#also i love this audio its from tik tok and its fantastic

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: April 2021

Still staying indoors so lots of time to read and watch stuff and play games. Here’s how I spent the month!

……….FILM……….

Mortal Kombat (2021) Should Cole’s arcana have been to summon his ancestor and become Scorpion 2.0? Yes. Should a fight over a pit of spikes end in a character dying on those spikes? Yes. Should they be pushing other films out of the way to make this sequel? 100% yes. I had low expectations, high hopes, and a great time. 10/10 would watch again right now.

Swiss Army Man (2016) So I knew Paul Dano would use Daniel Radcliffe’s dead body as a jetski and I thought that prepared me for the sort of film we’d be watching. I was wrong. It changed tones so smoothly and I appreciate how much it kept you on your toes. I never really knew what to expect (both from the actors and the story). Really really great.

Moxie (2021) I spent the first 30 minutes trying to place Claudia, the best friend, and then I realized she was from the Hawaiian season of Terrace House! Very cool. The movie felt like a decent intro to feminism and for that, I can only hope there are folks out there watching this and considering some of its messages.

……….TELEVISION……….

Superstore (Episode 1.01 to 3.09) I think we watched a few episodes before April but it wasn’t really hooking me and I completely forgot to talk about it. Now, three seasons in, I’m digging it a lot more. They’re giving Sandra more of a personality and I never really liked the early jokes that made her the butt of the joke, so that’s a big plus. It’s really growing on me.

Falcon & the Winter Soldier (Episode 1.01 to 1.06) So pretty good! I tend to prefer the more fantastical corners of the Marvel universe but this had a lot of great moments. Though I think that’s what didn’t work for me: it was a lot of great segments but the series as a whole never quite came together. Maybe too many plates to keep spinning?

The Great British Bake Off (Episode 9.01 to 9.10) After rather unexpectedly losing our cat, this was the sort of good-natured, well-meaning series we needed. Low-stakes (though high while watching) and I really love reality tv that doesn’t require a villain or conflict; it simply celebrates passion and trying!

……….READING……….

The Road to Oz by L Frank Baum (Complete) I’m continuing my trek through the series and this one dipped a little for me. I think a mostly human cast (even with two characters’ heads transformed into animals) doesn’t feel quite as whimsical as the other entries. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz had the same issue. It’s fun that most of the book is spent GETTING to Oz and there are lots of weird antagonists, but the main cast is just meh.

The Emerald City of Oz by L Frank Baum (Complete) Another mostly human cast but Dorothy spends a lot of time on her own and it has a very Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland vibe to me. Lots of weird characters and the B plot following the antagonists is fun; the Nomes are always a good time. It’s wild to think this was planned to be the last book (and it definitely reads that way) especially knowing how many more there are in the series.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L Frank Baum (Complete) I’m glad we’re getting back into weird characters and a (albeit meandering) plot! I’m also noticing that a lot of the book is dedicated to introducing characters to each other. It’s an interesting way to either pad the text or really hammer in the canon through repetition.

Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Complete) By now, the format is firmly established (human child meets a group of colorful characters and they go on an adventure) so now I’m really looking to see how each one stands apart. Great to have the Nome King return as a villain but Betsy Bobbin really does just feel like a Dorothy clone. Am I being too critical of a children’s book? Maybe this is a sign I should take a break from Oz.

……….AUDIO……….

Second Star to the Right (Podcast) Also a Twitch stream! It’s an actual play of Dungeons & Dragons using my Neverland Setting and it’s been a lot of fun hearing how others use the resource! The cast seems to gel really well and their characters are a fun mix that contrast the setting. I’m keen to see where it all goes!

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The group made (and then lost) a new Pirate friend and are currently dealing with a resurgence in Giant activity (the Gnome hamlet is under attack)! Further session breakdowns are over here on Reddit!

And that’s it! As always, let me know if you have anything you recommend and happy Friday!