Tag: YOUNG INDIANA JONES

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 2021 – November

“The Quiet Boy” by Nick Antosca (2019)

Short fiction is about the final punctuation of the statement, the closing moment. It ends before you reach the door.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (2000)

It’s heartening to search Dan Brown on Tumblr and see so many posts about his books just say “this is trash, but it’s entertaining trash, so I like it.” And you know, it’s a thriller, so once it gets past the professorial segments of concepts and theories that the author felt needed some hand-holding, it gets tough to put it down.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (2009)

So awful. Dan Brown’s not a good writer and his worst instincts just come out in force in this book. That it took six years to release is not surprising. It seems like a direct response to what must have been the overwhelming popularity The Da Vinci Code. He takes it away from Europe and spends the entire book preaching about America’s architectural prowess and Masonry intolerance in our society. It’s also particularly gross and the torture porn scenes are a lot. The sensible question is “why?” and the sensible response is “stop,” but he still gets you with vivid descriptions of museums and architecture and the kind of nerdy art history shit I like, plus all the video gamey stuff like puzzles, chase sequences, and stealth escapes. The ending of this book is also such a letdown in the way that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s ending let everyone down.

“The Suit” by Bad Space Comics (2021)

Lose something or lose it all.

NIER dev. Cavia (2010)

I’ve touched on the works of Yoko Taro before, having played 2014’s Drakengard 3 last year and written walkthroughs for the first two games in that series. With NIER, I see the elements that have typified Taro’s story-telling approach, but it still felt nascent. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood to replay big chunks of the game to see more of the ending. But the game is certainly confident in its conceit, giving the slightest hints that there’s something worth seeing at the real true end of the story. This also means I can finally play NieR: Automata, the game that seems to have sold Taro’s ideas to a larger audience.

“Ghost Castle” dir. Louie Zong (2021)

Sometimes a spirit just wants to toot.

“Expectations” dir. Elena Rogova & Zhenia Pavlenko (2020)

It never really ends, huh?

No Time to Die dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga (2021)

We really need a continuation, even when it’s clear that it cannot possibly.

Dune dir. Denis Villeneuve (2021)

The eighties Dune is the only adaptation I’d seen before this year’s release. I remember that Lynch attempt feeling like they rushed to the finale, and sure enough someone explained to me that they tried to cram in more than they should in a single movie’s runtime. Villeneuve’s version feels as it should, the first part of something. As a result it lacks a powerful closing statement that’ll come with the next part(s). So it’s alright for now, but I’ll feel differently when I can watch the complete story.

The French Dispatch dir. Wes Anderson (2021)

Shorts are so good, just little bits of something in sequence.

Eternals dir. Chloé Zhao (2021)

Grand in scope but perhaps too dour. It does hint at what the next few dozen Marvel movies will lead toward.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife dir. Jason Reitman (2021)

A bow to the diehards and their children, but nothing really new to explore.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City dir. Johannes Roberts (2021)

Like Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it adheres too stringently to plot points from the source. But there were a few moments in the first half, little sounds and musical stings, or certain close-ups, that made me think, “gah, you know, this might be a good horror movie.” But then it’s not.

Star Trek Continues – “Pilgrim of Eternity” (2013)

Nifty nostalgia. But there was a vibe from the lead actor…

Star Trek Continues – “Lolani” (2014)

At this point I’m thinking, “okay, good, sure I can watch this fan series because they’re doing some good work.”

Star Trek Continues – “Fairest of Them All” (2014)

And I was fully onboard… until I read about the lead actor/writer/producer and his problem with the way he treats women. That was the end of that. I can use my time elsewhere.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996)

A long overdue complete watch of this series that my parents didn’t allow me to stay up late to check out. This fan restored the Young Indiana Jones TV series (the only official versions are the recut feature length films without old Indy bookends), and the whole thing is just a blueprint for what Lucas did with the Star Wars prequels later on. Precocious kid, moody teen hero, diplomacy and politics. It looks like it was super expensive. It’s an interesting chunk of Lucasfilm’s time and resources in the nineties.

New Fiction 2021 – November

“The Quiet Boy” by Nick Antosca (2019)

Short fiction is about the final punctuation of the statement, the closing moment. It ends before you reach the door.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (2000)

It’s heartening to search Dan Brown on Tumblr and see so many posts about his books just say “this is trash, but it’s entertaining trash, so I like it.” And you know, it’s a thriller, so once it gets past the professorial segments of concepts and theories that the author felt needed some hand-holding, it gets tough to put it down.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (2009)

So awful. Dan Brown’s not a good writer and his worst instincts just come out in force in this book. That it took six years to release is not surprising. It seems like a direct response to what must have been the overwhelming popularity The Da Vinci Code. He takes it away from Europe and spends the entire book preaching about America’s architectural prowess and Masonry intolerance in our society. It’s also particularly gross and the torture porn scenes are a lot. The sensible question is “why?” and the sensible response is “stop,” but he still gets you with vivid descriptions of museums and architecture and the kind of nerdy art history shit I like, plus all the video gamey stuff like puzzles, chase sequences, and stealth escapes. The ending of this book is also such a letdown in the way that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s ending let everyone down.

“The Suit” by Bad Space Comics (2021)

Lose something or lose it all.

NIER dev. Cavia (2010)

I’ve touched on the works of Yoko Taro before, having played 2014’s Drakengard 3 last year and written walkthroughs for the first two games in that series. With NIER, I see the elements that have typified Taro’s story-telling approach, but it still felt nascent. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood to replay big chunks of the game to see more of the ending. But the game is certainly confident in its conceit, giving the slightest hints that there’s something worth seeing at the real true end of the story. This also means I can finally play NieR: Automata, the game that seems to have sold Taro’s ideas to a larger audience.

“Ghost Castle” dir. Louie Zong (2021)

Sometimes a spirit just wants to toot.

“Expectations” dir. Elena Rogova & Zhenia Pavlenko (2020)

It never really ends, huh?

No Time to Die dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga (2021)

We really need a continuation, even when it’s clear that it cannot possibly.

Dune dir. Denis Villeneuve (2021)

The eighties Dune is the only adaptation I’d seen before this year’s release. I remember that Lynch attempt feeling like they rushed to the finale, and sure enough someone explained to me that they tried to cram in more than they should in a single movie’s runtime. Villeneuve’s version feels as it should, the first part of something. As a result it lacks a powerful closing statement that’ll come with the next part(s). So it’s alright for now, but I’ll feel differently when I can watch the complete story.

The French Dispatch dir. Wes Anderson (2021)

Shorts are so good, just little bits of something in sequence.

Eternals dir. Chloé Zhao (2021)

Grand in scope but perhaps too dour. It does hint at what the next few dozen Marvel movies will lead toward.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife dir. Jason Reitman (2021)

A bow to the diehards and their children, but nothing really new to explore.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City dir. Johannes Roberts (2021)

Like Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it adheres too stringently to plot points from the source. But there were a few moments in the first half, little sounds and musical stings, or certain close-ups, that made me think, “gah, you know, this might be a good horror movie.” But then it’s not.

Star Trek Continues – “Pilgrim of Eternity” (2013)

Nifty nostalgia. But there was a vibe from the lead actor…

Star Trek Continues – “Lolani” (2014)

At this point I’m thinking, “okay, good, sure I can watch this fan series because they’re doing some good work.”

Star Trek Continues – “Fairest of Them All” (2014)

And I was fully onboard… until I read about the lead actor/writer/producer and his problem with the way he treats women. That was the end of that. I can use my time elsewhere.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996)

A long overdue complete watch of this series that my parents didn’t allow me to stay up late to check out. This fan restored the Young Indiana Jones TV series (the only official versions are the recut feature length films without old Indy bookends), and the whole thing is just a blueprint for what Lucas did with the Star Wars prequels later on. Precocious kid, moody teen hero, diplomacy and politics. It looks like it was super expensive. It’s an interesting chunk of Lucasfilm’s time and resources in the nineties.