‘Tis the month of my birthday which means I receive presents and allow myself to spend unreasonable amounts of money. Everything I got and bought was super boring adult shit though. Symptom of turning 31. I was way too excited when my pair of 18$ socks arrived in the mail.
This month’s playlist:
Outer Wilds
Not to be confused with The Outer Worlds. I honestly don’t want to spoil anything about this game. The dawning realization of what the game is in the opening moments is just too sweet.
I love exploration and mystery in games. But I’m also lazy. So it’s easy for me to lose interest if the game is too opaque. Outer Wilds strikes the perfect balance. It manages to be hands-off and seemingly nonlinear without leaving me directionless. Thanks to a clever “Rumor” system, you know when you’ve discovered something significant and where you should look next. It’s got its hooks in me.
Children of Men
I’m tempted to write about my Avatar experience in IMAX 3D, but I think I summed it well enough on Letterboxd.
I rewatched Children of Men and confirmed that it is still my favorite film of all time. The themes I see in it are just too powerful. It shakes me to the core every time. Toying with writing an essay...
Its long takes continue to impress, some of the best committed to film. Alfonso Cuarón is one of my top respected directors and Emmanuel Lubezki is simply goated. Without him, Cuarón may not have been as ambitions with the single-shot sequences.
Dragon Ball
I remember seeing Dragon Ball stickers, coloring books, stationery being sold in stores when I grew up in Thailand. As ubiquitous as Disney merchandise in the States. But I never had the opportunity to watch the show. Thai dubbed versions of One Piece, Doraemon, and Hamtaro are what I remember being on TV.
I worked my way through the series while exercising in the mornings. The best way I can describe it is Loony Toons mixed with martial arts. Delightfully silly. Characters that grow on you. Fights that get your heart pumping.
I’ve rolled right into Dragon Ball Z, also a first.
Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
A good friend of mine dropped this gem into the group chat. I’m utterly hypnotized by these bass-driven tracks with relentless saxophone solos. I put this album on for a bike ride and went into warp drive. Thirty miles slipped by like water. The Comet is Coming simultaneously amps you up and chills you out, somehow.
This month I also published a new ekphrastic piece.