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Zelda: BOTW - kinda slept on it originally but now it's become a family thing. Really been having a blast - its the perfect blend of hack n slash and puzzles and looks pretty and doesn't punish you (it's like an anti-Elden Ring).

Doom Patrol - First season is bonkers, and bonkers good. A truly weird, fun, emotional and bizarro show that legit made me lol multiple times (and that almost never happens). Alan Tuydyk friggin owns in the first season. 2nd season was a bit truncated (presumably due to pandemic), in middle of third season now. Sometimes pacing feels.. well, ok, pacing feels like the show is meant to be watched episodically with a week break in between and I've been binging it. Over reliance on flashback a little off putting, but WAY more awesomeness here than not. 7 Cliff "fuck yous" / 64 different personalities each with their own superpower Recommendation: watch the first two episodes (and don't skip the recap in the 2nd) and you'll know if this is for you or not

Musicians For Ukraine by XaVioN First of two compilations, all proceeds benefit Ukraine.

So, what's WATMM's take on the GTAV remaster comings out for Ps5/SeriesX? Part of me just vomits at the thought of buying this thing for literally the 3rd time on 3 diff console generations. Plus, the total lack of (substative) info for a game that's coming out in less that a week makes me think it's going to be.... kind of lame. Then again, it's only 10 bucks right now so... probably worth a tenner even if it's just some slightly upgraded graphics? Dunno, I always find I'm starstruck for the first 10 hrs of any new GTA and then quickly feel like I suddenly have another job for the next 20 after which point I just quit. ... maybe I should try online? Curious to hear everyone's thoughts

Ending up watching this over the weekend in chunks - remembered that some folks on WATMM really enjoyed (others not so much) which tipped my hand. Glad I did, totally get why this is not going to be for everyone (and also you kinda gotta be in the mood for something like this), but I absolutely loved it. It's been ages since I've watched it, but sort of reminded me a bit of Slacker - the Mulholland Drive comparison's it generates are probably not completely off the mark too. There are probably a host of other film and textual touchstones that this echoes but that doesn't matter so much when the voice still feels wholly unique and realized. A lot to unpack in a movie that feels so languid - I think it's a testament to the writing, directing, and excellent sound work (watched with headphone and there are all these moments where the audio is picking up these side conversations that are fascinating and often deadpan hilarious) that you kind of drift through this thing but then start thinking about what it's saying about... a whole host of things (artistry, the industrialization of art, culture, capitalism, toxic masculinity, film) ... and you realize there are a lot of unplumbed depths.

My wife has been doing the lions share of getting me interesting t-shirts these past for the past few years. These include: (This one's called Rhino Hunting Party iirc - on the shirt it's hard to tell on first glance what's going on but then you look more closely and you're like "ohhhhh") and (much more on the nose) My brother in law got me this for X-mas

Christ what a terrible movie. I rewatched it again a few years ago accidentally. Why accidentally? Because I forgot I had watched it the first time (probably d/t PTSD). About halfway through I was like Ohhh right, this isn't going to get any better and then hate watched it through to the end. About halfway through Bobba Fett and... not hating it? I think waiting until I could binge all at once probably helps. It's very slow but doesn't necessarily feel that way, but thats only because I don't have to wait a week. If I did, I probably would have gotten extremely frustrated with the pacing/flashbacks. Haven't even hit the Mandalorian episodes yet. I know it was jokingly referred to by Faver3au (I think) as Mandalorian 2.5. It kind of is, I guess. Like, a few chapters to flesh out a side character, before they dip back into the main story stuff. Viewed from that lens and being able to watch it all at once, not particularly angry. I guess people wanted Bobba to be the silent, terse, badass with the armor... but Mando is essentially that now. Franky been glad/more interested in seeing the evolution/age of Bobba. Anyway, also watched the SuperBowl Half Time show this am. 14 minutes of pure, throwback awesome I don't even care it was at a football game, shit had me grinnin' ear to ear. 50 cent upside downs/Dre actually has keyboard chops who knew?

^ that, is friggin' AWESOME. After a total CF early release debacle (lol deluxe edition preorders were supposed to go live yesterday - but then they didn't release at timer hitting 0, and the running theory is that some asshat on the backend switched the dates from US to European format, because people's download info kept flipping between 04/02 and 02/04) got a chance to boot this up last night. Fantastic, so far. Also, brutally, brutally difficult. What makes that all ok is the combat system is probably one of the best I've ever played couple with enemy AI that is just right in terms of difficulty, predictability v randomness, difficulty spikes, etc. I actually don't typically like the Soulslike genre but I'm... not quite sure this is that. It actually makes me more think of my absolute favorite brawler: Ninja Gaiden I and II (Itagaki era). It's not the same slash, slash, launch nor is it even the same FEEL but there is a game philosophy at play here that is in keeping w/ Master Ninja level of competency and command over your moveset. Oh, and of course, the uber responsiveness. This is a game that will kill you and kill you and kill you but it never feels unearned. And even after a relatively short night of playing I'm already going back to the first level and the dudes who seemed like tough as nails I'm suddenly dodge, dodge, parry retaliate, push, dash comboing into oblivion. And it's not that the game got easier, I just got more proficient. And that is also very Ninja Gaiden. Of those games, someone once said in order to engage God Mode all you need to do is play on Master Ninja for a while and then go back to normal - feels like everyone is moving in slow motion. Suspect that this will probably end up as GOTY for me. It's the perfect blend of atmosphere and singular focus on a concept, almost perfectly executed (there are some elements I won't get into here that feel like they could have been a little better explained / seem unnecessarily opaque - but that's a quibble, and not necessarily a flaw in the actual system). Oh, also, it LOOKS great - glad they went with an almost cell/brushwork artstyle - not only fits the mood but feels like they were able to uber optimize the gameplay. TLDR: If you like movies like IP Man, the Raid, Crouching Tiger, the hallway fight scene in Oldboy (which is totally referenced in the first level to great effect) and are willing to work to earn the ability to make your character move like that through focus, concentration and repetition than you will LOVE this thing. 9.5 Jet Li's / 10,000 Flying Daggers *Small details - one thing that consistently amazes me is the environmental interactions and things that DON'T look wonky. Like, tons of finishing animations and many of them end up w/ the NPC up against the environment.. but I have yet to see it look wrong/awkward. The transitions between moves never look oddly framed it just.. flows. hats off to the small team who did this...

Haven't read the manga so hard to comment on accuracy in translation, but reading some reviews suggest that the structure is in keeping with the sort of plodding movement of the source material. Lots of reviews also seem to slam this ("oh they wander for a while, fight some dudes, and move on, soooo boring but wait for the finale!") - but, uh, I think they're missing the point. There's a depth to the relationship, turns upon turns of perspective where you start to realize that no character is necessarily the villain (or, also, maybe that no character is even a hero ... which is an even more nihilistic but likely realistic take). Apparently also Miike's 100th film which is kinda crazy, ya know? Great to looks at, hyperviolent, though I do wish some of the action was not shot so close up (though, I think that's not necessarily out of character for a film like this). You always know what's happening, don't get me wrong - it's just stylistically a bit different than a lot of Chinese influenced action set pieces. Def worth watching if you have a spare 2+ hrs, I probably would have watched 13 Ronin instead but this was free on Amazon Prime and I wanted a samurai flick so there you are. 749/the amount of limbs that were severed in the making of this and that's not really an exaggeration

Out today! Free/pay what you like compilation, includes some names/faces you may recognize from the WATMM massif (and beyond): "CC-1 Modulation is the debut offering from the kn0b5 at artist owned and operated CC Undefined Records. This 13 track compilation explores an eclectic sampling of electronic music styles ranging from the melodic to the esoteric. Featuring eassae, Colin Dyer, Firn, Pr0t0type, Artificial Disco, Himelstein, NAUGHT, Sic, Twisted, Tramic, Toys in the Static, TBX Treibhaus, and Deadventure, these disparate voices from across the globe have assembled to celebrate the universal qualities of music that bring people together." https://ccundefined.com/albums/cc-1-modulation/

finished it up this weekend. I bawled like a baby through the last 3 episodes. Agreed that this is not going to be for everyone, but those who resonate with it are going to love it. Also imagine that it's the type of things where, depending on where you are in your life, you're going to notice/vibe with different things. In that way, it's like To Kill a Mockingbird or, as is topical for the show, Shakespeare. Cathartic af, I felt things I don't often allow myself to feel, and certainly not that strongly - I also came away feeling both more alive and hopeful. 9.5 i remember damage's / 10 there is no before's

this is next up for me - have people coming out of the woodwork suggesting I watch. Looking forward to it! Just finished Marble Hornets - it's... whew. Definitely won't be for everyone (and not even sure it's for me) but definitely a fascinating trip particularly watching it and thinking about what it must have been like to experience this as it was happening. If you take that away, the whole thing is very meandering/unfocused/loose with poor acting and dialogue. But. The totheark segments I found legitimately well done, and of a caliber that belies a more capable editorial hand than some of the main videos. Some stuff is str8 bonkers in the best way possible. Some stuff is just nausea inducing. After the first hours or so, found the whole thing to be oddly comforting - a warm blanket of visual noise that occasionally actually creeped me TF out and other times just sort of lulled me into a state of relaxation.

had a sudden and irresistible desire to play Tekken. Haven't played in years and, hey guess what, turns out the Ultimate Edition is on sale right now for something like 70% off. Like riding a bike - going to get my ass handed to me when I decide to play online but I really do love the flow/feel of the game. Loading times are shit tho wish they had made/will make a PS5 upgrade that would take advantage of SSD load times/graphics/etc. ...

lol - oh yeah, no, that's totally how I read this - a little wink and a nod peaking out, destined to completely sail by anyone who is just cursorily reviewing (or even, I suppose, seriously reviewing ... but without a sense of humor). Think that's why I found it particularly hilarious - I imagine someone just moving past it without a second thought and it's just... yeah, it's lovely. .

I'm about 1/2way through this thing... I'm usually really forgiving when it comes to Marvel stuff (I can accept that it's going to be a lot of bang whizz smash) but .. it's proving difficult to actually complete this one. There are elements there I feel like I would really love (treatment of superheroes as literal gods, lots of interesting twists on who is "good" vs "bad"), but somehow literally everything just feels ... turgid. Like I'm wading through a peat bog with thick gauze over my eyes and I'm wondering if I should keep going or just sit down and accept that this might be all there is....

"WATMM users can use one of eight reactions to communicate value: ‘Like’, ‘Thanks’, ‘Haha’, ‘Confused’, ‘Sad’, ‘Facepalm’, ‘Burger’, ‘Farnsworth’, or ‘Big Brain’. While the first five reactions are self-explanatory, the other four remain ambiguous, even to some users (2021)" I can hardly express how much I love knowing that this text was read by whomever was tasked with reviewing your thesis. I'm only that far, but it already wins the entire internet and also most of cyberspace. ?

EDIT: actually something in the spoiler tag now omg wtf bbq

I might be wrong, but Deltacron sounds like a BANGIN' rap alias...

Was coming here to post this. I remember watching the Aristocrats and this came on and I was holy what the fuck this is amazing. up until this point I legit had only known him from AFV and Full House so I was like "oh god Sagat is so corny." Had 0 idea about his standup etc. Actually kind of grateful because the overwhelming genius of this bit hit extra hard b/c it came out of nowhere (for me). R.I.P., "somebody make sure the Olsen Twins get a copy of this.."

haha we can both go down in flames together Agree on this, the Vicious plot should have been stretched but I understand why they did it (trying to close a loop w/ the character) - it's a show that wasn't perfect, but you got the feeling that if they were given a 2nd season it would have really found its legs. By the end I really connected with the characters as a collection - it almost needed a first season to just get things set up, shame we'll never know what comes next... EDIT: Oh, right, I watched Censor and everything everyone said here was spot on. I should have listened, because it was total dogshit. Seemed like it was going to go somewhere interesting and then just got less and less interesting over time - it's a shame because it seemed like it COULD be an great movie but.... yeah, just sank like a lead balloon...

The Nightingale - historical piece from the writer/director of the Babadook. The first 30 minutes of this are the most disturbing, harrowing, traumatic, horrifying and relentless stretch of film I might have ever watched. I mean, pretty much ever evil thought/fear about what might happen to your wife and child (if you have such things) are played out in unflinching though perfectly executed fashion. The movie doesn't get MUCH brighter than that - the layers of discrimination passed down from class to class are manifold, and I'd say it's only within the last 14/15th of the movie that (outside of, arguably, the protagonists) you see anything resembling compassion and/or kindness. However, the weight of the rest of the film makes those moments feel appropriately special, and even cathartic. The last scene is beautiful, if bittersweet, lone voices crying out into the ether that they still exist, that they are, that they were. I'd have a hard time recommending this one to anyone, though it is a great film. I'm glad I watched it. I will never watch it ever again. Venom 1 and Venom 2 - If you DO watch the Nightingale, I would highly recommend watching these two afterwards. Because they are, like, the total, polar opposites, a virtual antidote to the misery and heartache of the above. Not a thing happens that has any actual weight, they are trim, 90 minutes or so of pulp, humor (that frankly, I actually lol'd for real at on a few occasions), and spectacle. Big, stupid fun. I know they got a critical drubbing but *shrugs* I enjoyed the shit out of them - sry not sry Matrix 4 - the penultimate moment in which I almost lose all credibility on WATMM (I liked it) followed by the final nail (I have to confess I liked Cowboy Bebop too - but that's for a diff thread). There is a high degree of jank present in this film that is befuddling - The final stretch feels like an artifact of the pandemic era, with dim lighting used to hide the limits on # of extras in a scene. It's a film that feels like 20 minutes or so was cut, but I couldn't tell you exactly where or why. But, I still liked it. The meta elements of the first 20 minutes are fascinating, particularly as you consider how the rest of the film plays out. You get what you want but then it's not quite what you want, is it? The aforementioned BT is, conceptually, very interesting but not particularly well executed. In some ways it reminds me a bit of Twin Peaks S3 - there is this thing we all WANTED to happen (a return to the small town charm of Twin Peaks, the return of "our" Cooper, etc.) but that's not what we got. In some ways, it feels like the film is making a commentary on itself and, perhaps, the futility of even making a Matrix movie that can say anything about anything, including itself, here in 2021/2022. All that aside, one thing it absolutely feels like a commentary on is aging as well as the importance of relying on each other. Going to dip into spoilers here sooo I know I'm in the minority here, but there was a lot in the film that resonated with me. It's a film that I think has more depth than a lot of people give it credit for and I'm willing to bet that it'll end up gaining more traction as time goes on and people detach from what they wanted it to be and accept it for what it is. That's my extremely, admittedly, subjective take. Other random thoughts:

Came here to post this vid - I'm w/ @auxien here - very grateful Benn helped push them on this, have 0 doubt this actually prompted follow through. But, also

Interesting to see the # of WATMMER's w/ kids these days... we're gettin' old aren't we? (not a bad thing, just an observation). .... @J3FF3R00 congrats! Wanted to bike in to say we faced this issue w/ our little one - usually wife and I like to fall asleep to something on the tele/watch movies at night (I know, I know, terrible sleep hygiene). It took us literally a year before my wife realized that we could probably do some sort of wireless/bluetooth solution. We got one of these: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/aluratek-universal-bluetooth-audio-receiver-and-transmitter-black/6342383.p?skuId=6342383 Did a bunch of research and this one ended working well b/c it allows for up to 2 sets of bluetooth headsets to connect and, depending on how new/good your headsets are, also is ultra low-latency (so you don't get that lag between what the person is saying/the sound). A bit finicky w/ pairing sometimes, but overall it works well. Total gamechanger. Now we can lie in bed and watch crappy TV without having to strain to to hear the dialogue and/or watch things w/ subtitles. Obvs mileage may vary depending on where the baby is sleeping etc. ...

Probably not exactly what you're thinking but maybe

I'd usually preface this by saying "my good friend just put out this album" but I actually think that detracts from the stellar quality and superb professionalism of the work. Instead I'll say: this fantastic album, full of melancholy, joy, sadness, lush ambient textures mixed with neoclassical piano is a truly great piece of art, a meditation on family, the end of life and the end of things, hopes, and dreams. Incidentally I happen know the artist and he's also just a fantastic person. Really, a pretty fucking great record stem to stern. Also, some good press surrounding this: Review: https://acloserlisten.com/2021/11/30/the-broken-cradle-post-mortal/ Interviews: