Welcome back to a new year of What I’ve Been Consuming! Now, slide out of those DMs and into your comfiest Snuggie and drown in the soft glow of your picture box.
MOVIES:
Rebel Moon Pt.1 - You know when you meet a really attractive person and you get a date with them and then they start talking, like really talking and then you find out they’re completely empty inside. This movie is like that. Zack Snyder can make a beautiful movie, but it just has no heart. There’s some cool stuff here, but it just doesn’t have anything that really makes me feel hopeful for the characters. Snyder needs a writing partner that can flesh out all the parts he just races by. This is a perfect background movie, which is not a good thing.
Godzilla Minus One - Whooo baby is this some fantastic giant kaiju moviemaking. This movie can feel a bit slow, but it all pays off in the end. This movie perfectly mixes modern effects, while still nodding to Godzilla’s original look and feel. Watch how he moves, it’s a bit clunky like the original rubber suit, it’s intentional and it works. The characters all give great performances and the time we spend with them makes their stories all the more compelling. There are some truly beautiful shots of destruction here and when Godzilla shows up he is just awe inspiring. See this however you can, and on the biggest screen you can.
Skinamarink - Super weird and creepy and filled with slow mounting dread. This is no ordinary horror movie or even an ordinary movie. Two children awaken in their home that has no doors or windows and their parents seem to be missing. It’s filmed in a sort of lost footage style with very little dialogue. This feels like an art house film and takes some endurance to get through it. Is it worth it? I’m not sure, but it stuck with me for days after viewing it. As I said earlier, this is no ordinary movie. If you decide to watch it, turn out all the lights and let yourself get lost in this creepy world.
TV:
Scavenger’s Reign - Boy oh boy is this fantastic! The planet! The people! The weirdness! I know that’s a lot of exclamation points, but it’s all true. This is just so out there and so full of magical wonder. I feel like a bunch of amazing people got in a room and just said, “what if the planet did this…” over and over again. The planet is the main character here and it is relentlessly surprising. Watch it and then rewatch it again. Available on HBO Max.
Blue Eyed Samurai - All action with a great story and some great voice acting. Oh, and the animation is absolutely top notch. This is so great you might want to binge it, but I implore you to slow down and savor it. It’s worth it. I really can’t say enough good things about this series so I’ll just stop talking. Available on Netflix.
MUSIC:
Olivia Rodrigo - Guts - I love this album and I don’t care who knows! It’s full of glorious tunes that bring back all the good high school feels. Even the sad feels are welcome here as sometimes it’s fun to remember all the things that seemed so serious back then, but really weren’t that bad. Just put this album on and enjoy!
Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond - The first album from this Austin duo was a joyous find. It was smooth and sensual, catchy and distinctive and stayed on repeat for many moons. The second one is more of the same and then some. Their soulful polished bluesy garage rock sound is uplifted by the added sounds of gospel, crisp hand claps and jazzy piano. It all makes for an even tastier gumbo than their last album. I recommend listening to this on vinyl, but however you listen to it, just put it on repeat.
COMICS:
Omac - Story and art by John Byrne - I spend a lot of time digging around used bookstores to see what the mom’s of comic collectors have dumped there. I come across a lot of crap, but I also stumble across some hidden gems. I’m not a super big DC fan and Omac is not a character I’m too familiar with, but I love me some John Byrne. When I found all four parts of this 1991 series together I snapped it up right away and I’m happy I did. The art is b+w with a heavy use of halftones throughout. Byrne is as fluid as ever here and the story
Speaking of John Byrne I’m slowly picking up his 28 issue run on Alpha Flight. I’m probably 80 percent there and I’m loving every minute of the digging through crates, searching Ebay and of course the reading. It’s just good clean fun.
VIDEO GAMES
I’VE GOT ALL THE NEW MARIO KART TRACKS AND IT’S GLORIOUS! This is what video games should be; great fun to play on your own, and even more fun with friends. Caution: It may ruin a few friendships here and there, but it’s just too good to not play.
Alright that’s all for now. Trying to get into a rhythm with these things so look for one next month.