I’m alive!
There it is again, that intro where I acknowledge that I’ve been away, explain how life got ahead of me, etc., etc. Though this time, I definitely had a better excuse than “life got busy” or “I played too many video games instead of writing about them.”
Yep, I did the thing. I got married. It’s been a pretty busy few months putting the finishing touches on everything, but the end result was definitely worth the hassle. Now that it’s over, I’m hoping to get back to the pace of new articles I had before (a measly article or two a month). I’ll try my best to get that number up, especially since I’ve managed to get a few review codes and timely coverage on RRC this year. For now though, a collection of gaming and cinema thoughts from my wedding weekend…
Heave Ho
Thanks to a hilarious Giant Bomb Quick Look, I ended up buying two copies of this game and setting up one Switch in each of the wedding suites we were getting ready in. The bride and her bridesmaids told us how much fun they had with the game, but I have to say, the time the groomsmen and I had playing Heave Ho was truly special.
Weddings encompass multiple events and gatherings, running around, checklists, and last-minute chores. You have friends from out of town that you want to spend more time with, but there are so many other obligations in the way. So it meant a lot when all the anxiety washed away for a little while and I got to huddle up on the couch with my best friends and laugh my ass off.
Heave Ho is a very simple physics game that encourages some serious teamwork. The objective is to climb, grab, and swing your way to each level’s goal. However the only way you’ll get everyone to the goal is by joining hands, grabbing arms, and climbing all over each other. The end result is hilarious, but it also had us all working together, making callouts, and nailing some incredible jumps. By the end, I’m pretty sure I’d sold at least three more copies of the game.
Jojo Rabbit
As a bit of a mini-honeymoon, my wife and I decided to set up a couple movie dates for the two days following the wedding. Thanks to some convenient timing, that ended up turning into a triple-feature. First up was Jojo Rabbit.
I can’t think of a better way to describe this film beyond calling it a “cute film about Nazis.” It’s Moonrise Kingdom in the Third Reich, with Taika Waititi as a slapstick parody of Hitler. The heart of the film is Jojo, a young boy fully indoctrinated by Hitler’s propaganda, even while many around him secretly defy him and protect Jews. It’s a bit of a love story, a bit of a coming-of-age tale, and it doesn’t shy away from a few darker moments.
The film dragged a bit around the middle, making the whole thing feel a little meandering and directionless. But it was still pretty cute and fun. I wasn’t wowed by Jojo Rabbit, but I’d at least say I was delighted by my time with it.
Parasite
Thanks to some perfect timing, we ended up walking straight out of Jojo Rabbit and into Parasite. It probably wasn’t very fair to Jojo Rabbit, seeing these two films back-to-back, but what can you do?
I went into Parasite knowing nothing at all, and I had some very, very wrong assumptions about what the film was about. For a while, I had no idea where it was heading, and even when I started to grasp the premise, the story remained twisty and exciting to the very end.
Parasite illustrates some very big, timely, poignant ideas. I’d argue that it’s pretty focused compared to some of the genre-bending South Korean films I’ve watched in the past. Still, it’s a refreshing break from the typical Hollywood formula, while still feeling pretty universal in its foundational message. Absolutely see it.
The Lighthouse
Mini-honeymoon day two gave us an afternoon matinee of The Lighthouse, the latest film from Robert Eggers, director of The Witch. This one is a 4:3, black and white film about two lighthouse operators on a tiny island. Beautifully shot, it not only looks like a film from the 1930s or 40s, but it is often just as strange and meandering.
Peering into its world through a black and white box, we don’t really get the whole picture visually, and the plot isn’t willing to do any favors either. What is real and what is a drunken fever dream is never made clear, leading to a movie that will probably be too tedious and frustrating for most.
For me though? I can’t wait to watch it again. The performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson were incredible, and while I don’t think the film is intended to incite a meticulous critique, I’m eager to dive in a second time anyway.
Red Ring Circus 