Whoooooa it’s a new year! Here’s all the stuff I consumed instead of preparing my taxes (JK I did my tax stuff on like…January 2nd).
Film:
Gremlins (1984)
First ever viewing on NYE and I admit I was a little skeptical. What won me over was how long the scene went when the mom hears the Christmas record; that’s when I understood what this movie was. Also great to see a shopping mall featured (very 80s) and I think every single death shocked me so…good job?
Downsizing (2017)
I knew this was a weird movie before I saw it. It was a weird movie while I watched it. It’s a weird movie upon post-viewing reflection. I liked it.
Television:
The Bachelor (Episode 22.01 to 22.04)
The nice thing about having such a boring lead (like Arie this season) is that it demands the producers to get more out of the contestants and holy moly is this a kooky crew. They’re even showing a little camaraderie between the women (which I love) so you KNOW that guy is bland.
The Toys That Made Us (Episode 1.03 to 1.04)
It doesn’t surprise me that there was so much ego going on behind the HE-MAN toys.
Riverdale (Episode 2.03 to 2.11)
I sometimes forget how heightened the world of Riverdale is but after I get over the culture shock I slip right back in. This season’s mystery is insane and the machinations of the adults is next level. So good.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Episodes 4.20 to 5.11)
Finally caught up and I love it so so much. That stuff in the prison was real intense and I’m glad that Gina is back.
Reading:
This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong
(Page 120 of 407)
I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series (hadn’t read the first) but it’s not proving to be a problem. The plot has me hooked and the main characters just straddle the line of being tolerable so I’m on board. There are a few jarringly crass “jokes” throughout (apparently fewer than the first book…which is ideal) but they seem to be dwindling as the plot thickens. It’s a comedy horror novel so I guess what I’m saying is the horror is a lot of fun and the comedy is hit and miss.
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
(Complete)
For a book centered around the character of Death, it spent a lot of time with a zombie wizard. With that said, the end of the book was 60ish pages worth of a gut punch about mortality. I really love this series and Death really is my favourite character.
Doctor Strange: Don’t Pay the Ferryman by Roger Stern, Peter B. Gillis, Sal Buscema, & Chris Warner
(Complete)
It always takes me a bit to get into the tone of comics from the 80s but this was pretty great. I really like how weird the Doctor Strange comics get and this is no exception. It deals with some interesting themes though I will warn you that the conclusion is fairly abrupt (like…5-6 panels total).
One-Punch Man Vol. 2 by ONE and Yusuke Murata
(Complete)
Still love it. The ennui is in full swing and Saitama’s character is slowly building to be more than a one-note joke. I wish this was collected into bigger tomes so I could consume it quicker!
Audio:
The Adventure Zone (podcast)
I’ve been listening to TAZ for aaaaaages but I’m mentioning it again because they just started a new role playing game (in the spirit of Buffy or Supernatural) set in the real world but with the potential for monsters! If you haven’t gotten into this podcast then now is a perfect time to start.
Gaming:
Dungeons & Dragons Homebrew Campaign (Wizards of the Coast)
Whoops I forgot to update this campaign but so much has happened! So the party was sent to rescue imprisoned wildlife from a gladiatorial arena and succeeded! They also managed to suss out that Merlin (the big bad) was NOT officiating the games; it was a doppelganger. They’ve escaped with a map to Merlin’s tower (a feather from a rescued Sphynx) and have been pulled in to rid a forest of an evil spirit…only to find the evil is actually one of the player character’s sister! Phewf.
Dungeons & Dragons Hexcrawl Campaign (Wizards of the Coast)
They party is getting deeper into the internal politics of the Amber family and are aggressively trying to figure out whom to trust. They’ve put together a detailed google doc and even shared it with me (which is great cause it’s really showing me what they’re focusing on and what crucial info they’ve completely forgotten).
Codenames & Codenames Duet (Czech Games Edition)
We were gifted Duet for Christmas and then played the original a couple days later and both are so fun! I tend to prefer cooperative so Duet gets my recommendation buuuuuuut the original is also lots of fun and works well with large groups. You really can’t go wrong.
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
It’s just such a beautiful game! I’m clocking in at around 600 moons and was so stoked with the reveal of the last kingdom! Everything about this game is wonderful and I’m looking forward to winding down from it, thinking about it for 2–3 months, then starting back up all over again! Come to think of it I should start Breath of the Wild again. K byeeeeeee.
And that’s it. As always, lemme know if you have anything to recommend and happy Wednesday!
Andrew Kolb
Kolbisneat
Illustrator Andrew Kolb first garnered attention with his illustrated version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." Since then, he has created illustrations for clients including ChickaDee Magazine, The Toronto Zoo and Pixar. In 2015, he published his first picture book, Edmund Unravels, with Penguin.