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: Joker (2019)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Joker Year: 2019 Rating: R Length: 122 minutes / 2.03 hours With the saturation of superhero movies between Marvel and DC at all-time highs, it was only a matter of time before a movie like Joker (2019) would come along. If anything, the current socio-political environment in the real world is ripe for this kind of story. While superhero films are appealing to show how individuals with exotic abilities can do battle in CGI-heavy fight sequences, there is a certain amount of horror involved with Joker in the sense that it could realistically happen. There aren’t any radioactive spiders. There isn’t any high-tech gadgetry. There’s only mental illness. I applaud the team behind Joker for not resorting to hackneyed comic book origin stories like chemical spills or “tit for tat” vendettas (even if we had to watch one of the same origin stories again near the end). The casting of Joaquin Phoenix was initially an odd choice, but he nails the role. His type of methodical acting almost humanizes one of...
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