Well, we made it through the greyest, bleakest winter I’ve ever experienced (says more about the fortune of growing up in Australia than anything) – only to be faced with more confinement. On the same week that Spring reared it’s sunny face and washed away the grey, the slow moving tsunami named Coronavirus reached North America.
So we’ll be trapped inside for some time yet. I’ll be forced to continue reading, making digital art on my Surface, and annoying the neighbours with my Harmonica.
And, of course, staring at screens. Here’s some recent ones…
Games
- Whispers of a Machine
My childhood was spent riding my bike and playing PC and Sega games, and 90% of that was either parser-based or point-and-click adventure games. So much so that I largely stopped playing games when they stopped making this genre at the end of the 90s.
I recently discovered there’s been a resurgence and WoaM was the first I dived into – a “sci-fi Nordic Noir” murder mystery. The story was great, the future-retro artwork and world were fantastic, and as for gameplay the UI was a simple and easy to pick up (although having grown up on games where you spent months pixel-hunting, I thought it made the game too easy). The “enhancements” feature was tricky to understand at first but allowed for great replay-ability. I wanted more.
It might be time to try making my own again…
Series
- Better Call Saul Season 5
The season has four more episodes to come at the moment, but it’s easily the entertainment highlight of every week without competition. The writing is unmatched. The cast delivers in spades (Rhea Seehorn & Bob Odenkirk especially). I suspect I may end up ranking BCS higher than Breaking Bad when it’s over – if they stick the landing. - Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 10
This was so much better than their last attempt when they all looked old and tired. Every moment of this season was packed with jokes and energy. And the concept of a spite store really spoke to me. - The Outsider
I was lured in by “Stephen King” and “Ben Mendelsohn”. It delivered what I expected. It felt like a King show and Mendo was great. Some good creepy moments. The journey was worth it despite the lacklustre ending. - Picard
As a big TNG nerd, I wanted to like this more, but it felt like a chore. - The Man In The High Castle
A bit uneven across the seasons (first was slow, third was all over the place) but overall it hooked me right in and when the last episode ended, I wanted more. - The Boys
I started watching this (reluctantly) off a recommendation. It sounded like yet another spin on the tired superhero genre. I was surprised to find it did have some fresh ideas. Unfortunately by the time I got to the end, the fresh ideas already seemed stale.
Docos
- Tiger King
What the hell did I just watch? - The Family
Religion. This made me angry.
Movies
- Doctor Sleep
This was SO much better than it had any right to be. Following up The Shining – *ahem* – Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining – 40 years later should have been a recipe for disaster. But it really fit into the same world and had a decent story add to the original. The director Mike Flanagan does his best Kubrick impersonation. - The Invisible Man
Decent thriller with some clever vfx work.