I’d written about this web serial a couple of times previously but it seemed only right to give this a proper post of its own now that it’s officially over. Author ErraticErrata (David Verburg) originally intended to complete the series by the sixth book but as with so many other fantasy series underestimated how much more work needed to be done and so had to add on a seventh book. Still it is well and truly done, even if the last volume feels a bit rushed and is rife with typos and unfinished sentences, and the author has embarked on a new writing project. I intend this post to cover the series as a whole, focusing mostly on the last two books, and there will be spoilers for the first few books at least.
This is a German film in that the production company, director and most of the cast are German but its heart and soul is Japanese. It is in fact an obvious homage to the works of Yasujirō Ozu transposed to Germany which is all well and good. But what makes it great is that it then builds on that foundation to explore the aftermath of the death of a spouse. I’m surprised that this doesn’t seem to be better known and more highly regarded and it’s true that it could stand to be a little less heavy-handed in its messaging which prevents it from being truly sublime. Still, I do believe that this is one of the favorite films I’ve watched so far this year.
I know that this really should be seen in a proper cinema hall but it was shown too early after lockdown was lifted for us to feel comfortable going out just yet. In retrospect I regret that as this was originally shot in the IMAX format and television screen just don’t do it justice. At this point, it’s fair to say that I’m a fan of Denis Villeneuve so it was always exciting to have him tackle Dune. Having now watched it I have to say that this is as perfect an adaptation of the novel as anyone could reasonably ask for.
The Wire is still widely cited by many as the greatest television show that has ever been made. Creator David Simon has made other shows since then but none stood out to me particularly. The Deuce however brings serious star power with James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal as leads and co-producers. Instead of drugs, the focus of the series is on the sex trade in New York City during the 1970s. We’ve only seen the first season and it’s as great and richly complex as you might expect. It does however feel more like an ethnography than a dramatic story and it unfortunately lacks the magical spark that made The Wire so special.
I’ve had my eye on this game pretty much as soon as I heard of it. The premise of playing as a delivery driver in a cyberpunk city sounded awesome to me and the visuals in this game certainly looks the part. Superficially one might describe it as a kind of sci-fi Grand Theft Auto but there’s no combat in this game at all and without the DLC, no racing either, so the comparison doesn’t really work. Instead it feels more like an adventure game as you explore and experience the story of the city and the people in it.
I guess this makes two films this week that are about history. This is a documentary about a music festival that took place over six weekends in the summer of 1969 in Harlem, New York City. Since one of the Sundays was concurrent with the much better known Woodstock Festival, this event was at times marketed as being Black Woodstock. However despite the presence of many famous performers and a large attendance of mainly black people, the event was little known to most of the US or the world. This film shows how it was a formative, life-changing event for many of the attendees but afterwards it disappeared from the public consciousness and even this footage of it languished unseen.
The Srebrenica massacre took place more than 25 years ago. I suppose it took this long for a major film about the event to be made. Yet watching it today feels extra meaningful due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This film focuses on the perspective of a single fictional character and her family, while being very light on any exposition about the larger conflict. As a dramatic work, it is unquestioningly brilliant in putting the audience in the shoes of the hapless civilians who are powerless in the face of the disaster and death all of them can see coming towards them. Yet there is so little information about what is really going on that it can at times be very frustrating.
