game follow the same pattern: Meet a boss character
you aren't allowed to defeat (even if you can, the game will show you
losing in the following cutscene), find someone willing to teach you
Secret Kung Fu, grind for money to buy an item to convince them to teach
you, and then learn the winning move. Weirdly, it's almost the exact
same move in both halves! The game does little to progress Ryo Hazuki's
tale of revenge, but that doesn't bother me; it's very much about the
journey here. Instead, I was frustrated by the amount of time I felt was
wasted earning money and leveling up stats through exercise. When
you're just calmly exploring and don't feel pressure to go out there and
spend all your free time getting enough cash to pay the rent, eat, and
learn Kung Fu, it's a simple, relaxing time. Maybe that's the point. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Wattam (PS4) </b>- I'd been looking forward to Keita Takahashi's
latest game since the release of the odd toy/social experiment Noby Noby
Boy in 2009, but Wattam isn't exactly what I'd hoped for. It's a simple
puzzle game where players swap around control of dozens of household
and natural objects, from toilets to pebbles to the mustached,
bomb-wielding Mayor. I love the art style and the music is excellent,
but the puzzles get repetitive very quickly and most of the playable
characters don't have any kind of unique ability. On top of that the
camera controls are messy and the game stutters and freezes a lot,
sometimes locking the PS4 entirely. It's nice to goof around in for a
while, but too shallow to be as fun as Katamari Damacy and not weird
enough to be as surprising as Noby Noby Boy. Somehow, Wattam's narrative
is more or less the same plot as Death Stranding, with players
reuniting a broken world.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
-----</div>
<br />
That's it for 2019's games! Early 2020 is going to be heavy on remakes and remasterings for me, with full remakes of Resident Evil 3 and Final Fantasy 7 coming on the heels of the Yakuza Remastered Collection. On top of all these and all the upcoming sequels (I can't wait for Doom Eternal and maybe, just maybe, Bayonetta 3) I'm hoping to be impressed by new titles like Control that came out of nowhere and completely surprised me!surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-81006285396200244882020-01-10T21:15:00.002-05:002020-01-16T20:12:23.486-05:00My Decade in Games: The 2010's - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JJTF3HkquX49tZli_QaONzH1vhmaUWqcpWNcWr7_9nDmK2IuMTH-_nbHUbjim1iN8t2u2oWaJ5NEROtPbU-utOrIaH0dL67Vp_OHmO41rFlOkIvR-ofhUjud7dQ1YA3TX1QNmnWwHPhH/s1600/BestofDecade2019Games2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JJTF3HkquX49tZli_QaONzH1vhmaUWqcpWNcWr7_9nDmK2IuMTH-_nbHUbjim1iN8t2u2oWaJ5NEROtPbU-utOrIaH0dL67Vp_OHmO41rFlOkIvR-ofhUjud7dQ1YA3TX1QNmnWwHPhH/s640/BestofDecade2019Games2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Welcome back! If you haven't already read the first part of this article covering 2010-2014, <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-decade-in-games-part-1.html">check it out here</a>.<br />
<br />
I wanted to go back and look at fifty movies and fifty games that meant
something to me over the last ten years. Not necessarily the best or most
important works released in these years, but the ones that personally
meant the most to me. Each of these lists is divided into two articles
and arranged by year. For each game I've included the system which I first played it on.<br />
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<b>Bloodborne (PS4, 2015)</b> - I don't think I've replayed any modern game as much as I've replayed Bloodborne. Faster, scarier, and more tightly designed, From Software took the formula they built with the Dark Souls games and created something even greater. Giant weapons swing with ease as players roll and flip their way around
deadly bosses in a nightmare world with a subtle story that blends cosmic
horror with the subtext of man's insecurities regarding childbirth and
physical change. I enjoy the entire Souls series, but Bloodborne is just on a whole other level. I love the art design, the speed of its combat, and the spooky vibes. As always with Souls games, I love helping out other players in need. Bloodborne is not only one of my favorites of the decade but one of my all-time favorite games period.<br />
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<b>Life is Strange (PS4, 2015)</b> - Life is Strange is Dontnod Entertainment and Square Enix's attempt at
the episodic interactive movie genre and it's a big success. The story is a mixture of Stephen
King and David Lynch (with some really blatant Twin Peaks references), a
cosmically doomed love story featuring a young high schooler with
the ability to rewind time, desperately trying to keep her best friend
alive while trying to solve a murder mystery. There's no easy way out
and the choices players make are often hard ones, with no clear right or
wrong path. While there are some bizarre bits of writing (weirdly composed grammar and oddly placed slang that no one would ever use) it's a wonderful experience that gets better with each episode, and its 2017 prequel Before the Storm is similarly excellent. The 2018-2019 sequel Life is Strange 2 goes in a radically different direction with a new cast and a current events-driven story that's also excellent and features an ending that actually feels like a culmination of all of your choices rather than a last minute binary selection.<br />
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<b>Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4, 2015)</b> - A game which I've written thousands of words about
already. Featuring the best stealth/action game play in the Metal Gear series, a fantastic soundtrack of both licensed and original music, and a cast of extremely well realized
characters (minus whatever they were going for with Ocelot), I absolutely love this game. For more on what I found so
compelling, check out my <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2015/09/metal-gear-solid-v-phantom-pain-2015.html">full review/analysis</a>, <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2015/10/silence-speaks-volumes-metal-gear-solid.html">my critique of the game's online component</a>, and <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2015/11/metal-gear-solid-v-remix-songs-to-raise.html">some music videos</a>. Hideo Kojima's final title at Konami is a fitting swan song.<br />
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<b>Until Dawn (PS4, 2015) </b>- Until Dawn is a brilliant,
satirical take on horror films. There's bits and pieces of Friday the 13th,
Halloween, The Thing, The Descent, Saw, and even Jurassic Park in here,
as a basic "teenagers in the woods with a slasher" story evolves into a
monster movie involving Native American mythology. It's well written and able to win your sympathies for its cast even
while going out of its way to introduce most of them as detestable
jerks. It doesn't just dumbly reference horror films, but rather twists and plays with their themes while showing
clear reverence for them. It's also the
sort of game David Cage tried making with Heavy Rain before falling down
a hole of bad writing; Until Dawn is loyal to its premise throughout
and never disrespects the player's intelligence. With its mixture of
story, exploration, psychoanalysis, and hiding from monsters, Until Dawn
feels at times like a spiritual sequel to the excellent Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.<br />
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<b>Doom (PS4, 2016)</b> - I certainly never expected a reboot of 1993's classic shooter Doom to be
one of my favorite games of the decade! This game had a long, troubled development cycle, starting its
life as Doom 4 in 2008. The new Doom is extremely fast, fluid, and
unafraid to be completely silly without being smug about it. It's a rare
modern first-person shooter that focuses on its single player campaign,
though there is a tacked-on multiplayer mode here too. The monsters
offer nice variety and are fun to fight, exploring its levels is smooth
and rewarding, the music is over-the-top in just the right way, and the
story takes itself just seriously enough. From collecting color-coded
keys to shooting down giant demon bosses, Doom feels like a throwback to
action games of the early 90's in all the right ways. There's a lot of
nostalgia on display, but not at the expense of creating something new.
The pace at which you encounter new weapons, enemies, and abilities is
perfect.<br />
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<b>Final Fantasy XV (PS4, 2016) </b>- No doubt this game has some rough spots: Major story beats are
interrupted by fetch quests, characters get more invested in the
off-screen death of a minor NPC than a family member, and supporting
characters wander into and out of the story at random. We're introduced
to a variety of villains early on; few ever show up again, and most of the ones that
do are half-baked. In spite of all that, FF15 has managed to become one
of my favorite Final Fantasies. While the global story is nonsense, the
personal story is great; at its core, it's four friends on one last road
trip before growing up, facing loss, finding themselves, and enjoying
some tasty meals. It often feels like the story is happening TO you,
rather than you being a part of the world's narrative, but that's
appropriate to this coming of age story in its own way. Each of the four
main dudes surprised me and rose above their archetypes, with
everything coming together in a strong, satisfying ending. On top of all
that: The combat's semi-automated action is pleasant, driving around
the world is relaxing, and sometimes the parts where you waste time
wandering away from responsibilities are the most enjoyable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0E9MxieEUocLXhWhrcPNkyo1D0evIDWIYRfughRZ4i6hHRcKewHnQkG7GDWPPcu_KFhkdOv1VbcnZbEKrRwBdmE339zrRczvlGWDIzkeoZDMNOxfVLuutScEJL59chFQ_E_SG7IYNUu/s1600/The+Witness_20160130164913.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0E9MxieEUocLXhWhrcPNkyo1D0evIDWIYRfughRZ4i6hHRcKewHnQkG7GDWPPcu_KFhkdOv1VbcnZbEKrRwBdmE339zrRczvlGWDIzkeoZDMNOxfVLuutScEJL59chFQ_E_SG7IYNUu/s640/The+Witness_20160130164913.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>The Witness (PS4, 2016)</b> - Jonathan Blow's 2008 puzzle-platformer Braid made a splash in the indie
gaming scene as one of the first big Xbox Live Arcade titles on the Xbox
360. Its mixture of clever time-rewinding platforming, painted
landscapes, and obtuse story made it stand out among indie platformers.
12 years later, Blow followed up his design debut with The Witness, a
first-person puzzler focused on exploration and line drawing puzzles.
It's a deceptively simple concept that grows more and more complex and
rewarding as players translate the game's puzzles into their own sort of
language. See my <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-witness-2016-ps4-some-kind-of.html">in-depth look here</a> for more on this wonderful title, easily one of the decade's best.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Evil Within 2 (PS4, 2017) </b>- The sequel to Shinji Mikami's 2014 action/horror/stealth game surprised
me. While it's not as surreal and trippy as the first game, Evil
Within 2 greatly refines the clunky original, giving us a more focused,
far more polished title. These games take place inside of a virtual
dream world, and it's understandably less crazy when the lead character
is fully aware of it going in. John Johanas takes over as director with
Mikami moving into a producer role, but the game is faithful to the
original while moving in new directions. While the first game was fairly
linear, Evil Within 2 breaks it up with open exploration areas. It's an
excellent compromise between open-world gaming and more linear design
and features a story focused on a more personal angle than the original
game's. It's also heavier on Twin Peaks imagery, so there's that too.<br />
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<br />
<b>Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PS4, 2017) </b>- Some of the decade's best sound design, hands down. Ninja Theory's first release since their divisive <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2015/07/dmc-devil-may-cry-definitive-edition.html" target="_blank">Devil May Cry reboot in 2013</a>,
Hellblade takes us through a doomed Norse world as our heroine, Senua,
seeks to save her beloved's soul from the goddess of death. What makes
Hellblade so unique is Senua herself. Suffering from an unknown
psychosis, Senua is taunted or encouraged by voices in her head as she
struggles to make sense of shifting visual information. The
implementation of these voices with the game's stellar sound design
makes it a truly unique experience, with swirling whispers surrounding
the player, sitting right behind you and getting closer and closer.
While this is primarily a puzzle solving game, there is some simple, but
weighty, combat which is, again, greatly enhanced by excellent sound
design.<br />
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<br />
<b>Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4, 2017)</b> - Horizon is a great open-world apocalyptic action game (one of many released in 2017, the year's big theme) that's grown on me over time. It's visually
beautiful, features fun robot-dinosaur combat, and has a very well-developed world. The story is split between tribal conflicts in the
present and uncovering the secrets of the past; the former was
largely uninteresting to me, but the latter was great and elevates the game's story as a whole. There are lots of doodads to collect, but this game still manages to avoid the task bloat that drowns so many open-world games. It's also one of the few where fighting enemies is actually fun!.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017)</b> - I was never a huge fan of the 3D Zelda titles. I don't enjoy the way
they tell their stories, I rarely enjoy exploring their worlds, and
their combat never did much for me. Breath of the Wild changes all of
that! Story is kept in the background, with much of what happened to the
world implied rather than monologued. Exploration now feels immediately rewarding,
with puzzle and combat-driven Shrines absolutely everywhere. Getting access to
almost every one
of your abilities early on means they can all be used often, and
everywhere, rather than the Zelda standard of finding special items that
have little to no use outside of
the dungeon in which you find them. Breath of the Wild fixes every complaint I had about 3D Zelda games and
then goes the extra mile. The amount of love and craft put into this
world is astounding, and being able to climb almost anywhere is
liberating after years of open world games where you're so often blocked by constant
invisible barriers. This element was also something that made me love 2019's Death Stranding.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Night in the Woods (PS4, 2017) </b>- Night in the Woods follows Mae, a 20 year old who returns to her
hometown after dropping out of college. The town's suffering a slow
death, with a coal industry that's moved on and shops closing one after
another. Bethany Hockenberry and Scott Benson's script is the heart of this game.
It has fantastic dialogue and every single character around town has a
distinct personality; you never feel like you've wasted time talking to
anyone. You have to make choices regarding what to do on certain days so
it's impossible to see everything in one play through and I appreciate
that. You're not making world-altering decisions, simply choosing how to
spend your time as Mae drifts through life. Her story is incredibly
human and relatable (more so than I'd like to admit at times) and even
when things take some surreal turns, that human core remains.<br />
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<br />
<b>Persona 5 (PS4, 2017)</b> - A great refinement of turn-based RPG game play, Persona 5 features
excellent stage design (even if they get too long by the end), likeable characters, and a talking cat that
turns into a magic bus. The art design here is exceptional, turning what
could be boring menus into flashy, stylish screens, and it's got one of
the most timely stories I've seen in a video game. I wrote an <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2017/06/persona-5-2017-ps4-how-to-be.html" target="_blank">extensive review earlier in 2017</a> that explores the game more thoroughly. This was first only turn-based RPG I was really able to get invested in in years; it's a genre I've always enjoyed, but find them hard to get into when I'm otherwise spending time making RPGs of my own.<br />
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<br />
<b>Pyre (PS4, 2017)</b> - Supergiant Games follows up the excellent Transistor with something totally unexpected: Magical basketball. Players control a squad of slam dunkers, each with their own unique
movement styles and abilities, as they battle other teams for a chance
to leave a purgatory world. There's no Game Over here: If you lose a crucial match, the plot continues in an altered manner, and I feel that it suits the story
better if you do lose a few times. There's a thematic focus on why we
play games, why we subject ourselves to repetition, and what it means to
fight ultimately meaningless battles. These themes were also explored in Nier: Automata this same year, but I felt they were developed in a more interesting way in Pyre. Pyre is both a well-told story and a very fun sports game,
something I was completely surprised by.<br />
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<br />
<b>Resident Evil 7 (PS4, 2017)</b> - Resident Evil keeps reinventing itself: The first three games defined
the Survival Horror genre, with a focus on puzzles and item
conservation, while Resident Evil 4-6 embraced a bombastic,
globe-trotting action movie aesthetic, shifting focus very heavily to
combat. The seventh title brings with it a much smaller scale
conflict,with players controlling an average guy in a first-person view,
a stark change from the action heroes of the last three games. The
goal's simple: You're trapped in a house with a murderous family and
need to find a way to safety. Much time is spent hiding from enemies and
sneaking through areas unseen, but in spite of that, it still feels
like a Resident Evil game, especially when it comes to puzzle design. It's scary, sometimes funny, and often gross, and it's one of the most effective games in modern horror.<br />
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<br />
<b>Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 2017)</b> - Odyssey feels like a hybrid of a Mario and a Kirby game: The action is
driven by Cappy, a sentient, sassy hat that Mario uses to possess
enemies and use their abilities. There are dozens of enemies and objects
to possess, some delightfully weird, each with its own distinct feel.
The pacing in this game is perfect, with new objectives and abilities
introduced at a consistent rate so it never feels like it's repeating
yourself. As with Breath of the Wild, many of Odyssey's objectives are quick and
can be cleared in short play sessions. This design philosophy suits the
idea of the Switch, with many quicker missions that are perfect for
portable play complimenting the larger objectives of each zone. Boss
fights are fun, exploring is a joy, and the weirdos you meet along the
way are lovable. Also, it turns out dressing Mario up in goofy costumes
is a ton of fun.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Yakuza Zero (PS4, 2017) </b>- Yakuza Zero perfectly refines an excellent formula and is the best installment of one of my favorite series. Taking us
back to the 1980's before Kazuma Kiryu was a national legend, players
explore a gaudier, more neon-drenched Kamurocho where Japan's economic boom
has everyone throwing their dollars around. When you're not fighting to clear your name for a crime that was pinned on you, you get to become a real estate tycoon, run a night club, and race RC cars
against children while trying to maintain your dignity.
There's a clear sense that this is all a facade that can't last. The
ludicrous 24 hour party has to end some time, and when it does, it's
going to hit hard. The extravagance looks fun, but both of our
protagonists are completely trapped by it, stuck under the thumb of
powerful figures unwilling to let anyone else have a piece of the pie.<br />
<br />
This is the most focused narrative a Yakuza title has ever had; it's
still a wonderful, melodramatic macho soap opera, but there aren't any
moments where I felt that the plot twisted in a stupid way just for the
sake of a twist (Yakuza 4 being the worst example of this.) It's also
the funniest, with incredible side stories that are worth pursuing not
for their rewards but for their great, goofy writing. This is how you do
side content in a game: Drive players to seek it out with quality
scenarios that they <i>want </i>to engage with, rather than just wanting to check objectives off on a checklist.<br />
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<br />
<b>Beat Saber (PSVR, 2018)</b> - I always imagined a virtual reality light saber game would be a ton of
fun, but I never imagined the perfect implementation for it would be a
rhythm game! You swing your controllers around to slice blocks as
they fly at you in a very convincing 3D space; simple concept, perfect
execution. Every song here is mapped
to the beat so well that dancing along feels completely organic.
There's a campaign mode that does a good job introducing the basics and
features some fun variations including a mode where you need to move
your arms as much as possible, perfectly blending human-octopus dance
techniques. Beat Saber was my introduction to VR and I can't think of a better first game than this.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Mario Tennis Aces (Switch, 2018)</b> - I never expected the new Mario Tennis to become my most played
competitive game in years. I've enjoyed previous games in the series, but Aces
really captured me in a way none of the others have. With varied
character abilities, super moves, and a way to slow down time and dive
for the ball, Mario Tennis Aces feels like a hybrid sports-fighting
game. It's funny, sassy, cute, and has alternate modes for casual party
time in addition to its legit online tournament play. There's a decently
long single-player campaign mode that helps you learn the game, but my
focus here is entirely human competition. <br />
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<br />
<b>Minit (PS4, 2018)</b> - Minit completely amazed me when it launched on PS4 and I happily bought
it again later on to play portably on the Switch. Minit boils down the
formula of Zelda-style games to their basics and adds a grim twist: The
player automatically dies every 60 seconds. This design concept keeps
the game moving and ensures that nothing can ever become too tedious,
with shortcuts and warps opening up the world a little bit more with
each attempt. This game's zones are an example of
perfectly executed stage design. There are plenty of secrets, but none
so obtuse as to be frustrating. On top of the wonderful game design,
Minit's writing is funny from start to end. The jokes are 100% my kind
of jokes.<br />
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<br />
<b>Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4, 2018)</b> - I tried to avoid including multiple games from the same series in these articles, but I'm making an exception for Yakuza. The final chapter in Kiryu Kazuma's story is a phenomenal conclusion to
one of my favorite game series. The Song of Life closes everything out in a surprisingly
touching way with great cinematography, great writing, and some
incredible jokes. It's not as expansive a game as Yakuza Zero,
but Yakuza 6 still manages to introduce some great new minigames including a
baseball manager sim (I'd be happy to play an entire game of this), cat
cafe manager, and a spear-fishing game where you get to punch a giant
shark in the nose. After the last three games split their stories
between multiple main characters, #6 smartly focuses entirely on Kiryu
as the world's best dad, best fighter, and biggest blockhead. <br />
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<b>Death Stranding (PS4, 2019)</b> - Hideo Kojima's first game since leaving Konami is an oddball masterpiece. Death Stranding features Kojima's signature blend of serious social commentary (on, among other things, climate change, childbirth, the commodification of human interaction, etc.) with goofy humor (Conan O'Brien appears as a failed comic who gives you an otter-shaped hat and some of the game's tougher missions involve pizza delivery.) There's some Metal Gear style combat and sneaking here, but very little; the main focus is on hiking, delivering packages, and making the world a happier place. Players take deliveryman Sam Porter Bridges on a cross-country odyssey to reunite a post-apocalyptic America by, basically, rebuilding the internet. The innate kindness of the people he meets along the way pairs perfectly with the game's online mechanics, where players can share resources, construction, and Likes with other players they'll never meet face to face. It's much more hopeful and optimistic than I ever expected from this kind of story, and while the story can get crushingly brutal (especially for new parents), there's always an undercurrent of hope that really makes this game something special.<br />
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<b>Resident Evil 2 (PS4, 2019)</b> - While Resident Evil 7 took the series in a completely different direction, Capcom's 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 goes back to the series' roots and refines everything that made the original such a phenomenon back in 1998. Unlike the HD remasters that have became so common in the last decade, Resident Evil 2 is an actual remake, a new take on the original horror masterpiece's story and game play. There's plenty that will be familiar to players who loved the original over 20 years ago, but this is essentially a new, and excellent, game. It's not as radical a reimagining as Shattered Memories, Climax Studios' 2009 remake of Silent Hill, but Resident Evil 2 feels like a blend of the best elements of 90's and modern game design.<br />
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<b>Return of the Obra Dinn (Switch, 2019)</b> - A two-tone mystery where players explore a derelict ship whose crew vanished years earlier, Return of the Obra Dinn is a remarkable experience. As an investigator with the ability to see flashes of people's moment of death, players must identify each passenger and figure out if they lived or died; if they died, it's up to you to figure out how, and by whose hand. Players are left to piece the story together on their own as the story unfurls in a fragmented, nonlinear manner. It's an astonishing tale of the sea told exceptionally well, and puzzling out the fate of the crew is deeply satisfying.<br />
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<b>Tetris 99 (Switch, 2019)</b> - It's Tetris, but with a 100-player battle royale twist. I haven't had any interest in the current trend of battle royale shooters, but Tetris? That's something I'm into. It's wild that it actually works so well; 100 players compete for first place, dumping garbage on each other strategically as they clear lines. It's such a simple concept but it works incredibly well, and the Nintendo-themed backdrops add some stylish fun. This game is free as part of Nintendo's Switch Online service and is by far the best part of the service.<br />
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Thanks for reading! I hope you're able to use this list to find a new
favorite. I'm always happy to hear your recommendations too! For both movies and games, I found it surprisingly hard to limit myself to just 50 picks. There's an incredible amount of great stories and experiences out there waiting for you, get out there and discover them! <br />
<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-55595592035904737812020-01-07T21:27:00.002-05:002020-01-10T21:17:00.254-05:00My Decade in Games: The 2010's - Part 1<br />
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Welcome back! In these next two articles I'll be taking a look at games released in the 2010's. The previous articles on <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/12/my-decade-in-movies-2010s-part-1.html">movies of the decade can be found here</a>.<br />
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I wanted to go back and look at fifty movies and fifty games that meant
something to me over the last ten years. Not necessarily the best or most
important works released in these years, but the ones that personally
meant the most to me. Each of these lists is divided into two articles
and arranged by year. For each game I've included the system which I first played it on.<br />
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<b>Alpha Protocol (PS3, 2010)</b> - On its surface, Alpha Protocol looks and plays like a decidedly average third-person shooter/stealth game. What makes this game special is a role playing system that actually feels meaningful; players can completely change the game's tone, the relationships between its characters, and how it all ends through choices that aren't dumb, obvious good/evil choices. A decade later, Alpha Protocol is still the gold standard for reactive story-driven game play, and it's short enough to replay a few times just to see how much can be changed.<br />
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<b>Bayonetta (PS3, 2010)</b> - One of the all-time best brawlers, every boss fight in Bayonetta feels like it could be the endgame of another title. Focused on careful dodging rather than memorizing complex strings of moves, Bayonetta as a series just clicks with me better than any other games in the genre. They're also genuinely funny games with a weird and wonderful sense of style, featuring a cast of characters who would fit in on a fashion runway. The first game's cutscenes go on way longer than they need to, but this is improved on in its excellent 2014 sequel.<br />
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<b>Nier (PS3, 2010)</b> - One of the early examples of the "Sad dad fights to save his kid" games that would be popularized throughout the 2010's, Nier, like Alpha Protocol, looks pretty ordinary on its surface. It's a standard third-person action RPG with average combat, it's visually messy, and it's got a few really poor sidequests, but the game's story and characters are enough to surpass all of this. Set in a dying world that isn't quite what it seems, Nier's world building (while extensive) isn't what drew me to it. Rather, it's the family of misfits you build throughout the game, each dealing with their own trauma but ultimately finding something meaningful together. The phenomenally good soundtrack helps, too. Its 2017 sequel Nier: Automata improves on the original's game play, but never connected with me on the personal level that the first Nier did.<br />
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<b>Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (PS3, 2010)</b> - <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-wobbly-history-of-pac-man-part-1.html">I've always been a big Pac-Man fan</a>. The sequel to 2007's excellent Pac-Man Championship Edition, DX is by far my favorite installment in the series. Taking classic Pac-Man game play and adding a hypnotic audio/visual experience, Pac-Man CE was part of a trend that included titles such as Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition and Space Invaders: Infinity Gene and continues in the modern day with the excellent virtual reality Tetris Effect. A 2016 sequel, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, introduced some fun new elements but nothing beats CE DX. <br />
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<b>Rock Band 3 (PS3, 2010)</b> - Music games with plastic instrument controllers exploded in 2005 with the release of Guitar Hero; five years later Harmonix would release Rock Band 3, adding vocal harmonies and a keyboard controller, introducing a new layer of depth to the genre. For a long time, my PS3 was basically a glorified karaoke machine. I still love singing in these games, even if my interest in playing the instruments died off along with almost everyone else's. The keyboard was the one instrument that I ever really got into, but support was dropped from 2015's Rock Band 4. The series third game really feels like the end of an era, the genre at its peak before everyone moved on, coming a year after the wonderful The Beatles Rock Band.<br />
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<b>Vanquish (PS3, 2010)</b> - A ludicrously fast third-person shooter, Vanquish has players sliding and dashing all over the place shooting and punching larger and larger robots. The simple premise gives Vanquish the feel of an arcade classic brought into the modern age and its sense of progression from one gigantic threat to the next is just fantastic. Platinum Games released both Vanquish and Bayonetta in 2010, giving this console generation two of its absolute best action games in a short time. An upcoming 10th anniversary two pack including both Vanquish and the first Bayonetta is scheduled for release in February 2020, and I hope this gives a new audience a chance to experience these classics.<br />
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<b>Spelunker HD (PS3, 2010)</b> - A wonderful remake/expansion of Timothy G. Martin's notorious 1983 platformer known for its deadly bat poop, fatal stumbles, and tense oxygen management. I've seen the original Spelunker on a lot of bombastic Worst Game Ever lists, but I've been a fan since the NES version. It's a game that asks you to move slowly and carefully, thinking about each step and asking yourself, "Is it really worth risking the last of my air to get that treasure?" The HD version adds a massive number of new stages and a new visual style (the original graphics are also an option.) This is the perfected version of the original game's concepts; its sequels, Spelunker World and Spelunker Party, fail to capture the excellent stage design of Spelunker HD and infect the game with unnecessary grinding and free-to-play junk elements.<br />
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<b>Dark Souls (PS3, 2011)</b> - Pretty much everything that can be said about Dark Souls has been said; this follow up to From Software's 2009 Demon's Souls helped popularize a new style of action RPG, dark fantasy games focused on moving towards unknown horrors slowly and carefully, taking your time and learning something new with each death. There have been sequels, spinoffs, and a million indie game tributes, some of which do their own thing and some that just lift DS elements wholesale and hope for the best. The Souls series is light on story but deep with lore, each item and spell you find telling you a little more about its world, but I never got into that side of things the way many players have. For me, the twisty map design, satisfying combat, and the ability to help out other players in need is what keeps me coming back.<br />
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<b>Asura's Wrath (PS3, 2012)</b> - Asura's Wrath is an "angry dad punches everything, ever" game that
perfectly blends playing a video game and watching TV. Each of Asura's 18 base episodes open with credits scrolling over the
action, have mid-show bumpers where commercials would go, and end with
"Next time on Asura's Wrath" sequences. Unlike many interactive movies,
Asura's Wrath foregoes exploration and puzzle sequences and focuses on pure,
nonstop action. In spite of some missteps with
how it was published (the story's final chapter was sold separately as DLC), Asura's Wrath is a relentlessly insane joyride
and there's nothing else like it.<br />
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<br />
<b>Journey (PS3, 2012)</b> - Players guide a hooded pilgrim through the wilderness solving simple puzzles and experiencing beautiful environments. There are no enemies to defeat, no focus on violence, and no spoken language. There have been many indie titles since that follow this same design philosophy, but none have captured the loveliness of Journey, where players are matched with random strangers who accompany them on their odyssey. Players can only communicate with chirps and hops, and while you don't need a buddy to complete the game, having someone by your side makes the world feel warmer and less sad. <br />
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<br />
<b>Pinball Arcade (PS3, 2012)</b> - Digital pinball has come a long way since my days playing Nintendo's 1983 NES game simply titled "Pinball." FarSight's Pinball Arcade takes a different approach from digital titles such as Zen Pinball, focusing on accurate reproductions of real world tables rather than original boards. The original PS3 release was a little rough, but a PS4 port the following year would offer a much improved and prettier collection. Nearly 100 tables were released ranging from 1966's Central Park to Stern's 2016 Ghostbusters table. I've played a bunch of digital pinball compilations but FarSight's remains my favorite; sadly, the platform is effectively dead now, with the rights to most of the game's best tables lapsing and moving to another developer, making them unavailable to new players.<br />
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<br />
<b>Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS3, 2013)</b> - When I first played the original version of Dragon's Dogma in 2012, I was a little underwhelmed. It's clunky, the writing's bizarre, and there's very little in the way of actual role playing. I'd later replay it when the Dark Arisen revision was released and my opinion would change drastically: I now love its cheesy acting, easy-to-break combat, and cornball wizard hijinks. Plus it's got a jester who looks like Wario. This is one of the few long games I've replayed multiple times, and at this point I've happily bought three versions of it across different editions and systems. Part of what drives the game is the ability to hire AI buddies from other players and send your own AI partner out into the internet to get rich and learn of goblins. To this day I still love seeing the bizarre creations people put into the world.<br />
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<br />
<b>Guacamelee! (PS3, 2013)</b> - An incredibly polished puzzle/platformer by Drinkbox Studios,
Guacamelee! perfectly blends beat 'em up game play with
Metroid-style exploration and some challenging platforming.
The game's designed so well and balanced so fairly that even some extremely tough optional parts aren't too frustrating, since you don't lose much progress if
you fail. It looks great, has an excellent soundtrack, and features very fun boss fights. Some of the jokes are awful, but they were toned down in the game's 2014 Super update before being doubled down on in 2018's less impressive Guacamelee 2, a go-to example of how more isn't always better.<br />
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<br />
<b>Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3, 2013)</b> - Revengeance is pretty much a dream game for me; Metal Gear is one of my
favorite series and Platinum Games is one of my favorite developers. There are some hiccups in this Metal Gear spinoff (some writing is over expository and the game's final stages feel too short) but when it's good, it's spectacular; the conversations with the final boss are hilarious and the game as a whole
works as perfect satire of dumb action games. Like Bayonetta, the focus here is on defensive options rather than combo strings. In Revengeance's case, your main defense is a parry system that, when properly executed, feels fantastic.<br />
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<br />
<b>Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013) </b>- One of two Wii U games where I keep saying, "This really needs a Switch port." A combination of the best parts of Mario games old and new, 3D World is a
vast improvement over its 3DS predecessor, Super Mario 3D Land.
Featuring four-player game play with character abilities inspired by my
all time favorite Super Mario Bros 2,
3D World combines the linear obstacle course stage design of classic
Mario titles with a decent amount of free, 3D movement. This is a
must play Wii U title and one of the best in the Mario series overall.<br />
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<br />
<b>XCOM: Enemy Within (PS3, 2013) </b>- Like Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Enemy Within is a revision of a 2012 title that
expands upon its base game and results in a far better experience.
2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a wonderfully designed strategy game, but
it was extremely buggy no matter which platform you played on, repeated
its maps and aliens too often, and didn't have much
branching to its tech trees. Keeping the basic story and gameplay intact but adding far more
missions, Enemy Within offers a greater variety of equipment and skills and some nice
randomization options that make replays feel fresh. While I did enjoy 2016's XCOM 2 (in spite of terrible load times and plenty of new bugs), Enemy Within is my favorite modern take on the XCOM formula.<br />
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<br />
<b>NES Remix (Wii U, 2013)</b> - The other Wii U game where I keep saying, "This really needs a Switch port." NES Remix and its sequel are both absolute delights, taking classic games (and some not so classic) and chopping them into bite size pieces, a combination of retro gaming and Nintendo's Wario Ware series. Some games work better in this format than others, but the whole experience is just great, even if you do have to play NES Tennis. A compilation of the two NES Remix games was released on 3DS in 2014, but this one really needs a Switch release.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Last of Us (PS3, 2013) </b>- Naughty Dog's PS3 swansong, The Last of Us is an excellent mix of narrative and action game play. While its core plot and game play aren't anything new, Last of Us' presentation
is so top-notch that it stands above and beyond similar games. The Remastered edition later released on PS4 makes an already pretty game look even better and includes a fun Photo Mode as well
as the excellent Left Behind prequel DLC. There's been a million "Dad protects a kid from monsters" games since, but Last of Us still stands out as something special.<br />
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<br />
<b>Mario Kart 8 (Wii U, 2014)</b> - Mario Kart 8 features my favorite set of courses yet. I love the low gravity zones, where your
karts drive up and down walls and ceilings and the course just spirals
around everywhere. In spite of all the madness, it's never hard to see
where you're going or follow the action. There's a really great
replay mode, letting you watch the game's goofy facial expressions in
slow motion. Mario Kart 8 is the first entry to branch out into other Nintendo franchises, with
courses from The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, and Excitebike showing up as DLC. The whole package was collected in the 2017 Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.<br />
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<br />
<b>Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4, 2014) </b>- An average man struggles with maintaining a healthy family life and
keeping his deepest, truest self closeted. In this case, the true self
is an octopus wearing a man's suit. Octodad's focus is on silly comedy
and light humor, but it's actually got a really good core message about
being true to yourself and honest with the people you love, even if it
hurts. It's also a ton of fun at parties, as people struggle to fling
the ungainly octopus up flights of stairs and through grocery stores. After almost a decade of dad games, Octodad remains the best.<br />
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<br />
<b>P.T. (PS4, 2014)</b> - An obtuse first person puzzle-horror game that took weeks of online
communities working together to fully solve, P.T. was a free downloadable game by
Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima and director Guillermo del Toro. When it
was first released, their connection was kept secret, and the first
person to complete the game had no idea what they'd done to finish it.
The time spent contributing and watching communities dig through every
bit of the game to try to reproduce the win conditions was a fantastic social experiment, and it all served to reveal that the game
was intended as a teaser for the new Silent Hill title that I couldn't
have been more excited for. P.T. is a great looking, terrifying experience that simulates the desperation experience of repeating the same actions over
and over praying for a different result. The whole project ultimately fizzled out and the full game was never released, with Kojima's time at Konami ending and the creation of Kojima Studios. No new Silent Hill games have been released since.<br />
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<br />
<b>Shovel Knight (Wii U, 2014)</b> - When I first played Shovel Knight I had no idea it would still be getting excellent expansion packs all the way into 2019. This retro-inspired platformer just grew on me more and more as I replayed it, and its additional campaigns, focused on three of the game's boss characters in brand new stories, turn Shovel Knight from a great game into an phenomenal one. It does away with old-school holdovers like limited lives and offers a great and fair checkpoint system. The last five years with Shovel Knight have been a wild ride and I can't wait to see what Yacht Club has to offer next!<br />
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<br />
<b>Transistor (PS4, 2014)</b> -Supergiant Games made a name for themselves in the indie gaming scene
with 2011's Bastion, an action-RPG with a unique narration style, a wonderful
soundtrack, and pretty, hand-painted environments. Transistor is a spiritual sequel that introduces a new turn-based/active
hybrid combat system and a digital world on the verge of collapse. Like
Bastion, Transistor is an audio/visual treat with unconventional storytelling. It's a love story, a sci-fi adventure, and a cautionary tale about online societies. Transistor caters to players of all skill levels with a highly customizable difficulty system, letting players add custom modifiers to make things a little (or a lot!) tougher until they've found the perfect setting.<br />
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<b>Murdered: Soul Suspect (PS4, 2014)</b> - Players take the role of a recently deceased detective in Salem, MA with the ability to spook the living and take control of cats. Bonus points for having a pun in the game's title! Soul Suspect focuses on exploration and digging up clues to solve a handful of murders (including your own) before Detective Ronan can move on to the afterlife. There's no combat and only a handful of (not very good but mercifully short) stealth sequences, giving this game the feel of an old school point-and-click adventure with modern quality of life improvements. This isn't a deep game, but its world is so fully realized and lived in that it feels great to just spend a few hours haunting around Salem solving crimes and meowing at people.<br />
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<b>Pix the Cat (PS4, 2014)</b> - What happens when you take the loud, colorful dot-munching frenzy of Pac-Man Championship Edition,
marry it with the ever-growing claustrophobia of Snake, and throw in a
dash of the bird-saving heroism of Flicky? You get Pix the Cat, an
exciting and stylish score attack game by French
developer Pastagames. Pix the Cat is a title that absolutely nails the feel of an old school arcade game and never burdens the experience with the type of filler that often pops up in modern attempts.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-decade-in-games-2010s-part-2.html">Click here for part 2, covering games released 2015-2019.</a></h2>
surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-3401268142634550712019-12-27T20:01:00.003-05:002021-03-08T14:27:48.649-05:00My Decade in Movies: The 2010's - Part 2<br />
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<br />
Welcome back! If you haven't already read the first part of this article covering 2010-2015, <a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/12/my-decade-in-movies-2010s-part-1.html">check it out here</a>. <br />
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I wanted to go back and look at fifty movies and fifty games that meant
something to me over the last ten years. Not necessarily the best or most
important works released in these years, but the ones that personally
meant the most to me. Each of these lists is divided into two articles
and arranged by year.<br />
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<b>Arrival (2016, Denis Villeneuve) -</b> Villeneuve's second appearance on my lists following 2014's Enemy. Arrival is a quiet sci-fi film focused on human frailty, memory,
and fear, rather than taking aim at a villainous otherworldly foe. First
contact with an alien race is handed off from the military to a
linguistics team led by Amy Adams' Louise Banks and the film alternates
between Louise trying to find a means of communication and trying to
unravel her own mind as alien thought begins creeping in. Arrival focuses on
international/intergalactic peace, rather than rant about Human
Exceptionalism. It's the sort of movie that crosses and often ignores
genre lines, and is all the more powerful for that.<br />
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<b>Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016, Zack Snyder)</b> - You can read my <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-2016.html">full review</a>
for my thoughts on the film as a whole. Loved Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor and
I'm a big fan of Amy Adams and Henry Cavil as Lois and Clark. Ben Affleck plays an
older, unhinged Bruce Wayne perfectly. The opening scene is a phenomenal
ant's eye view of a battle between gods. I love the deconstruction of
Batman's brand of justice and superhero justice in general and I love
Clark Kent standing up for humane treatment of all people, even a truly
terrible sort of criminal. The entire film is edited in a way that feels dreamy and unnatural and it's just infinitely more interesting to me than the average comic book movie. Yes, it is awkward to include little mini Justice League trailers toward the end, but hey, at least they're better than the Justice League movie itself turned out.
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<b>Midnight Special (2016, Jeff Nichols)</b> - Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver lead a film that feels
like a lost Stephen King novel or an exceptionally good, low-key superhero comic. A man flees with his young son from the authorities
and from an isolated religious sect they once belonged to. The boy
possesses a variety of superhuman abilities and feels compelled to reach
a certain place at a certain time in order to encounter an unknown
event. It sounds grand, but the film is kept very small and personal,
much like Arrival. With its dark yet optimistic tone, this film fits in
well with Zack Snyder's Superman films, though Michael Shannon couldn't
be more different here from his performance as General Zod in Man of
Steel.<br />
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<b>Moana (2016, Ron Clements & John Musker)</b> - One of Disney's best modern films, Moana is an odyssey into an unknown sea of monsters where the hero can find her
place in the world and pay tribute to a recently departed family member. The soundtrack's great, all of the nature animation's
fantastic, the Moana's journey feels authentic and her victory earned. Even if it's guided (heavily) by nature/gods it doesn't feel cheap. Sweet, stylish, and excellently paced. Big props for featuring a gigantic glam rock crab monster.<br />
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<b>The Neon Demon (2016, Nicholas Wynding Refn)</b> - The second Refn film on my list, Neon Demon is closely tied with 2009's Bronson as my favorite Refn movie overall. Set in a gruesome Los Angeles, Neon Demon focuses on the strange life of a young model played by Elle Fanning, newly arrived in town. It's a
comedy, it's a romance, it's a horror film; this is a hard film to pin
down, and it's unafraid to go to some truly awful places, only to veer
back to deranged silliness. Jena Malone does an excellent job as Ruby, a
friend/mentor figure/something else entirely, showing us a character
both instantly human and completely alien. It's a film experience much
like a nightmare, shifting between dark and light and taking the mind in
unexpected directions and the soundtrack is phenomenal. I left the theater saying, "That was great, but I
don't need to see that again any time soon!" A week later, I wanted to
see it a second time.
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<b>Swiss Army Man (2016, Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan)</b> - What a wonderful, stupid film. Paul Dano is Hank, a man stranded on an
island preparing to commit suicide. At the last moment, he discovers
Manny, a farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe that may not be as
dead as he looks. Together, they rediscover a life worth living, as Hank
helps Manny remember how to speak, how to use his imagination, and how
to feel love. Radcliffe and Dano beatbox much of the film's soundtrack and they propel across the sea with a seemingly endless supply of internal
gas. The concept is so dumb but the result is surprisingly sweet and heartwarming and is one of the funniest movies of the decade.
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<b>The Witch (2016, Robert Eggers) </b>- A meditation on sin and familial persecution, The Witch is a
Sympathy for the Devil film with a standout performance by a sassy goat.
This is a fantastic debut by director Robert Eggters, featuring
sometimes impenetrable Puritan dialogue and a wide swath of witchcraft
mythology. The Witch is a very quiet horror film, focusing less on immediate
dangers and scares and more on existential terror; fear of God, of
parents, of being lost and unwanted. It's a Book of Job story where our
punished lead chooses to reject the cruelty of Heaven. There's an
intimacy to the whole thing that makes the viewer feel like an invasive
presence, peering into a world they don't belong in. The Witch also gets
props for going completely bananas by the end while still remaining
faithful to its themes and characters. Actress Anya Taylor-Joy plays the
lead character perfectly in her debut in a leading role.<br />
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<br />
<b>A Ghost Story (2017, David Lowery)</b> - A serious look at the meaning of life and
death... featuring Casey Affleck as a goofy-looking sheet ghost. It's a
testament to director David Lowery that the film actually is poignant,
powerful, and incredibly sad, while still starring a dude wearing a
sheet ghost costume. We follow Affleck's ghost throughout the years as he remains anchored to
his home after death, even as that people living there and the home
itself undergo massive changes with time. Our ghost doesn't
communicate in spoken language, but there's enough body language and
careful cinematography that he still feels like a compelling character
in spite of that. I've always felt a deep, spiritual connection
to the homes I've lived in, whether it's a family home, a school dorm,
or an apartment. Leaving has always been tough for me, even when it's
somewhere I don't even particularly want to be. This element of the film
hit home for me hard.
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<b>Brigsby Bear (2017, Dave McCary)</b> - You would think that a film about a kidnapped child raised in isolation
with a family that produces their own outsider art (in the form of a
faux-public access TV show) would be horrifying. In spite of its a grim
premise, Brigsby Bear treats its lead (Kyle Mooney) with
such warmth and hopefulness that it's genuinely touching. Rather than
looking at the dark side of what happened, the film focuses on the love
and outreach offered by a community of strangers who see something worth
loving even when it comes from the weirdest places. Mark Hamill is
wonderful here, too. I'm always a sucker for films about a community coming together to make a movie.<br />
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<b>The Founder (2017, John Lee Hancock) </b>- One of the biggest surprises of John Lee Hancock's story of the founding
of the McDonald's franchise is that it's neither critical of fast food
nor a commercial for it. Rather, the fast food colossus provides a
setting for us to watch Ray Kroc rise from a mild-mannered salesman to a
cold captain of industry. Kroc, played to perfection by Michael Keaton,
takes a small hamburger shop run by two good-natured brothers and turns
it into the franchise king that McDonald's is today. This is a
fascinating film: It's absolutely not a Hoorah Capitalism story, since
even though Kroc wins in the end it costs him his friends and family and
destroys the careers of some good people. Neither is it a condemnation
of the man; Kroc is not a cartoon villain, and his turn from friend to
foe is so subtle and natural that the moment's hard to pinpoint.<br />
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<b>Get Out (2017, Jordan Peele) </b>- Jordan Peele lands an incredibly strong directorial debut with this
social horror/satire. Get Out's success comes in part from how well it
works as both a pointed, bitter arrow of social commentary and a more
universal message of alienation and paranoia. Peele's film looks at the
fetishization of black culture by white Americans through the lens of a
young man meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, a family
that makes sure to tell you how totally not racist they are while
delivering one aggression after another, starting micro and growing more
openly macro. There are a
few jump scares, but they're (intentionally) silly moments that are
nowhere near as effective as the overall feeling of dread. There's also great
acting all around; I'm happy to see Daniel Kaluuya in a lead role and
Caleb Landry Jones is perfectly disgusting as one of the film's
antagonists. This is one of those movies that works well the first time
and works even better the second, as its more subtle elements become
clear <br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>I, Tonya (2017, Craig Gillespie)</b> - A farcical comedy-drama-biography of figure skater Tonya Harding didn't
sound like something particularly compelling, but I was blown away here.
Margot Robbie's portrayal of the controversial athlete isn't cheap or
mean and doesn't make her the butt of the joke the way so many comedians
of the 90's did; instead, she's compellingly human, flawed, and stuck in
a series of bad circumstances that would be enough to break anyone. There's a bit of "the audience is the real monster" at play here as the
film mixes fictionalized interviews with more traditional storytelling.
The American public is judged more harshly than Harding herself.
Fantastic performances all around, but this is really Robbie's show.
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<br />
<br />
<b>Ingrid Goes West (2017, Matt Spicer)</b> - <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Ingrid Goes West is one of the most honest movies about social media I've seen and Aubrey Plaza is so good. </span>The film follows a grieving woman trying to find her place in the world by latching on to the life of an internet star on the rise. Plaza's portrayal of the titular Ingrid is funny, real, and scary but never cartoonish. Like I, Tonya, the villain here is a fickle and casually uncaring audience, cheering for Ingrid but also enabling her worst habits.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>The Love Witch (2017, Anna Biller) - </b>A gorgeous film drenched in rich colors, The Love Witch is the vision
of Anna Biller, whose credits on the film are director, producer,
writer, editor, production designer, costume designer, and composer. She
made a film that looks and sounds beautiful, with an endearingly campy
performance by Samantha Robinson as a modern day witch looking for love
with a penchant for passionate murder. I love
the costume design here; Robinson's outfits, makeup, and wigs are all
amazing and it's among the best looking films of the decade.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b></b>
<b></b>
<b>Mother! (2017, Daren Aronofsky)</b> - <span data-offset-key="a0tm-0-0"><span data-text="true">Expertly
crafted; phenomenal, dizzying sound design and great camera work that
never allows you to settle and get comfortable, with strong performances
by both Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. In spite of that, it's a
very, very hard film to recommend. Mother!'s first act is immensely
uncomfortable, but in a very approachable way, catching you off guard
for just how off the rails it goes, showcasing some of the most awful
violence I've seen in a film in years. </span></span><span data-offset-key="a0tm-0-0"><span data-text="true">It's a religious
allegory, a sort of zombie film, a war movie, etc. that focuses on Man
consuming Woman in the name of art, painting the artist/muse
relationship as a monstrous act and creativity as a place that exists on
the border of life and death, and on the objectification of motherhood. It's simultaneously repellent and powerful.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>My Friend Dahmer (2017, Marc Meyers)</b> - An adaptation of Backderf's 2012 graphic novel, the film follows young
Jeffrey Dahmer in his final year of high school before he would become
one of America's most notorious serial killers. It neither
sensationalizes nor redeems Dahmer, and while the film doesn't do quite as
good of a job capturing a moment in time the way the novel does, it's a strong story with elements that may be
uncomfortably familiar for anyone who felt like or was close to an
outsider in high school. Ross Lynch's performance as Dahmer is
exceptionally good and deserved more recognition than it got.
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<br />
<br />
<b>Blindspotting (2018, Carlos López Estrada)</b> - Another excellent directorial debut, Blindspotting is a slow-burn
class/race/gender study that
doesn't pull any punches. It's a cleverly constructed film where it's
easy to focus on one of its social criticisms while missing another,
trying into the film's thesis that we all create blind spots consciously
or unconsciously. Features a very effective use of intrusive memories
and
nightmares. Daveed Diggs is great here, with a simmering build up that
erupts in a
powerful, poetic ending.
<br />
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<br />
<b>First Reformed (2018, Paul Schrader)</b> - I haven't been to church in years but good crisis/lapse of faith stories
hit me hard, and this one doubles down on that by focusing on
environmental collapse. Ethan Hawke's portrayal of a well-meaning priest
stricken by pains both physical and existential is remarkable, and First Reformed is one of my all-time favorite films. Every struggle in the
film, from each of its characters, is one I've either been through or
can relate to, making it all the more painful and ultimately cathartic.
It's a film that issues a call to action among people of faith, whether
it's religion, activism, or a belief in the innate goodness of another
human being. It shows the power of love in our darkest moments but also
just how easily despair can spread like a contagion.
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<br />
<br />
<b>If Beale Street Could Talk (2018, Barry Jenkins)</b> - An example of expertise of
form; while the story is straightforward, it's presented with such
strong, natural acting, lovely cinematography, and powerful score that
it becomes something bigger. Combining the literary style of James
Baldwin's 1974 novel with performances that feel like a great stage play
and a non-linear, sometimes dreamlike structure that film can do so
well, every detail of Beale Street feels masterfully crafted. We follow two expecting parents played by KiKi Layne and Stephan James
as they experience young love in the past and a failure of justice in
the present. When we first meet them, they're both wearing shades of
blue and yellow that complement each other so well that we get an
immediate visual shorthand telling us that they're perfect for each
other. There's a constant sense of hope and optimism even in the film's
darkest moments, set in a time and place that feels universal. While
injustice is everywhere, that blinding feeling of first love just makes
everything feel lighter. <br />
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<br />
<b>Sorry to Bother You (2018, Boots Riley) - </b>I don't normally care about
spoilers but go into this movie
blind, outside of knowing the basic premise (a man changing who he is to
become a
better cog in the capital system, serving as a commentary on
race/class/exploitation.) Subversive, revolting, insane, it's
great! With a fantastic ensemble cast led by Lakeith Stanfield, the
concept of creating a new, socially acceptable personality to more
successfully survive the waters of a customer service job (and the
horrors that come with the implications of doing so) is way too
relatable, and that only scratches the surface of what's at play here.
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<br />
<br />
<b><b>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (</b></b><b><b><b><b>2018, Peter Ramsey, </b></b>Bob Persichetti & Rodney Rothman) - </b></b>With
incredible animation and great sound design, there's never been a comic
book movie that's looked or moved like this. Miles Morales is a teenage
Spider-Man fan trapped between two social worlds who quickly finds
himself literally between worlds as alternate Spider-People start
popping up all over the place, not to mention his own developing
spiderhood. It's easy to be cynical about a story where a kid finds his
inspiration in a billion dollar superhero product (The Peter Parker of
Miles' world is a marketing entrepreneur selling Spider-Man brand
products on top of his regular action stunts,) but Miles is portrayed
with such good-natured sweetness and hope that he's an inspiring figure. The whole film's just bursting with frantic energy that
perfectly
matches what's going on in Miles' head; a fantastic visualization of our
lead's inner conflict. The action's chaotic but it fits Miles' nervousness and
artistic flair. I wish other superhero movies were even half
this visually interesting! I'd settle for a quarter at this point.
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<br />
<br />
<b><b>Suspiria (2018, Luca Guadagnino) - </b></b>A reimagining of Dario
Argento's 1977 cult classic. A horror/drama set in a dance school run by
a group of witches, this film is completely up front about its
supernatural elements and uses them to signify the way dance and other
physical performance can break the bodies of its artists. It doesn't
condemn the art (and it does present two very different witch figures,
one with ill intents and one who's a lot more complex) but it does
showcase the painful nature of creation that can allow its audiences to
feed off of it while costing the artist. There's a constant sense of division at play; between the real and the
magical, past and present, cruelty and love, between the leadership of
the coven, between who we really are and the persona we project, and
between its settings of East and West Germany. Motherhood and birth
imagery (physical, artistic, and spiritual) are everywhere here, it's a
very loaded film that rewards rewatching. Dakota Johnson is a solid
lead, but it's Tilda Swinton who steals the show in every scene. I'd totally be up for watching her talk about and demonstrate dance theory for
two hours with or without witchcraft involved.
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<br />
<br />
<b>Thoroughbreds (</b><b>2018, Cory Finley) - </b>A directorial debut that
kept surprising me the whole time and defies easy classification.
Horror, comedy, understated love, and the lengths we go to to fit roles
we create. I'm a big <span class="word_break"></span>
Anya Taylor Joy fan and she, Olivia Cooke, and Anton Yelchin are all awesome here. This
was Yelchin's final performance before he died and it makes some of his scenes
very tough to watch. In a lot of ways, the world of Thoroughbreds feels like the Millennial version of American Psycho.
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b><b>Venom (2018, Ruben Fleischer) - </b></b>While
Spider-Man himself doesn't appear in this film, this reimagining of one
of his most iconic villains is a ton of fun. It's a wild, campy ride
that more or less plays out like a buddy action-comedy where one of the
buddies is a parasite inside the other's body. Tom Hardy is remarkable
here and is the entire reason the film works. He plays alien-infected
reporter Eddie Brock with hilarious over-the-top madness but also
manages to keep the character endearing and heroic. While the Venom
character is a comic book anti-hero, this film's take on the character
presents a more heroic figure than usual for a modern comic film. While
most superheroes these days are fighting to protect or restore the status quo, the
Venom/Brock combo team up to punish the world's most powerful
corporation for literally consuming the poor inside and out. It's still a
power fantasy, but it's aimed in a more worthwhile direction than
usual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmWUlai3nyGLeKlWjAl6OJccc-sAGfo0bGOVEgSMlHcfesnyQODUa2HPs3fsnwdEsIN1b64_w8zGazO5JvJW8jri1yTWq78UYkq53sR_9FIuphUbCCZyKk2_jtPzhHFiRAlIyttkVgJks/s1600/YouWereNeverReallyHere.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1366" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmWUlai3nyGLeKlWjAl6OJccc-sAGfo0bGOVEgSMlHcfesnyQODUa2HPs3fsnwdEsIN1b64_w8zGazO5JvJW8jri1yTWq78UYkq53sR_9FIuphUbCCZyKk2_jtPzhHFiRAlIyttkVgJks/s640/YouWereNeverReallyHere.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>You Were Never Really Here (2018, <span data-offset-key="6khp1-0-0"><span data-text="true">Lynne Ramsay</span></span>)</b> - <span data-offset-key="6khp1-0-0"><span data-text="true">Awesome,
relentlessly pumping sound design and a performance by Joaquin Phoenix
that somehow manages to alternate between incredibly subtle and over the
top and feels completely right. Phoenix plays Joe, a PTSD-riddled
hitman/detective with a death wish focused on rescuing abused children.
Lynne Ramsay gives us a violent action movie focused on the internal
consequence of violence that spends no time glorifying the horrors it
shows. Much of the film's most grotesque violence happens just off
screen, forcing our imaginations to fill in the gaps much as we're
forced to fill in the gaps explaining how Joe became the man he is
today. We're given flashes, microscopic waking nightmares, and a bond
with a rescued child who Joe wants to save from following in his own
footsteps.</span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYTk3E49PyRw9jWFUxxWlyDB5iFcsRZKNVCiF5SMvao9lCwdKGxgfuw9L5TItdQ4kfrSvY5-zGYLWGoF6cOQk9BJYIuRHLBErHyw_zS5ZyJRxgrdsO1A4RfmH_QmHqwjQsOx8ihnIQKzz/s1600/TheLighthouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="696" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYTk3E49PyRw9jWFUxxWlyDB5iFcsRZKNVCiF5SMvao9lCwdKGxgfuw9L5TItdQ4kfrSvY5-zGYLWGoF6cOQk9BJYIuRHLBErHyw_zS5ZyJRxgrdsO1A4RfmH_QmHqwjQsOx8ihnIQKzz/s640/TheLighthouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers) </b>- A gassy, nautical farce that couldn't be more different from Eggers' debut with The Witch but proves to be just as great. The common thread here is the continuation of The Witch's theme
of "just be nicer to animals, you jerks." I went in expecting a tense psychological thriller and instead got a
hilarious, campy, beautiful morality play. Dafoe and Pattinson are both so good as two opposing seamen brought together and torn apart by money, madness, and maybe even magic. A film that asks, "What if The Shining was set in 1890 and had way more flatulence?"<br />
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<b>Rocketman (2019, Dexter Fletcher)</b> - Jukebox musicals and celebrity biopics are so common and follow such standard design cues that I never really have a lot of interest. Rocketman defies expectations and uses traditional forms to blast off in weird, wild directions, with phenomenal costume and art design and a performance by Taron Egerton as Elton John that should be award winning. The spectacular style is the substance here, with visual flourishes and carefully recomposed pop songs telling us just as much about Elton's life as its dialogue does. The film focuses on universal doubts and fears and struggles rather than the purely celebratory or encyclopedic presentation of way too many biopics.<br />
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The chart below is how my breakdown of favorite movies of the decade ended up
distributing. It skews heavily towards when I started writing about film
more regularly (2014); I think that the time I spend writing, even if
there's no audience, deepens my appreciation. </div>
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Thanks for reading! I hope you're able to use this list to find a new favorite. I'm always happy to hear your recommendations too! Check back soon for the next article, covering the games of the 2010's.<br />
<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-67741437494775532432019-12-26T21:31:00.000-05:002020-01-07T20:50:38.657-05:00My Decade in Movies: The 2010's - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thinking back to the beginning of 2010 is almost unimaginable to me. I was in a different job, in a different home, and helping to care for my father. I didn't have a daughter yet; none of my close friends had kids. I'd made a bunch of games, but all of my most personal (and my first commercial) works would come later. I was running a monthly indie game magazine. I hadn't even considered owning a fish tank. The artists who would shape my musical tastes for the next ten years were just getting started. Social media wasn't a part of my life in any way, and I'd soon use it to reconnect with people I missed. I felt directionless and there was a lot of emptiness, but also a kind of freedom I could never have now. My one constant was my wife, helping to keep me grounded now as much as then. We've both grown into stronger people in the last ten years.<br />
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I wanted to go back and look at fifty movies and fifty games that meant something to me over the last ten years. Not necessarily the best or most important works released in these years, but the ones that personally meant the most to me. Each of these lists is divided into two articles and arranged by year.<br />
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<b>Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky)</b> - A beautifully monstrous ballet-horror film, Black Swan's focus on identity and the confrontation with/embrace of one's hidden self became a theme that would resonate with me throughout the decade in both my own projects and the stories I'd seek out. Driven by an exceptionally strong Natalie Portman and excellent cinematography, the film's exploration of the destructive nature of art would show up again seven years later taken to a much harsher extreme in Aronofsky's Mother! Black Swan is a dizzying, delusional tale that manages to carefully walk the line between art film and mainstream.<br />
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<b>Drive (2011, Nicolas Winding Refn)</b> - Refn's most accessible film (and, not coincidentally, the only one where he isn't credited as writer) follows an emotionally cold getaway driver who falls deeper and deeper into an underworld he can't escape from as he pursues his dreams. Ryan Gosling's driver is a romantic at heart in spite of his capacity for violence, setting him apart from the leads in some of Refn's other works. The film is propelled by a pulsing soundtrack with lyrics that put us directly in the head of Gosling's character, a man who believes he's earning his humanity even as it continues to slip away. Two years later, Refn would put Gosling in a very different and much more horrific setting in Only God Forgives.<br />
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<b>Winnie the Pooh (2011, Stephen J. Anderson & Don Hall) </b>- Yes, I've got a Winnie the Pooh film on here following Black Swan and Drive. Of historical importance, it's Disney's last hand-drawn feature film. This is one that I didn't see until years after its release and I wasn't the only one; the film's domestic box office couldn't even break even with its $30 million budget. I checked this one out when my daughter started getting into Pooh stories and I never expected it to be as good as it is! Following almost two decades of mostly mediocre releases, 2011's Pooh movie is the first since 1977's compilation The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to be animated by Walt Disney Animation Studios and it's wonderfully drawn, funny, and sweet. Other Pooh movies in between these two are saddled with weak, unmemorable music, but Pooh 2011 features the songwriting talents of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez right before their huge breakout with Frozen in 2013. There's a duet between Pooh and his semi-sentient stomach.<br />
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<b>Chronicle (2012, Josh Trank)</b> - Released the same year that Disney would conquer the world with Joss Whedon's aggressively mediocre Avengers, Trank's directorial debut is a small, personal look at super-powered kids discovering their abilities told through a series of found footage scenes. Featuring breakout film roles for both Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan, Chronicle feels more in line with stories like Akira and Carrie than it does with the Marvel comics that would soon utterly dominate the cultural landscape for the rest of the decade. Its quiet tone and grounded style keep Chronicle refreshingly original even as it tells an awakening story that's been told so many, many, many times in big budget movies since.<br />
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<b>Cosmopolis (2012, David Cronenberg)</b> - Cronenberg's adaptation of Don DeLillo's 2003 novel focuses on a finance industry billionaire on a voyage across a chaotic New York City in search of a good haircut. I hadn't seen and held no opinions on the Twilight films so I didn't know what to expect from Robert Pattinson's lead role as Eric Packer, but he completely captivated me here as a vampire in the economic sense. Funny, frightening, and farcical, Cosmopolis helped establish Pattinson as one of my favorite actors. His self-destructive odyssey introduces a wide cast of weirdos, culminating in a great, absurd confrontation with a former employee played by Paul Giamatti.<br />
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<b>The Hunger Games (2012, Gary Ross)</b> - Whether it's Harry Potter or the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the enduringly popular franchises of the 2010's focus heavily on the protection or resurrection of the status quo. They say that the world is pretty good, as long as we kick out the undesirable parts that threaten to upend it. The Hunger Games, based on Suzanne Collins' 2008 novel, says "To hell with all that, burn the whole system to the ground." The first of these four films features the best art design, but the entire series is a powerful counter-argument to the prevailing pop culture of film in its moment in time. Dystopian fiction isn't anything new, especially in young adult fiction, but Hunger Games is elevated above its ilk by striking so angrily and pointedly not just at one individual or organization but against an entire complacent culture.<br />
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<b>Prometheus (2012, Ridley Scott)</b> - 1979's Alien was a landmark moment for sci-fi horror and launched a major franchise, one that creator Ridley Scott would have no involvement with again for decades. His return to the series with 2012's Prometheus is one of those rare sequels with little concern for pleasing existing fans. Promoted as an origin story of Alien's iconic monsters, Prometheus is instead The Book of Job in Space, following Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw, a scientist whose unwavering faith in God is tested in more and more progressively nightmarish scenarios. Along for the ride is Michael Fassbender as the android David, the film's breakout character and the focus of its less interesting sequel Alien: Covenant. David functions as the film's Satan figure, tempting our space crew and testing Shaw's devotion, played with such quiet glee that he's absolutely infectious to watch.<br />
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<b>Frozen (2013, Jennifer Lee & Chris Buck)</b> - The 2010's are a decade defined by Disney consuming everything in sight; Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox all came under Disney ownership and the studio is on track to have produced<a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2019/top-grossing-movies"> eight of the ten highest grossing films of 2019</a>. Merchandising is a gigantic part of their strategy and six years, one sequel, and two short films since its original release, Frozen remains one of Disney's top marketing pillars. It's also one that's actually good. A story that examines shame, isolation, and anxiety in a way kids can understand and learn from is something of value. It's a film that reexamines Disney tropes like love at first sight without going full-on Shrek, and<a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/11/frozen-ii-2019-magic-and-monsters-and.html"> its sequel takes things further, examining traumatic grief and outright condemning colonialism</a> in a way I never expected from a studio that's on a quest to devour the entertainment world. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are fantastic songwriters who've managed to continue writing compelling tunes even by the fourth appearance of these characters.<br />
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<b>Her (2013, Spike Jonze)</b> - It's hard to believe Jonze's most recent feature film was six years ago. A near-future sci-fi film in which a man falls in love with his computer's operating system AI is, surprisingly, an incredibly honest story about putting yourself back together after a loss and the need for acceptance. Joaquin Phoenix is always excellent and Scarlett Johansson brings a great deal of humanity to a computer program; the chemistry between these actors who never physically share a scene is delightful. Her's premise sounds silly at first but it's explored with great warmth and never feels anything less than authentic.<br />
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<b>Pain & Gain (2013, Michael Bay) </b>- Bay's best film, by a gigantic margin, is his garish satire of crime and punishment and fitness. Inspired by a true story of musclemen turning to a life of crime, Pain & Gain is an absurd black comedy that relentlessly condemns American idealism as a crass, stupid scam. There's an overlooked satirical side to a lot of Bay's work, even his much derided Transformers films, but here it's front and center and it's monstrous and magnificent. <br />
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<img height="328" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UjL5qVAbpgadl9RtuhpeVfJ563PkYzrF8JpULmnwXVHMFBZlnBiC9yf6v8GQtuBCFuHcubEOtLXtlO4SN1fB511GCe7894_-efnjGSS02k9xoHUYXw0mPPQs88W44BMfYdazCCHq" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Spring Breakers (2013, Harmony Korine)</b> - Spring Breakers is a waking dream drenched in loud bass and louder colors. It drips with nostalgic melancholy and utter bitterness, telling a coming of age story that repurposes the American Dream into an American Nightmare. Its hazy visuals and slightly out of sequence events play wonderfully into the dreamland aesthetic of the film, as does its constant repetition of dialogue and events. As dreams often do, Spring Breakers snaps violently from pleasure to terror and back at a moment's whim. It's garishness, dirt, and sleaze combine to form one of the most interesting movies of the decade. This was one of the films that helped launch publisher A24, a new and powerful label for independent film makers.<br />
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<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VBfSX5buVcPfxKrl-cpRVSKTgrCwsH7zoJF1daZxJF2C7bpS1ZcPePycW_4jYdHLakpblerx9OkpwHgoL4XbFhWpO4udnta-48HXlm5BFJrMHn2YmFY8OOAC3vHbY5G_UZc8GUqc" /></div>
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<b>The Wolf of Wall Street (2013, Martin Scorsese)</b> - Rounding out 2013's trio of top tier "American Dream is bull" films, Scorsese's corporate sleaze drama is a revolting, hilarious film. It stands with Scorsese's best work is perfectly paced and wonderfully acted, with an incredible performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. Few directors can make a three hour film work at all, let alone feel as necessary as Scorsese does. Scorsese's five films made this decade (Shutter Island, Hugo, Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, and The Irishman) cover a broad range of genre and tone, and among these great films Wolf remains my favorite.<br />
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<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lxi_4HdGFrs6LCBeJpvZ6WTfxglAZmQlzBee_YpCjhGbi4SsVkqUGBm8jAVd2Wn2DDjuZH8OrbZuirD8zal7-lamNnzbf0d3h9uBIPRQEQRvEpNKVPeHj9Vc3wP3gFZ7FXIC_c4k" /></div>
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<b>Enemy (2014, Denis Villeneuve)</b> - Villeneuve's five year run of excellent films is remarkably impressive; Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2014), Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) exhibit such enormous emotional and genre range that it's hard to believe he directed so many films this good this fast. They're all potential picks for Best of the Decade lists, but Enemy and Arrival are the two that most stand out for me. Enemy follows Jake Gyllenhaal on a journey to confront his dark doppelganger, a great look at the range of one of my favorite actors. It's strange, spooky, and continuously unsettling.<br />
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<b>Frank (2014, Lenny Abrahamson) </b>- A sometimes kind of true biopic of Frank Sidebottom, a fictional persona created by musician/comedian Chris Sievey. Frank's titular character, played by Michael Fessbender, is an offbeat musician with a close-knit band of unhealthy misfits who treat him as a sort of zen master. Frank, of course, wears a gigantic fake head and eats through a straw. Jon, a young, uninspired musician played by Domhnall Gleeson, falls in with Frank's band and begins molding it to his will in an attempt to find a sort of artistic relevance in his own life, eventually becoming the band's manager and exploiting his friend's oddity for fame. It's sad, funny, and actually does have some pretty good songs, and presents a unique narrative structure, with Jon, as the lead character and audience focal point, serving as the story's antagonist more than anything else. Watch it as a pair with 2018's Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3btbXhEw1rvXnVXt24Vg1pYFzkNJqyUfA8lnHP2cyHnBcB0HydKwuFGsAAmCJNu7t-PEkXnGDK8QxZ7QFJwIAawlxsoCqENXNPEl3O5-3PSY1vn3yQV1XK_IZ_Zr5JTjJxFoz7p0b-sO/s1600/godzilla+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="725" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3btbXhEw1rvXnVXt24Vg1pYFzkNJqyUfA8lnHP2cyHnBcB0HydKwuFGsAAmCJNu7t-PEkXnGDK8QxZ7QFJwIAawlxsoCqENXNPEl3O5-3PSY1vn3yQV1XK_IZ_Zr5JTjJxFoz7p0b-sO/s640/godzilla+2014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Godzilla (2014, Gareth Edwards)</b> -<a href="https://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2014/05/godzilla-2014-salvation-via-sea-dinosaur.html"> I've written a lot about this one previously</a>. Edwards' Godzilla revival is one of the decade's best action-blockbusters and one of my all-time favorite monster movies. It's beautifully shot, complex, and isn't interested in over-the-top appeals to fandom. In other words, it's the exact opposite of 2019's dire sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters.<br />
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<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OSS8b4v0XmVL2fzUVouFIlQCdEdxdu6K2D6ByMZqWSe8UgU1oanyRxG_7XNcPK7wcINS75VidSXIDsUWvsEN7ab6SRp7lo6EY_LNzWM_WcJxRiMwRwNQedtCKr9P5uSfvLl4Flyd" /></div>
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<b>Gone Girl (2014, David Fincher) </b>- Gone Girl is Fincher at the top of his game. Media manipulation and interpretation is the core villain of Gone Girl, in which a man searching for his missing wife shifts between villain, victim, and hero to meet the American people's demand. With great performances by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl is about who we are versus who we're forced to be, whether by family, society, or media pressures. It's a film that's both brutal and funny and both discomforting and cozy. It's one of those films where the twist (which happens and is revealed at almost exactly the film's midpoint and serves as a foundation for the remainder of the story) actually strengthens the entire piece, rather than existing for shock value. Pike, in a confessional scene, performs one of the most well-delivered monologues in recent film.<br />
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<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/819mP6prEvE5gMn77S2CCn4onkU_8HbIADbgUSRsXNOgSKY_KUv4GlK5jca5sF2B8Gc-rp9gisoGmRAoglEdgUUVdS9SB0dlqCuvautlhn5NVAobApiJtHZNEtW4sBoeOY5-_R4n" /></div>
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<b>Under the Skin (2014, Jonathan Glazer)</b> - A disturbing work of sci-fi/horror driven by a coldly alluring performance by Scarlett Johansson as an alien being come to Earth to prey on human men. This film follows an alien point of view that makes the whole thing feel unnatural and wrong; the soundtrack is unnerving and the cold, calculated nature of Johansson's character frames humanity in such a small, pitiable way. It's one of those great horror films that doesn't rely on loud scares and instead uses an unrelenting sense of dread and inevitable death to get under our skin.<br />
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<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r8zsS7wdsfp7XUAHK3q2OJL5DVXoKXW0FbGR4oymlljLetl_ehwY4ju7-f47y8KFH60zvgPhZh7HIbek0qwt4--5QAjYpxcY3FX2Ukg4kCluoSOMbFQqAE0YIeFfyVI1KfXWjTu9" /></div>
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<b>Nightcrawler (2014, Dan Gilroy)</b> - A grimy, neon-drenched Los Angeles serves as the home of Jake Gyllenhaal's sociopathic photojournalist Louis Bloom. Like Gone Girl, the media and its actors are the primary focus here, with Bloom coming up as a nobody and becoming a powerful force in exploitative crime journalism that cares more about capturing human suffering than uncovering any truth. It's a dark, tense film that nonetheless manages to be pretty funny, entirely through Gyllenhaal's perfect performance. Bloom is a pitiful, disgusting character that still manages to be compelling and charming in spite of his alien behavior. Where American Psycho captures the American Nightmare of 1980's business, Nightcrawler presents us with a similar tone and message, only this time dumped in a gutter in post-economic crash America.<br />
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<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/can2eDJfM4wyjKFTMW6FMVN6XoTJdJhz9Nc3_G-9GAfQE8EB1nn20TBklXrwPvpsqXv675DVvkeZ8Q5CMmZ-JdGWgpX5MzRNW-yPJMKFfZwdp1K9zfZg-hk-HUKNsp-jaizfNwIL" /></div>
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<b>99 Homes (2015, Ramin Bahrani)</b> - An intensely personal look at the American housing crisis with fantastic performances by Laura Dern, Andrew Garfield, and Michael Shannon. The film follows Garfield's Dennis Nash, a man recently evicted from his home who winds up in the employment of the very agency that foreclosed on him. It's a painfully real story of becoming a monster in order to provide for your family and of greed corrupting even the most well-intended souls.<br />
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<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/irTNZ1xUXvE3LS7eb4GIkrSZCUxJfSfYE7snglX8LNye6TJz2htVCTYlFTqH91IRKMOq-9SRcV7wWm5VVkcrZzQcHfICxEe8jEycCOPafxYwamsn_zl-YTiIWn_SO0249SP_DI9-" /></div>
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<b>Chi-raq (2015, Spike Lee)</b> - Spike Lee's absurd modern adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata is the funniest film of 2015 while simultaneously being a blunt, sad condemnation of American violence. It's dirty, ridiculous, and charming, with standout performances by Teyonah Parris and a deranged Wesley Snipes. Samuel L. Jackson is the stand-in for the Greek chorus, leading us on a mad adventure of sexual denial and deflated machismo.<br />
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<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_5mYERKb5SNvMftO0o8p5nM1PS9bYSla5lyp4xHzPhYA664fEH7NnvEsxHKDAhLAx9NvROUqSqRjiEOT6cc5jADD1CCZKUTZa79q3xLh9vDz0DaVIcdiwzqWnscgGtCdvBIipOTv" /></div>
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<b>Creed (2015, Ryan Coogler)</b> - The seventh film in the Rocky franchise, Ryan Coogler's Creed focuses on Michael B. Jordan's Adonis, son of famed boxer Apollo Creed, while series star Sylvester Stallone takes on a supporting mentor role in his return as Rocky. The film is divided between the young Creed's fight to find personal meaning and identity outside of his father's shadow and the new family bonds he begins to form with Rocky, who falls ill and needs to find his own resolve to keep fighting. Featuring incredible cinematography, Creed showcases the best boxing scenes in the series. My father was a huge Rocky fan; I saw Creed shortly after losing him and it hit me harder than anything I'd watched before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y8m63QVQZu3i4yVGNbxBp6fcJa6JNM4tIz7-vK0J8DsYrd3NoCUG7srPCbRuFMqY8uN3u_QVW2nlrZRtLaswCFdREs3keopTHKCEqCf5f6NBggREtSc_jgkWp0Uta4NXGJdaG-f3yZfb/s1600/ItFollows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1118" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y8m63QVQZu3i4yVGNbxBp6fcJa6JNM4tIz7-vK0J8DsYrd3NoCUG7srPCbRuFMqY8uN3u_QVW2nlrZRtLaswCFdREs3keopTHKCEqCf5f6NBggREtSc_jgkWp0Uta4NXGJdaG-f3yZfb/s640/ItFollows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>It Follows (2015, David Robert Mitchell) </b>- A surreal dreamscape where sexual disease/shame becomes a shambling corpse that stalks you until the day you die. It Follows is a horror film that relies on a thoroughly unpleasant atmosphere over anything else. It's filmed wonderfully and has some really gorgeous color and texture. The ultra saturated greens and blues help accentuate the dream-like feeling. The music is a John Carpenter tribute and the world is weirdly out of time; fashion is modern, but all of the movies we see people watching are from the 50's and 60's, no one has cell phones, and one of the girls has a futuristic e-reader inside of her makeup compact. Mitchell would go way, way weirder in his 2019 film Under the Silver Lake.<br />
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<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/93qQnv_ST-7ocKYk3kWHyaweHvsj10703N7olH6HiKKYgvaQ82yo1w1aIAVm5mewZEoogb2aXnur0fhIhzTkitiBrUvWC3BOhXQMBiyUyaJ6pDQ0muWSxxEXrFCvZMMe_NwmOuct" /></div>
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<b>Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, George Miller)</b> - Brash, weird, and wonderful, there's nothing else quite like Fury Road. In a nice reversal of expectations, the film focuses on Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, while Tom Hardy's Max plays a more supporting role. George Miller's fourth Max film is a funny departure from the director's last decade of work, where he focused largely on family films like Babe and Happy Feet. Incredible landscapes, ridiculous costumes and vehicles, and poetic, unnatural dialogue give Fury Road the feel of a waking dream.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2019/12/my-decade-in-movies-2010s-part-2.html">Click here for Part 2, covering films released 2016-2019.</a></h2>
surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-19531355893677895412019-11-25T21:48:00.005-05:002019-11-25T21:48:57.484-05:00Frozen II (2019) - Magic and Monsters and Everything Elsa<div class="PD IF">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQCEuZ4r-pcH8lnk7Seudr99E8CPJnlaO8l5RwQYBcTXFIvx0HAHVFB9mMJe42Q5ProqKBSmWJfQ-VxcY6IQzAJQH0-aZnGR6BACC_SxRPDR9g61iE720X9l2zAVSAZCvPKxdvRUgw2s3/s1600/Disneys-Frozen-II-Title.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="800" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQCEuZ4r-pcH8lnk7Seudr99E8CPJnlaO8l5RwQYBcTXFIvx0HAHVFB9mMJe42Q5ProqKBSmWJfQ-VxcY6IQzAJQH0-aZnGR6BACC_SxRPDR9g61iE720X9l2zAVSAZCvPKxdvRUgw2s3/s640/Disneys-Frozen-II-Title.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">It was inevitable that Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck's 2013 phenomenon Frozen would eventually see a sequel; the original film became a marketing behemoth for Disney and no other studio loves its sequels like modern-day Disney, pumping out two to four Marvel movies a year and announcing a slate of Star Wars spinoffs to last another decade-plus (occasionally they take their time, as seen in the 14 years between Brad Bird's excellent 2004 superhero film The Incredibles and its less-than-stellar sequel). Sometimes it works out, with four strong Toy Story films across almost 25 years of Disney/Pixar collaboration.</span><br />
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<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">Most Disney sequels, even the ones I think are great, feel like very straightforward continuations of their predecessors. We saw that with Frozen's two short film follow-ups (2015's Frozen Fever and 2017's Olaf's Frozen Adventure). I expected about as much from Frozen II: a pleasant film with familiar characters. I was surprised to instead see a film that focuses on theme over plot and explores a darker side of monarchy than I'd expect in a Disney film.</span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRI7oSBNczEUAm2ckinT5wQ5ELgNUmS6KEt8Ey6SKFWq5VvYjoBf_s4otJLSZCjZ9DROhs1CuUrtLjABYbq7pRzEqWFKSNJLr9Au3IoBa6XohU6RPo8wexsZXJIe8ZtIw0U53T86C7wKm/s1600/Frozen+2+crew.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="991" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRI7oSBNczEUAm2ckinT5wQ5ELgNUmS6KEt8Ey6SKFWq5VvYjoBf_s4otJLSZCjZ9DROhs1CuUrtLjABYbq7pRzEqWFKSNJLr9Au3IoBa6XohU6RPo8wexsZXJIe8ZtIw0U53T86C7wKm/s640/Frozen+2+crew.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Friday night with the Frozen crew</td></tr>
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">Of course there are some things that do go as expected: There was always going to be a happy ending, a comic Olaf song, and an Elsa-driven showstopper. It doesn't discard what made the first film such a hit, nor does it wallow in self-nostalgia (the only song that gets a reprise from the first movie is a brief bit of Kristoff and Sven's <i>Reindeer(s) are Better Than People</i>). It feels like a directly opposite approach to, say, one of the new Star Wars films that simultaneously talk about letting go of the past while shoving a "Hey, remember THIS part?" moment in every few minutes. It would have been easy to go that route, and it probably still would have been a fun film!</span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;">All of that aside: Will kids like it? My daughter (almost 3) had a great time but clearly wasn't as into it as she was the first film. It skews a little older than the previous movie so that's not really surprising; I think she'll get a lot more out of it in a few years, though she was able to understand the plot well enough for it to not be a problem. Every kid in the theater loved Olaf and the soundtrack is a hit. </span></span></span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">There's a wonderfully campy, heartfelt moment where </span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x">Kristoff sings a song (<i>Lost in the Woods</i>) in the vein of a Peter Cetera/<i>Chicago's Glory of Love/You're the Inspiration</i>.</span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<b><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><b>Please note that there are spoilers ahead, including analysis of the film's ending. Spoiler-free version: I thought it was an excellent film with gorgeous animation and a more internalized conflict. </b></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"></span><br />
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">The original Frozen focuses on Queen Elsa's struggle to hide her true self from the world and ends with her kingdom accepting and coming to celebrate her. It's simple and powerful, driven by great songs and strong performances. Sisters Anna and Elsa make up, become best friends, and live happily ever after.</span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBamMuZmQEfDqU2bPOYDNAhzI60y6h30UCrh-D03MAh0tiuM3IkIO_uYo749kc7seLLtY2niKDSOodyollSqG7FyOCM1JJhUT8tGtKuXF86pyiBSgoy5rpcVTxGM9_o1zSvXSM86C5d_3/s1600/Frozen+Ending.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="1012" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBamMuZmQEfDqU2bPOYDNAhzI60y6h30UCrh-D03MAh0tiuM3IkIO_uYo749kc7seLLtY2niKDSOodyollSqG7FyOCM1JJhUT8tGtKuXF86pyiBSgoy5rpcVTxGM9_o1zSvXSM86C5d_3/s640/Frozen+Ending.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen #1 - Anna and Elsa</td></tr>
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<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">It would be easy to write a sequel where an accident breaks the people's trust in Elsa and she has to win them back. Or a sequel where Anna wakes up with her own elemental powers. Maybe one where Elsa has to fight a fire-based ruler from another kingdom. None of those are particularly interesting paths to take (on the other hand, "Elsa parties too hard and drinks too much cough syrup" is quite a hook in Frozen Fever).</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioBynh71tXfW16rsSKYvEERDbKcSgbRi2J2YiHYZ2wUQMG6nh_AxYLWWP0ARW1cAbV_hd15f0P2L4BtlD9mfkrnRpS_0hYjndAeDLy6Mnmx4eba-XTo-vcSg3pRZhAML2FKZa3l-RII0u/s1600/Elsa+What+Im+Fine.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="450" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioBynh71tXfW16rsSKYvEERDbKcSgbRi2J2YiHYZ2wUQMG6nh_AxYLWWP0ARW1cAbV_hd15f0P2L4BtlD9mfkrnRpS_0hYjndAeDLy6Mnmx4eba-XTo-vcSg3pRZhAML2FKZa3l-RII0u/s400/Elsa+What+Im+Fine.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen Fever - She's fine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Instead, Frozen II is primarily about dealing with trauma: personal, cultural, and spiritual.
We get tragic memory that manifests physically, plenty of redemption imagery, and an adventure through a
world that would make a great Dark Souls spinoff.<br />
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5z-ype_8fP_AJhgcDAP5N9yll5rWNPqaiNBnE8Wk287DZU7hUwTuTRmt5z0WbcThazpMagKgLhwjolTYnNN8SSZ68bedDM0GjKOCCsx5weHf-fb8zzD3YZ4-TaAo32v-b6N1bzZ-_y8p/s1600/Frozen+2+fog+door.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1010" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5z-ype_8fP_AJhgcDAP5N9yll5rWNPqaiNBnE8Wk287DZU7hUwTuTRmt5z0WbcThazpMagKgLhwjolTYnNN8SSZ68bedDM0GjKOCCsx5weHf-fb8zzD3YZ4-TaAo32v-b6N1bzZ-_y8p/s640/Frozen+2+fog+door.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Fog door</td></tr>
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When the new film opens, b<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">oth Elsa and Anna are finally
living lives that make them happy, more or less. Anna's anxiety at
the thought of anything changing </span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">(<i>Some Things Never Change</i>) </span>picks at her while Elsa's comfortable but hungry for something new (<i>Into the Unknown</i>.) Elsa may be queen now but is still holding back a little; she's free to be herself as long as she tones it down just a little bit. The tight bun she wears her hair in when we meet her in the original film transformed into a thick braid during the iconic <i>Let It Go</i>; by the end of Frozen II, she has finally and fully transformed into what she's really meant to be and her hair flows free of any ties. The costume designs throughout are beautiful, and while it's easy to be cynical and say, "She has so many different looks so they can sell a lot of different dolls" (which of course is true to some degree) it's presented in a way that informs her character's growth through visual shorthand.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzG18JTkkChPTJ_3YNEOVFoIBRCygz8Wde2lagzanXi-Xqf0cGBhyrfNXAKFeyN0-k1Nri28typH5R1wnBQBm6WQr2ti1nQp9PcVbBitIaclwfv7nvD2y62qMr0MvrRLzuBrQ4hIPeigO/s1600/Elsa+Long+Hair.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="1009" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzG18JTkkChPTJ_3YNEOVFoIBRCygz8Wde2lagzanXi-Xqf0cGBhyrfNXAKFeyN0-k1Nri28typH5R1wnBQBm6WQr2ti1nQp9PcVbBitIaclwfv7nvD2y62qMr0MvrRLzuBrQ4hIPeigO/s640/Elsa+Long+Hair.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Hair down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">Anna's anxiety over losing Elsa is shown when rushing into dangerous situations to try and save her when Elsa really isn't in much immediate danger, such as fighting to put out a fire that she's able to contain without too much effort. The perceived dangers of these situations are amplified by Anna's horrible fear that with one misstep, her happy life could collapse and go back to the way things were when she lived alone and isolated in her family castle.</span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> This isn't new for Disney; this same <span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">idea showed up as a central theme to the much dumber Wreck-It Ralph
2 last year, but here it's handled with much more grace and kindness.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxtdmZywgcqeWMHXRKO3YQ5QVoWnYEqsBjdXuPZmMFDP7_YbUa4f-4-rWEeuDpViaQCL2arR7n_CPwLhN3juCjYguEhDcSxJAkkukgthKJjuftj7QfSVLTTMFxouW4wcgaviOOaPebiCE/s1600/Frozen+2+family.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="978" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxtdmZywgcqeWMHXRKO3YQ5QVoWnYEqsBjdXuPZmMFDP7_YbUa4f-4-rWEeuDpViaQCL2arR7n_CPwLhN3juCjYguEhDcSxJAkkukgthKJjuftj7QfSVLTTMFxouW4wcgaviOOaPebiCE/s640/Frozen+2+family.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">The trauma of losing her parents haunts Elsa, who never had a chance to grieve in any sort of healthy way. She follows a ghostly siren call (one both internal and external) that leads her on a journey to learn more about her family and the good and bad that comes with digging up old ghosts. While we knew in the first film that they died at sea, here we learn that the king and queen of Arendelle drowned searching for an explanation for their daughter's uncontrollable power, a fact which just compounds the guilt on top of everything else Elsa's dealt with.</span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">The film's most powerful scenes (which featured heavily in its trailers) show Elsa attempting to cross a raging sea: After finding the wreckage of her parents' ship, she fights to conquer the same waves that brought about their deaths. She conquers a physical manifestation of her grief and not only defeats it but tames it, taking control of an elemental spirit in the form of a violent, watery horse. Her loss is no longer a burden weighing her down,<span style="background-color: white;"> but a tool she uses to bring her power to new heights.</span></span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0R9YwqkfCmWvP9SiQsvyvqKyDZgEP8grr-MwP_Xmpq6Rk6NhdmlHBIOJ2slgtNRYf_dGJ_0FzSetEARheu219f5eFXJLrCQIZ9V6m7qnXqwlGyIzobPEEqMhzbFDXKelka3RCeekjzm/s1600/Elsa+and+the+sea.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="1005" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0R9YwqkfCmWvP9SiQsvyvqKyDZgEP8grr-MwP_Xmpq6Rk6NhdmlHBIOJ2slgtNRYf_dGJ_0FzSetEARheu219f5eFXJLrCQIZ9V6m7qnXqwlGyIzobPEEqMhzbFDXKelka3RCeekjzm/s640/Elsa+and+the+sea.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Elsa at sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":bw.co" style="text-align: left;">Taming the elements/aspects of the self is a running theme of the film: Elsa is tested to trials by water (her grief), by fire (a test of kindness as she saves a wild and adorable fire elemental rather than destroy it), and by air (focusing her anger in a healthy direction, calming a tornado.)</span></span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":bw.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cn.co" style="text-align: left;"></span> The trial of earth (using clever thinking to lead stone giants) falls more on Anna's shoulders</span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":bw.co" style="text-align: left;">, appropriate for an "ordinary" human. Associating Anna with the most physical, earthly element is an effective contrast with Elsa's growing divinity.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":bw.co" style="text-align: left;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zRuqLAQNOinopKfirQJydAFRjOgIZlC2K3S0JE3hZUuT0lE0_oM2dM2QfJPG7daWfCBqZMEugAqQ1B_33ucezw2yTVtxu_h5ng5KcFX5b-4g7QelgXO-ETBgXnzIkHgqCYShkqyEy6q4/s1600/frozen+2+giants.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="1008" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zRuqLAQNOinopKfirQJydAFRjOgIZlC2K3S0JE3hZUuT0lE0_oM2dM2QfJPG7daWfCBqZMEugAqQ1B_33ucezw2yTVtxu_h5ng5KcFX5b-4g7QelgXO-ETBgXnzIkHgqCYShkqyEy6q4/s640/frozen+2+giants.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Stone Giants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">This is a much more fantastical film than the first, with angry, playful, and indifferent spirits roaming the land. Humanity feels smaller and more isolated this time, but that doesn't stop them from fighting each other: A core conflict is how to resolve the generational trauma caused by Elsa's grandfather's colonial ambitions. Uncovering her family secrets reveals a man who gleefully killed the leader of a native tribe to spark a conflict that would benefit Arendelle. This sin stains the world and leaves dozens of people trapped in an enchanted forest living out the old conflicts for over 30 years before Elsa and company stumble their way in.</span><br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Eby5geKpO2qrG69-OKOtms5rJDSJq90vV98r3YGCCCCqa1dfV2ASP7m0o3rIcXmK72R_OYIQXl4hF0iTzRN2OWHNB3_lIhlyecv4zaGr9joy92XDPf8yj4QQdBKbj3NFW9Sxwf1MLdNv/s1600/Frozen+2+Grandpa.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1008" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Eby5geKpO2qrG69-OKOtms5rJDSJq90vV98r3YGCCCCqa1dfV2ASP7m0o3rIcXmK72R_OYIQXl4hF0iTzRN2OWHNB3_lIhlyecv4zaGr9joy92XDPf8yj4QQdBKbj3NFW9Sxwf1MLdNv/s640/Frozen+2+Grandpa.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - A Bad Grandpa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;">Unlike the first film, there's no villain that can be punched out to fix anything. There's no Prince Hans to clown on this time around; Anna and Elsa's grandfather is long dead, though his sins live on. Anna and Elsa take different paths into and out of darkness: Elsa descends into an abyss that exposes truth at the risk of death as one dives deeper, while Anna wanders lost, cold, and soaked in a cave deep in the earth. They work separately but with a spiritual/psychic connection, with Elsa sacrificing herself to pass the truth on to Anna. Anna emerges from the cave reborn as queen and with a hard choice made: She will sacrifice Arendelle in penance for the sins of her family, washing its ill-gotten gains from the earth by destroying a dam built to exploit the native people of the north (</span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Next Right Thing</i>).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe_9a8uUpPv2YQzWWhCtIACiZZ3hm7Y38LRMWZ__2Vo07T9YDsV_VxnsZK0AIcJVZErYIRwu41egcebq3MOpBV1X5q5Jt4TeqxNGMy9KnJhfy7MvsiEnuOVi7N7RSl4xLXHpIx1SXbtAB/s1600/Frozen+2+Anna.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="956" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe_9a8uUpPv2YQzWWhCtIACiZZ3hm7Y38LRMWZ__2Vo07T9YDsV_VxnsZK0AIcJVZErYIRwu41egcebq3MOpBV1X5q5Jt4TeqxNGMy9KnJhfy7MvsiEnuOVi7N7RSl4xLXHpIx1SXbtAB/s640/Frozen+2+Anna.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Anna in the woods</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;">With the dam destroyed by Anna and the stone giants, Elsa is reborn in a flash of light and ascends to a sort of godhood. She endured her trials, uncovered the truth, and gave her life for that truth to be known. She emerges from the sea in glistening white, silhouetted by a powerful sunrise, risen again to redeem people in need. The construction of Frozen II's world is a mashup of old-world myth plus Greek god/underworld stories and melodrama underscored by heavy Judeo-Christian imagery, not entirely unlike this year's other great sea madness film, The Lighthouse. And it works, in both cases!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;">Elsa leaves her crown to Anna and moves on from Arendelle, finding peace and joy living among the elements and her mother's people while possibly becoming a new demigod that binds the world's elements together as the Fifth Element (it's Love.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgaYhjhH2mGQbadk4ZHSVauC0ES88n7fArlmRuaRG8LWDfiBRW07B-Aq6oYqT-E5ITeYVjB2Qj1-qNEtOPE_nV8XbqC9mYAmckqAzhgn1N1cCSrk-rk8IeqKPs28aH5o9__lbJoB0WRMA/s1600/Frozen+2+Ascension.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="955" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgaYhjhH2mGQbadk4ZHSVauC0ES88n7fArlmRuaRG8LWDfiBRW07B-Aq6oYqT-E5ITeYVjB2Qj1-qNEtOPE_nV8XbqC9mYAmckqAzhgn1N1cCSrk-rk8IeqKPs28aH5o9__lbJoB0WRMA/s640/Frozen+2+Ascension.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Elsa ascending</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
My only real sticking point with the film is that I think it would have been better if the Arendelle castle wasn't saved at the end;
all of the people are shown to be safe already! Anna still makes a
powerful choice with full determination to let Arendelle be washed away, but in an Isaac/Abraham moment, Elsa's intervention feels as if a divine figure
has told Anna that she's proven her devotion once she makes the decision to
destroy her "child."<br />
<br />
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
<span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;">It's really not surprising to have everything end happily (if bittersweet). Elsa leaves Arendelle for real this time, but leaves on her own terms. Anna grows up and finds a job that suits her. Olaf learns how to put on clothes. It would be a little more effective if Elsa couldn't just come back home on weekends, but ultimately this is a fairytale/myth that was never going to end as a real tragedy. There are some themes here that might be tough for young kids to handle, but it's good and healthy to be able to tell a story about grief in a way that's comforting and familiar. As she rises from despair, Anna sings, "</span></span></span><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":8y.co" style="text-align: left;"><span class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr" id=":cv.co" style="text-align: left;">I won't look too far ahead / It's too much for me to take / But break it down to this next breath / This next step / This next choice is one that I can make." Advice that can apply anywhere, even to a sentient snow pile.</span></span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
</div>
<div class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="November 25, 2019 at 10:43:37 AM UTC-5" id=":aw.ma">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCLbeI2lJlx_5R1dciKO5bF4mSvQm537aIntEIDguq6lLp64i2OWghR9XPyVi-9IkwEr8kAR53kT7zZccKesHzig0KhuePEbczc9chyphenhyphentaFOCEa3y5e-scle9FC4RFdcflH48WK-UB9_1e/s1600/Frozen+2+Olaf.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1005" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCLbeI2lJlx_5R1dciKO5bF4mSvQm537aIntEIDguq6lLp64i2OWghR9XPyVi-9IkwEr8kAR53kT7zZccKesHzig0KhuePEbczc9chyphenhyphentaFOCEa3y5e-scle9FC4RFdcflH48WK-UB9_1e/s640/Frozen+2+Olaf.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen II - Olaf in autumn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-2143925860229877852019-10-23T10:14:00.003-04:002019-10-23T10:14:45.186-04:00Monster PartyingThe one year anniversary of Fighto Fantasy is only a week away! A big sale's launching on Halloween for anyone who hasn't played it yet. Meanwhile, here's a giant article I wrote about how the game's development changed over the years. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://kaijubigbattelgame.blogspot.com/2019/10/kaiju-big-battel-fighto-fantasy-cutting.html">https://kaijubigbattelgame.blogspot.com/2019/10/kaiju-big-battel-fighto-fantasy-cutting.html</a>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-88020580382077703932019-06-14T13:22:00.001-04:002019-06-14T13:22:35.044-04:00Gato Roboto (2019, Switch) - A Marvelous Monochrome Meowtroid<br />
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Doinksoft's Gato Roboto tells the story of a doomed mission to an unknown planet filled with hostile lifeforms and deadly traps. A pilot clings to life after his ship crashes down and there's only one hope left: His adorable cat.<br />
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Cute, stylish, and challenging but never unfair, Gato Roboto is a short but sweet action-adventure game in the old-school Metroid vein; players learn new abilities and find health and weapon boosts, but there are no stats or RPG elements to worry about. This game distills the Metroid experience into a compact, friendly format that I had a great time playing.<br />
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Maps are fairly small and the entire game only lasts a couple of hours, with an on-screen timer compelling players to try again and again to beat their best times, but I never felt like it was incomplete. There are plenty of secrets to find, areas feel very distinct, and the boss fights are excellent.<br />
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<br />Similar to the Blaster Master games, players can explore both in their powerful, mechanical contraption or on foot. Unlike Blaster Master, your cat is defenseless outside of his robotic suit, so those segments focus more on careful platforming and avoiding enemies. This is part of the key to why this game works so well; it features exquisite pacing, driven by the amount of variety players encounter both on-foot and in their robo suit. There's no time for the game to get repetitive or wear out its welcome, no grinding and only minor setbacks for dying. It's a short game, but it fully respects the player's time and that's become more and more valuable to me.<br />
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While they're very different games, Gato Roboto does remind me of 2018's phenomenal Minit, and not just because of the monochrome 2D visuals. Both games focus on taking their respective inspirations (Metroid here, Zelda in Minit's case) and stripping them down to the basics for an extremely streamlined experience. While other games continue to grow more and more complex, we need titles like this to remind us of how important a solid foundation is.<br />
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Gato Roboto has a low price tag, plays well on the Switch, and is just an overall great time. If you're into speedrunning games, there's a lot to love here!<br />
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<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-3569668362262535862019-05-17T16:49:00.002-04:002019-05-17T16:49:20.772-04:00Baba is You (2019, Switch) - Learning is Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A puzzle game designed around learning and modifying the rules of the game world itself, Baba is You is an early front runner for one of my favorite titles of 2019. The art is simple but adorable, the concept is brilliant, and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from finally figuring out the connection that makes a seemingly impossible puzzle all fit together logically is matched only by 2016's brilliantly designed <a href="http://bobsurlaw.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-witness-2016-ps4-some-kind-of.html">The Witness</a>. Baba is Good.<br />
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The game world is made of a series of objects and text phrases. You are (sometimes) Baba, a cute rabbit-sheep who can push words around to change their meaning, rewriting the game's logic on the fly. Is a rock blocking your path? Just get rid of that "is" in the phrase "Rock is Stop!" Need to get rid of some pesky trees? Try turning them into rocks! Maybe Skull is Death right now, but it won't be so scary if you replace that Death with Love.<br />
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The goal of most stages is to move a player character to a goal point, which is often a flag. Throughout the game you'll be able to redefine both the nature of the goal and the player, sometimes resulting in hilariously bizarre combinations. Sometimes you can set up combinations that lead to stages becoming completely out of control!<br />
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There's no punishment for screwing up, since players can press a button to rewind the stage as many steps as they'd like. This makes experimentation feel safe and easy, and you're never able to become entirely stuck as a result of your actions. There's always something new to discover and the game does a great job regularly introducing new terms and conditionals. It lends the game a programming/bug fixing feel that would translate well into educational software.<br />
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If I have any complaint about Baba is You it's that the game lacks enough mid-level difficulty stages. The initial puzzles are quite easy but the difficulty ramps up fast and there were many stages I was stuck on for ages. You don't have to solve every puzzle to finish the game, but levels quickly begin to include so many simultaneous rules that it's occasionally hard to follow. I wouldn't radically change these stages; instead, I'd rather just see additional stages that do a better job bridging the gap between the easy ones and the true brain twisters.<br />
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That said: The game's developer Arvi Teikari has done done a fantastic job updating it and modifying puzzles just slightly to make them friendlier, sometimes swapping stage order to make a little more sense. He posts extensive <a href="http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/2042">patch notes</a> on his blog detailing every little change and it's wonderful to see that level of dedication to perfecting his work.<br />
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Baba is You is a lovely game and a ton of fun to play with someone else in the room thinking about the puzzles from a different perspective. At this moment it's the best indie game I've played so far this year and it will be a tough one to top.surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-37239911375235308982019-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:002019-05-17T16:49:10.484-04:00The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (2019, Switch) - Street Fighting Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The concept of Ringo Ishikawa sounds like something made especially for me; a leisurely slice-of-life story with game play modeled after River City Ransom where you can spend your free time reading books, watching bad movies, and playing ping pong with your bros. It's immediately charming and melancholy, with a lovely soundtrack and a great looking town, but settles into endless tedium that evokes the game's themes well but doesn't offer much depth.<br />
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Players follow a few weeks in the life of Ringo, a high school student who leads a small gang of delinquents. You can choose to straighten up and go to school, studying hard to earn better grades, or you can waste your days brawling in the streets. You can get a job, take karate lessons, or just get drunk all the time. Stay awake for a couple of days until you pass out or stick to an orderly sleep schedule, pay attention in class or slack off.<br />
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There's never any hand-holding, players are free to do what they like until the story progresses. I appreciated this, but at the same time a LITTLE direction would be nice, because it's possible to completely stall out the story by not visiting a certain room on certain days of the week, something a player can (and in my case did, for a long time) easily miss. Or, alternatively, allow the story to play out differently depending on what the player does.<br />
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Though it fits the game thematically, the biggest problem here is that nothing has any consequence. Whether you talk to your friends every day or ignore them, whether you study or go out brawling, whether you get a job or just lay on a bench all day, the story progresses in identical fashion and always ends the same way. Ringo is a directionless kid who can't find any real meaning in life, so it is appropriate that everything he can involve himself with feels equally devoid of meaning, but I was worn out on that quickly.<br />
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Some elements just feel incomplete. It's too fast to exhaust all dialogue options with certain characters and then have them sit there with no way to interact for half the game, there's a hunger meter that doesn't seem to do anything at all, and it's easy to max out your level way before the game's halfway point even if you don't fight all the time. There's no system for building friendship with your bros and all of them behave identically in battle. There's a Throw Defense stat but there isn't a single enemy in the game that can throw you.<br />
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In spite of having a handful of moves to learn, combat feels emptier than it did in River City Ransom 30 years ago. There's no equipment, no weapons to pick up, nothing in the environment to interact with, and you can win most fights by just holding block and mashing the punch button when your opponent stops attacking. There's a stamina meter but it's easy to miss entirely and doesn't matter much. If you knock out at enemy at the top of the screen you won't be able to pick up any of their treasure.<br />
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What's here ultimately feels like a great proof of concept but there are a lot of bugs (character names not fitting in all text boxes, players clipping through walls, numerous proofreading errors) and little issues that add up to a frustrating experience. The writing is occasionally funny but mostly unpolished with little differentiation between characters and the combat just doesn't have enough to it. A sequel might be stronger, but if you're looking for a better coming-of-age indie game try Night in the Woods; if you're looking for a better brawler you can always go back to River City Ransom itself.<br />
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<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-80513172242390031552019-04-15T15:25:00.001-04:002019-07-19T14:29:57.240-04:00Walthros: Renewal Announcement<br />
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<b>Follow the latest updates on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bobsurlaw">Patreon</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bobsurlaw">Twitter</a>!</b></div>
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It's time to go back to where it all began. Renewal is a full remake/reimagining of the original Walthros and is intended for release in 2022, the 20th anniversary of the DOS release of the original title. This new title will take the characters and themes of the original game and give them a new twist, introducing a world that's both familiar and new to players who enjoyed the original game. This is a story intended for both newcomers and people who played the first Walthros and will feature traditional turn-based RPG game play with a variety of selectable difficulty levels.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>- Story - </b></span></div>
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Walthros is a world filled with floating fish, dashing dinosaurs, and suave seals, creatures with culture not so different from our own but in a world conspicuously devoid of human beings. Renewal follows two parallel stories: In the modern day we follow Bob, a Walthrosian Fish working as an excavator at dig sites unearthing old artifacts for his boss, archeologist Dr. Pescado. Bob unearths a piece of machinery that broke off of an ancient vessel thousands of years ago and gives him glimpses into the past where a distant ancestor fights a desperate battle for the survival of his people. Bob's curiosity begins a journey of discovery as he works to find meaning in the origins of life on his world.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>- Characters - </b></span></div>
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Many of the original Walthros characters return, but the playable cast has been cut down from 18 to a more unique set of 10 heroes, each with their own specialization. Some characters are entirely new, and some are very different takes on the existing cast. While there will be a handful of additional, temporary party members and familiar faces playing NPC roles, Renewal's story focuses on this core set of 10. Here are a few of our lead characters:<br />
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<b>Bob </b>- Fish. Curious and kind but absent-minded. Bob is an excavator working for archeologist Dr. Pescado. Mostly focused on making ends meet and having a good time, Bob becomes more and more fixated on solving the mysteries of his world after he makes contact with a strange relic. He's the party's healer. Fights using a staff. <br />
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<b>Salom </b>- Seal. Close friends with Bob, Salom is a private detective having trouble finding clients lately. Would love to be a singer, but he's not very good at it. Joins up with Bob early in the game. He fights with a lance and can dive on enemies from above. Uses physical attack skills.
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<b>Suwanee </b>- Goose. Lives on the fringes of the town of Bayswater. Suwanee is a gothy goose who shows extreme loyalty to her friends and family. She works at a grocery store. Uses knives and is the party's primary debuffer. Can poison enemies.<br />
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<b>Amber </b>- Frog. A member of a tribe of swamp witches, Amber kept her town safe during an apocalyptic event by using illusionary magic to hide it from the rest of the world. Uses hexes to cause status effects and summons powerful monsters. Her summon spells have charge times.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Design - </span></div>
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The game's flow is broken into three acts, with each chapter of the story opening the world up in larger ways. There will be no random encounters and players will be able to save at any time. In the early game, the party will be predetermined by the story, but later on players will be free to build their own parties. There will be a series of extensive side stories to help flesh out each party member and to put together odd pairings of personalities.<br />
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While the story has been outlined from start to finish, it has yet to be decided whether the game will feature a traditional world map or something more streamlined.<br />
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Graphics, writing, and game design by Paul Harrington. Music by Glock & Mr. 8bit.surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-67482208349865792722019-01-11T21:32:00.001-05:002019-01-11T21:32:13.969-05:00Year in Review and Best of 2018 Part 3 - TV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the final part of my look back at 2018 I'm going to spotlight my top five TV series of the year. I haven't watched a wide enough variety this year to write a more extensive tier list, so feel free to recommend some of your favorites to me! <br />
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This list is presented in alphabetical order. Every show here is focused heavily on memory, whether it's an absence of memory, a repression, or an examination.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #93c47d;">TV - Top Five Series of 2018</span></b></div>
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<b>Castle Rock (Hulu)</b> - The only show on this list that I auditioned for! This amalgamation of Stephen King characters, places, and themes was largely filmed in locations within an hour's drive of my home, so it was a lot of fun seeing so many places I recognized re-appropriated into bits and pieces of this nightmare town. Set in a town that either drives people to evil or summons the wicked to it, Castle Rock is full of murders, mysteries, and lost memories. Most of the show focuses on quiet character building rather than horror, with an undercurrent of dread and loneliness beneath it all.<br />
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There's a wide ensemble cast here, but the standouts are Sissy Spacek's Ruth Deaver, a woman spiritually and mentally lost in memory, and Bill Skarsgård's nameless, often silent mystery man whose identity features as one of the show's core questions. I'm mixed on the ending itself but otherwise this is a strong show, especially for King fans, and does a better job incorporating ideas from the Dark Tower series than the actual Dark Tower film did.<br />
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<b>Homecoming (Amazon Prime)</b> - Incredibly well paced, great visual style, and a story that keeps everything
personal instead of spending more time than necessary on the
sci-fi/world building elements. Each episode is a tight 30ish minutes and not one of those minutes feel wasted. I'm all into anything that messes with
picture size/aspect ratio/framing on a regular basis! In this case, we follow Julia Roberts' Heidi Bergman, a counselor at a clinic for rehabilitating traumatized soldiers, in both the past and present. She's dealing with her own trauma and missing memories, and in times where she has a less-than-complete picture, so do we, with the screen ratio tightening and restricting our view. It's a convenient way to separate two parallel stories in a cute, clever way.<br />
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Both Bergman and his principal client, Walter Cruz (Stephan James), are quiet, nuanced characters whose relationship shows genuine warmth and kindness in the middle of a dark story. This series feels very complete at ten episodes. There's a mid-credits scene which sets up a second season, but I'm happy to see Heidi and Walter's stories conclude here.<br />
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<b>Legion Season 2</b> <b>(FX)</b> - The continuation of Noah Hawley's X-Men spinoff remains the most bizarre and ambitious take on the franchise in film or television. A year after the first season ends, we're reintroduced to Dan Stevens' David Haller and dropped into a world that looks markedly different from what we remember. The setting is wilder and situations more surreal than before, but for the most part our cast of mutants don't remark on it. There's a suggestion here that David's ability to rewrite reality has heightened beyond his own comprehension since he separated from his longtime mental parasite, a man called Amahl Farouk (played with incredible, uncomfortable charm by Navid Negahban.) Rachel Keller's Syd becomes a stronger presence and Aubrey Plaza's Lenny takes a very sharp turn. My only complaint about the main cast is that Jemaine Clement's Oliver doesn't get to have as much fun this time around.<br />
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This season focuses more on mood than plot, so it's easy to be turned off even if you enjoyed the first season, but I was completely captivated. The soundtrack, largely consisting of gloomy covers by Hawley himself, is one of the year's best, and there's some excellent direction by Ana Lily Amirpour and John Cameron. The standout episode was one which explored a variety of possible lives David could have lived had things turned out just a bit different. Also, major props for finding remarkably creative ways to portray psychic battles without just showing people grunting while energy beams move around. <br />
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<b>Maniac (Netflix)</b> - Starring and produced by Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, Maniac's impossible to fit into any particular category. We've got subtle comedy, pure slapstick, romance, over the top action, melodrama, grounded character drama, and just about everything in between. A solid 10 episode show that feels more like a 6 hour movie, Maniac
features excellent pacing and production design. Hill and Stone are both excellent here;
it's a surprisingly subdued role for Hill and I was very impressed!<br />
<br />
The show focuses on a group of test subjects using a new drug to clear out old traumas and find inner peace; it's sold as a cure-all that obviously won't end up curing all. The subjects enter a dream state that allows them to live out alternative lives symbolically connected to their personal trauma as a way of reconciling their issues, which for the show means we get to see a wide range of visual and tonal styles piling on top of each other. It would be very easy for a show like this to become completely incoherent, but by keeping the focus mostly on Hill and Stone's subjects we're able to find a constant personal grounding in the middle of it all.<br />
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<b>Sharp Objects (HBO)</b> - My pick for this year's best show, featuring a great cast with excellent directing
(Jean-Marc Vallée, who I'm normally mixed on but did a fantastic job here)
that really gets under your skin and does an incredible job visualizing
the kinds of fears and terrible thoughts that can pop into your head
and be gone in a flash. Amy Adams is always great and I love the
Southern Gothic/rotten Americana vibe.<br />
<br />
At its core, Sharp Objects is a fairly standard murder mystery focused on rotting, small town politics. Its powerful cast and focus on familial horror (both minor and major) elevate it greatly, with the investigation often taking a backseat to the day to day miseries of the town of Wind Gap. Adams' Camille Preaker is a journalist who returns to her hometown after a long absence to cover a recent murder and possibly reconcile with her family and extinguish some old ghosts. There were times when I related way, way too much to Camille, an unconventional lead who shows a great deal of strength in the face of immense burdens.<br />
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<br />
That's all for the Wobble Reviews Year in Review for 2018! I'm skipping my usual article on new music this year; there wasn't
enough that I listened to that compelled me to write a full article, but
my favorite albums were Lily Allen's No Shame, Merrie Land by The Good,
The Bad & The Queen (a new project led by Damon Albarn) and Dr.
Octagon's Moosebumps. Hoping to check out a wide variety of new albums in 2019!<br />
<br />surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210652001825992189.post-50330036774831471782019-01-05T13:09:00.001-05:002021-12-11T16:30:19.527-05:00Year in Review and Best of 2018 Part 2 - Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
While I wasn't able to get out to theaters nearly as much this year, I did see a decent number of great new releases at home. An overall strong year for movies and there's still a lot I want to see!<br />
<br />
I always like to try to find a common thread between the films that really resonate with me: Most of my top five this year involve struggling with identity or taking on a new one, a subject that applies to several other films I enjoyed this year as well. Interpret as you will.<br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Top Tier - My favorite films of the year:</b></span><br />
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<b>First Reformed (Paul Schrader) - </b>I haven't been to church in years but good crisis/lapse of faith stories
hit me hard, and this one doubles down on that by focusing on
environmental collapse. Ethan Hawke's portrayal of a well-meaning priest stricken by pains both physical and existential is one of my favorites of the year, and Amanda Seyfried and Philip Ettinger's troubled parishioner characters are excellently realized. Every struggle in the film, from each of its characters, is one I've either been through or can relate to, making it all the more painful and ultimately cathartic.<br />
<br />
It's a film that issues a call to action among people of faith, whether it's religion, activism, or a belief in the innate goodness of another human being. It shows the power of love in our darkest moments but also just how easily despair can spread like a contagion. <br />
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<b>Sorry to Bother You (Boots Riley) - </b>I don't normally care about spoilers but go into this movie
blind, outside of knowing the basic premise (a man changing who he is to become a
better cog in the capital system, serving as a commentary on race/class/exploitation.) Subversive, revolting, insane, it's
great! With a fantastic ensemble cast led by Lakeith Stanfield, the concept of creating a new, socially acceptable personality to more successfully survive the waters of a customer service job (and the horrors that come with the implications of doing so) is way too relatable, and that only scratches the surface of what's at play here.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sGaqPvR-9N57v8bzaaj0kdJ_n5stTncwnJxWlL2jKzb90evX6rbGx3ysAu6TGo6FbnbtL3QIAkPJSqh37rGpMXLlhR45gkIrFarhdhsyWpkyqHFDKG0XzW9h7q6jvxq5bEmSFo6UAJMs/s1600/r3-montato-suspiria-x-sub-10r_la-times_09-02_rgb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sGaqPvR-9N57v8bzaaj0kdJ_n5stTncwnJxWlL2jKzb90evX6rbGx3ysAu6TGo6FbnbtL3QIAkPJSqh37rGpMXLlhR45gkIrFarhdhsyWpkyqHFDKG0XzW9h7q6jvxq5bEmSFo6UAJMs/s640/r3-montato-suspiria-x-sub-10r_la-times_09-02_rgb.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p><b><b>Suspiria (Luca Guadagnino) - </b></b>A reimagining of Dario
Argento's 1977 cult classic. A horror/drama set in a dance school run by
a group of witches, this film is completely up front about its
supernatural elements and uses them to signify the way dance and other
physical performance can break the bodies of its artists. It doesn't
condemn the art (and it does present two very different witch figures,
one with ill intents and one who's a lot more complex) but it does
showcase the painful nature of creation that can allow its audiences to
feed off of it while costing the artist.<br />
<br />
There's a constant sense of division at play; between the real and the
magical, past and present, cruelty and love, between the leadership of
the coven, between who we really are and the persona we project, and
between its settings of East and West Germany. Motherhood and birth
imagery (physical, artistic, and spiritual) are everywhere here, it's a
very loaded film that rewards rewatching. Dakota Johnson is a solid
lead, but it's Tilda Swinton who steals the show in every scene. I'd be
totally up for watching her talk about and demonstrate dance theory for
two hours with or without witchcraft involved.<br />
<br />
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<b>Thelma (Joachim Trier) - </b>A Norwegian film released in 2017, Thelma showed up in a couple of US theaters but if you wanted to see this one you almost certainly had to wait for the home release. A combination coming of age and psychic horror story, this is one for all the Stephen King fans out there. It's one of those horror movies that's all about discomfort and a
constant feeling that something's gone horribly wrong. In other words, the
kind I enjoy! It's not about action/violence/sudden scares, though there are some damn creepy scenes. I
enjoy religious/existential crisis horror so this one worked for
me on every level. Solid acting, a well-executed troubling love
story, and a premise that works as a low-key supervillain origin story. There was one
upsetting bit that hit me hard in the New Dad Zone, so keep that in mind
if you're going to watch this.<br />
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<b>Thoroughbreds (</b><b>Cory Finley) - </b>A directorial debut that kept surprising me the whole time and defies easy classification. Horror, comedy, understated love, and the lengths we go to to fit roles we create. I'm a big <span class="word_break"></span>
Anya Taylor Joy fan and she, Olivia Cooke, and Anton Yelchin are all awesome here. This
was Yelchin's final performance before he died and it makes some of his scenes
very tough. In a lot of ways, the world of Thoroughbreds feels like the Millennial version of American Psycho. <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Excellent films worth your time:</b></span></b></span><br />
</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA-671NPoERRHeY7Gd-EA2HFKtrjWsjZz-XDNwG36zZmLcTtvrCYb7hmjEN2mrMaXAg6k0D6uoXNQbjDCAJCSXrtWGFZ_o97fOAH59ItnISQhiTF8qzDReIhDYUZE7C5tUAWzOVqF7IcU/s1600/blackkklansman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA-671NPoERRHeY7Gd-EA2HFKtrjWsjZz-XDNwG36zZmLcTtvrCYb7hmjEN2mrMaXAg6k0D6uoXNQbjDCAJCSXrtWGFZ_o97fOAH59ItnISQhiTF8qzDReIhDYUZE7C5tUAWzOVqF7IcU/s640/blackkklansman.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</p><p><b>Blackkklansman (Spike Lee) - </b>John David Washington and Adam
Driver are both
excellent leads, playing two undercover police officers (one black, one
white) who together create a fictional persona in order to infiltrate
and expose the KKK. For much of its run time, the film manages to be
darkly
funny while still viscerally painful. Liberties are taking with the true
story this is based on, but it ends with actual footage of modern,
horrific violence to
show that reality's scarier than storytelling. There's a strong scene
involving the role of film itself
in society and its ability to be weaponized for good or bad, for
justice or propaganda.
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<br />
<b><b>Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) - </b></b>Another excellent directorial debut! Blindspotting is a slow-burn class/race/gender study that
doesn't pull any punches. It's a cleverly constructed film where it's easy to focus on one of its social criticisms while missing another, trying into the film's thesis that we all create blind spots consciously or unconsciously. Features a very effective use of intrusive memories and
nightmares. Daveed Diggs is great here, with a simmering build up that erupts in a
powerful, poetic ending.<br />
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<b>Burning (Lee Chang-dong)</b> - A leisurely film which shifts smoothly from coming of age story to romantic comedy to psychological horror, Burning is a gorgeously shot film driven by three strong lead performances. Yoo Ah-in's Jong-su is a directionless, rural young man who fancies himself a writer, Jeon Jong-seo's Hae-mi a mysterious woman whose relationship with truth and reality is fluid, and Steven Yeun's Ben a wealthy playboy who considers himself a force of nature. A cat plays a major role. My sympathies were constantly in flux, with a final act that made me question everything leading up to that point. Jong-su sees himself as the literary hero of his story and awkwardness turns to madness.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos) </b>- While this is definitely Yorgos Lanthimos' most approachable film, it's
still a subversive, maniacal blend of dark humor and human drama.
Usually it's hard for me to take an interest in royal costume dramas,
but this film focuses on the absolute grotesqueness of the age from a
satirical angle that plays up the costumes, attitudes, and childishness
of those in power. It's so over the top that it becomes hilarious, and
what's most impressive is that even in the middle of all that it's still
an effective love story. Weisz, Coleman, and Stone are all excellent
and it's remarkably impressive how hard our sympathies flip over the
course of the story. There are a ton of rabbits and there's a scene
where we see a duck race.<br />
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<b><b><br />Hereditary (Ari Aster) - </b></b>This wasn't what I expected at all, in a good way! From the trailers I expected a more
standard Evil Mom story and instead got a modern fable about grieving and
mental illness. It's extremely well made, Toni Collette and Alex Wolff
are fantastic, and I loved the blurry lines between the real/imagined/artificial. The film blends real sets and an artist's
miniature sculptures, creating an odd vibe that feels like a horror take on Wes Anderson's visuals. A good, modern companion piece to 2016's The Witch. <br />
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<b>If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins)</b> - Barry Jenkins' follow up to Moonlight is an example of expertise of
form; while the story is straightforward, it's presented with such
strong, natural acting, lovely cinematography, and powerful score that
it becomes something bigger. Combining the literary style of James
Baldwin's 1974 novel with performances that feel like a great stage play
and a non-linear, sometimes dreamlike structure that film can do so
well, every detail of Beale Street feels masterfully performed. On<span class="text_exposed_show">e
of the more interesting structural details is placing the film's
highest emotional point (a young woman announcing her pregnancy to her
family) early in the first act.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
We follow two expecting parents played by KiKi Layne and Stephan James
as they experience young love in the past and a failure of justice in
the present. When we first meet them, they're both wearing shades of
blue and yellow that complement each other so well that we get an
immediate visual shorthand telling us that they're perfect for each
other. There's a constant sense of hope and optimism even in the film's
darkest moments, set in a time and place that feels universal. While
injustice is everywhere, that blinding feeling of first love just makes
everything feel lighter. </div>
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<b><span data-offset-key="ak78r-0-0"><span data-text="true">Leave No Trace (</span></span></b><span data-offset-key="ak78r-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="ak78r-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>Debra Granik)</b> - </span></span>Debra Granik's first feature film since 2010's Winter's Bone, another excellent film observing lost, forgotten, and overlooked people. Unlike Winter's Bone's harshness, Leave No Trace shows an incredible amount of human compassion and a love of nature that in many films would be enough to cure a lead character's ills. Here we see instead a man so deeply hurt by past traumas that there's no coming back, not with medication, religion, charity, or community. Living alone in the woods with his daughter, Ben Foster plays an army vet who finds no solace in any solution but isolation. The film avoids filling in details of what exactly happened in the past and relies on powerful, subtle acting from both Foster and Thomasin McKenzie. You can feel McKenzie's exhaustion as the film goes on, leading up to a crushing but hopeful resolution. It's also the rare PG film that isn't meant to be a movie for a young audience.</span></span> <br />
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<b><b>Mandy (</b></b><b><b>Panos Cosmatos) -</b> </b>Wish I could have been able to see this in theaters! It's
a real audio/visual nightmare. It's a movie that opens with a King
Crimson song and that couldn't be more perfect; the whole thing feels
like a bizarre melding of Prog Rock, 80's slasher horror, and campy
wizard novels, yet it's played completely straight, in large part thanks
to Nicholas Cage who always gives his all. Mandy plays within the rules of its own
deranged world-logic and introduces a cosmic uneasiness that never goes away. Also:
It's super gross. There's a very fine line between avenging knight and a
slasher monster. I loved the title cards for each
chapter, too! Feels like a weird thing to praise, but this film has fantastic
typography.<br />
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<b><b> </b></b>
<b><b><br />The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Desiree Akhavan) - </b></b>A coming of age story focused on a teenager sent to a reeducation/conversion therapy camp. Incredibly authentic with a strong performance by Chloe Grace Moretz as the title character, a young woman trying to figure out who she is while under pressure from counselors with no idea how to handle life's complexities.
Painful and familiar in so many ways. Moretz plays a character who goes
out of her way to avoid standing out but does so with expert physical
subtlety that builds until she reaches a breaking point.<br />
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<b><b><br />Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman) - </b></b>With incredible animation and great sound design, there's never been a comic book movie that's looked or moved like this. Miles Morales is a teenage Spider-Man fan trapped between two social worlds who quickly finds himself literally between worlds as alternate Spider-People start popping up all over the place, not to mention his own developing spiderhood. It's easy to be cynical about a story where a kid finds his inspiration in a billion dollar superhero product (The Peter Parker of Miles' world is a marketing entrepreneur selling Spider-Man brand products on top of his regular action stunts,) but Miles is portrayed with such good-natured sweetness and hope that he's an inspiring figure.<br />
<br />
I wasn't feeling two of
the comic relief Spiders, but the jokes that worked for me were great
(including Nicholas Cage playing a film noir Spider-Man) and I loved how alive
everything felt. Miles, Peter and Gwen are a fun oddball superhero family unit, and Miles' interactions with his actual family are quite genuine and lovely. The whole film's just bursting with frantic energy that perfectly
matches what's going on in Miles' head; a fantastic visualization of our
lead's inner conflict. The action's chaotic (and there's probably too
much of it loaded into the final act) but it fits Miles' nervousness and
artistic flair. I wish other popular superhero movies were even half
this visually interesting! I'd settle for a quarter at this point. <b><b><br /></b></b><br />
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<b><b>Venom (Ruben Fleischer) - </b></b>Who'd have thought both of the year's best comic book movies would be Spider-Man spinoffs? While Spider-Man himself doesn't appear in this film, this reimagining of one of his most iconic villains is a ton of fun. It's a wild, campy ride that more or less plays out like a buddy action-comedy where one of the buddies is a parasite inside the other's body. Tom Hardy is remarkable here and is the entire reason the film works. He plays alien-infected reporter Eddie Brock with hilarious over-the-top madness but also manages to keep the character endearing and heroic. While the Venom character is a comic book anti-hero, this film's take on the character presents a more heroic figure than usual for a modern comic film. While most superheroes these days are fighting to protect the status quo, the Venom/Brock combo team up to punish the world's most powerful corporation for literally consuming the poor inside and out. It's still a power fantasy, but it's aimed in a more worthwhile direction than usual.<br />
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<b><b><br />Won't You Be My Neighbor (Morgan Neville) - </b></b>A great documentary following the life and teaching of Mister Rogers. While this is largely a celebration of Fred Rogers' life, it doesn't shy away from struggles and criticism. One of the most interesting pieces to me is Rogers' study of silence and
slowness in film and television. As the parent of a toddler, it's a relief from the hyperactivity of Elmo.<br />
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<br />
<b>You Were Never Really Here (<span data-offset-key="6khp1-0-0"><span data-text="true">Lynne Ramsay</span></span>)</b> - <span data-offset-key="6khp1-0-0"><span data-text="true">Awesome, relentlessly pumping sound design and a performance by Joaquin Phoenix that somehow manages to alternate between incredibly subtle and over the top and feels completely right. Phoenix plays Joe, a PTSD-riddled hitman/detective with a death wish focused on rescuing abused children. Lynne Ramsay gives us a violent action movie focused on the internal consequence of violence that spends no time glorifying the horrors it shows. Much of the film's most grotesque violence happens just off screen, forcing our imaginations to fill in the gaps much as we're forced to fill in the gaps explaining how Joe became the man he is today. We're given flashes, microscopic waking nightmares, and a bond with a rescued child who Joe wants to save from following in his own footsteps.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Films with standout elements:</span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
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<b><b><b>A Quiet Place (John Krasinski) - </b></b></b>A world with a ludicrous concept on the surface: There are monsters everywhere, if they hear you you're most likely going to die. Don't make a sound! As a social metaphor, it's saying that there's safety in keeping your head down and blending in. Eventually, standing up and being loud becomes an act of courage, even if it has a cost. This was more of an action movie than I expected, and I appreciated how much time
it spent calmly getting to know the family before stuff really went
nuts. The use of sign language in the film was great and it was nice to see a deaf child able to play a heroic role rather than a victim.<br />
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<b>Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit (Aaron Hancox, Michael McNamara)</b> - It's light, fluffy, and lovely, just like its star: A gigantic red Persian named Oh La La. The film follows several cat owners and their fuzzy buddies as they compete across the Canadian cat show world, but Oh La La is definitely the draw. This one's particularly funny to me because my first paid, published work involved taking pictures at a local cat show in 2009 and at the time I thought, "Someone really has to make a movie out of this." Someone finally did, and it's absolutely spot on.<br />
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<b>Christopher Robin (Marc Forster)</b> - <span data-offset-key="9b67j-0-0"><span data-text="true">I thought this was good even if the ending felt like a mistake. I really enjoyed the animation and thought the ragged old animals looked excellent. Eeyore's (as always) the best part and I'm glad that Heffalumps were embodied as jobs gobbling up your happiness. It's maybe about a shared delusion spreading from one man to everyone he interacts with, presumably leading to an eventual delirium utopia. Ewan McGregor's particularly good at interacting with CG puppets, he did it better than anyone else in the Star Wars prequels and he does it well here.</span></span><br />
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<b><b><b>Creed II (Steven Caple Jr.) - </b></b></b>The previous Creed is one of my all-time favorite movies so there was a
lot to live up to, which is appropriate in a film focused on legacies.
It's solid and it's got some strong emotional moments but they don't hit
as hard as the previous film's. The fights are totally fine, but the
insanely good choreography and cinematography of the previous film is
sorely missed; those were among my favorite action scenes I've ever
seen. Steven Caple Jr. takes over directing duties from Ryan Coogler and does a fine job, but Coogler's direction of the first film was just on a whole other level. This one brings back Ivan Drago from Rocky IV and his family scenes get just a little too silly, even if it's a lot
more grounded than before. Tessa Thompson rules, Michael B. Jordan is
always awesome, Stallone's as good as ever but doesn't have as powerful
of a story as he had in Creed or Rocky Balboa.<br />
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<br />
<b>First Man (Damien Chazelle)</b> - A very personal story that carefully guards its emotions as much as
Armstrong himself did. First Man is less a celebration of the
accomplishments of science and more of an exploration of one man's
personal triumphs and loses and the way in which it affects his family.
It avoids the typical biopic structure and instead gives us insight into
a few crucial moments in Armstrong's life and career, framed almost
entirely by the shadow of death. During the space scenes there's an
awesome sense of claustrophobia and danger thanks to great sound design
and tight camera angles. <br />
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<b><b><b><br />Incedibles 2 (Brad Bird) - </b></b></b>It's a fun ride, the parenting jokes are actually great, and the action scenes are above the usual fare for a superhero movie (though nothing on the level of Spider-Verse.) But... Spoilers: One of the characters driving the action is a billionaire CEO who seems a
little too good at first. He gives our heroes a mansion, a new job, and
selflessly campaigns to make their lives better. It's a very obvious
set up for a double cross, but somehow, he's actually purely 100% good! He doesn't suffer for his hubris or his naivety and he isn't
interested in making money in spite of being a billionaire
communications guru. He's a saintly version of Tony Stark and it's
baffling to see. The world becomes a better place because of the kindness of a megacorp CEO and I don't know any way to look at it that isn't grotesque, especially coming from a company under the Disney umbrella.<br />
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<b><b><b>The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) - </b></b></b>Amandla Stenberg is excellent as a high-schooler torn between class and racial divisions who witnesses a brutal police murder. This
skews younger than other recent films about cultural identity in
America and that's good! It's more of a YA story, but teenagers need
to see more stories like this. It doesn't hit as hard as Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, or
Blackkklansman, but it it's aimed at a different audience than those and
stands out because of that.<br />
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<b><b><b><br />Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham) - </b></b></b>A (mostly!) lighthearted coming of age story that I found immensely recognizable even if not entirely relatable. It's another good one for kids to watch, even if it doesn't have the power of Cameron Post or The Hate U Give. Elsie Fisher's performance is remarkably organic, the kind whose value is easy to overlook because it feels so normal and natural. Eighth Grade is a fun watch that touches on a lot of important issues but for the most part plays it safe.<br />
<b><b><b></b></b></b><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Some flawed, some decent films:</b></span></span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b> </b></span></span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Annihilation (Alex Garland) - </span></span></b></b></span></b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Garland's follow up to Ex Machina is fine but just doesn't hit the heights of that film. What it does feature is some of the best sound design of the year, though! This one's more or less an Americanized
remake of Tarkovsky's 1979 Soviet film Stalker; same basic idea of exploring a distorted, forbidden
zone that alters time, space and minds, but this time with guns and gore. It
weighed too heavily on the action-horror side and not enough on the existential drama. There are a few phenomenal scenes, but I couldn't connect to it and part of that's on me for wanting a very different film from what I got.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><br />Black Panther (Ryan Coogler) - </span></span></b></b></span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">I think that this is one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; I also think it's just a mostly OK film. Wonderful art design and costumes help hide the flat cinematography and uninspired action, which caught me by surprise given how gorgeously framed every shot of action in Coogler's Creed was. I wish Coogler had directed Creed II while passing Black Panther off to </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Steven Caple Jr.!</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">The film's politics are bizarre: A revolutionary (played wonderfully by Michael B. Jordan) returns to his fatherland of Wakanda and takes power from an isolationist monarch with a goal of liberating oppressed black citizens in America and elsewhere... but he's the villain. He's given the cartoonish name of Killmonger and a couple of ludicrously violent moments so that we don't sympathize with him TOO much and think that maybe he's right here. In the end, the titular Black Panther defeats the usurper and maintains the status quo, but builds a community center in Oakland to show that he's capable of reaching out and changing the world, sort of. Meanwhile, a CIA agent flies remote drones to shoot down Wakandan pilots following the orders of their new leader so that America can maintain the rule of an American-friendly monarch. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kimberle.crenshaw/posts/10156138000853851">Kimberle Crenshaw wrote an excellent post to this point that goes into detail much better than I ever could.</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><br />Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson) -</span></span></b></b></span></b></span> The stop-motion animation is cool and the dogs are nice and gross, but otherwise this one didn't inspire much of a reaction from me. I've seen critics both praise and bash it, but I couldn't personally bring myself to feel much at all. I
expected it to be a tough watch but there's really no emotional drive
here at all. I'm generally a big fan of Anderson but this ranks at the bottom of his
list for me. There's a crazy amount of voice over exposition
explaining stuff that doesn't need to be said and while that's nothing new to
Anderson's style it feels less necessary than ever here.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><br />Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (J. A. Bayona) - </span></span></b></b></span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Jurassic World 2's</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"> never boring, I'll give
it that. It's also weirdly interesting as an inversion of Jurassic World
1, which revered the original Park. This one just blows everything up
and resents everyone. It's ultimately more of a Resident Evil movie than
a Jurassic Park movie, complete with evil laboratory under a ludicrous
castle mansion. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x">A velociraptor mugs for the camera
and pretends to be asleep to fool a bad guy, basically winking at the
camera before eating him. Another raptor reads a flammable warning sign
and understands how gas leaks work and heroically jumps out of an
explosion. It's a fun ride that doesn't have a lot to say, but at the very least it's a way better film than Bayona's 2016 drama A Monster Calls.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXBI8mq6cWWT0oQVjqJZYW6k5mtYnee4LRxooUNxwdmNsrayDexxzC0AwTp7X2Zbg4a6RV-wgjOkxKitReTO8wF5dEjlkw-3Kd1O1VR2PwHrteae38JGrw7AyB9eOEvj7Ac5wyRxd94Q0/s1600/Solo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="950" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXBI8mq6cWWT0oQVjqJZYW6k5mtYnee4LRxooUNxwdmNsrayDexxzC0AwTp7X2Zbg4a6RV-wgjOkxKitReTO8wF5dEjlkw-3Kd1O1VR2PwHrteae38JGrw7AyB9eOEvj7Ac5wyRxd94Q0/s640/Solo.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;"><br />Solo: A Star Wars Story (Ron Howard) - </span></span></b></b></span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">I expected a train-wreck from all of the behind the scenes drama, but Solo's actually fine. </span></span></span></span>Some of the referential stuff was a little too cutesy and it's about 15 minutes longer than it needs
to be, but it really does feel different from other Star Wars films and was
nice and small and personal. It's a crime/heist movie where the twists all make
sense and the stakes are immediately clear, where I still don't really understand the political
scale of anything that happens in Force Awakens or Last Jedi. The
cinematography is uninteresting, but it's got some great alien designs. It's a weird one because it's a Star Wars prequel that fills in gaps that don't need to be filled while at the same time, from my anecdotal evidence, seems to be better received by people with less attachment to the franchise.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Films flawed in significant ways:</span></b></span></span></span></span></b></b></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b> </b></span></b></span><br />
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<br />
<b><b>Avengers: Infinity War (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo) - </b></b>I don't like the Avengers films but people keep saying, "Trust me, this one's better, you'll like it!" I never do. For what it's worth, I DO think this is the best of the Avengers films, but that's a bar that couldn't be lower. It's at the very least interestingly weird at times, but the human drama is spread ludicrously thin between the enormous cast, the action's stupid, and it's tonally all over the place. Captain America, while protecting one of his robot buddies from invading alien hordes, states, "We don't trade lives," followed by
sending thousands of Wakandans to die to save one man-bot. The line even
comes up a second time as a heroic moment! What he really means is, "We don't let friends sacrifice themselves, but
all those other guys, it's no biggie."<br />
<br />
When compared to other films in the Marvel series, it's not as good as the personal stories in Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's not as stylistically creative as Black Panther, it's not as good of a comedy as Guardians of the Galaxy, and it's not
as good of an action movie as Captain America #1. It's a greatest hits album in film form, but instead of actually picking the best songs it's all b-side fillers.<br />
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<br />
That's it for 2018! In 2019 there's a great looking Godzilla sequel, Jordan Peele's Us, M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, and a bunch of others I'm looking forward to. Frozen 2 will probably be my daughter's first film in a theater. There's also a bizarre looking Joker movie that I mainly care about because it stars Joaquin Phoenix and obviously there's another Star War coming that I can only assume will undo half of The Last Jedi and introduce a whole bunch of new mysteries that don't go anywhere. Should be fun!<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><b> </b></span>surlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04490601640733928562noreply@blogger.com0