Shadows of the Damned Review
(Multi-platform)
When it was first conceptualized in 2006, Shadows of the Damned was a horror game based around a simple idea: the physical and psychological negotiation of light and darkness. At the time, Grasshopper Manufacture head Goichi “Suda51” Suda explained the project was being modeled after the works of Kafka, with the game’s protagonist using a torch to explore a surreal castle and its surrounding village area, interacting with the strange citizens that lived there. Though it was only a year after Killer 7 had brought Grasshopper to North American shores for the first time, the proof-of-concept (such as it was)... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsDirt 3 Review
(Multi-platform)
I cut my teeth with Dirt on a particularly nasty hairpin run in the series’ second installment. Having previously gotten a small taste for rally years ago with Gran Turismo 3—a game I was otherwise terrible at—I’ve been interested in that kind of racing since, but the prospect of reviewing a realistic racer (even an offroad one like Dirt 2, which just happened to fall into my lap) was an intimidating prospect.... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsPortugal. The Man: In the Mountain, In the Cloud
Portugal. The Man hasn’t sold out. Sure, they’ve signed with a major label. But if the new record is any indication of what that means for the Alaskan psychedelic-rockers, the outlook is good—very good, actually.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsAmy LaVere: Stranger Me
Don’t cross Amy LaVere. The Memphis singer-songwriter-bassist-actress can add badass to that long string of hyphens, as she writes about the sorts of things that would land most women in jail. On her previous album, 2007’s Anchors & Anvils, she sang about murdering the object of her conflicted affection, but discovered, in a sickening twist, that “killing him didn’t make the love go away.”... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsFriday Night Lights Review: "Always" (Episode 5.13)
Dear anyone who has ever been involved in the production of Friday Night Lights: Technically, this is supposed to be a recap of your series finale, “Always.” More realistically, this is going to be a love letter to your series as a whole. It’s not often that a viewer—a passionate viewer at that—has the opportunity to extend her thanks for entertainment that has impacted her life, and I’m not going to squander my opportunity here. Let it first be noted that I delayed viewing this episode for as long as possible—running right up to my deadline for this recap because,... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsLouie Review: "Joan" (Episode 2.04)
The retirees that dish out the Emmy nominations didn’t single out Louie for best comedy, but Louis C.K. made the list multiple times. He’s up as an actor, writer and editor. They’re not all for Louie, but there’s not much of a barrier between his sitcom and his stand-up specials, so it’s all basically going to the same place. That place being Louis C.K., who is a comedian and a person and a guy who is now an Emmy darling, or at least not entirely an Emmy unknown. Or something. “Joan” focuses squarely on comedy as a profession. It’s named... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsWashed Out: Within and Without
For his first full-length and Sub Pop debut, Georgia good-old boy Ernest Greene hasn’t moved too far from the sound that found him first making (chill)waves in the music blogosphere in 2009. But whereas his breakout EP, Life of Leisure, was filled with the kind of nostalgia-inducing synths and squishy ‘80s R&Beats that were enough to make certain historically-minded musical appreciators toss their lunch all over their MacBooks, there are serious harmonies, fleshed-out choruses and flat-out gorgeous songs throughout Within and Without. The result, while less of a party, perhaps, than Life of Leisure, ultimately shows a certain maturation on... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsThe Cool Kids: When Fish Ride Bicycles
On occasion, a musical act comes along that I want to like before I’ve ever heard a bar. Usually it’s because of buzz or backstory, but once in a while I preemptively root for a group based on their name alone. In the history of hip-hop, the names tend to be either somewhat literal or something of a parody, so when The Cool Kids (Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish) came along with a self-referential twist and ironic twinge to their chosen handle, I wanted to dig them before I ever heard a beat. Once I got a taste of their... read more
Found in: Music, NewsTrue Blood Review: "If You Love Me Why Am I Dying" (Episode 4.03)
The vampires in True Blood have always had an interesting dynamic on the show, because they aren’t particularly good. The audience then has to constantly question their motivations and intentions. As season four is starting to kick off, it feels like they are really bringing this to the forefront. As I mentioned in last week’s review, it was Bill that sent Eric to shut down the Witch coven. Unless we aren’t being told everything, Eric’s visit seemed unprovoked. But lines are being drawn, and characters are taking sides. While this is by no means new to the show (people have... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsFriday Night Lights Review: "Texas Whatever" (Episode 5.12)
I wish I didn’t have to recap this episode. I wish that I could just give it a perfect 10 and let it bask in its perfection. I wish I could just tell you that for 42 minutes, my heart was in my throat, that I didn’t—for one single second—wish that anything were done differently, that every nuance, every line, every song was TV at its best.... read more
Found in: TV, Reviews
