While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!
Serena’s Picks
Video Game: “Ledgerbound”
This is a visual novel, tactical RPG, dating sim full of crude humor and ridiculous companions. It also features a story of a found family of insurance adjusters…I mean, heroes…going on crazy adventures. It sounds like a mess, but I absolutely loved it. The humor will definitely be the make it or break it feature for most players, as the story was the clear priority for the devs. But for such a small, Indie endeavor, I was blown away by the quality of the writing and the voice acting. I also found the brief battle sequences surprisingly challenging at times. It’s hard to even know who to recommend this game to, because it’s so unique. But it was such a fun time that I’m tempted to just say that if any of these elements sound remotely interesting, definitely give it a shot with the demo and see if it clicks! Currently, it seems criminally under appreciated, so I’m making it my personal mission to inform as many people as I can. You’re welcome.
Movie: “The Odyssey”
I have a bit of a hit-and-miss relationship with Christopher Nolan. I’ve really enjoyed some of his movies, but the Batman trilogy, especially the last one, drove me up a wall. “Inception” was great, but don’t get me started on “Tenet.” (My husband has re-watched that last one a few times in some odd effort to convince himself it’s good.) That said, when Nolan is restrained by source material, I think he is often better, and such was the case here. Whatever else you can say about the guy, he knows how to make a movie that is worth the ticket price at the theatre, which is a tough sell nowadays. This was a spectacle in pretty much every way, from sound design, to visuals, to the outstanding performances. It seems like everyone has seen it, but if you haven’t, and it’s still in a theater near you, I think this is one of those movies that really does justify itself as far as making a trip to the cinema goes.
Video Game: “Star Wars: Zero Company”
This is another video game that is out of my usual norms. While I’ve enjoyed other turn based games (coughBG3cough), I haven’t played many true tactics games. But when this one dropped, several of the reviewers I followed all raved about it. Between that and the high production value of the cut scenes I was seeing, I thought I’d give it a go. And it’s been a ton of fun! It’s taken a bit to settle in to the game play, but the story itself immediately sold me on the game. There’s something about the atmosphere of the game, from the voice acting, to the music, to the writing, that immediately draws you in. If you enjoy tactics games at all, I definitely recommend this one!
Kate’s Picks
TV Show: “Psych”
I watched “Psych” YEARS ago when it was on, and I did a rewatch probably ten years ago. It’s not a new show to me. But when Tim Curry died and my heart was absolutely broken I started looking into anything I could watch in tribute. I wanted to save “Rocky Horror” for that weekend at midnight and decided to watch the episode of “Psych” where he played a Simon Cowell-esque reality TV judge. And that led me to start an entire rewatch of “Psych” in the coming weeks because I had forgotten how damn funny it was. It follows Shawn and Gus, two best friends who run a private detective agency where Shawn pretends to be psychic, but is actually just incredibly perceptive and solves crimes that way. It is very 2010s in its humor and sensibilities, but James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill have perfect chemistry as the sardonic Shawn and the neurotic Gus. It’s been fun rewatching a show that is quite humorous and low stakes.
Podcast: “Asking Autistics”
This month signaled the end of a months long process of me getting evaluated for autism, and I wasn’t totally surprised when the results came back as ‘yeah, you totally are’ after a few years of wondering/seeing similar things in my daughter that I see in myself. After getting diagnosed (and also learning that I was NOT ACTUALLY ADHD like I had been told when I was a teenager; THAT was a mindfuck) I decided to look into, what else, a podcast to try and learn more! And I found one that was not only by two autistic people, but two women who are more than happy to discuss their experiences. “Asking Autistics” is hosted by Lindsey and Rebecca, and they talk about being autistic in their day to day lives and what that looks like for them, as well as other topics and how it relates to their autism. They have guests, they have anecdotes, and I’ve found it interesting and a good starting off point while I kind of parse all this out in my own life.
Film: “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”
We all know that I’m a huge slasher film fan! I have an especially special place in my heart for both the “Friday the 13th” franchise and the cult classic “Sleepaway Camp”, both taking place at summer camps and being gore fests that left their marks on the slasher genre (for better or worse, depending on perspective). Clearly this meant that I was VERY interested in seeing Jane Schoenbrun’s new surrealistic horror film “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”. In “Miasma”, a young up and coming queer director has been hired to reboot the infamous “Camp Miasma” slasher series (considered a classic but deeply problematic as time has gone on), and seeks out the original ‘final girl’ actress to the first film who has become a recluse. But the film’s slasher, Little Death, may not be so grounded in fiction. This film is not only a fantastic love letter to 80s slasher films (with SO MANY Easter eggs across the entire genre), it also deconstructs some of the more problematic beats of the genre when it comes to sexuality and gender (especially the transphobic undercurrents of “Sleepaway Camp”, a film that I love but definitely doesn’t age well in regards to Angela’s gender dynamics). Gillian Anderson as final girl Billy Presley is engaging and mysterious and a delight, while Hannah Einbinder as director Kris brings earnestness and awkwardness to the perfect degree. I found it enjoyable and strange and very, very fun.
