#nate reviews

[sir-yeehaw-paws]

LAD GAIDEN: Gathered Thoughts

Before I get into this proper, I just want to say that I’m not a professional reviewer or anything. And I’ve never really done a ‘write up’ for any of the RGG games before this. I’m just a dude with some very emotional thoughts. Yadda-Yadda. The best TL’DR of everything I can give? Gaiden is absolutely amazing. It has quickly become one of my favourite RGG games of all time, and I’d like to do a replay when less emotional overall, and Plat it.

Short Sweet: No Spoilers Version

Gaiden was touted (from what I recall) as a little bit of side content to give Kiryu some more context, or possibly something else to do. Instead, we got a short, but incredible game with stellar acting, amazing characters, fantastic writing (some of my favourite RGG writing since 0) and fun mini games, the best version of the Coliseum they’ve managed to do; wonderful sound track, two new styles (Agent Style is an absolute blast) and a finale that left me so emotionally distraught my mum came into my room to hug me when she heard me crying.

If Gaiden has any cons (and again, please keep in mind this is all just my personal opinion) it’s that the side content in regard to substories are mostly tied to content to build up the Joryu Clan in the Coliseum, including a somewhat tiresome gang mechanic. It’s nothing like the slog fest of annoyance Judgment’s was, but I have never been a fan of the gangs in these games and this one was more contained and shorter. Thanks to the game itself being much shorter.

The pacing in the beginning is a little bit odd too. But once the game itself picks up, it hits very well and doesn’t slow itself down.

My only other ‘gripe’ if you can call it that, is that the live action cabaret is uncanny in a way I really did not enjoy. This is not the first time that RGG has done live-action (the intro is live action briefly too, and has a beautiful, seamless transition to Kiryu that I really liked) but the hostesses have a strange stiffness to them as they talk at a camera (Or well, Joryu since it switches out to first person) and I just never adjusted to it. No disrespect to the actresses, or Kson, but I just couldn’t get myself to mesh with it.

Oh, and I found the Karaoke really hard for some reason in this one. Go figure.

And you can dress Kiryu up, which renders fully in game and in cutscenes. Greatest. Mechanic. Ever. And I’m just going to put a special shout out to Akame here. One of the most fun characters they’ve done yet. 10/10. Love her.

That’s about as spoiler-free as can be. So, I’ll wrap up this fast summary with ‘highly recommend, check it out if you get a chance’.

Everything below the cut is going to include spoilers, and lots of them. Screenshots too, as well as links. (Including for Yakuza 5, 6 and 7 in particular) so if you want to read me rambling for far too long, keep going. Otherwise, take care!

--

Extensive Thoughts Version

I’ve been trying best to think about how to put down everything I want to say, but I can never quite agree (mentally) on the best way to put it. The summary version up top does say it all, in a way, but Gaiden was so much more than it promised. And in a good way.

I’m one of those people who came out of playing Yakuza 6 feeling a weird mix of hollow and annoyed. For a supposed ending to Kiryu, so much just felt utterly unsatisfying and I was irritated (again a personal thing) with how Yakuza 6 felt like some weird Haruka punishment. I realize completely that this is all a personal interpretation; but 6 just did not sit well with me.

It remains the only Yakuza game I have yet to replay.

I guess one could ask ‘did we need Gaiden’? And honestly? I’d say yes, we did. If you’re one of those people who felt as annoyed with 6 as I did, and (let’s be honest) a little thrilled but also somewhat stumped by Kiryu diving into 7 to have his cameo and ‘day saving’ appearance and vanish again.

But I don’t want to ramble too much, this is already going to be longer than something anyone wants to read on Tumblr. So let me conclude by saying this game completely patched up the ‘meh’ feeling 6 left with me, and mentally wrecked me in the process.

In a good way.

Gaiden’s real strength is it’s writing. The characters have that grittiness and desperation that drew me in so hard to Yakuza 0. They feel like the Yakuza I know from these games, and that energy carries through every scene. There’s a greyness to them that is extremely well done, and anyone who follows me knows how much I love my morally grey characters.

(For those who do not know jack shite all about me; I love them. I love my grit and grey morality a lot). Anyway!

On the title screen, you’re presented with four characters. Kiryu (ahem, Joryu). Nishitani III, Tsuruno and Shishido.

It’s sleek, elegant and draws you right in. Also gives you a good clue as to what lies ahead (in a way). But I’m going to be coming back to that, so let me move on for a moment.

To keep this as contained as I can, I’m going to link to a post write up I did for a scene in chapter two. That summarizes to a degree what I really loved about this writing. Like 0, you are never 100% sure who is on Kiryu’s side. Or. More accurately, who is going to stay there. Tsuruno starts out the same way the others do. Kiryu can cooperate, or they can attack Morning Glory. Or he can kill Hanawa. Kiryu is often presented in Gaiden with choices that aren’t exactly choices. But that’s hardly new.

Same is true of Hanawa. But as it pans out, both of them stay firmly on Kiryu’s side after certain points. Hanawa’s loyalty is secured when Kiryu saves his life; and Tsuruno gives up fighting the stubborn wall that is Kiryu’s loyalty (if loyalty by complete necessity) to the Daidoji.

The Daidoji are something else that is done better here than in 6 as well. In 6, they kind of had this boogeyman in the shadows element that made so little sense until they have their reveal in the ending and take over Kiryu’s uh..non life? After he is forced to fake his death and go under their control. (They are also funding Morning Glory, a fact they remind him of any chance they get, and the hit squad on it remains until chapter 2 and Kiryu makes the deal with the Boss). The observation itself doesn’t cease completely, however.

As we’ll see in the ending.

But one of Gaiden’s real strengths, IMO anyway, is the characters. Gaiden’s story is built around them the same way any RGG game is, but in a way that is representative of the story itself too. Kiryu’s job in this game is to assist Watase in the dissolution of the Yakuza. Watase (from prison) is fully aware this is not going to go well, and rallying assistance is the only way they can even hope for it going off without too much of a body count.

One of the biggest hurdles in achieving this is the existence of Nishitani III. An ex-Jingweon mafia member who eventually revitalized the Kijin clan and became its patriarch. As well as taking up the Homare Nishitani mantle. In previous games, I’ve found they sort of shoehorn in the Jingweon when it seems convenient, but I think it works well enough here. It isn’t dwelled upon all that long, and it’s decently believable for a backstory.

Is giving Nishitani III a personal grudge against Kiryu necessary for the role he serves here? No clue to be honest. But it’s no gripe and it doesn’t impact the story all that much. The issue at hand is that Nishitani III is (in Watase’s eyes) one of the people who won’t accept a dissolution, and they want him out of the way. Eliminate Nishitani and the biggest dissenter is out of the picture.

I touched on it in this post here, but the TL’DR of all this, is that they are not at all correct in this assessment.

(I should mention Hanawa’s arc here, but I’m going to save it for a bit later). Instead, I want to get my thoughts out on the final boss of the game. As the real issue is not just Nishitani III, but Shishido.

Shishido’s story is that, at the age of 15 his father sold him to the Kijin clan as a slave to amend his own massive debts. A fact that is shown in a flashback where he’s collared and chained up, forced into playing Russian Roulette, amongst whatever other established horrors Nishitani III can come up with. (Nishtiani’s thing is the beautiful, ostentatious Castle. A boat of every element of sin, debauchery, and pleasure you can think of. Including gambling, human slaves, the coliseum and of all things, the place you can dress Kiryu up in his funky outfits).

Shishido is an amazing fucking character.

(I ran out of image space but his character design absolutely fucks too)

He has fast become one of my favourites, and it’s no surprise. His set-up for being the final boss isn’t made immediately obvious but over the game you notice him following the general formula for it, (see this ask I got here for more details if you’re so inclined) and boy is the payoff so worth it.

Shishido climbed his way up and up in the pursuit of survival. Anything the man has to his name he earned through very literal blood, sweat and tears. Shishido is young, but he is very much a Yakuza of the old. A fact that is commented on by Kiryu in game. It’s no mean feat either to from slave to Watase Family Lieutenant, with the man’s physical history is written all over his face.

(And I adore him. But that’s hardly important for a review eh 😉)

In the games final chapter, we learn that Shishido is against the dissolution of the Yakuza, and considers Watase, Tsuruno, Kiryu and any other traitors. Shishido is the embodiment of what Watase was so concerned about in the first place; a Yakuza who has known no other life and has no way assimilating into the world without it. Not to mention, Shishido feels he earned his place in this world. Why should he have the rug he worked so hard to install ripped out from under him?

He’s not wrong to believe this; and the others around him don’t think that he is either. The issue is that the world is moving on without them. Everything Shishido worked for doesn’t matter when that ending is coming; and there is so little they can do to change or stop it. Shishido might’ve thrived in the old days; but the modern world doesn’t have a place for him.

With this being a tie-in game, we know this is a foregone conclusion. We know the days of the Yakuza as they once were are well and truly over. But that doesn’t lessen the impact Shishido has at all. I made a comment to myself in the recorded playthrough (I recorded the finale but it’s a blubbering disaster, so I doubt I’ll post it) that “Shishido fights like a dying man”, in the endgame.

Or, as Saejima more accurately puts it “He’s like a cornered animal right now.” But having a little bit of time on my hands to reflect (well somewhat, I just finished the game yesterday after all, at the time of posting this). I think Kiryu does in a way to.

The final boss battle is a recreation of the Aizawa fight in Yakuza 5. Shishido has 4 phases and 12 health bars. And just like Yakuza 5, it’s amazing. With Kiryu fighting him through the Omi Headquarters until he’s kicked right out of the building. My words don’t’ do it justice, and it’s absolutely the kind of thing one has to play (or watch) for themselves.

When Shishido is defeated, he is grabbed and choked unconscious by the Daidoji Agent Yoshimura (who I took to calling ‘diet Jingu’ because he fights with a gun and runs away from you like a lil bitch-and was the one who left Hanawa to die and tried to kill Kiryu for trying to save him). Who then throws Shishido in his trunk to be a future “Daidoji Agent on a very short leash.” To bunk with Nishitani…his old Master. And the one Shishido worked so hard to get his life away from. I have no idea if this is going to be touched upon in future games like Infinite Wealth, but it hit me like a train.

The Yakuza is over, but Shishido isn’t. And this leads us right into the finale. Which.

This mother fucking goddamned sob fest finale.

I touched upon it here. But I just. Can’t do it justice with words. I don’t think that I ever will. Kuroda’s acting in this is unlike anything I’ve witnessed, and it’s amazing. He’s not just sobbing; he is breaking down completely and heaving over a tablet of his kids visiting his grave. With Ayako and Taichi noticing they’re being monitored and assuming their Uncle Kaz (who none of the kids believe to be dead, btw) is watching them. So, they begin talking. Updating him on their lives, where they are now etc.

Taichi is a firefighter, for example. Yuta is still around. Haruto is an adorable handful, and overall, they assure him that they’re all doing really well. They promise to come back tomorrow with a gift. Hanawa explains they had to remove the camera after that..but they did take photo of the gift the kids left behind.

Kiryu has been vulnerable in the past, but this is something completely unique. He’s broken, alone, and in all respects, a dead man who can’t have the one thing he cares about more than anything in the world. His kids are growing up, and trying to maintain their lives without him, but they feel the big gaping hole left behind by his larger-than-life and fatherly presence more than ever. And god I’m going to tear up writing this.

A drawing Haruto did of the family.

A drawing Kiryu (amidst his utter flood of tears-and mine) turns to show off to Hanawa to brag like the proud, sad grandpa he is. Hanawa questions if this ‘gift’ was just cruelty, but Kiryu promises him that it wasn't. It’s agonizing. It’s through all this that Kiryu admits, possibly for the first time in his entire life, that he is lonely, and that he realizes he needed his kids more than they needed him.

And we know, of course, that by Yakuza 8, Kiryu is deathly ill, and still for all circumstances; alone. Away from the kids eternally. Unless they make some change to that. I cannot stress enough how little justice my words do here. I really can’t. Kiryu may not have been the perfect father, or grandfather. He has made a lot of mistakes in his life, and his tendency to run off to solve problems on his own unfortunately translated to his daughter, Haruka.

Bu goddamnit I can’t say that he didn’t try.

It is clear as day how much he loves these kids. And misses them. No, he wasn’t perfect. Yes, he made a lot of mistakes, but he tried. And he can never see them again even though they know he is out there somewhere and ho man ho boy I can’t.

Remember how I mentioned above that I’d touch on Hanawa? I’ve chosen the finale to do so, because Hanawa and the Head Priest are the only ones who can share this moment with Kiryu. Kiryu also reveals to Hanawa that he kept Yumi’s ring and admits that his inability to be honest with his feelings kept him from confessing and proposing to her.

“Until she was dying in my arms.”

Man, I need tissues. Again. Hanawa is Kiryu’s handler (for lack of a better term) but he very much becomes a friend throughout the game. He’s ruthless. He’s dangerous, but their relationship is an interesting one and I found myself appreciating it a lot.  He doesn’t seem like all that much from the beginning, but their bond is a good one; and over the course of the game Hanawa opens up in small ways and throws Kiryu bones where they are the least expected.

He's eternally loyal to the Daidoji and makes very difficult choices (and threatens Morning Glory in Chapter 2, only backing down when Kiryu submits again) but like I said in the link above, I actually believe him when he says he really doesn’t want to be doing this.

Doesn’t change the fact that he’s doing it, mind. But it’s good writing. It’s really good writing. I love this game. And then as Kiryu sets out for his (much needed vacation) Hanawa gives him a new temporary identity.

Taichi Suzuki. To which Kiryu is like "Oh. I've used that before. Didn't tell any of you though..?"

Now, I’d like to point out here that Hanawa shares the same VA as Yu Morinaga from Yakuza 5; Hiroki Tochi. This on its own really wouldn’t mean much. RGG has done this sort of thing many times before. Shared VAs throughout the series is normal.

BUT.

There are some heavy context clues that seem to heavily imply that this is, indeed, Morinaga.

I cannot possibly confirm this 100% of course, but there’s other clues dropped in the ending that really make you wonder.

I think it works.

Which is such a fascinating little idea. The kind of thing that could really feel ham-fisted; but if it is indeed the case here?

But we’ll see.

This is already way too long a write up, but I want to make a final note on Kiryu here. Kiryu in this game is something to behold. He’s miserable, he’s tired, and he’s truly a dead man walking. “The Man Who Erased His Name.” indeed. Sure, everyone sees through his fake identity in seconds, but that doesn’t change the fact that Kiryu is locked into this role for good.

Who he is who he might want to be. The people he cares about. He can’t touch them. He can’t do any of that. Kiryu is sassy and ‘done with everyone’s shit’ in Yakuza 5, and that same energy is carried over into this. He has some truly biting ‘IDGAF’ moments, and in the most ‘gangster’ we ever see him (taking over the Castle from Nishitani) it’s both a great window into how he might’ve been as the chairman of the Tojo, and a man who is already dead and miserable, so what does he have to lose?

(I swear I had a better way of putting this..and the internally selfish part of me kinda loved and adored that moment even though I know he’s in pain so uh. Bah, make of that what ya will).

To conclude, Gaiden’s a wonderful game. No game is perfect, and there’s no way this is all my thoughts on it (as I said, I’m still extremely emotional). But it’s everything I didn’t know I wanted, and a fantastic ride.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for coming along for the ride! I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did!

And I'm gonna cry again. Help.

[bestreviewguy]

Don’t be deceived when people tell you that Marvels new show, “Echo” is like the others. It is in a different location, the writing is paced different and the overall atmosphere are a total different change than anything we’ve seen. This is a nice change, it even somehow manages to be different than the 2021 show “Miss Marvel” which some like and others didn’t. I believe this show will have the same amount of levity in that regard. In this show, we are viewing the world as Maya Lopez played excellently by Alaqua Cox. She resides in New York. Yet under certain circumstances I’m avoiding going into due to spoilers, she travels to Tamaha Oklahoma. As someone who lives relatively close to this town, it was quite nice to see someone who lives in the same realm as the Avengers, doing Avengers things so close to where I live but that is strictly bias. Regardless, she travels their and re-connects with her heritage and culture via past lives. In prior lives, she has trained and become a warrior with the ability to use super strength. What is interesting however, is that while Daredevil has enhanced senses, yet cannot see, it is established VERY early on, Maya AKA “Echo” has enhanced senses, yet cannot hear. She is mute yet communicates with sign language. This brings up an issue I have with the show that is detected early on, as if you have seen any of the John Wick films, (while drastically different than this) I do wish it was handled in that regard where subtitles where incorporated into the film itself. This show does not show subtitles, leaving the audience to sort of figure it out for themselves. While this works in the first 2 to 3 episodes, by the final fifth episode it makes the story somewhat hard to follow. While Disney+ has excellent subtitles as always, for someone with slow internet, it would not correspond correctly and was very hard to follow. Around the 5th episode very important plot elements occurred which I did not understand at all because the subtitles where down. Something that could have been fixed easily with a CGI approach of words on the screen. Similar to what the John Wick franchise did, especially in the third film. Speaking of action scenes, every one in this show from the first episode, all the way to the final fifth episode, are done EXCELLENT. It makes the show worth the watch. If nothing else, the action scenes make this show worth watching alone. One in a roller skating rink, to my personal favorite, the battle between Daredevil and Echo in the first episode. Speaking of Daredevil, he’s not in this, their is ONE SCENE with him. It is very much Maya’s story. What is interesting however is the antagonist of the film is Wilson Fisk. Episode 3 ends with a large cliffhanger, as he at one point was Echo’s guardian. This makes a very interesting and tense approach to the hero vs. villain dynamic. A very “outside of the box” approach to the extremely over used, good guy vs. bad guy dynamic, that is saturating the super hero market nowadays via “Superhero fatigue.” I will say, the scene with Daredevil is done perfect and at the very least watch the first episode to see everyone’s favorite lawyer again. I’m getting chills typing this just thinking about how excellently handled the character is done in this show. As far as my biggest complaint with the show, it’s very hard to follow, your so focused on the plot which is derivative of the action scenes complimenting it, all the way until the final episode, which makes the ending a bit mediocre, leaving a sour taste in the audiences mouth. Every action scene is near perfect, yet every plot scene is very much not, and theirs a lot of plot points. The plot is interesting enough to hold the show together but in the end, your really just wanting to get to the next fight scene, making each interaction between the characters feel like a drag. In the end, Echo is a enjoyable watch, but not a stand out. The plot is forgettable but the action is not. I’m going to give Echo, a 5 out of 10.

+Great action

+Kingpin steals the show.

-Hard to follow

-Forgettable finale with no pay off hardly.

-Some dialogue issues.

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

i think the diamond dogs should play improv games just bc it would amuse me, an ex theater kid, specifically

[lovenhya]

I love this movie so much omg

[catherineparrish]

Foo Fighters @ Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 20/01/2024

Photo by Danny Clinch.

Cussing and cigarettes, Jack Black, and 35,000 people’s love for rock and roll—Foo Fighters return to Auckland, New Zealand after six long years.

Riding the success of their 10th studio album, Foo Fighters were forced to delay their late 2022 tour to Australia and New Zealand when drummer Taylor Hawkins suddenly passed earlier in the year. There was some speculation that the band might retire after 25 years, but after a year of grieving (particularly for frontman Dave Grohl, whose mother also died in 2022) Foo Fighters announced that step-in drummer Josh Freese (The Vandals, Devo) would permanently be joining the band.

In what was their first show of 2024, Foo Fighters return exclusively to New Zealand and delight fans with one of their most dynamic performances to date. Although the set was evenly paced, sprinkled with new songs from last year’s studio album Here We Are (2023) and old classics to get everyone out of their seats, an almost 3 hour set was bound to have more than just a couple of highlights.

“Who came out and saw us when we played at that old speedway? That show was so loud it caused a seismic event,” said Grohl, referring to the volcanic-like tremor caused by the stamping feet of thousands of fans at Western Springs in 2011. “When I think about New Zealand, I think about an audience that can trigger an earthquake.”

It wasn’t the only time Grohl expressed his fondness for New Zealand, noting that he always has a great time whenever the band tours. Whilst Grohl shared stories with the crowd, the band teased snippets of songs from multiple artists (Metallica, The Ramones, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails) throughout the set, and even surprised everyone with a special appearance from actor and singer Jack Black for a cover of AC/DC’s Big Balls.

But in amongst the party, there were sombre moments too, like an acoustic stripped back version of My Hero and a tribute for Hawkins that the band perform every night. “This was the first song we wrote together and his favourite,” Grohl told the crowd before performing Aurora. A few times the lights were dimmed and the stadium lit up like stars as the audience held their torches to the sky, providing the perfect atmosphere for the warm summer’s evening soundtrack.

When the crowd weren't swinging their arms in unison over their heads, they were screaming and thrashing their heads at the peak of all the fan favourites, from The Pretender, to Monkey Wrench, to Best of You and their faithful encore Everlong. It's hard not to admire such a resilient act as this band who can seemingly overcome any obstacle thrown their way. Welcome back, legends.

Review by Catherine Parrish.

[vanweezer]

sometimes a friendship is one guy away from his phone while the other guy is infodumping about the bring it on sequels

[mfred]

February Wrap-up

23 books in February! Woweee.

I read one Theodora Taylor book, Kayla in Paris, which I did not love because it seemed more like a generic romcom than Taylor's usual over the top, soap opera-esque dramarama fireworks. 3 stars and I really hope she doesn't write more like this one.

And then I went on a biker bender and read 16 of Nicole James' Evil Dead series. All were 3 stars. Not bad, not great, totally took me out of my head and into a make-believe world, so for that I am grateful.

I read 2 Kristen Ashley books, both new to me. Heaven and Hell drove me up a wall and I love/hated it (making it a great Ashley novel) and The Slow Burn-- well, it was ok. 4 stars each.

Priya Guns' Your Driver is Waiting was next and I highly recommend it. Not funny haha, but the blackest comedy and excellent, spot on social commentary. 4 stars.

I also enjoyed the graphic novel, Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas. It's a riff on a horror novel I had never heard of called The King in Yellow. Surreal and emotional. 4 stars.

But the real stars of the show were two graphic novels:

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

SO GOOD. Amazing, damaging, scary art. A thrilling, twisty plot that I did not see coming. I raced through the final pages. 5 stars.

Girl Juice by Benji Nate

So funny and irreverant. More a series of vignettes and short, interconnected stories than a whole novel. I read it in one afternoon and was delighted. 5 stars.

[funkily]

FUCK DISCUSSION POSTS I NEED TO KILL THEM WITH MY BARE HANDS

UGHHHHHHHHHHH

[probablyasocialecologist]

Currently reading

[robinreadscomics]

nimona by nate stevenson

i'm gay & trans every day of the year so i read gay stuff at all times, but i nevertheless think i'm gonna try to be a bit intentional about using pride month as an excuse to actually start making my way through all the queer stuff that's been sitting on the top of my to-read pile for way too long.

i fucking love nate stevenson's work, so it was nice to see where it all started. considering both his own gender journey and his later work, i think it was pretty instructive that his first major work was about a gay male couple and an absolute disaster goblin of questionable gender. just saying.

also in keeping with his later work, the character writing in this was just absolutely ON POINT. like, dr. blitzmeyer was barely in this but she nevertheless COMPLETELY stole the show in her brief appearances.

tl;dr nimona is funny, tragic, epic, gay, and just all-around great. i'm glad i finally got around to reading it!

[honeysound]

Close to Spider Man - Ivan Coyote // ND Stevenson // The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green

[bestreviewguy]

Got the chance to watch, “Deathproof” tonight and can’t believe I’ve slept on this movie. Quinton Tarantino sure is talented. In this film, Kurt Russel assumes the role of a psychopath killer who’s weapon of choice is a vehicle stunt drivers in action films as he proclaims it is, deathproof. It’s a slasher film yet no slashing involved. Just very grotesque and insane car wrecks. The first 45 minutes are slow but the first attack made you are SHOCKED. The dialogue isn’t as up to par as his other works. (Pulp Fiction, Hateful 8, Django, etc.) Yet that’s ok because your focus isn’t on the dialogue, it’s the suspense of what this crazy S.O.B. is going to do next. The film uses time skips in many ways I wish more films would use. It’s essentially the opposite of what the dumpster fire of Josh Tranks, “F4nt4stic” did, yet this film skips forward in a good way. It’s redundant to say Quinton Tarantino does it again, because this is a 2007 film, but I’ll shamelessly proclaim, the man’s done it again. If you want a different film with just enough disturbing and different content to keep you hooked, this might be a good movie night. But do be warned, it isn’t for the soft stomach. The aesthetic carries the flaws all the way to the end, and as this movie was made prior to any MCU films, it’s quite nice to see that Kurt Russel has always had a niche for playing deranged villains LONG before Ego the living planet. I’m gonna give, “Deathproof” an 8 out of 10! Be sure to stay tuned to this blog for more, LEGIT MOVIE REVIEWS. I’ll also soon be doing a game review of Alan Wake 2 so STAY TUNED FOR THAT! Until next time, this has been, a Horrifically good review!

+Fantastic set pieces.

+Suspense in all the disturbing ways

+Not a single poor casting choice

+Phenomenal, yet simple ending.

-A bit slow in the beginning

-Loses its momentum about an hour and a half in

[arecomicsevengood]

Grixly by Nate McDonough

A central appeal of these is the low price point, at $3 an issue, but McDonough is a very solid storyteller, presenting no bullshit strips usually in one-page format, about the world of hanging out in comic shops finding cheap stuff to flip on Ebay. (His store, holidaycomics, prices things fairly, and I would recommend buying from him.) The one-page, nine-panel format also lends itself to Instagram serialization, so you can read at least some of the strips there. Whether this comic would make sense to a reader not immersed in that specific vantage point, where you are into independent comics because of the the idiosyncratic voices on offer but can also see interest in mainstream comics of the eighties and nineties, if not the current era, I don’t know, maybe? Part of me wants to make the case that, as McDonough moves across the country, selling things online to people around the world, this feels less like a comic about comics and more about America, commerce, and consumerism, told through a specific lens. The landscape is a true working-class one, of small businesses, flea markets, and eccentricities. But at the same time, if I am going to describe the comic and the anecdotes contained there, my mind keeps flashing back to Nate mentioning the character Typhoid Mary, only to have someone respond that they hate her because she raped Deadpool. Politics are rarely explicit, but it’s pretty clear a lot of people that Nate encounters have had their brains cooked by either the backdrop of culture war or deep immersion in fictional worlds, supplanting reality so that friendly engagement with strangers is difficult. Still, Nate recognizes and feels affection for people that just want to burrow through longboxes alongside him in peace, maintaining the largely agreed-upon standards of personal space.

The consistency with which McDonough releases issues makes it feel like a blog or diary, not trying to present a point but to tell a story of his days. Like a more subculturally specific King-Cat, reading Grixly is a way of checking in with a guy with whom the reader will likely find a great deal in common.

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Ted Lasso episode 3.09 "La Locker Room Aux Folles"

Still from "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

I was trying to wait for the series to end before I covered Ted, but this episode really stood out to me. There was so much in it that I found perfect and meticulously executed, and those parts are all the more impressive to me given the problems I have with its central premise.

There are multiple ways to read this episode, and ways that I can make it make sense for myself, but I still just have to say: what the fuck, Isaac? I give the episode some credit because literally everyone immediately said the same thing, and if this is what they were going to do with the episode they handled it as best they could, but something about it just didn’t quite sit right with me.

The episode picks up where the last one left off, with Isaac icing Colin out after grabbing his phone and seeing some gay stuff on there. Just like Trent earlier this season, I never came close to suspecting the worst in Isaac, so I don’t really appreciate this show continuing to play the “is he a homophobe” game with Colin and me. And without really entertaining the question they want me to be asking, it’s just a little weird. What’s his deal?

It all comes to a head at halftime when Isaac’s inexplicable pent up anger leaves Richmond down 0-1 at the half. As they shuffle into the locker room, a belligerent fan shouts down that the team is playing like f**s, and that’s the straw that breaks the mysterious camel’s back. Colin and Sam both hear it too and avoid engaging, but Isaac leaps into the stands and starts pummeling the guy, with Roy of all people being the one to break it up.

Again, the thing that makes a character’s bizarre behavior work is when the show acknowledges that it is indeed bizarre. Isaac is rightfully red carded and Richmond is down a player for the rest of the game, and the dude comes in shaking. Everyone just looks at him, and finally Ted breaks the silence with “okay, no one’s gonna say anything? I’ll say somethin’. What just happened?” This just sends Isaac hurling his captain band across the room and storming off into a closet with an aggressive shout of “what if one of us was gay?!” But when Ted tries to go after him, Roy says he’s got it.

Kola Bokinni in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

While Roy ambiguously talks him down, with little Will’s help, we’re not given much more insight into what’s really bothering him. Roy’s utter respect for people and willingness to mind his own business is a really great perspective to add to this episode’s conversation, and I really appreciate him here. Later, at the post-game press conference, I’ll appreciate him even more.

While he tells Isaac to handle whatever he’s “really mad about”, the rest of the team speculates on what in the world has gotten into him. Colin stays quiet, but Sam mentions that he heard what the fan said that got that reaction. The pacing in this locker room sequence is perfect. The comedic beats keep this from getting more serious than it needs to be (coming out is a big deal, but this isn’t a melodrama, nor does it need to be when it’s all love, as we know it will be). So Sam tells the team that the fan said the F-word, which is met with choruses of:

“Fuck?”

“No, the other F-word”

“ohh fuck…”

The team reaches the inevitable conclusion that Isaac must be gay. Finally, Colin admits that Isaac isn’t gay. He is. We don’t actually see him come out, though, which is an interesting choice that I actually think is really classy. I know Colin isn’t a real guy, but a big theme in this episode is giving people their privacy, and I like that the episode itself found a way to let him have this moment with the team in private without us feeling like we’re missing any plot points.

There’s a really nice moment after this that we do get to see, that adds to the impressive, thoughtful storytelling here. The team of course is quick to douse Colin in love, with Jamie saying, “you got us, we got you”, among some other choruses of “yeah bruv, we don’t care”. But something about that last part doesn’t sit right with Ted. He tells a little story about a friend of his who was a Denver Broncos’ fan in a place where that was not a popular team. He didn’t write off his friend the way everyone else in his town did, because he ‘didn’t care’, but he found out later that his friend spent two consecutive super bowls alone because Ted ‘didn’t care’, which also meant that he didn’t think that friend might need some special attention.

Jason Sudeikis in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

During this really sweet monologue, Sam and Jamie have a silent conversation over who should wear Isaac’s captain band for the rest of the game. Sam caught it when Isaac flung it off, and Jamie is gesturing for Sam to give it to him. Sam instead flips him off and puts it on. It breaks up the moment without detracting from it, and it was perfectly on brand for the two of them.

When Ted’s story ends, Colin asks if he just compared being gay to being a Denver Broncos’ fan, and Jamie asks what the fuck a Denver Bronco is. Ted’s anecdote here is such a great choice for this episode in a few ways. First, as a viewer, I found that to be a powerful comparison, and the point Ted is trying to make is well taken. But that story is for us, the viewers, not the team. It reached us, but not his intended audience right in front of him, and his tripping over himself within the story continues to serve the scene. It’s another comedic break, and I appreciate the show’s acknowledgement that straight people don’t always nail it when people come out, despite their best intentions. But Ted sums it up for everyone: “the point is, Colin, we don’t ‘not care’. We care very much. We care about who you are and what you must’ve been going through”.

So ultimately, Ted did nail it. Colin flies back onto the field, weightless, telling Trent jokingly that the only way it could’ve gone better is if the entire team came out too. This was all so sweet, but there was nothing like Colin’s guttural, euphoric “YEESS!!!” on the field after carrying the team to victory. I’m tearing up a little just thinking about it.

Billy Harris in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

That night, Isaac knocks on Colin’s door, wanting to know what about him made Colin feel like he needed to keep his sexuality a secret from him. To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of this being normalized as an ‘acceptable’ reason to react badly to people coming out. Isaac apologized, and Colin made the good point that he kept the secret his whole life and only lasted a month after Isaac knew. But the show had the option to have not made this a plot point at all. Everything else in this episode was so perfect, that I feel like I can tell that Isaac’s reaction was an unfortunately necessary vehicle to bring the story to this point.

Nonetheless, the two make up and play video games together and it’s all very nice, so I’m willing to let it go, especially with the rest of the episode’s events and themes in mind. I couldn’t help but think throughout this episode that Keeley’s coming out was not at all this belabored and serious, which I thought was normal and great. But now Jack is moving to Argentina for several months because Keeley was hacked and had her nudes leaked…? That revelation was a footnote of this episode at best, but combined with Isaac’s behavior, perhaps the takeaway to all this is just that sometimes people don’t always do the right thing.

I guess we’ll find out what to make of Jack later, but the culmination of everything this episode is trying to say has me leaving my heart open for her to redeem herself. Roy tells a great anecdote of his own at a press conference after the game that really sums up this takeaway- Rebecca had asked him to attend a press conference in Ted’s place earlier in the episode and he had sent Beard instead. Rebecca then laid into Roy, telling him to stop “ordering shit sandwiches and complaining about the portions”. This was a perfectly timed criticism because, especially with Brett Goldstein’s recent appearances on Sesame Street, Roy was starting to become a bit of a caricature of himself. It was very appropriate and self-aware of the show to show him being challenged and in the vulnerable position of having a boss.

So, Roy heeded her advice (or orders, depending on how you look at it) and went to the post-match press conference, despite Ted being available to do it himself. His commanding presence was the right choice, given that the press room was frothing at the mouth to ask what the hell had gotten into Isaac. The first question Roy takes is if Richmond condones Isaac’s behavior, to which Roy grunts “what a stupid fucking question. Course we don’t. What Isaac did was awful. He was lucky he only got a red card.” The natural follow up question is “then why’d he do it?”

Instead of answering, Roy tells an uncharacteristically vulnerable story from his past. When he was a young player, he had a teammate whose wife was expecting their first baby. One day at training, Roy made a joke that statistically, he was just as likely to be the father as his teammate. Not a great joke, but it didn’t warrant the guy breaking three of his ribs. The teammate was expelled from the team, and no other team wanted him after that. Roy ran into him at a pub months later, and took the opportunity to apologize for his joke. The teammate then told him that his wife had lost the baby a month before the incident, and never told anyone. “So for Isaac to do what he did today, even though it was wrong, I give him love. And as for why he did what he did, that’s none of my fucking business. Next question.”

Brett Goldstein in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

If Isaac’s poor behavior was just a plot device to bring out the best in both Roy and Ted- and have them convince me to forgive Isaac in the process- I’ll allow it. Ted Lasso is love, and acceptance, and respect, even in moments that we don’t relate to or understand. I could watch Sam’s hands-in chant of “I love you guys so very much!” every day.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention Nate. I hate to see him on the dark side, but I think he’s doing something uniquely challenging by choosing goodness in a space where it’s met with so much opposition. The last few episodes have convinced me that he really is cute and charming and I want so bad for him to reach his own potential. He said himself that he owes a lot to Rupert, so taking the initiative to leave the “guy’s night” that turned out to involve Rupert setting him up with hookers took courage (a guy’s night that Rupert never tried to initiate before finding out that Nate had a girlfriend). His showing up at Jade’s door and wrapping her in a big hug made me so proud. I know Richmond will be waiting for him with open arms when he’s ready to come back, and even though we all know it’s coming, I will love seeing it happen.

How do you guys think Ted Lasso is going to wrap up its final episodes? What’s going on with the now promiscuous and mysteriously absent Doc Shannon? Is Rebecca going to have babies or what (with Sam…?)? Do you really want to eat at Ola’s or is that just me? What do you make of this being a British show built for an American audience?

[thatpunkmaximoff]

Story: 5 out of 5 Smut: 0 out of 5

Holy… WHAT?! How was that bombshell just dropped in the epilogue like it was nothing!!!

This book had me hating each of the main characters! I seriously wished bad for all their endings, haha. But just as I was getting super annoyed with one character, I actually started to feel for them. And then just when you think that one nice character is making a bad judgment call, you realize it was all intentional!! And though another character wasn’t good, but wasn’t totally bad, it turns out they’re just as bad as the other character! I’m sorry that’s confusing, but I can’t spoil it!!!

This was such an intense ride and though you think you’ll have it all figured out, I assure you, you won’t. Hence the bombshell in that epilogue.

Seriously, this was insane.

Major spoilers below the cut...

* Who the fuck is burying a body?!

* Wow. Eve’s husband, Nate, is really just… even-tempered. I don’t trust him already. You’re married to Eve for 8 YEARS and you kiss her three times a day and fuck only once a month? You’re sketch, dude.

* Oohhhh, Addie. What did you do? Inquiring minds want to know.

* Enter mean girl Kenzie. Yeah, I’d have picked up her bag and flung it down the stairs. Fuck that petty bs.

* Oohhh. So Addie accused Arthur Tuttle, a teacher, of something and made him resign..? And Eve is totally in Arthur’s corner and disliked Addie because “Arthur is a nice man” 🤔

* Wait… so wtf happened? They’re alluding that Addie accused Mr. Tuttle of something but she’s saying she didn’t..?

* Her husband is being hit on by the new, young hot teacher? And he’s not dissuading anything? He’s totally cheating. Maybe not with the new teacher, but with someone.

* Oh lord. Addie said she didn’t care if Mr. Bennett was hot and now she’s smitten because he likes Edgar Allen Poe and he WINKED at her. This is gonna be a rollercoaster.

* Did Eve really try to steal some shoes? What a dumbass. I hope she gets caught, but I have a feeling she’ll get away with it.

* So the best friend Hudson isn’t speaking to Addie anymore..? They led us to believe it’s because whatever they think she accused the teacher of, but it’s not..? And Addie’s mom can never know..? I have so many questions.

* Goddamn. Eve got lucky.

* Oh so the rumor is that Mr. Tuttle was in a relationship with a student… and all signs pointed to Addie. But she’s saying it was never like that..? THE WHAT WAS IT LIKE?!

* “Addie is a troubled girl.” - Why did Mr. Tuttle have that mini freak out? wtf is wrong with Addie..?

* Holy shit. Eve is cheating on her husband?! Then why the fuck is she so possessive over her husband?!

* High school girls and Eve are such bitches.

* Eve is seriously pissing me off.

* I mean, I don’t trust Addie, but Eve is a grown ass woman who’s cheating on her husband and being a cunt (mentally) towards a student.

* Case in point, Addie’s mental monologue about being in the same restaurant as Mr. Bennett is weird af.

* Oh. Wait! WHAT!?WHO HELPED WHO KILLED WHO NOW!?!?

* I don’t know whether Mr. Bennett is actually just kind or what… I don’t want him to be a bad guy 😩 but that stiffie is making me think things..

* He’s totally a pedo. This is no excuse. And Addie is no better!

* Fuck, man. He just crossed the line. This is so bad.

* I’ve never read a book where I hated every character 😂 They’re all terrible people! And I have a feeling that if everything comes to light, Addie will get away with it because they’re gonna say “she’s vulnerable.”

* Addie is a little psycho.

* Mr. Bennett is not only a pedo, but a lying one as well so he can get what he wants from Addie. Smh.

* Oh shit 😂 Mrs. Bennett caught her husband kissing the student. Bring on the drama.

* So they are gonna run with the “he took advantage of her” even though she’s a little lunatic herself. They’re all terrible people!

* Well would you look at that, Addie. Mr. Bennett is a terrible person and now you know it hahahahaha. I don’t feel bad for her at all.

* So he reported his missing wife and offered up Addie as a suspect. wtf is going on 😂 and he handed over a “letter” that Addie supposedly left in his wife’s inbox, but I have a feeling it’s the letter he told her to write to her bully and explain what she would like to do to that bully 🤦🏻‍♀️

* There’s someone else who knows Mr. Bennett’s secrets.. and it’s not Addie or Mrs. Bennett’s lover..? And now Kenzie- MEAN GIRL KENZIE- has shown up to Addie’s house, exclaiming they need to talk?! Mr. Bennett was totally fucking Kenzie and that’s why Kenzie hates Addie because his attention diverted from her. I’m calling it rn.

* I fucking called it!

* SHE’S ALIVE!?

* Wait, WHAT!?

* Hudson, the best friend, is Jay!!! The same Jay who MRS. BENNETT WAS FUCKING!!!!! Holy shit. Way to end a goddamn book!!

[taylanaracie]

Book Review

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

⭐⭐⭐

Summary (there might be spoilers):

Anastasia (h) is a figure skater and Nathan(H) is a hockey player studying at UCMH. Due to a prank on one the ice rinks they are forced to share a common rink until repair is done. they have a rocky start but soon become friends then lovers. The h is a commitmentphobe so she doesn't want a relationship with H. She later surrenders to her feelings and they start a relationship. The rest of the plot is about their sport, partners, team members, family issues and trust issues.

Review:

Ok so I might get a lot of hate for this but this book was a little boring. I loved the characters. I mean NATE? biggest green flag ever. And Anastasia was the perfect girl boss (at least in the beginning). It just felt a little too long and some of the stuff was just unnecessary.

No disrespect to the author because the writing was great and the plot was fine too. I have seen a lot of reviews of people saying that there was no plot but that's not at all true. THERE WAS A PLOT. It was just a little all over the place.

Also there were so many characters that it was hard to keep track especially ones with similar names (Robbie and Bobby). I got confused ALOT.

I think that this story has the potential to be a fabulous rom-com or even a new adult series by tweaking the plot here and there.

Overall it was a fun read. The characters were witty and likeable. My only complaint is that it felt a little too extra and unnecessary.

(for all the smut readers out there... you're gonna love this one)(NATHAN HAWKINS IS THE STANDARD GUYS)