#but maybe who it really reminds me of is Johannes Cabal

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: April 2020

Another month of indoor media consumption! Here’s how April shook out.

……….FILM……….

Little Women (2019) We missed this in theatres and I only vaaaaguely remember the 1994 version. Anyway, this was fantastic. It was funny and dramatic and I’d really like to know the story better to fully appreciate what Greta Gerwig did with her interpretation. Also Amy’s “Your one beauty” comment is so ice cold that it only makes sense that she fall into the river to feel that same chill.

Onward (2020) Pretty good! All the fantasy and D&D-type elements were fun and the heart of the story worked. I’m not sure the characters really landed as well as some others Pixar films, but maybe that’s the case of this being the first in a series as compared to those that have sequels. Also I was not prepared for Colt’s hair reveal.

……….TELEVISION……….

Mad Men (Episode 1.01 to 1.10) WHOA! So this my first time watching the series (outside of a random ep I saw back in the day about selling convertibles after the JFK assassination) and this series is so good! Who knew?! I initially only liked the ad stuff and some of the office drama, but now I’m even on board for the home drama! Though I’m not sure I’ll ever get into whatever Pete is up to. Ugh Pete. At least there’s Betty shooting pigeons to console me.

Gravity Falls (Episode 1.01 to 1.08) Going back for some comfort food. I really value a project that knows what it wants to do, does it, and then concludes. There’s just something so...driven by creative...that I value about it.

McMillion$ (Episode 1.04 to 1.06) This documentary really delivered. It’s not as wild as Tiger King, but the depiction of everyone felt so much more real. It really took its time to show how widespread the impact of one individual really was and in times like these, I think that’s a welcomed reminder.

Love is Blind (Episode 1.03 to 1.11) Just bonkers. I wish they’d shared a little more of the show’s structure before everything started, as I would’ve liked to know where we were heading. Ending with weddings feels like an obvious choice, but I would’ve been way more interested in a Terrace House-styled approach (where we just get to see if these couples work after picking each other sight-unseen). There was lots of drama, sure, but it always felt more like reality tv than a social experiment.

……….READING……….

The Brothers Cabal (Johannes Cabal #4) by Jonathan L Howard (Complete) More comfort food. I love this series and reading them out of order has been fun and so now I think I’ll go back to the first book. Oh and if you haven’t gotten into this series, it follows a brilliant necromancer (who’s awful) as he goes on a range of adventures that all tie together. They’re pulpy and witty and breezy and I can’t recommend them enough.

Hellboy Library Edition Vol 1 & 2 by Mike Mignola and John Byrne (vol. 1) (Complete) A friend of mine pointed out how Hellboy’s whole deal is “introduce threat, Hellboy punches it and wins” and I think he’s onto something. Though volume 2 really starts to get into that a little more. At the end of the day, these are pulpy stories and Hellboy’s character isn’t a detective or a schemer, he’s the heavy. He’s the the big gun and he’s a tradesman. He’s just doing a job and sometimes that job gets repetitive. I think there’s something to that.

Hellboy Library Edition Vol 3 & 4 by Mike Mignola, Richard Corben (vol.3), and others (vol. 4) (Complete) It’s interesting reading the behind-the-scenes stuff before and after each volume, as it really clears up why this era of Hellboy is...different. The movies really rocked the boat and the comic just feels less sure of itself (at least in volume 3). There’s great stuff, but it’s not as consistently strong. As for volume 4, I’m still baffled by the decision to start with the Crooked Man. To introduce us to someone other than Mignola drawing the comic is fine, but this story barely features Hellboy and it sets a really weird tone. Why not start off with the joint effort? Anyway I’m excited to get into 5 & 6 where I feel like it gels a little more and feels like everything is back on course.

……….GAMING……….

Cuphead: Don’t Deal With the Devil (Studio MDHR) I haven’t been nearly as frustrated by the game as I expected! Mind you I’m only in the second world and averaging B-, but I feel like the game plays fair and that I’m getting a little better. More importantly, it is all just so beautiful to look at. That background on the Genie level? Oof.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo) Replaying on Master Mode was worth the price of the DLC but admit that I’m not really digging the other stuff (sword improvement and Champion’s Ballad). Maybe it’s because I replayed the entire game before jumping into the DLC and now it just feels like more of the same? I dunno. Also the refilling health is...infuriating. Anyway still love this game.

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The group continues to explore the island and have finally met a handful of mermaids! They’ve also discovered some hidden treasure and gotten acquainted with more of the region’s inhabitants...for better or worse.

D&D Homebrew Adventure (Menace of Merlin) It’s been...a few years since we’ve played, but the one upside to us staying indoors is it’s made our schedules waaaaaay more open to slot this in! The group now has the location of Merlin’s HQ but because it’s outside of time, they had to strike a deal with a chronomancer.

And that’s it! As always, feel free to share any recommendations and I’ll be back at the end of May!

#Monthly Media #Rambles #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb