Book news, movie reviews, hot takes, etc.
-
The Super Mario Bros Movie is a video game movie done right
Woo! Yah! Wahoo! You probably read that in his voice, didn’t you? Here we go again. Another video game movie. That means it’s time to roll our eyes and get the cheapest movie ticket we can because this one is probably gonna suck. Video game movies have a storied history of stinking to high heavens,…
-
Rings of Power Season One Review
Phew. Well, that certainly was something. Look, you don’t need me to reiterate the story leading up to this series. At this point, we all know how much it cost and what a gamble Amazon took with it. No use rehashing that. But what we do need to discuss is the results. Was this a…
-
The Vans Old Skool is a perfect sneaker
I like shoes. I have a lot of them—about thirty pairs, actually. But I’ve never been terribly interested in limited-edition drops or fancy partnerships. I care more about the designs that have stood the test of time. You know, the classics. Classics like the Vans Old Skool. You’ve seen these sneakers on everyone from punks,…
-
Andor might be better than The Mandalorian
Yeah. I said it. I know it’s early, okay? And don’t think this is a knock on The Mandalorian—it’s not. The Mandalorian rips. Rarely has a sci-fi western been done so well. The only one that might be better (which this writer has seen) is Cowboy Bebop. But if Andor continues being this good… wow.…
-
Addicted to social media? Read some ebooks.
“I wish I had more time to read, I just don’t.” You don’t have time to read, huh? You sure about that? If you’re really confident about that, I’m gonna challenge you to do something. Most phones now will tell you how much screen time you’re getting and what apps you’re using every day. Go…
-
Good news… Rings of Power is awesome so far
Ooohh boy. Remember when Amazon announced that they were making a Lord of the Rings TV series? To put it lightly, the reaction was mixed. Some were stoked for a new addition to the Tolkien universe. Some decried the acquisition and accused Amazon of scrambling for a Game of Thrones killer. They were probably right…
-
Thor: Love and Thunder is typical Taika Waititi fun
This was probably the only Marvel thing I was excited about this year. Most of you who follow this blog know that my relationship with Marvel kind of fizzled out after the Infinity Saga. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Marvel, we just… drifted apart. We didn’t grow together. They seemed fixed on doing…
-
Lightyear is a smorgasbord of missed opportunities
I love Toy Story. Like, top three movie of all time. Hands down. Not only is it a massive technical achievement, but it’s also top-shelf storytelling. Pixar set the world on fire when they dropped it in 1995, and the studio would produce hit after hit for decades to come. So how did we end…
-
No one asked for Top Gun: Maverick, but I’m glad we got it
Sometimes I can be a story snob. Okay, I can be a story snob a lot. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t appreciate a good summer action flick every once in a while. You know, the kind of film that isn’t trying to say anything particularly deep in stirring, but just gives me a…
-
The importance of beta readers
Sometimes you’ve got an awesome idea. More than likely, you’ll have a good idea that needs a bit of work. I didn’t start using beta readers for my books until my second novel, and boy am I glad I did. The truth is no author is an island. No matter how much I’d love to…