MOVIE: Palm Springs (2020)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Palm Springs Year: 2020 Rating: R Length: 90 minutes / 1.50 hours There's something special about the time loop plot format. It's been done several times in plenty of different genres. That there are even a few beloved movies like Groundhog Day (1993) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014) shows how meaningful the time loop can be when done properly. Palm Springs (2020) is the latest in this genre that follows in both footsteps of Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow by being a romantic comedy with a sci-fi explanation for the repeating timeline. As a modern romantic comedy (perhaps one of the last modern romantic comedies), much of the humor in Palm Springs is crass and sexualized. This means that occasionally there's a good joke or two in here, but it mostly just feels like the frustrated rambling of a horny teenager. Considering that Andy Samberg features prominently in this film, it's no wonder why this is the case. Now, there are parts that are...
Read More

VIDEO GAME: Portal 2 (2011)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Portal 2 Year: 2011 Rating: E10+ Time Played: 8.5 hours While Portal felt like an innovative leap in gameplay, its bare-bones test chambers left a little to be desired for the variety of puzzles. Fortunately, four years after the release of Portal, Valve released the masterpiece that is Portal 2. Everything about the original game was taken into consideration and improved significantly. The environment was chock-full of lore, the gameplay added interesting mechanics with the addition of the gels, and the characters were funnier than ever. Even playing through this game over a decade after my first time still felt fresh and entertaining. Exploring the different areas of Aperture Laboratories (in various levels of decay) brought a much-needed ambiance to the series that was merely enhanced by the narrations of Cave Johnson (J.K. Simmons). That the game acts as a sort of prequel and sequel to the original merely emphasizes how well-considered its story is and how much lore can be crammed into a physics-based...
Read More