For Valentine’s Day, Marvel fans got a new MCU installment, Captain America: Brave New World. In this film, a new Captain America investigates a plot to assassinate the now President Ross. But does it successfully pass the shield to Sam Wilson, or does it feel like something else entirely.
Media
Sometimes I talk about stuff other people have made.
The Death That Made Star Trek
The first season of The Next Generation is generally considered one of the weakest in the series, leading many fans to recommend skipping it altogether. Among its missteps, one moment is often singled out: the abrupt and seemingly meaningless death of Tasha Yar.
Mr. Robot: I am Elliot Alderson
One year I was flying back to Shanghai from Burning Man and I was browsing the in-flight entertainment. I found a show that featured a character that seemed eerily familiar. There was something buzzing in the back of my brain when I watched it.
Recycled Material Pickers
In Phnom Penh there is a bar known as the Meta House. It’s a good place to get some imported beers, as well as some decent German food. It’s also a German/Cambodian cultural center that runs film nights almost every day, and it’s free to attend.
Devs: Exposition, Exposition
Devs is a show created by Alex Garland about a secretive tech company that has developed a way to predict the future. Nick Offerman plays a lead role in this story about free will versus determination. Does free will exist, or is everything predetermined.
It’s Always the Woman’s Fault
Recently I attended a movie night at the Belgian Club in Vientiane. This month they have been showing various animated films. Last week they showed Richard Linklater’s Waking Life. This week they showed a Polish film called ‘Chlopi’, or ‘The Peasants’ in English.
Are You Sure You Can Quit?
I’ve been smoking for over two decades now. A pack a day, on and off. Like most smokers I’ve given up a few times. I’ve managed to go for a year or two here or there, but I’ve always come back to it.
The Boys are Back in Town
Season 4 of The Boys is over. Despite some turbulence in the latter half, the series still managed to stick the landing. It’s a gory, swear-word filled ride to an ending that will leave you praying for the final series to come out a lot sooner.
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Before they directed King Kong, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack would create Chang, a “documentary” about the Laos people in Siam. It tells a story of man’s fight against the jungle, and how they were able to tame the elephant herd.
Fallout’s Ending Terrified Me
Fallout is a classic video game and shares its DNA with the Baldur’s Gate series of games. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it tells stories of the survivors of Mutually Assured Destruction. It spawned a series of games, and now it has spawned a fantastic TV series.