VIDEO GAME: Wonder Boy – The Dragon’s Trap (2017)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's TrapYear: 2017Rating: E10+Time Played: 306 minutes / 5.10 hours Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of those games that I learned about through a YouTube video and realized I already picked it up for free from the Epic Games Store. The revamped art style was intriguing, and the gameplay felt somewhat modern—even if it had changed little from the original SEGA Master Drive. All things considered, it was a fairly fun playthrough, and I got my money's worth (despite not spending any to buy it). The form change mechanic made the progression through this game even more interesting. Once I'd figured out how to play as one of the animal-based forms, I'd have to learn the next one and start my learning all over. Granted, the better armor and weapons I gained along the way made this easier each time. And with each new form, I'd find some other area of the map that I could now...
Read More

MOVIE: Lion (2016)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Lion Year: 2016 Rating: PG-13 Length: 118 minutes / 1.97 hours Of this year's Best Picture Nominees, Lion (2016) is certainly one of the more . . . artistic ones. Heck, the title of the film wasn't clear until directly before the credits. In part due to the subject matter and the culture in which it takes place, this film can be hard to watch at times. The audience has to come to grips with the poverty and difficult living conditions present in India not only 25 years ago, but today as well. Perhaps it's my need to watch movies that help me to escape from these realities, but it was challenging to be shown such a stark view of another country's reality. While I understand that the larger, overarching message of the film is to bring to light the social issue of lost children in India, the more inspiring subplot had to do with adoption. Many couples have a lot of different reasons for...
Read More