Month: January 2022

New Fiction 2021

Short Stories

Novels

Poems

Comic Shorts/Single Issues

Graphic Novels/Trades

Short Games/Demos

Video Games

Plays

Short Films

Movies

TV Episodes

TV Series

New Fiction 2021 – December

Inferno by Dan Brown (2013)

This was immediately better than The Lost Symbol, and perhaps the best novel in this series. It’s a proper thriller and Brown makes it almost to the end in style before ruining his anti-climax with a lecture on over-population, the benefits of genetic manipulation, and forcing another romantic relationship between the protagonist and a woman he’s known for a traumatic few hours. The only comparison I have for Brown’s exposition and problematic proclivities is Hideo Kojima. Both men have very specific ideas rattling around in their heads and will dump those ideas onto the audience in full. This extends to their respective protagonists. Robert Langdon is like Solid Snake in that their creators make them complete idiots as a means to dump lore and explanations on the reader/player.

Origin by Dan Brown (2016)

I’m convinced Brown’s people hire ghost writers to flesh out every other Brown novel on schedule, but I can’t say if Brown himself writes the awful ones or the almost good ones. This one returns to awful town with the same kind of pacing and exposition dump issues that recurred in Lost Symbol. Nothing happens until a quarter of the way into the book, and there’s no semblance of the enjoyable aspects of a Robert Langdon story until nearly the end, after which the reader is back in a TED Talk. The philosophical and sociological aspects are ultimately more hopeful about the future than Inferno, even if none of that novel’s consequences are mentioned in relation to this novel’s consequences. Like Langdon, I feel like I want to get as far away from the events of these books as possible.

“Mother Whale’s Funeral” by Taishe (2021)

May we all be as nutritious.

“Breaking the News” by Cosmignion (2021)

Windows into the soul might be good, from time to time.

Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman & Rob Guillory (2009)

The concept of seeing the memories of a living being by eating their remains is cool and obvs morbid, though some of the humor feels quite dated.

The Da Vinci Code: Helix dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)

I closed out the year playing all of the games based on the Langdon novels by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code: Helix is a prequel in which the player attempts to join a secret society… by completing a lot of puzzle levels. It’s actually a fun little bubble shooter for mobile.

The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)

The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins is the first of two adventure games they made exclusively for mobile, and which inexplicably only includes part of the story. This one is so simplistic  that I couldn’t really get much out of it. There are no puzzles, just point A to point B.

The Da Vinci Code 3D dev. SouthEnd Interactive (2006)

Then there’s The Da Vinci Code 3D, another adventure game that ends before they complete the story. The PS1-style chunky polygons and textures made this game appealing, as well as the inclusion of some more complex puzzles and mini games.

The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle dev. Impressionware (2006)

The missing ending of the story in the mobile adventure games was leveraged for The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle, in which the characters solve a series of light redirection puzzles. Like Helix, this one was surprisingly fun and challenging, though best played in short bursts.

The Da Vinci Code dev. The Collective (2006)

I compared the expositional styles of Dan Brown and Hideo Kojima in relation to the books, but the video game based on the book of Dan Brown thankfully spares the player much of what Kojima likes to place up front. Instead, the game designers made the wise choice to place much (though not all) of the exposition and history in a sort of encyclopedia for the player’s optional perusal. There are some Kojima games that also put much exposition in optional databases, and I imagine those were all cases in which the power to make the main characters spout it all was wrestled away from him. But anyway, this last game based on The Da Vinci Code has decent adventure game elements and neat little puzzles to solve, and dreadful combat to make sure it’s not as enjoyable as it could have been. The game released in the “grim dark” era of video games when all was washed out and dark, and video games were out to prove they’re just as mature as their movie or literature brethren.

Angels & Demons dev. Glu Mobile (2009)

The number of games based on subsequent books/movies drops precipitously. Angels & Demons from 2009 only got one game in the form of this marble solitaire puzzler, and just like earlier pure puzzle games, it’s both challenging and engaging.

Inferno: Journey Through Hell dev. Part IV (2016)

Inferno released in 2016 and didn’t seem to have any game adaptations, then I discovered the Journey Through Hell ARG based on finding answers to riddles from Dante’s Inferno. Thanks to the developers archiving it, it’s still (mostly) playable online: https://inferno.part4.com.

“Little Fella Farms” dir. Alec Smith (2021)

Sexy little fellas.

House of Gucci dir. Ridley Scott (2021)

Kind of a marvelous trainwreck. Not quite Scorsese-level intrigue (as it intends).

Looper dir. Rian Johnson (2012)

An intriguing possibility for time travel narratives. Going somewhere and staying there just doesn’t pop up much.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie (2017)

Too franchisey for Richie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home dir. Jon Watts (2021)

I enjoyed it and how they managed to accomplish something so bloated, but in hindsight the bloat is a drag and something we all expect from Marvel movies. It’s like an indulgent meal.

Midnight Run dir. Martin Brest (1988)

A refreshing road trip movie. Just two characters who have to get along on a difficult journey.

Encanto dir. Byron Howard, Jared Bush, & Charise Castro Smith (2021)

Upbeat and uplifting with a different take on the antagonist.

El Camino Christmas dir. David E. Talbert (2017)

This harkens back to Copshop. I’m digging these crime-focused chamber dramas.

The Matrix Resurrections dir. Lana Wachowski (2021)

Doesn’t hit as hard as the original, but good to see everyone up and about. Perhaps they went too far to bring back the beloved old-timers, though.

Don’t Look Up dir. Adam McKay (2021)

I’m most intrigued by the fact that people either love it or hate it. I thought it was fine, if heavy-handed.

Nightmare Alley dir. Guillermo del Toro (2021)

This was some especially dark del Toro vibes. I have to keep thinking on it.

Vencer el pasado – “Lo que nos define ante los demás” (2021)

That a novela is dropping some real talk about people’s life choices is heartening. The audience needs to hear it.

La desalmada – “El hijo que espera Isabela es mío” (2021)

I suppose the past catches up.

La Rosa de Guadalupe – “La vendedora de ilusiones” (2021)

A preachy show about preaching that still feels like it should be on Christian channel.

Hawkeye (2021)

Trying to redeem someone who doesn’t feel deserving of it.

The Lost Symbol (2021)

For a TV show based on the worst Langdon novel, it’s okay. They include more characters but needed to make them more central… which I suppose defeats the purpose of basing a TV show on a novel with a decidedly central character.

New Fiction 2021

Previously: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

2021: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Short Stories

  • Jan – “The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar and Paul Blackburn (trans.) (1967)
  • Jan – “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams (1938)
  • Jan – “A Conversation from the Third Floor” by Mohamed Al Bisatie (2003)
  • Jan – “The Mexican” by Jack London (1911)
  • Jan – “Battles in the Desert” by Jose Emilio Pacheco (1980)
  • Jan – “Second Star to the Right…” by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (1999)
  • Jan – “First Steps” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1999)
  • Jan – “Dead Man’s Hand” by Jeffrey Lang (1999)
  • Jan – “Old Souls” by Michael Jan Friedman (1999)
  • Jan – “Sins of the Mother” by S.D. Perry (1999)
  • Jan – “Infinity” by Susan Wright (1999)
  • Jan – “Allegro Ouroboros in D Minor” by S.D. Perry and Robert Simpson (1999)
  • Jan – “The Music Between the Notes” by Steven Barnes (1999)
  • Jan – “Reflections” by L.A. Graf (1999)
  • Jan – “…and straight on ‘til morning” by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (1999)
  • Feb – “Time capsule found on the dead planet” by Margaret Atwood (2009)
  • Feb – “The Street” by H.P. Lovecraft (1920)
  • Feb – “The Crooked Man” by Charles Beaumont (1955)
  • Jun – “What Is Remembered” by Alice Munro (2001)
  • Jun – “Old Babes in the Wood” by Margaret Atwood (2021)
  • Jul – “Revisited, Part One” by Anonymous (2003)
  • Jul – “Ha’mara” by Kevin G. Summers (2003)
  • Jul – “The Orb of Opportunity” by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels (2003)
  • Jul – “Broken Oaths” by Keith R. A. DeCandido (2003)
  • Jul – “… Loved I Not Honor More” by Christopher L. Bennett (2003)
  • Jul – “Three Sides to Every Story” by Terri Osborne (2003)
  • Jul – “The Devil You Know” by Heather Jarman (2003)
  • Jul – “Foundlings” by Jeffrey Lang (2003)
  • Jul – “Chiaroscuro” by Geoffrey Thorne (2003)
  • Jul – “Face Value” by Una McCormack (2003)
  • Jul – “The Calling” by Andrew J. Robinson (2003)
  • Jul – “Revisited, Part Two” by Anonymous (2003)
  • Aug – “A Delicate Architecture” by Catherynne M. Valente (2010)
  • Oct – “Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard” by Aviaq Johnston (2020)
  • Oct – “Uironda” by Luigi Musolino & James D. Jenkins (trans.) (2018)
  • Oct – “The Bloody Chamber” by Angela Carter (1979)
  • Oct – “Tree of the Forest Seven Bells Turns the World Round Midnight” by Sheree Renee Thomas (2016)
  • Oct – “The Remorse of Professor Panebianco” by Greye La Spina (1925)
  • Oct – “The House Party at Smoky Island” by Lucy Maud Montgomery (1935)
  • Oct – “Calcutta, Lord of Nerves” by Poppy Z. Brite (1992)
  • Oct – “Letter to a Young Lady in Paris” by Julio Cortazar (1951)
  • Oct – “The Pelican Bar” by Karen Joy Fowler (2009)
  • Oct – “Cargo” by E. Michael Lewis (2008)
  • Oct – “The Erl-King” by Elizabeth Hand (1998)
  • Oct – “Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” by Jorge Luis Borges & Norman Thomas di Giovanni (trans.) (1940)
  • Oct – “The Show” by Priya Sharma (2011)
  • Oct – “Teratisms” by Kathe Koja (1991)
  • Oct – “Kerfol” by Edith Wharton (1916)
  • Oct – “Demon” by Joyce Carol Oates (1996)
  • Oct – “The Other Place” by Mary Gaitskill (2011)
  • Oct – “Absit” by Angelica Gorodischer & Amalia Gladhart (trans.) (2013)
  • Oct – “Guess” by Meg Elison (2020)
  • Oct – “Ghosts of August” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1980)
  • Oct – “Aura” by Carlos Fuentes & Adrian Ziegler (trans.) (1962)
  • Oct – “The Follower” by Nuzo Onoh (2014)
  • Oct – “The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce (1891)
  • Oct – “The Shadow” by Edith Nesbit (1905)
  • Oct – “The Story of Ming-Y” by Lafcadio Hearn (1887)
  • Oct – “Free Ride” by Cameron Morris & Nina Matsumoto (2016)
  • Oct – “What You Eat” by Alys Hobbs (2020)
  • Nov – “The Quiet Boy” by Nick Antosca (2019)

Novels

  • Feb – The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)
  • Feb – The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)
  • Apr – A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (2000)
  • Jun – Altered Egos by Kenneth Girard (1983)
  • Nov – Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (2000)
  • Nov – The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (2009)
  • Dec – Inferno by Dan Brown (2013)
  • Dec – Origin by Dan Brown (2016)

Poems

  • Jan – “Guernica” by James Johnson Sweeney (1940)
  • Jan – “The Colonel” by Carolyn Forche (1978)
  • Jan – “The Diameter of the Bomb” by Yehuda Amichai (1979)
  • Jan – “Sonnet” by Yehuda Amichai (1958)
  • Jan – “1937? What did they tell you? Que te contaron? Ki konte ou?” by Julia Alvarez (2019)
  • Jan – “The Octopus” by Jose Emilio Pacheco (1985)
  • Feb – “Assembly Line” by Shu Ting (1992)
  • Feb – “Bride” by Maggie Smith (2020)
  • Feb – “Words Heard, By Accident, Over The Phone” by Sylvia Plath (1962)
  • Feb – “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich (1973)
  • Oct – “Ammutseba Rising” by Ann K. Schwader (2015)

Comic Shorts/Single Issues

  • Jan – “The Girl In The Fields” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Jan – “Mattress, Used” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Jan – “The Boy From The Sea” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Jan – “Our Lake Monster” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Jan – “Kindred Spirits” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Jun – “The Ghoul Man” by Jaime Hernandez (2002)
  • Jun – “Futon” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jun – “Wooden Spirit” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jun – “Tomio – Red Turtleneck” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jun – “Gentle Goodbye” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jul – “Dissection-chan” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jul – “Blackbird” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jul – “Magami Nanakuse” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Jul – “Whispering Woman” by Junji Ito (2015)
  • Oct – “Heavy Fog” by Abby Howard (2021)
  • Oct – “Tatter Up!” by Graham Ingels (1955)
  • Oct – “Rasberry Surprise” by W. Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo, Chris O’Halloran, Good Old Neon (2018)
  • Oct – “Strung Along” by Richard Corben (2016)
  • Nov – “Mother Whale’s Funeral” by Taishe (2021)
  • Nov – “The Suit” by Bad Space Comics (2021)
  • Dec – “Breaking the News” by Cosmignion (2021)

Graphic Novels/Trades

  • Feb – Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book One by Alan Moore, Stephen Bisette, John Totleben, Dan Day, Rick Veitch, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza, & Todd Klein (1984-1987)
  • Dec – Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman & Rob Guillory (2009) 

Short Games/Demos

  • Mar – “Berserker and Thumbnail Maker” dev. andretchen (2021)
  • Mar – “In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines” dev. Dead Idle Games (2019)
  • Jul – “Security Booth” dev. Kyle Horwood (2021) 

Video Games

  • Feb – Sayonara Wild Hearts dev. Simogo (2019)
  • Feb – Outer Wilds dev. Mobius Digital (2019)
  • Mar – West of Loathing dev. Asymmetric Publications (2017)
  • Mar – Sonic Mania dev. Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, & Headcannon (2017)
  • Mar – Snatcher dev. Konami (1994)
  • Apr – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Crossroads of Time dev. Novotrade International (1995)
  • Apr – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Harbinger dev. Stormfront Studios (1996)
  • May – What Remains of Edith Finch dev. Giant Sparrow (2017)
  • May – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen dev. The Collective (2000)
  • Jun – If On A Winter’s Night, Four Travelers dev. Dead Idle Games (2021)
  • Jul – Simply Mindy dev. Sexums (2016)
  • Aug – Mega Man 5 dev. Capcom (1992)
  • Aug – Psychonauts 2 dev. Double Fine Productions (2021)
  • Sep – The Curse of Monkey Island dev. LucasArts (1997)
  • Sep – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Dominion Wars dev. Gizmo Games (2001)
  • Oct – Silent Hill 2 dev. Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (2001)
  • Oct – Little Nightmares II dev. Tarsier Studios (2021)
  • Oct – Maneater dev. Tripwire Interactive (2020)
  • Oct – Twelve Minutes dev. Luis Antonio (2021)
  • Oct – Nightmare Collection: Dead of the Brain dev. FairyTale (1992)
  • Nov – NIER dev. Cavia (2010)
  • Dec – The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle dev. Impressionware (2006)
  • Dec – The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)
  • Dec – Inferno: Journey Through Hell dev. Part IV (2016)
  • Dec – The Da Vinci Code: Helix dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)
  • Dec – Angels & Demons dev. Glu Mobile (2009)
  • Dec – The Da Vinci Code 3D dev. SouthEnd Interactive (2006)
  • Dec – The Da Vinci Code dev. The Collective (2006)

Plays

  • Feb – The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (1987)

Short Films

  • Jan – “How to Fish” dir. Jack Kinney (1942)
  • Jan – “Croissant de Triomphe” dir. Paul Rudish (2013)
  • Jan – “No Service” dir. Paul Rudish (2013)
  • Jan – “Yodelberg” dir. Aaron Springer (2013)
  • Jan – “New York Weenie” dir. Aaron Springer (2013)
  • Jan – “Tokyo Go” dir. Paul Rudish (2013)
  • Jan – “Stayin’ Cool” dir. Dave Wasson (2013)
  • Feb – “The Legend of Beavis” dir. KhalidSMShahin (2021)
  • Mar – “Where’s Ghislaine” dir. Molly Lambert (2020)
  • Mar – “Weirdos Go Shopping” dir. Carrie Brownstein (2016)
  • Apr – “Burrow” dir. Madeline Sharafian (2020)
  • Apr – “Genius Loci” dir. Adrien Merigeau (2019)
  • Apr – “Opera” dir. Erick Oh (2020)
  • Apr – “If anything happens I love you” dir. Will McCormack & Michael Govier (2020)
  • Apr – “Ja-Folkio” dir. Gísli Darri (2020)
  • Apr – “Kapaemahu” dir. Kanaka (2020)
  • Apr – “The Snail and the Whale” dir. Max Lang & Daniel Snaddon (2020)
  • Apr – “To: Gerard” dir. Taylor Meacham (2020)
  • Apr – “The Present” dir. Farah Nabulsi (2020)
  • Apr – “Feeling Through” dir. Doug Roland (2020)
  • Apr – “Two Distant Strangers” dir. Travon Free & Martin Desmond Roe (2020)
  • Apr – “Ayn Levana” dir. Tomer Shushan (2020)
  • Apr – “The Letter Room” dir. Elvira Lind (2020)
  • Apr – “Monsters in The Dark” dir. Apollonia Thomaier (2021)
  • Apr – “The Tell-Tale Heart” dir. Ted Parmelee (1953)
  • Apr – “Captain Yajima” dir. Worthikids (2021)
  • Jun – “Are You Lost in the World Like Me?” dir. Steve Cutts (2017)
  • Aug – “Little Runmo” dir. Gooseworx (2019)
  • Aug – “Three Robots” dir. Victor Maldonado & Alfredo Torres (2019)
  • Aug – “Beyond the Aquila Rift” dir. Leon Berelle, Dominique Boidin, Remi Kozyra, Maxime Luere (2019)
  • Aug – “Ice Age” dir. Tim Miller (2019)
  • Aug – “Sonnie’s Edge” dir. Dave Wilson (2019)
  • Aug – “When the Yogurt Took Over” dir. Victor Maldonado & Alfredo Torres (2019)
  • Aug – “The Secret War” dir. Istvan Zorkoczy (2019)
  • Aug – “Sucker of Souls” dir. Owen Sullivan (2019)
  • Aug – “The Witness” dir. Alberto Mielgo (2019)
  • Aug – “Suits” dir. Franck Balson (2019)
  • Aug – “Good Hunting” dir. Oliver Thomas (2019)
  • Aug – “The Dump” dir. Javier Recio Gracia (2019)
  • Aug – “Shape-Shifters” dir. Gabriele Pennacchioli (2019)
  • Aug – “Fish Night” dir. Damian Nenow (2019)
  • Aug – “Helping Hand” dir. Jon Yeo (2019)
  • Aug – “Alternate Histories” dir. Victor Maldonado & Alfredo Torres (2019)
  • Aug – “Lucky 13” dir. Jerome Chen (2019)
  • Aug – “Blindspot” dir. Vitaliy Shushko (2019)
  • Aug – “Zima Blue” dir. Robert Valley (2019)
  • Sep – “Old Buck” dir. David James Armsby (2021)
  • Nov – “Ghost Castle” dir. Louie Zong (2021)
  • Nov – “Expectations” dir. Elena Rogova & Zhenia Pavlenko (2020)
  • Dec – “Little Fella Farms” dir. Alec Smith (2021)

Movies

  • Jan – Chef dir. Jon Favreau (2014)
  • Jan – The Old Guard dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood (2020)
  • Jan – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World dir. Edgar Wright (2010)
  • Jan – The Lovebirds dir. Michael Showalter (2020)
  • Jan – Creature from the Black Lagoon dir. Jack Arnold (1954)
  • Jan – The Midnight Sky dir. George Clooney (2020)
  • Jan – Promising Young Woman dir. Emerald Fennell (2020)
  • Jan – Wonder Woman 1984 dir. Patty Jenkins (2020)
  • Jan – The Little Things dir. John Lee Hancock (2021)
  • Feb – Psycho Goreman dir. Steven Kostanski (2021)
  • Feb – Judas and the Black Messiah dir. Shaka King (2021)
  • Feb – Willy’s Wonderland dir. Kevin Lewis (2021)
  • Feb – Minari dir. Lee Isaac Chung (2020)
  • Feb – Nomadland dir. Chloe Zhao (2020)
  • Apr – The Pianist dir. Roman Polanski (2002)
  • Apr – The Journey of Natty Gann dir. Jeremy Kagan (1985)
  • Apr – Aeon Flux dir. Karyn Kusama (2005)
  • Apr – Lucky dir. Natasha Kermani (2021)
  • Apr – A New Leaf dir. Elaine May (1971)
  • Apr – The Dig dir. Simon Stone (2021)
  • Apr – Shipwrecked dir. Nils Gaup (1990)
  • Apr – Godzilla vs. Kong dir. Adam Wingard (2021)
  • Apr – Avalon dir. Mamoru Oshii (2001)
  • Apr – Nobody dir. Ilya Naishuller (2021)
  • Apr – The Fog dir. John Carpenter (1980)
  • Apr – Blood Simple dir. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (1984)
  • Apr – Rango dir. Gore Verbinski (2011)
  • Apr – The Black Cauldron dir. Ted Berman & Richard Rich (1984)
  • Apr – Batman: The Killing Joke dir. Sam Liu (2016)
  • Apr – Tangled dir. Nathan Greno & Byron Howard (2010)
  • Apr – The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run dir. Tim Hill (2020)
  • Apr – Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown dir. Bill Melendez & Phil Roman (1977)
  • Apr – La Casa Lobo dir. Cristobal Leon & Joaquin Cocina (2018)
  • Apr – Seoul Station dir. Yeon Sang-ho (2016)
  • Apr – The Last Unicorn dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass (1982)
  • Apr – Fantastic Planet dir. Rene Laloux (1973)
  • May – Bone Tomahawk dir. S. Craig Zahler (2015)
  • Jun – Fatherhood dir. Paul Weitz (2021)
  • Jun – Hachi: A Dog’s Tale dir. Lasse Hallstrom (2009)
  • Jun – The Squid and the Whale dir. Noah Baumbach (2005)
  • Jul – Zola dir. Janicza Bravo (2021)
  • Jul – A Quiet Place Part II dir. John Krasinski (2021)
  • Jul – Black Widow dir. Cate Shortland (2021)
  • Jul – F9 dir. Justin Lin (2021)
  • Jul – Pig dir. Michael Sarnoski (2021)
  • Jul – Old dir. M. Night Shyamalan (2021)
  • Jul – Snake Eyes dir. Robert Schwentke (2021)
  • Jul – Jungle Cruise dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2021)
  • Aug – The Green Knight dir. David Lowery (2021)
  • Aug – The Suicide Squad dir. James Gunn (2021)
  • Aug – Escape from Mogadishu dir. Ryoo Seung-wan (2021)
  • Aug – Free Guy dir. Shawn Levy (2021)
  • Aug – Don’t Breathe 2 dir. Rodo Sayagues (2021)
  • Aug – The Night House dir. David Bruckner (2021)
  • Aug – The Protege dir. Martin Campbell (2021)
  • Aug – Reminiscence dir. Lisa Joy (2021)
  • Sep – Candyman dir. Nia DaCosta (2021)
  • Sep – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dir. Destin Daniel Cretton (2021)
  • Sep – Malignant dir. James Wan (2021)
  • Sep – Copshop dir. Joe Carnahan (2021)
  • Sep – The Card Counter dir. Paul Schrader (2021)
  • Sep – Carrie dir. Brian De Palma (1976)
  • Oct – The Babysitter dir. McG (2017)
  • Oct – Dracula dir. Tod Browning & Karl Freund (1931)
  • Oct – Venom: Let There Be Carnage dir. Andy Serkis (2021)
  • Oct – Titane dir. Julia Ducournau (2021)
  • Oct – Frankenweenie dir. Tim Burton (2012)
  • Oct – Gretel & Hansel dir. Oz Perkins (2020)
  • Oct – Deep Red dir. Dario Argento (1975)
  • Oct – LandLocked dir. Paul Owens (2021)
  • Oct – The Lure dir. Agnieszka Smoczynska (2015)
  • Oct – Lamb dir. Valdimar Johannsson (2021)
  • Oct – Population 436 dir. Michelle MacLaren (2006)
  • Oct – Pet Sematary Two dir. Mary Lambert (1992)
  • Oct – The Slumber Party Massacre dir. Amy Holden Jones (1982)
  • Oct – Messiah of Evil dir. Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz (1973)
  • Oct – Track of the Vampire (aka Blood Bath) dir. Jack Hill & Stephanie Rothman (1966)
  • Oct – Halloween Kills dir. David Gordon Green (2021)
  • Oct – The Hitch-Hiker dir. Ida Lupino (1953)
  • Oct – Office Killer dir. Cindy Sherman (1997)
  • Oct – Tigers Are Not Afraid dir. Issa Lopez (2016)
  • Oct – Shin Godzilla dir. Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi (2016)
  • Oct – Wolf’s Hole dir. Vera Chytilova (1987)
  • Oct – Saint Maud dir. Rose Glass (2020)
  • Oct – The Cursed Palace dir. Hasan Redha (1962)
  • Oct – Dream Home dir. Pang Ho-cheung (2010)
  • Oct – Viy dir. Georgiy Kropachyov & Konstantin Ershov (1967)
  • Oct – Halloween dir. John Carpenter (1978)
  • Oct – La Llorona dir. Jayro Bustamante (2019)
  • Oct – Last Night in Soho dir. Edgar Wright (2021)
  • Oct – The Invisible Man dir. James Whale (1933)
  • Oct – The Wolf Man dir. George Waggner (1941)
  • Oct – Blood Diner dir. Jackie Kong (1987)
  • Oct – Antlers dir. Scott Cooper (2021)
  • Nov – No Time to Die dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga (2021)
  • Nov – Dune dir. Denis Villeneuve (2021)
  • Nov – The French Dispatch dir. Wes Anderson (2021)
  • Nov – Eternals dir. Chloe Zhao (2021)
  • Nov – Ghostbusters: Afterlife dir. Jason Reitman (2021)
  • Nov – Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City dir. Johannes Roberts (2021)
  • Dec – House of Gucci dir. Ridley Scott (2021)
  • Dec – Looper dir. Rian Johnson (2012)
  • Dec – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie (2017)
  • Dec – Spider-Man: No Way Home dir. Jon Watts (2021)
  • Dec – Midnight Run dir. Martin Brest (1988)
  • Dec – Encanto dir. Byron Howard, Jared Bush, & Charise Castro Smith (2021)
  • Dec – El Camino Christmas dir. David E. Talbert (2017)
  • Dec – The Matrix Resurrections dir. Lana Wachowski (2021)
  • Dec – Don’t Look Up dir. Adam McKay (2021)
  • Dec – Nightmare Alley dir. Guillermo del Toro (2021)

TV Episodes

  • Feb – The Simpsons – “Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington” (2003)
  • Feb – The Simpsons – “C.E. D’oh” (2003)
  • Jun – La Rosa de Guadalupe – “Cachito de loteria” (2018)
  • Jun – Dr. Candido Perez – “El premio y el tesorito” (2021)
  • Aug – Star Trek: Lower Decks – “Strange Energies” (2021)
  • Oct – The Simpsons  – “Treehouse of Horror XXXII” (2021)
  • Oct – Bob’s Burgers – “The Pumpkinening” (2021)
  • Nov – Star Trek Continues – “Pilgrim of Eternity” (2013)
  • Nov – Star Trek Continues – “Lolani” (2014)
  • Nov – Star Trek Continues – “Fairest of Them All” (2014)
  • Dec – Vencer el pasado – “Lo que nos define ante los demas” (2021)
  • Dec – La desalmada – “El hijo que espera Isabela es mio” (2021)
  • Dec – La Rosa de Guadalupe – “La vendedora de ilusiones” (2021)

TV Series

  • Jan – The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
  • Jan – The Boys – Seasons 1 & 2 (2019-2020)
  • Jan – Hunters – Season 1 (2020)
  • Jan – The Mandalorian – Season 2 (2020)
  • Jan – Cobra Kai – Seasons 1-3 (2018-2019, 2021)
  • Jan – Virgin River – Seasons 1 & 2 (2019-2020)
  • Feb – Fleabag – Series 1 & 2 (2016, 2019)
  • Feb – Undone (2019)
  • Mar – WandaVision (2021)
  • Apr – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
  • Aug – Star Trek: Discovery – Season 3 (2020)
  • Aug – Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season 1 (2020)
  • Aug – Loki (2021)
  • Aug – Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)
  • Nov – The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996)
  • Dec – Hawkeye (2021)
  • Dec – The Lost Symbol (2021)

New Fiction 2021 – December

Inferno by Dan Brown (2013)

This was immediately better than The Lost Symbol, and perhaps the best novel in this series. It’s a proper thriller and Brown makes it almost to the end in style before ruining his anti-climax with a lecture on over-population, the benefits of genetic manipulation, and forcing another romantic relationship between the protagonist and a woman he’s known for a traumatic few hours. The only comparison I have for Brown’s exposition and problematic proclivities is Hideo Kojima. Both men have very specific ideas rattling around in their heads and will dump those ideas onto the audience in full. This extends to their respective protagonists. Robert Langdon is like Solid Snake in that their creators make them complete idiots as a means to dump lore and explanations on the reader/player.

Origin by Dan Brown (2016)

I’m convinced Brown’s people hire ghost writers to flesh out every other Brown novel on schedule, but I can’t say if Brown himself writes the awful ones or the almost good ones. This one returns to awful town with the same kind of pacing and exposition dump issues that recurred in Lost Symbol. Nothing happens until a quarter of the way into the book, and there’s no semblance of the enjoyable aspects of a Robert Langdon story until nearly the end, after which the reader is back in a TED Talk. The philosophical and sociological aspects are ultimately more hopeful about the future than Inferno, even if none of that novel’s consequences are mentioned in relation to this novel’s consequences. Like Langdon, I feel like I want to get as far away from the events of these books as possible.

“Mother Whale’s Funeral” by Taishe (2021)

May we all be as nutritious.

“Breaking the News” by Cosmignion (2021)

Windows into the soul might be good, from time to time.

Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman & Rob Guillory (2009)

The concept of seeing the memories of a living being by eating their remains is cool and obvs morbid, though some of the humor feels quite dated.

The Da Vinci Code: Helix dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)

I closed out the year playing all of the games based on the Langdon novels by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code: Helix is a prequel in which the player attempts to join a secret society… by completing a lot of puzzle levels. It’s actually a fun little bubble shooter for mobile.

The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)

The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins is the first of two adventure games they made exclusively for mobile, and which inexplicably only includes part of the story.

This one is so simplistic  that I couldn’t really get much out of it. There are no puzzles, just point A to point B.

The Da Vinci Code 3D dev. SouthEnd Interactive (2006)

Then there’s The Da Vinci Code 3D, another adventure game that ends before they complete the story. The PS1-style chunky polygons and textures made this game appealing, as well as the inclusion of some more complex puzzles and mini games.

The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle dev. Impressionware (2006)

The missing ending of the story in the mobile adventure games was leveraged for The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle, in which the characters solve a series of light redirection puzzles. Like Helix, this one was surprisingly fun and challenging, though best played in short bursts.

The Da Vinci Code dev. The Collective (2006)

I compared the expositional styles of Dan Brown and Hideo Kojima in relation to the books, but the video game based on the book of Dan Brown thankfully spares the player much of what Kojima likes to place up front. Instead, the game designers made the wise choice to place much (though not all) of the exposition and history in a sort of encyclopedia for the player’s optional perusal. There are some Kojima games that also put much exposition in optional databases, and I imagine those were all cases in which the power to make the main characters spout it all was wrestled away from him. But anyway, this last game based on The Da Vinci Code has decent adventure game elements and neat little puzzles to solve, and dreadful combat to make sure it’s not as enjoyable as it could have been. The game released in the “grim dark” era of video games when all was washed out and dark, and video games were out to prove they’re just as mature as their movie or literature brethren.

Angels & Demons dev. Glu Mobile (2009)

The number of games based on subsequent books/movies drops precipitously. Angels & Demons from 2009 only got one game in the form of this marble solitaire puzzler, and just like earlier pure puzzle games, it’s both challenging and engaging.

Inferno: Journey Through Hell dev. Part IV (2016)

Inferno released in 2016 and didn’t seem to have any game adaptations, then I discovered the Journey Through Hell ARG based on finding answers to riddles from Dante’s Inferno.

Thanks to the developers archiving it, it’s still (mostly) playable online: https://inferno.part4.com.

“Little Fella Farms” dir. Alec Smith (2021)

Sexy little fellas.

House of Gucci dir. Ridley Scott (2021)

Kind of a marvelous trainwreck. Not quite Scorsese-level intrigue (as it intends).

Looper dir. Rian Johnson (2012)

An intriguing possibility for time travel narratives. Going somewhere and staying there just doesn’t pop up much.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie (2017)

Too franchisey for Richie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home dir. Jon Watts (2021)

I enjoyed it and how they managed to accomplish something so bloated, but in hindsight the bloat is a drag and something we all expect from Marvel movies. It’s like an indulgent meal.

Midnight Run dir. Martin Brest (1988)

A refreshing road trip movie. Just two characters who have to get along on a difficult journey.

Encanto dir. Byron Howard, Jared Bush, & Charise Castro Smith (2021)

Upbeat and uplifting with a different take on the antagonist.

El Camino Christmas dir. David E. Talbert (2017)

This harkens back to Copshop. I’m digging these crime-focused chamber dramas.

The Matrix Resurrections dir. Lana Wachowski (2021)

Doesn’t hit as hard as the original, but good to see everyone up and about. Perhaps they went too far to bring back the beloved old-timers, though.

Don’t Look Up dir. Adam McKay (2021)

I’m most intrigued by the fact that people either love it or hate it. I thought it was fine, if heavy-handed.

Nightmare Alley dir. Guillermo del Toro (2021)

This was some especially dark del Toro vibes. I have to keep thinking on it.

Vencer el pasado – “Lo que nos define ante los demás” (2021)

That a novela is dropping some real talk about people’s life choices is heartening. The audience needs to hear it.

La desalmada – “El hijo que espera Isabela es mío” (2021)

I suppose the past catches up.

La Rosa de Guadalupe – “La vendedora de ilusiones” (2021)

A preachy show about preaching that still feels like it should be on Christian channel.

Hawkeye (2021)

Trying to redeem someone who doesn’t feel deserving of it.

The Lost Symbol (2021)

For a TV show based on the worst Langdon novel, it’s okay. They include more characters but needed to make them more central… which I suppose defeats the purpose of basing a TV show on a novel with a decidedly central character.