Tag: 2022

New Fiction 2022 – May

“The Ghost Birds” by Karen Russell (2021)

You see them when you look away.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “1 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Saul done fucked up and all of Israel pays the price. God really loves an underdog though, helping David survive and accrue power on the sidelines as he gets built up to be the good king.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “2 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

This is some real Game of Thrones-ass Bible with the fallout from Saul’s death and David’s coming and going as he keeps having to fight off the Philistines and others. And I thought Kings was a 2-parter but now you’re telling me there’s ANOTHER TWO chapters of king-making?

Dracula Daily – “May” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897)

My good friend Jonathan Harker is having a rough start to his summer.

“Gorn Trek” by dux (2022)

All of Star Trek is poorer for having not received a TV series following the continued journeys of Gorn.

Outer Wilds – “Echoes of the Eye” dev. Mobius Digital (2021)

I was sour over being made to dwell in the dark, but I understand now. The rest of it bowled me over and now I’ll gladly replay those segments with more appreciation. I can’t get enough of conspiracy board gameplay.

Aperture Desk Job dev. Valve (2022)

Yep, Valve needs to make more games.

Sitting dir. Emily Yoshida (2017)

Hold my hand and tell me of yesterday.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dir. Sam Raimi (2022)

Like: it’s so weird and VERY Sam Raimi horror-goof. Dislike: too many moving parts and definitely hindered by MCU tie-in fluff. EEAAO is my multiverse of choice this season.

The Ancestral dir. Le-Van Kiet (2022)

You can’t run away when you’re chasing.

Petite Maman dir. Céline Sciamma (2022)

An understanding achieved is the greatest moment.

Firestarter dir. Keith Thomas (2022)

Control was the illusion. Now it’s chaos we seek.

Eraserhead dir. David Lynch (1977)

Motile horrors.

Videodrome dir. David Cronenberg (1983)

Ah, yes, absolutely long live the new flesh.

Men dir. Alex Garland (2022)

You almost got there.

Crash dir. David Cronenberg (1996)

Meet me on I-5 and I’ll show you something sweet.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie dir. Loren Bouchard & Bernard Derriman (2022)

A feature-length pace isn’t always the way.

Goosebumps – “Stay Out of the Basement” (1996)

You know you shouldn’t go back for the dog.

Goosebumps – “Monster Blood” (1996)

Leave Aunt Kathryn to her hi-jinks.

Goosebumps – “Let’s Get Invisible” (1996)

If we’re in it together then it might not be so bad.

Goosebumps – “The Girl Who Cried Monster” (1995)

Self-defeating prophecies.

Goosebumps – “The Ghost Next Door” (1998)

An eternity of repayment.

Goosebumps – “Be Careful What You Wish For” (1996)

Leave good endings alone when you bring them to TV.

Goosebumps – “The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” (1996)

If a howl works, take it.

Goosebumps – “You Can’t Scare Me” (1996)

The perfect girl is real actually.

Goosebumps – “One Day at Horrorland” (1997)

You had to take it too far.

Goosebumps – “More Monster Blood” (1996)

A light jaunt through 1970s TV set design.

Goosebumps – “Scarecrow Walks at Midnight” (1996)

Nope.

Goosebumps – “Go Eat Worms” (1996)

Perhaps the most awful notion.

Goosebumps – “Ghost Beach” (1996)

Just stick to nice hotels.

Goosebumps – “Return of the Mummy” (1995)

Story so nice they did it twice.

Goosebumps – “Phantom of the Auditorium” (1995)

Not the dark and handsome stranger you’re looking for.

Como Dice el Dicho – “Muerto el perro se acabó la rabia” (2019)

Except I wouldn’t even want a dog.

New Fiction 2022 – April

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Judges” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Eyy Samson, and a lot of focus on how the Israelites are more a loose band of tribes than a nation led by a king. And we sing, “there is no king.”

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Ruth” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Short and sweet, focused on Ruth’s origin as wife of Booz in the lineage that leads to King David. The next book is called 1 Kings so it feels like they’ll finally get to the fireworks factory.

Man Hating Psycho – “Change :)” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

This takes me back about a decade or more to wanting to be a cool and interesting writer with cool and interesting friends. The way these characters live their lives feels so chaotic and carefree, as I tried to be for a hot second.

Man Hating Psycho – “Pain in the Neck” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

There are moments where a character might wonder if they should just go home, and I’m like, yes, go home and get outta this situation full of uncertainty and risk, but then I should know better, shouldn’t I? This pairs well with my recent Mitski obsession.

Man Hating Psycho – “Middle English Bestiary” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

There’s a voice here I hadn’t read for a long time because I was terrified to go back there. I used to ask some people I’d meet (digitally communicate with), “are you real?” Since those mixed up days (are they any different now?), I’ve cut myself off from most communication with most people. Instead, I found a place in reading fiction. All sorts, high-minded lit to comfy-as-a-couch science fiction or horror.

Man Hating Psycho – “vodaphone.co.uk/help” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

I received the communication from them, these made-up people in made-up scenarios. They didn’t need anything from me. I, naturally, began tracking all these fictional works in lists, because how else would I remember that one story about the time a young woman named Belle Starr held a man at gunpoint and which offered no resolution? That’s been the way of it for going on a decade.

Man Hating Psycho – “Nothing Old, Nothing New, Nothing Borrowed, Nothing Blue” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

Then I read this collection of short stories, and I couldn’t immediately file it away and move on. I was confident I was reading fiction in the first few stories, clearly satire yeah? But then it starts to get more real, too personal to be made-up. Perhaps drawn from the author’s real life but rearranged to protect the innocent, you know. The momentum then builds as more and more of real life seeps in including some of my own that I try to keep at bay.

Man Hating Psycho – “I Just Want to Pull Down Your Panties and Fuck You” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

London and Los Angeles, police and Grenfell, identity derived from parents and their parents and their parents. It’s a jam. So some fiction and some nonfiction? How have I never run into this before? I researched the author’s work. Some fiction, some nonfiction. Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other. This and that and all of it. I guess some writing just does that to you.

“The Night-Mother” by Melanie Gillman (2021)

Not long for the upright world.

“Sometimes even the villains have standards” by britainbray (2022)

Someone has to place value on life.

You Won’t Be Alone dir. Goran Stolevski (2022)

Carve the home you want from the stone in the path.

Morbius dir. Daniel Espinosa (2022)

You could have been a contender.

Ambulance dir. Michael Bay (2022)

A gambling man never wins.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 dir. Jeff Fowler (2022)

Eggman or Robotnik, you decide.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore dir. David Yates (2022)

Unnecessary secrets in a unnecessary confession.

Dual dir. Riley Stearns (2022)

Keep it, it’s yours.

The Northman dir. Robert Eggers (2022)

When the story has too much meaning to its creator.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent dir. Tom Gormican (2022)

Mr. Cage is doing fine.

The Bad Guys dir. Pierre Perifel (2022)

Join us or die.

Moon of the Wolf dir. Daniel Petrie (1972)

My fantasy in which the monster kills all the landed gentry. Just unnecessary violence and destruction. This is not it, but I want to see it.

Charlotte dir. Eric Warin & Tahir Rana (2022)

Charlotte Salomon lived a short life. Charlotte Salomon lived a complicated life.

The Monster Squad dir. Fred Dekker (1987)

I understand, but it flew by and now it’s beyond me.

Memory dir. Martin Campbell (2022)

Two Liam Neeson snoozy thrillers in as many months and I wonder who’s clamoring to see these in theaters. This was the better take on an aging assassin thanks to the rest of the cast. A more generous analysis might be, “Under this reading, Neeson’s action movies are about the order whiteness and wealth has imposed on the world, the male sense of entitlement to that order, and the violence lurking beneath it, aimed at anyone who tries to disrupt it.”

New Fiction 2022 – April

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Judges” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Eyy Samson, and a lot of focus on how the Israelites are more a loose band of tribes than a nation led by a king. And we sing, “there is no king.”

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Ruth” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Short and sweet, focused on Ruth’s origin as wife of Booz in the lineage that leads to King David. The next book is called 1 Kings so it feels like they’ll finally get to the fireworks factory.

Man Hating Psycho – “Change :)” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

This takes me back about a decade or more to wanting to be a cool and interesting writer with cool and interesting friends. The way these characters live their lives feels so chaotic and carefree, as I tried to be for a hot second.

Man Hating Psycho – “Pain in the Neck” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

There are moments where a character might wonder if they should just go home, and I’m like, yes, go home and get outta this situation full of uncertainty and risk, but then I should know better, shouldn’t I? This pairs well with my recent Mitski obsession.

Man Hating Psycho – “Middle English Bestiary” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

There’s a voice here I hadn’t read for a long time because I was terrified to go back there. I used to ask some people I’d meet (digitally communicate with), “are you real?” Since those mixed up days (are they any different now?), I’ve cut myself off from most communication with most people. Instead, I found a place in reading fiction. All sorts, high-minded lit to comfy-as-a-couch science fiction or horror.

Man Hating Psycho – “vodaphone.co.uk/help” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

I received the communication from them, these made-up people in made-up scenarios. They didn’t need anything from me. I, naturally, began tracking all these fictional works in lists, because how else would I remember that one story about the time a young woman named Belle Starr held a man at gunpoint and which offered no resolution? That’s been the way of it for going on a decade.

Man Hating Psycho – “Nothing Old, Nothing New, Nothing Borrowed, Nothing Blue” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

Then I read this collection of short stories, and I couldn’t immediately file it away and move on. I was confident I was reading fiction in the first few stories, clearly satire yeah? But then it starts to get more real, too personal to be made-up. Perhaps drawn from the author’s real life but rearranged to protect the innocent, you know. The momentum then builds as more and more of real life seeps in including some of my own that I try to keep at bay.

Man Hating Psycho – “I Just Want to Pull Down Your Panties and Fuck You” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)

London and Los Angeles, police and Grenfell, identity derived from parents and their parents and their parents. It’s a jam. So some fiction and some nonfiction? How have I never run into this before? I researched the author’s work. Some fiction, some nonfiction. Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other. This and that and all of it. I guess some writing just does that to you.

“The Night-Mother” by Melanie Gillman (2021)

Not long for the upright world.

“Sometimes even the villains have standards” by britainbray (2022)

Someone has to place value on life.

You Won’t Be Alone dir. Goran Stolevski (2022)

Carve the home you want from the stone in the path.

Morbius dir. Daniel Espinosa (2022)

You could have been a contender.

Ambulance dir. Michael Bay (2022)

A gambling man never wins.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 dir. Jeff Fowler (2022)

Eggman or Robotnik, you decide.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore dir. David Yates (2022)

Unnecessary secrets in a unnecessary confession.

Dual dir. Riley Stearns (2022)

Keep it, it’s yours.

The Northman dir. Robert Eggers (2022)

When the story has too much meaning to its creator.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent dir. Tom Gormican (2022)

Mr. Cage is doing fine.

The Bad Guys dir. Pierre Perifel (2022)

Join us or die.

Moon of the Wolf dir. Daniel Petrie (1972)

My fantasy in which the monster kills all the landed gentry. Just unnecessary violence and destruction. This is not it, but I want to see it.

Charlotte dir. Eric Warin & Tahir Rana (2022)

Charlotte Salomon lived a short life. Charlotte Salomon lived a complicated life.

The Monster Squad dir. Fred Dekker (1987)

I understand, but it flew by and now it’s beyond me.

Memory dir. Martin Campbell (2022)

Two Liam Neeson snoozy thrillers in as many months and I wonder who’s clamoring to see these in theaters. This was the better take on an aging assassin thanks to the rest of the cast. A more generous analysis might be, “Under this reading, Neeson’s action movies are about the order whiteness and wealth has imposed on the world, the male sense of entitlement to that order, and the violence lurking beneath it, aimed at anyone who tries to disrupt it.”

New Fiction 2022 – March

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Deuteronomy” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

More repetition of mostly the same rules and laws from Numbers and Leviticus, but now we see just how wrathful God gets about his flock going astray. He knew exactly what would happen and fully expected that the Israelites would gripe and fall in with the false idols of the natives of the promised lands. It’s basically a demonic horror villain promising all the ways he’s going to make you suffer. I just feel bad for Moses, who tried real hard to keep a society of people in good standing with the Lord but they were just not gonna have it.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Josue” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

I gotta say, I look forward to these shorter books after the long stretches. Josue is believed to have been written by the man himself except for a few final verses added on after his death, an interesting sidenote in this revision. In content, it’s mostly another inventory of the people of Israel and Josue’s role as executor of God’s estate after the Israelites swept through and killed most of the natives. The Old Testament seems to be mostly rules, inventory, and promises of horrible pain and death.

The Fall of Terok Nor by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

This first part of a trilogy delivered on classic characters in their element, though the authors made some weird choices around characters expressing their attractions and it made some dialogue and behaviors feel out of character.

The War of the Prophets by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

Then the second part of the trilogy goes off-the-wall ape-shit in its plot. It really is a mind-boggling series of events with some especially gruesome moments of violence. Not bad, per se, but taking the characters out of their element really threw me for a loop. It reminds me of many a middle entry that just isn’t particularly pleasant because bad things are happening to characters I know and it won’t be resolved until the third part.

Inferno by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

The time travel element hits hard in the ending of this trilogy of novels, and although they get long-winded at times, it’s fun when characters are trying to use technobabble to explain time travel mechanics and paradoxes woven into the many wild layers of shenanigans. But this one ends the horrifying stuff that happens in the previous book and brings everyone back to Deep Space Nine, which I very much appreciated. It’s maybe too neat an ending considering everything they experience, but it’s also where they needed to be since this all takes place in the latter part of the sixth season of the show.

“Giraffes Explained” by Tim Andraka (2022)

Ah, I knew there had to be a logical explanation.

“I have been hired to clean the wizard tower” by tart (2022)

Tough job, but it’s a living.

“白圈 White Ring” by Woshibai & trans. Guandi Wu (2022)

What an immensely confusing experience is childhood.

“Platformer Practice” dev. Itizso (2020)

Love a good girder hop.

Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates dev. & pub. Tiger Electronics (1990)

I have never completed a LCD handheld game and I don’t know that I’ll ever achieve this again.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles dev. Chris Gray Enterprises & pub. Jaleco (1992)

Nintendo hard still applies to this game from quite late in the life of the NES, but it may be the most mechanically fun of the various games based on Young Indiana Jones. I’m still wondering if this deserves more praise than it seemed to receive in its time.

Instruments of Chaos Starring Young Indiana Jones dev. Brian A. Rice, Waterman Design & pub. Sega (1994)

Whereas this second 2D platformer tried for some technical feats and really just falls flat with its bonkers physics and controls. The very long list of testers guarantees that the issues were noted and this was the best they could do in what I can only assume was a very short development period.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Revolution dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2007)

I was trying to remember if Flash was still relevant for game development in 2007, and I think it was on its way out then. I still harbor some nostalgia for the vector visuals.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Special Delivery dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2007)

Someone decided the first game was too easy and cranked up the difficulty of the dexterity challenges, which is an odd choice for slow-paced games based around adequately preparing for long journeys a la The Oregon Trail and answering historical trivia questions.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hunting for Treasure dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2008)

While mechanically these simple dialogue and mini game assemblages aren’t very interesting, their edutainment factor is impressive. I really did learn some history each time a character asked me for some obscure detail about war machines or tribal rituals.

Robot Carnival – “Opening” dir. Katsuhiro Otomo & Atsuko Fukushima (1987)

An opening to behold.

Robot Carnival – “Franken’s Gears” dir. Koji Morimoto (1987)

Animating any mechanical object must be someone’s special hell.

Robot Carnival – “Star Light Angel” dir. Hiroyuki Kitazume (1987)

Journey with me.

Robot Carnival – “Deprive” dir. Hidetoshi Ōmori (1987)

If you fight and you fight then you will only fight.

Robot Carnival – “Cloud” dir. Manabu Ōhashi (1987)

Continuation is the curse we fail to acknowledge.

The Batman dir. Matt Reeves (2022)

A freak indeed.

Gangubai Kathiawadi dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (2022)

Look out for the ones beside you.

Compartment No. 6 dir. Juho Kuosmanen (2021)

The darkness of the everyday makes me more apprehensive than the terrors we avoid.

Umma dir. Iris K. Shim (2022)

A slap in the face of this wayward child.

The Outfit dir. Graham Moore (2022)

A little less polished and this could’ve really hit hard.

X dir. Ti West (2022)

When you’re alone and alone and alone, your world is the only and the others don’t belong.

Sweet Smell of Success dir. Alexander Mackendrick (1957)

There’s no stopping what can’t be stopped.

The Changeling dir. Peter Medak (1980)

A certain kind of horror hero who doesn’t acknowledge the fear.

Re-Animator dir. Brian Yuzna & Stuart Gordon (1985)

This insistence on forever.

Everything Everywhere All At Once dir. Daniels (2022)

The other you pokes you on the shoulder.

La Mujer Murcielago dir. René Cardona (1968)

Yes! The existence of the thing demands its preservation.

The Lost City dir. Aaron Nee & Adam Nee (2022)

It always ends inside the tomb, don’t it?

Infinite Storm dir. Malgorzata Szumowska (2022)

What is the weight of a life to you? Does it ever get too heavy?

Mighty Max (1993-1994)

I always remembered the final episode as a particularly clever way to end a syndicated animated show that would mostly be watched out of order. And considering that this show was made to advertise toys to kids, it’s a surprisingly mature and dark look at the ol’ hero’s journey.

New Fiction 2022 – March

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Deuteronomy” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

More repetition of mostly the same rules and laws from Numbers and Leviticus, but now we see just how wrathful God gets about his flock going astray. He knew exactly what would happen and fully expected that the Israelites would gripe and fall in with the false idols of the natives of the promised lands. It’s basically a demonic horror villain promising all the ways he’s going to make you suffer. I just feel bad for Moses, who tried real hard to keep a society of people in good standing with the Lord but they were just not gonna have it.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Josue” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

I gotta say, I look forward to these shorter books after the long stretches. Josue is believed to have been written by the man himself except for a few final verses added on after his death, an interesting sidenote in this revision. In content, it’s mostly another inventory of the people of Israel and Josue’s role as executor of God’s estate after the Israelites swept through and killed most of the natives. The Old Testament seems to be mostly rules, inventory, and promises of horrible pain and death.

The Fall of Terok Nor by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

This first part of a trilogy delivered on classic characters in their element, though the authors made some weird choices around characters expressing their attractions and it made some dialogue and behaviors feel out of character.

The War of the Prophets by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

Then the second part of the trilogy goes off-the-wall ape-shit in its plot. It really is a mind-boggling series of events with some especially gruesome moments of violence. Not bad, per se, but taking the characters out of their element really threw me for a loop. It reminds me of many a middle entry that just isn’t particularly pleasant because bad things are happening to characters I know and it won’t be resolved until the third part.

Inferno by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)

The time travel element hits hard in the ending of this trilogy of novels, and although they get long-winded at times, it’s fun when characters are trying to use technobabble to explain time travel mechanics and paradoxes woven into the many wild layers of shenanigans. But this one ends the horrifying stuff that happens in the previous book and brings everyone back to Deep Space Nine, which I very much appreciated. It’s maybe too neat an ending considering everything they experience, but it’s also where they needed to be since this all takes place in the latter part of the sixth season of the show.

“Giraffes Explained” by Tim Andraka (2022)

Ah, I knew there had to be a logical explanation.

“I have been hired to clean the wizard tower” by tart (2022)

Tough job, but it’s a living.

“白圈 White Ring” by Woshibai & trans. Guandi Wu (2022)

What an immensely confusing experience is childhood.

“Platformer Practice” dev. Itizso (2020)

Love a good girder hop.

Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates dev. & pub. Tiger Electronics (1990)

I have never completed a LCD handheld game and I don’t know that I’ll ever achieve this again.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles dev. Chris Gray Enterprises & pub. Jaleco (1992)

Nintendo hard still applies to this game from quite late in the life of the NES, but it may be the most mechanically fun of the various games based on Young Indiana Jones. I’m still wondering if this deserves more praise than it seemed to receive in its time.

Instruments of Chaos Starring Young Indiana Jones dev. Brian A. Rice, Waterman Design & pub. Sega (1994)

Whereas this second 2D platformer tried for some technical feats and really just falls flat with its bonkers physics and controls. The very long list of testers guarantees that the issues were noted and this was the best they could do in what I can only assume was a very short development period.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Revolution dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2007)

I was trying to remember if Flash was still relevant for game development in 2007, and I think it was on its way out then. I still harbor some nostalgia for the vector visuals.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Special Delivery dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2007)

Someone decided the first game was too easy and cranked up the difficulty of the dexterity challenges, which is an odd choice for slow-paced games based around adequately preparing for long journeys a la The Oregon Trail and answering historical trivia questions.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hunting for Treasure dev. Riverdeep, Asylum Entertainment  & pub. LucasArts (2008)

While mechanically these simple dialogue and mini game assemblages aren’t very interesting, their edutainment factor is impressive. I really did learn some history each time a character asked me for some obscure detail about war machines or tribal rituals.

Robot Carnival – “Opening” dir. Katsuhiro Otomo & Atsuko Fukushima (1987)

An opening to behold.

Robot Carnival – “Franken’s Gears” dir. Koji Morimoto (1987)

Animating any mechanical object must be someone’s special hell.

Robot Carnival – “Star Light Angel” dir. Hiroyuki Kitazume (1987)

Journey with me.

Robot Carnival – “Deprive” dir. Hidetoshi Ōmori (1987)

If you fight and you fight then you will only fight.

Robot Carnival – “Cloud” dir. Manabu Ōhashi (1987)

Continuation is the curse we fail to acknowledge.

The Batman dir. Matt Reeves (2022)

A freak indeed.

Gangubai Kathiawadi dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (2022)

Look out for the ones beside you.

Compartment No. 6 dir. Juho Kuosmanen (2021)

The darkness of the everyday makes me more apprehensive than the terrors we avoid.

Umma dir. Iris K. Shim (2022)

A slap in the face of this wayward child.

The Outfit dir. Graham Moore (2022)

A little less polished and this could’ve really hit hard.

X dir. Ti West (2022)

When you’re alone and alone and alone, your world is the only and the others don’t belong.

Sweet Smell of Success dir. Alexander Mackendrick (1957)

There’s no stopping what can’t be stopped.

The Changeling dir. Peter Medak (1980)

A certain kind of horror hero who doesn’t acknowledge the fear.

Re-Animator dir. Brian Yuzna & Stuart Gordon (1985)

This insistence on forever.

Everything Everywhere All At Once dir. Daniels (2022)

The other you pokes you on the shoulder.

La Mujer Murcielago dir. René Cardona (1968)

Yes! The existence of the thing demands its preservation.

The Lost City dir. Aaron Nee & Adam Nee (2022)

It always ends inside the tomb, don’t it?

Infinite Storm dir. Malgorzata Szumowska (2022)

What is the weight of a life to you? Does it ever get too heavy?

Mighty Max (1993-1994)

I always remembered the final episode as a particularly clever way to end a syndicated animated show that would mostly be watched out of order. And considering that this show was made to advertise toys to kids, it’s a surprisingly mature and dark look at the ol’ hero’s journey.

New Fiction 2022 – February

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Genesis” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

It was a rough start but Genesis comes around by the end. Joseph’s in charge, the 12 tribes of Jacob/Israel are doing well amid a famine, and Egyptians are selling themselves into slavery for food. On to Exodus, which will surely be a good time for the Hebrew people.

Rest assured that I am asking the important questions.

image

Now I can appreciate works like “Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova: https://poets.org/poem/lots-wife. “Yet in my heart I never will deny her,
who suffered death because she chose to turn.”

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Exodus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Exodus starts with action and suspense (will Pharao let his people go?!). Good movie material. But that story has its climax in the first third of the book, after which it becomes God’s checklist for DIY tabernacles. Now it’s on to Leviticus and I have no idea what to expect.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Leviticus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Leviticus takes us through the continued trials of Moses and his dictation of the holy law of the land. Lots of accounting. Do not cheap out on tithes or God will have Words with ye.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Numbers” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Numbers takes an interesting turn. “We were slaves and horribly mistreated by the Egyptians but God says this here promised land belongs to us now so you gotta die.” I keep remembering how this book is used to justify some awful stuff. Leviticus is the one where people pick and choose the rules that support their prejudices, and it looks like Numbers is the one where you can point and say “war is good!”

I also calculated that I’ll finish reading the bible in September 2024. It’s no wonder that Sunday schools and, uh, weekly church sermons just highlight the greatest hits.

“Los Espiritus Regresan a Casa” edited and translated by James D. Sexton & Freddy Rodríguez Mejía, adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

You should expect that you are not alone.

“Lo que los perros vieron” collected by Joseph D. Sobol & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

We see little and know less.

“El Niño Que Vio Visiones” by Victor Montejo & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

But would we want to see what’s really there?

“Las Memorias de los Muertos (La Misa Encapuchada” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

Seeking community in the hereafter.

“El maestro de escuela” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

The people who remain.

“La Flor Llameante” edited by J. Frank Dobie & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

The universal fall from the ideal.

“Pachacamac y Wakon” based on work by Fran Gonzales & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

Blessed are the believers.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937)

The novel hits the high notes, but what’s even better is it has lines! And sticks the landing spectacularly in the final 3 pages. I haven’t written with intent for a while, but god, that’s what made it all worth it. Finding *the* line, the perfect final moment. The story’s title rounds out my holy trinity. This book’s title is on the nose but hey, you know what you’re gonna get.

“The most beautiful woman in town has issued an ultimatum” by Reggie (2022)

Challenge me.

“Curiosity Killed My Beia” by Hana Chatani (2021)

They would want this / they would not want this.

“Robin Robin” dir. Dan Ojari & Mikey Please (2021)

If you are, then you will be.

“Boxballet” dir. Anton Dyakov (2021)

Unlikeliest times and places.

“Affairs of the Art” dir. Joanna Quinn & Les Mills (2021)

Should it be perfect?

“Bestia” dir. Hugo Covarrubias (2021)

You choose your demise.

“The Windshield Wiper” dir. Alberto Mielgo (2021)

A big question with no answer.

“On my Mind” dir. Martin Strange-Hansen (2021)

When it has to be this and nothing else is enough.

“Please Hold” dir. KD Dávila (2021)

The inevitable.

“The Long Goodbye” dir. Aneil Karia (2021)

My backyard is my grave.

“The Dress” dir. Tadeusz Lysiak (2021)

Why even bother with men?

“Ala Kachuu—Take and Run” dir. Maria Brendle (2021)

Why should any of us want suffering for them? Why should we want our suffering to happen again and again and again?

Moonfall dir. Roland Emmerich (2022)

A pretty promise of more than this.

Death on the Nile dir. Kenneth Branagh (2022)

You strip the nuance like so much grease from the hide.

Blacklight dir. Mark Williams (2022)

Slumbering spy games.

Uncharted dir. Ruben Fleischer (2022)

A set piece doesn’t hit when it’s at the speed of a passive audience.

Cyrano dir. Joe Wright (2022)

A twisted web with little to gain but the hope of an accelerated heartbeat.

New Fiction 2022 – February

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Genesis” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

It was a rough start but Genesis comes around by the end. Joseph’s in charge, the 12 tribes of Jacob/Israel are doing well amid a famine, and Egyptians are selling themselves into slavery for food. On to Exodus, which will surely be a good time for the Hebrew people.

Rest assured that I am asking the important questions.

image

Now I can appreciate works like “Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova: https://poets.org/poem/lots-wife. “Yet in my heart I never will deny her, who suffered death because she chose to turn.”

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Exodus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Exodus starts with action and suspense (will Pharao let his people go?!). Good movie material. But that story has its climax in the first third of the book, after which it becomes God’s checklist for DIY tabernacles. Now it’s on to Leviticus and I have no idea what to expect.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Leviticus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Leviticus takes us through the continued trials of Moses and his dictation of the holy law of the land. Lots of accounting. Do not cheap out on tithes or God will have Words with ye.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Numbers” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Numbers takes an interesting turn. “We were slaves and horribly mistreated by the Egyptians but God says this here promised land belongs to us now so you gotta die.” I keep remembering how this book is used to justify some awful stuff. Leviticus is the one where people pick and choose the rules that support their prejudices, and it looks like Numbers is the one where you can point and say “war is good!”

I also calculated that I’ll finish reading the bible in September 2024. It’s no wonder that Sunday schools and, uh, weekly church sermons just highlight the greatest hits.

“Los Espiritus Regresan a Casa” edited and translated by James D. Sexton & Freddy Rodríguez Mejía, adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

You should expect that you are not alone.

“Lo que los perros vieron” collected by Joseph D. Sobol & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

We see little and know less.

“El Niño Que Vio Visiones” by Victor Montejo & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

But would we want to see what’s really there?

“Las Memorias de los Muertos (La Misa Encapuchada” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

Seeking community in the hereafter.

“El maestro de escuela” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

The people who remain.

“La Flor Llameante” edited by J. Frank Dobie & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

The universal fall from the ideal.

“Pachacamac y Wakon” based on work by Fran Gonzales & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

Blessed are the believers.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937)

The novel hits the high notes, but what’s even better is it has lines! And sticks the landing spectacularly in the final 3 pages. I haven’t written with intent for a while, but god, that’s what made it all worth it. Finding *the* line, the perfect final moment. The story’s title rounds out my holy trinity. This book’s title is on the nose but hey, you know what you’re gonna get.

“The most beautiful woman in town has issued an ultimatum” by Reggie (2022)

Challenge me.

“Curiosity Killed My Beia” by Hana Chatani (2021)

They would want this / they would not want this.

“Robin Robin” dir. Dan Ojari & Mikey Please (2021)

If you are, then you will be.

“Boxballet” dir. Anton Dyakov (2021)

Unlikeliest times and places.

“Affairs of the Art” dir. Joanna Quinn & Les Mills (2021)

Should it be perfect?

“Bestia” dir. Hugo Covarrubias (2021)

You choose your demise.

“The Windshield Wiper” dir. Alberto Mielgo (2021)

A big question with no answer.

“On my Mind” dir. Martin Strange-Hansen (2021)

When it has to be this and nothing else is enough.

“Please Hold” dir. KD Dávila (2021)

The inevitable.

“The Long Goodbye” dir. Aneil Karia (2021)

My backyard is my grave.

“The Dress” dir. Tadeusz Lysiak (2021)

Why even bother with men?

“Ala Kachuu—Take and Run” dir. Maria Brendle (2021)

Why should any of us want suffering for them? Why should we want our suffering to happen again and again and again?

Moonfall dir. Roland Emmerich (2022)

A pretty promise of more than this.

Death on the Nile dir. Kenneth Branagh (2022)

You strip the nuance like so much grease from the hide.

Blacklight dir. Mark Williams (2022)

Slumbering spy games.

Uncharted dir. Ruben Fleischer (2022)

A set piece doesn’t hit when it’s at the speed of a passive audience.

Cyrano dir. Joe Wright (2022)

A twisted web with little to gain but the hope of an accelerated heartbeat.

New Fiction 2022 – January

“2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)

This is the first Vonnegut I’ve read in full. Is it satire? It’s certainly dark. I will continue.

“From the Deposition of the Vaginal Teeth” by Elizabeth H. Turner (2022)

They speak for themselves.

Avatar: Book One by S.D. Perry (2003)

This really should have been grouped with its latter half… but as an opening statement, it’s a bold one. I’ve been looking forward to this longer work from Perry since reading some of her short entries in the Deep Space Nine anthologies. Rather than settle into the peaceful promise of the end of the series, it shakes things up with some fairly shocking moments.

Avatar: Book Two by S.D. Perry (2003)

And I just gotta say, the Avatar duology is phenomenal. I love the focus on Kira as commander of the station and that Bajoran faith and religion continue to play a vital role. As a post-war trauma narrative, it’s also fascinating to see them deal with their feelings in the aftermath.

“Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova (1973)

I’ve started reading the bible and allow me the heresy of saying that–much like The Simpsons–other stories becomes that much better when I understand the references. I’ve known about Lot’s wife for a while but now I really understand the outrage. God didn’t have to go that hard.

“The Door in the Kitchen” by Abby Howard (2019)

My love of creepy horror comics continues unabated.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)

Written in the time when Trump was dominating the public consciousness against our will, this is a nuanced examination of experiences we don’t read about in history books. “Never again” feels like something we aspire to and never achieve, so I hope we continue to get books like these to remind us.

“Slide in the Woods” dev. Jonny’s Games (2021)

Listen, do you want creepy things? Because that’s what happens when you put a slide in the woods.

Florence dev. Mountains (2018)

I loved everything about it. Light on gameplay, heavy on the feels.

“The Snowman” dir. Dianne Jackson (1982)

I can’t believe this isn’t as big a deal outside the UK as it should be. It’s an amazing animated film.

“Baker Bobb” dir. Billy Burger (2018)

Cute little short from a local group.

“Magnetic Rose” dir. Kōji Morimoto (1995)

Goddamn, that nineties anime hits hard.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie dir. Shinichirō Watanabe (2001)

If you’re going to make a movie from a beloved series, this is the way to do it.

The Tragedy of Macbeth dir. Joel Coen (2021)

German expressionism gets me every time.

The 355 dir. Simon Kinberg (2022)

I want more of these. More women-led action is the way to go.

The King’s Man dir. Matthew Vaughn (2021)

What a bizarre movie. Tonally, it’s trying to be a period war drama but also a ridiculous action comedy.

Scream dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olphin & Tyler Gillett (2022)

I guess it’s neat, but I hadn’t seen the fourth before I watched this. Then I did and this was missing a crucial character…

Scream 4 dir. Wes Craven (2011)

Bring back Kirby.

Belle dir. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)

This was a great movie, it seems like it’s going to be one thing but then takes a turn. And the animation is :chefkiss:.

Licorice Pizza dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2021)

Nothing has ever inspired me to run for the joy of it like Licorice Pizza does. I had a real strong aversion to it based on the trailer… you know, more nostalgic dude filmmakers who grew up in the valley in the sixties and seventies. But I liked its meandering. I like a good meandering plot. The cast were great of course. Also so white as are all these nostalgic era movies. I think that’s strong points against it. It makes me wanna go rewatch The Wood or Dope.

What If…? – “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” (2021)

I intended to watch the series, but after the first episode I really just want more of Captain Carter.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Yep it’s a classic. I’ll have to rewatch this sometime soon. The early aughts was an embarrassment of space western riches.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

This isn’t the anime and I think their attempt to be like the anime hurt the series. I enjoyed it as its own work, and really wished they’d gotten a second season to smooth out the rough edges. The casting in particular is great.

New Fiction 2022 – January

“2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)

This is the first Vonnegut I’ve read in full. Is it satire? It’s certainly dark. I will continue.

“From the Deposition of the Vaginal Teeth” by Elizabeth H. Turner (2022)

They speak for themselves.

Avatar: Book One by S.D. Perry (2003)

This really should have been grouped with its latter half… but as an opening statement, it’s a bold one. I’ve been looking forward to this longer work from Perry since reading some of her short entries in the Deep Space Nine anthologies. Rather than settle into the peaceful promise of the end of the series, it shakes things up with some fairly shocking moments.

Avatar: Book Two by S.D. Perry (2003)

And I just gotta say, the Avatar duology is phenomenal. I love the focus on Kira as commander of the station and that Bajoran faith and religion continue to play a vital role. As a post-war trauma narrative, it’s also fascinating to see them deal with their feelings in the aftermath.

“Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova (1973)

I’ve started reading the bible and allow me the heresy of saying that–much like The Simpsons–other stories becomes that much better when I understand the references. I’ve known about Lot’s wife for a while but now I really understand the outrage. God didn’t have to go that hard.

“The Door in the Kitchen” by Abby Howard (2019)

My love of creepy horror comics continues unabated.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)

Written in the time when Trump was dominating the public consciousness against our will, this is a nuanced examination of experiences we don’t read about in history books. “Never again” feels like something we aspire to and never achieve, so I hope we continue to get books like these to remind us.

“Slide in the Woods” dev. Jonny’s Games (2021)

Listen, do you want creepy things? Because that’s what happens when you put a slide in the woods.

Florence dev. Mountains (2018)

I loved everything about it. Light on gameplay, heavy on the feels.

“The Snowman” dir. Dianne Jackson (1982)

I can’t believe this isn’t as big a deal outside the UK as it should be. It’s an amazing animated film.

“Baker Bobb” dir. Billy Burger (2018)

Cute little short from a local group.

“Magnetic Rose” dir. Kōji Morimoto (1995)

Goddamn, that nineties anime hits hard.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie dir. Shinichirō Watanabe (2001)

If you’re going to make a movie from a beloved series, this is the way to do it.

The Tragedy of Macbeth dir. Joel Coen (2021)

German expressionism gets me every time.

The 355 dir. Simon Kinberg (2022)

I want more of these. More women-led action is the way to go.

The King’s Man dir. Matthew Vaughn (2021)

What a bizarre movie. Tonally, it’s trying to be a period war drama but also a ridiculous action comedy.

Scream dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olphin & Tyler Gillett (2022)

I guess it’s neat, but I hadn’t seen the fourth before I watched this. Then I did and this was missing a crucial character…

Scream 4 dir. Wes Craven (2011)

Bring back Kirby.

Belle dir. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)

This was a great movie, it seems like it’s going to be one thing but then takes a turn. And the animation is :chefkiss:.

Licorice Pizza dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2021)

Nothing has ever inspired me to run for the joy of it like Licorice Pizza does. I had a real strong aversion to it based on the trailer… you know, more nostalgic dude filmmakers who grew up in the valley in the sixties and seventies. But I liked its meandering. I like a good meandering plot. The cast were great of course. Also so white as are all these nostalgic era movies. I think that’s strong points against it. It makes me wanna go rewatch The Wood or Dope.

What If…? – “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” (2021)

I intended to watch the series, but after the first episode I really just want more of Captain Carter.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Yep it’s a classic. I’ll have to rewatch this sometime soon. The early aughts was an embarrassment of space western riches.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

This isn’t the anime and I think their attempt to be like the anime hurt the series. I enjoyed it as its own work, and really wished they’d gotten a second season to smooth out the rough edges. The casting in particular is great.