BOOK: A Gathering of Shadows (2016)

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A Gathering of ShadowsYear: 2016Author: V.E. SchwabLength: 969 minutes / 16.15 hours It’s been five years since I read the first book in this series and the only thing I remembered was that I thought that book was just kind of average. Nevertheless, I finally got around to reading A Gathering of Shadows, hoping that something would improve the series going forward. Fortunately, I found the last half of this book to be entertaining. That I had to sit through the boring first part wasn’t great and seems to be a continuing issue with this series. There’s something to be said about starting a story in the right spot. As was the case again, the main character just doesn’t resonate with me that much. Luckily, there were enough other characters who stole the spotlight and brought up the entertainment value for me. Even with my last exposure to this series being five years ago, my memory of these characters came back easily....
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MOVIE: Ratatouille (2007)

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RatatouilleYear: 2007Rating: GLength: 111 minutes / 1.85 hours There are few films that hit home quite like Ratatouille (2007) does. Not only is it a gorgeously animated representation of French cooking (and cooking in general), but its message about pursuing your creative dreams despite the obvious challenges is an important one. I think this film and La La Land (2016) both speak volumes about what it means to work in creative spaces. True talent will rise to the top, but only if they have the grit to keep with it. I have a soft spot for Brad Bird's films, and Ratatouille is no exception. The theme of exceptional outsiders strings through from The Iron Giant (1999) to The Incredibles (2004) and really lands here in Ratatouille. While there are so many movies out there that tell you to "follow your dreams," Ratatouille does so with such a juxtaposition that you figure it would never happen. Rats are dirty, so how could one...
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VIDEO GAME: What the Car? (2023)

by benmweilertNo Comments
What the Car?Year: 2023Rating: ETime Played: ~5 hours By this point, I expect a certain amount of silliness from the What the... series of games. From the highly referential humor of What the Golf? to the awkward control scheme of What the Bat?, I expected something ridiculous with What the Car? As half a racing game and half a platformer, What the Car? has tons of puns (a staple of the series) but lacks a little in the finesse of its controls. The standard set of levels in What the Car? have particular themes that then play off the unique movement style of the car. This was quite similar to some of the gameplay mechanics in What the Golf? There were also levels with greater challenges and, of course, each level had its own collectables and goal times to meet for a bronze, silver, or gold ranking. Casually playing through the whole thing didn't take too long, but I suspect that's why...
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MOVIE: A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)

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A Matter of Loaf and DeathYear: 2008Rating: PGLength: 29 minutes / 0.48 hours One of the weird things about claymation is that there's this fine line between rough early works and super-refined later films. For Wallace & Gromit, the quality of shorts like A Grand Day Out (1989) shows potential, and the next two shorts of The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995) refined the feel of the universe while still having that organic, handmade aesthetic. After having released the full-length Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), the next short of A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008) actually felt too polished. Stylistically, A Matter of Loaf and Death is perhaps the most consistent of the shorts. Whether CGI helped or if the processes to make stop-motion films have improved over time, it's difficult to tell. Whatever the reason, so much of this short feels too clean—there aren't the errant fingerprints or other artifacts that reveal the handmade nature of the...
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BOOK: Ozma of Oz (1907)

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Ozma of OzYear: 1907Author: L. Frank BaumLength: 188 pages The third book in a large series always feels like it doesn’t have the weight of expectations on it and can relax into its own story. It’s far enough from the first book that it doesn’t get as many direct comparisons, but it’s also taking advantage of any feedback from the second book that either worked or didn't. Ozma of Oz isn’t nearly up to the level of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it pulled enough elements through to make it feel as successful as that first book. First, Ozma of Oz brought Dorothy back. Her missing presence in The Marvelous Land of Oz left me longing for the reaction of an average human to these fantastic settings and characters. Second, the plot felt much more simple compared to the second book. The singular focus helped bring the characters together for a common goal that didn’t get distracted by introducing too many...
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MOVIE: Bolt (2008)

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BoltYear: 2008Rating: PGLength: 96 minutes / 1.60 hours Mid-2000s Disney was an interesting time for their CGI movies. Pixar had been dominating for at least a decade and created gorgeous films with heartwarming plots. Struggling to keep up with this new medium, Disney still hadn't fully committed to CGI, and it has not aged well. Just as an example, think about how incredible WALL-E (2008) looked and realize it came out the same year as Bolt (2008). Not to say that Bolt is a terrible movie, it just feels bland in comparison—both on looks and plot. Part of the problem of this era of CGI movies is how dated they can feel. Sure, Disney was using some CGI in their animated films even as far back as The Little Mermaid (1989). It's just that Pixar seemed to understand that humans needed to be more like caricatures to escape the uncanny valley. The people in Bolt look so weird and wrong that it's...
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VIDEO GAME: Balatro (2024)

by benmweilertNo Comments
BalatroYear: 2024Rating: E10+Time Played: ~20 hours Sometimes the simplest games can be the most complex. Take Balatro, for example. The goal is to hit a certain score by making poker hands. Scored cards add chips, and a multiplier is used based on the poker hand played. As the game progresses, the required score grows and requires the use of special attributes on the cards, as well as a group of Jokers that apply different modifications to the cards, chips, or multiplier. That there are so many combinations means every run can be unique. As with other card games (and Roguelikes), Balatro relies somewhat on the luck of the draw. There are tons of choices that can make or break a round. Do you buy a booster pack for the chance at a rare Joker? Which vouchers are worth it? Do you prioritize flushes over straights? Depending on how you like to play, finding these new synergies is part of the fun of...
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MOVIE: A Close Shave (1995)

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A Close ShaveYear: 1995Rating: PGLength: 31 minutes / 0.52 hours I think it's difficult for the third film in a series to live up to the success of its predecessors. When the first film feels a bit rough and the second is polished to perfection, the third has a lot to live up to. A Close Shave (1995) is definitely better than A Grand Day Out (1989) but I think its scarier elements hold it back from the perfection that is The Wrong Trousers (1993). After all, the levity of Wallace & Gromit is what makes it fun to watch. As is always the case in these early Wallace & Gromit shorts, the technical achievement here is incredible. Aardman makes it look so easy that you don't even realize how they pulled off stop motion flying sequences or have so many moving parts working all in tandem to make a sweater. And the reason why this is falls squarely on how engaging...
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