If I Were A Lich, Man is one of three Jewish role playing games released in a collection by the same name created by Lucian Kahn, a fellow transgender Jewish person. When a friend first shared the game with me, I couldn’t help but be curious about its contents. The physical copy of the game … Continue reading If I Were A Lich, Man – A Mixed Mishigas
review
Rediscovering Anime: The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Few creators are as inscrutable as Hayao Miyazaki. The serious, weary persona the Japanese animator wears in interviews is a harsh contrast to the dream-like worlds and charming characters found in his films. An outspoken traditionalist, Miyazaki has extolled the merits of hand drawn animation over computer generated visuals, and the results speak for themselves; … Continue reading Rediscovering Anime: The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Rediscovering Anime: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
The early 2000’s was a wild time for digital media. The onset of commercially available video editing software, particularly Windows Movie Maker, brought video editing into consumers’ hands, and many aspiring editors thought to pair their favorite anime with popular English language music in a now widely recognized form: AMVs. AMVs, or anime music videos, … Continue reading Rediscovering Anime: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
Movie Club: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Heartbroken by the tumultuous end of his relationship with TV actor Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), Peter (Jason Segel) follows his ex to Hawaii on a tropical vacation. Seeking advice from hotel guests and staff alike Peter tries to win back his love's affection, but is derailed when he runs into Rachel (Mila Kunis), a bartender … Continue reading Movie Club: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Movie Club: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
For Movie Club this week I decided to get into the spirit of the season by bringing my favorite Christmas movie to the table. To be frank, there aren’t many holiday films that I enjoy. I've never really connected with the ways it's traditionally depicted in media, but whenever I'm in the mood for a … Continue reading Movie Club: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Movie Club: Paprika (2006)
Satoshi Kon was a masterful storyteller, and his name is renowned among anime enthusiasts. Kon has a distinct lifelike art style that manages to be both true to life and successful at capturing the frantic anime energy that’s familiar to the genre. His stories are heartwarming human experiences that plumb deep into the psychology of … Continue reading Movie Club: Paprika (2006)
Movie Club: Shin Kamen Rider (2023)
This week I got to pick again for Movie Club, so I had to go for the hat-trick and finish the trilogy (so far) of “Shin” films by Hideaki Anno. Like Ultraman, Kamen Rider is a series I've only admired from a distance; with so many different installments, it's difficult to tell where a good … Continue reading Movie Club: Shin Kamen Rider (2023)
Movie Club Double Feature: Shin Godzilla (2016) & Shin Ultraman (2022)
This week for Movie Club I watched two movies on my way back from Japan. On the flight home I had the opportunity to watch Hideaki Anno’s Shin Godzilla (2016), and the film he wrote after it, Shin Ultraman (2022). While Shin Ultraman is helmed by a different director, Shinji Higuchi (co-director of Shin Godzilla), … Continue reading Movie Club Double Feature: Shin Godzilla (2016) & Shin Ultraman (2022)
Movie Club: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
It’s always interesting when your first encounter with a movie is out in the world, rather than a theater setting. That’s what happened to me with this week’s pick, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022). I had just started unpacking in my mom’s guest room late at night after a delayed flight. I didn’t know … Continue reading Movie Club: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
Movie Club: One Piece (Live Action) – Season One
I remember a friend in college asking me over a decade ago if I thought there would ever be a live action One Piece adaptation. “Not a chance,” I answered, confidently. “It’s too goofy, there’s no way they could pull off the special effects.” So many live action anime adaptations fall short of the mark … Continue reading Movie Club: One Piece (Live Action) – Season One
Sam Wolfe is alive 