VIDEO GAME: How Fish is Made (2022)

by benmweilertNo Comments
How Fish is MadeYear: 2022Rating: E10+Time Played: 18 minutes There are weird games and there are creepy games, then there’s whatever the heck How Fish is Made is. For a free game, it’s definitely a unique experience. With PS1 graphics, How Fish is Made is a simple game where you control (as much as you can) a sardine through a complex system of vents that will either take you “up” or “down.” Along the way, this sardine can talk to other fish on its journey to the end, but the ultimate goal is always a question of going up or down—and whether it’s even a choice. While the music, sound effects, and dimly lit setting are unnerving, there comes a point where you’re almost assaulted with a huge musical montage put on by a tongue-eating parasite. I had to sit there and stare at the screen for a bit after this number as my brain tried to parse what I had just...
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MOVIE: Conclave (2024)

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ConclaveYear: 2024Rating: PGLength: 120 minutes / 2.00 hours While I’m not Catholic myself, the process of selecting a new pope is fascinating. There’s so much secrecy behind the event that it’s difficult to know what goes on behind closed doors since all the public really sees is either black or white smoke outside the Vatican. I initially thought little this film until it was nominated for Best Picture, but once I saw it, Conclave (2024) became one of my favorites for the year, partly because it perfectly captures similar political turmoil elsewhere in the world. Perhaps my love of Conclave comes from the pageantry of the whole thing. It’s all serious and ceremony, but the little cracks in the façade start to appear as scandals and twists are revealed to the audience. Considering all the drama around the Catholic Church (Spotlight (2015) or Doubt (2008) anyone?), I was glad to see this movie address many of the issues that currently challenge this...
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MOVIE: I’m Still Here (2024)

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I'm Still HereYear: 2024Rating: PG-13Length: 137 minutes / 2.28 hours One of the nice things about more foreign films being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar is that I get to learn about the history of these countries. I know countries like Brazil haven’t had the most stellar history of politics, but movies like I’m Still Here (2024) provide a snapshot of what these unnerving times were like for their citizens. The unfortunate thing with these historical dramas is that I still feel disconnected from these events because they happened somewhere that I have little experience with. It’s educational, but that’s about it. With the rise of political movements that use military might to keep the public in a constant state of fear, I’m Still Here is an important movie to remind us that resistance is necessary but also risky. Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy when you could find yourself disappeared by the party in power. That your family...
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BOOK: Blonde (2000)

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BlondeYear: 2000Author: Joyce Carol OatesLength: 503 minutes / 8.38 hours There are nonfiction biographies about famous people, then there are books like Blonde, which fuse fictional narration techniques with mostly biographical details of a person’s life. While not entirely historically accurate, it is intrinsically entertaining. In fact, I would deem that Blonde is perhaps the most entertaining version of Marilyn Monroe’s life to be put to the page (given that you're listening to the abridged version like I did). It might be too over-erotic in places, but the trauma of being deemed and treated like a sex symbol for decades really comes into focus in this intimate portrayal of Norma Jeane. Blonde is interesting in the way that it almost feels like an autobiography from Marilyn’s perspective. The almost breathless whispering affectation comes across and has such a well-thought-out explanation as to really convey Monroe’s internal monologue through these words. The progression of her life feels completely out of her control, but...
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VIDEO GAME: The Messenger (2018)

by benmweilertNo Comments
The MessengerYear: 2018Rating: E10+Time Played: 867 minutes / 14.27 hours For years, I had heard The Messenger was a great game that evoked the nostalgia of retro video games from the early home console eras. I picked it up on sale, but didn’t start playing it for a while. When I did, I found myself struggling with some of the bosses and had to put it down for an even longer time. Finally, I determined I was probably close to the end of the game and forced myself to finish it. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was only half-way through the game and the second half completely changed my opinion of it. While I love the retro pixel art aesthetic that games like The Messenger try to achieve, I tend to like the 16-bit style more than the 8-bit one that this game starts with. As soon as the game introduced the mechanic to switch between these art styles, the...
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MOVIE: Ice Age (2002)

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Ice AgeYear: 2002Rating: PGLength: 81 minutes / 1.35 hours In an era where most CGI animated movies were coming out of either Pixar or DreamWorks, Ice Age (2002) was a strong contender for 20th Century Fox. While a comedy with talking animals wasn’t a particularly new idea, the setting of prehistoric times made for an amusing “road trip” film as these creatures set out to return a human baby to its tribe. The jokes are smart (which every parent always appreciates), but there’s a thin layer of darker tone that lies underneath that might make this movie a little scary for little kids. Star-studded voice casts had become common by this time, but the three leads of Ray Romano (Manny), Denis Leary (Diego), and John Leguizamo (Sid) are iconic and fit their characters to a tee. And while it was clear the setting was much easier to render in this era than something with grass or other high-detail backgrounds, the detail on...
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