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video game reviews

Game Review: Beyond The Wire

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All images are screenshots from the game

This game was sent to me as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it influence my opinion. This will be my honest review of this game.

Beyond the Wire is a World War I online multiplayer shooter that promises large epic battles. There are two map sizes, 50 vs 50 and 40 vs 40. The only game mode I was ever able to play was frontline. You capture the objective, hold it for some time, and the frontline moves till you run out of time or capture the whole map. Once in a game, you can create different divisions, each with its own unique roles and load oats. Teams are limited by the choice of load oats to promote teamwork.

This game aims for realism with its insane amount of detail towards authenticity. The uniforms, maps, and weapons have all been carefully curated to not only fit the aesthetic but to also be respectful to history. The sound is amazing. You can hear footsteps moving towards or away from you. You can hear the bullets cutting the wind as they fly by you. It is a frightening moment when you hear the bulet ricochet off the ground beside you as you try to find its source. I recommend you play this game with headphones for the full experience. 

I had a lot of fun with this game when I could find a match. This game is starving for players. I was able to guess the pattern and hop on when there were people playing, but it was always a gamble. You are not getting the large battles that this game promised. My biggest match was 10 vs 10, but I was usually stuck in a server with high ping. You can always join an empty server and hope people start joining, but it’s never guaranteed. A big issue with this game is that if there isn’t anyone online, you can’t play this game because there is no story mode or bot matches.

I am not going to talk about the bugs I found because it is still in early access. The bugs I encountered were mostly cosmetic, but none of them was game-breaking. So is this game worth it? As of today, it isn’t. For the price, you should be able to pick it up whenever you want. Instead, you are bound to play with other people’s schedules.

When I was able to find a match, I had a lot of fun. I liked the anxiety I felt as I tried to find an enemy, and loved the satisfaction of finally getting a kill. I do want to send out my deepest apologies to those unlucky few I was matched with. I played terribly and never seemed to get better, but there was no flaming, and I never got kicked, and for that, I am grateful. Despite my poor performance, it was an experience I wanted to keep putting myself into. 

I would wait till it goes on sale or hope that they give out a free weekend before making your decision. The population seems to be growing as of writing this. It seems to be getting easier to find larger matches, but it is still a gamble. The game is on sale now on Steam, you can decide if the discount is enough to hop on. The sale ends September 7.

Series Reviews

Series Review: A League of Their Own (2022)

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I haven’t seen the movie this series is based on, nor can I comment on its historical accuracy, but I can definitely recommend it because it is a good show. If you are on the fence, don’t be. Go, stream it now.

The series follows one of America’s first women’s baseball teams. The series focuses on the adversities they faced and how they overcame them. The series covers social issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. While I do have to admit that it addresses these topics in a fantastical wholesome manner, it does so respectfully, and I can’t take issue.

This show is incredibly wholesome with a fantastic cast, a fun narrative, and a lot of baseball. The characters are unique, and watching them grow and become a team throughout the series is truly inspiring. The Peaches face a lot of obstacles because they don’t fit the traditional role society has assigned them. They just want to play baseball and be who they are, but that isn’t what a traditional woman is. The show does a great job at showing that the traditional woman is a myth, and it instead broadens the definition by including a more inclusive representation of womanhood.

It is inspiring to see all that these women had to endure and to see what they accomplished. This is an important narrative and one that needs to be told. My only complaint is that the narrative is a little too whitewashed, but the intent of this show is to be wholesome and fun, not real and heavy. I’ll let it slide. You need to watch this show.

You can stream this on Amazon with a Prime membership.

Series Reviews

The Patient (2022): Initial Thoughts

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Image by Sammis Reachers from Pixabay

The Patient is a new psychological thriller starring Steve Carrell. The show is on a weekly release, and you can stream it on Hulu. I suggest you wait for more episodes to release because although the acting is excellent, the first two episodes don’t leave much of an impression.

The story follows a therapist named Alan who has been kidnapped and kept prisoner by a murderer, Sam. Alan is forced to live his days chained into a room while he is forced to help Sam with his therapy. Sam doesn’t want to be a murderer, and kidnapping Alan seems to be his only option for getting better. Trapped in this room, Alan must deal with a person that is clearly unstable while he wrestles with his own demons. Will Alan be able to help Sam and earn his freedom, or will he become another victim?

The show is just okay. The acting is great, and the setting is neat, but the story doesn’t do enough to hook its audience. The first two episodes are set up for the series. You are introduced to Alan and get a sense of his specialization as a therapist through a series of sessions. These sessions are often disturbed by flashbacks that paint Alan as a flawed person who still needs to work through his own issues. You are also introduced to Sam, and slowly through their many conversations, get a sense of his motivations. Both actors have terrific chemistry and work well with each other. The isolation created in the house helps set the mood, but these two episodes are rather slow. I fear that releasing this show weekly might hurt the engagement of this show because it isn’t anything special yet. There is potentially based on the cast, but it seems too early to know for sure. A show like this needs better pacing if it is going to be successful.

The second episode ends on an obvious cliffhanger that does nothing for my curiosity. I will keep watching because I have to, but you should wait until there’s more to the series. 

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)

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Paws of Fury is just as average as animated movies go. While there are a few jokes in this movie that made me laugh, this isn’t something I would watch unless I was putting it on for a younger kid. Paws of Fury is the unmistakable remake of the movie Blazing Saddles, but the characters have been reskinned to samurai cats, and the jokes are designed for kids. It isn’t bad, but if you have seen Blazing Saddles, you would much rather. This is a beat-for-beat remake with an added underdog narrative that honestly hurts the overall experience.

I don’t like the underdog story that this turns into because it is generic and bland. It reminds me of Kung Fu Panda, and I would rather be watching that. I wish they would have taken out the underdog story and kept it as a remake but with better voice acting. The voice acting is fine for the most part, but there are some bad line reads that are hard to overlook. I would have preferred real voice actors instead of name-brand actors, but the better voice acting isn’t saving this movie. This movie is very bland, and I am having trouble with this review. It didn’t leave much of an impression, and I don’t want to spend my time unfairly comparing this movie to its much better predecessor. 

As a kids’ movie, it is fine. I have seen a lot worse. You won’t hate this movie if you have to sit through it. You will at least appreciate all the references. I do like that they address a lot of the important themes from Blazing Saddles, such as racism and government corruption. I also appreciate how they modernized the source material, but this only proves how timeless Blazing Saddles is. You should be watching Blazing Saddles instead. 

The unavoidable truth is that this movie was made for kids that is held back by its genre. If you are looking for something to through on for family movie night, this movie is fine; otherwise, there are better animated movies out there. You can stream it now on Paramount+.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Samaritan (2022)

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Samaritan is Silvester Stallone’s attempt at the superhero genre, and I have to say, it is pretty good. Sure the pacing was a little slow, but his unorthodox take on the genre was both refreshing and entertaining. I doubt it will win any awards, but if you have been curious about the movie, go ahead and watch it.

Samaritan follows a young troubled youth Sam who is obsessed with the superhero Samaritan. Samaritan once protected the city from crime and against the supervillain Nemesis, but an epic encounter between the two leads to their disappearance. Most people believe the superhumans to be dead, but Sam holds out hope that Samaritan is alive and will one day make his return. His beliefs seem to hold some truth when he encounters a mysterious man who he believes to be Samaritan. At the same time, an ambitious and delusional crime boss attempts to fill the hole Nemesis left behind. Using the supervillain’s magic hammer, he plans to take over the city and bring forth a new world order. With the city spun into chaos, will Samaritan once again rise and bring the city new hope? You will have to watch the movie to find out.

This movie certainly gave me some Unbreakable vibes because of how it treats superheroes. It certainly challenges their traditional role in society by asking whether or not their existence is necessary. Samaritan makes some interesting points and raises some interesting questions about the genre, but unfortunately, I can’t address them without spoiling the movie. Just know that this isn’t your traditional superhero narrative, and it is going to feel a little slow. It does have a pretty satisfying conclusion if you stick with it.

This is a solid movie with fantastic actors, an entertaining narrative, and some pretty cool action. I always enjoy watching superhero movies that aren’t bound by their source material because they have a certain level of freedom that the mainstream ones don’t. They aren’t bound by the same conventions and aren’t bogged down by repeating a familiar backstory. I am even more impressed at how deeply Stallone understands the action genre and his respect for his ability to consistently make fun action movies. Samaritan is a fantastic combination of both these worlds and one that I can in good conscious recommend.

If you want to watch a decent superhero movie, you should give this movie a chance. You can stream it now on Amazon.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Orphan First Kill (2022)

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The Orphan First Kill is the prequel that did not need to be made. It is a negligible addition to the universe that adds little to the lore. The prequel focuses on the events before the first movie, but nothing interesting happens. The acting was great, but it is wasted on a boring story with questionable writing. Do yourself a favor and skip this movie.

I went back and re-watched the first movie to see how it compared. It has been a while, and I wanted to make sure that my opinion of the movie wasn’t a memory made better because I was so bored with First Kill. The original is a far better movie. It isn’t perfect, but at least it was entertaining. First Kill doesn’t have any real direction. It pads the run time with sappy family moments then teases you with an interesting and unexpected twist, only to become another generic horror movie that isn’t worth your time.

This movie has a few good moments, but not enough to save it. I am going to spoil this movie to make my point. It doesn’t matter because you shouldn’t watch yourself, but a warning is still in order. 

Ester goes to kill the detective that has been asking too many questions. In his final breaths, as Ester stands over him asking how he knew she was lying, a bullet pierces his head and leaves him lifeless. As he bleeds onto the carpet, Ester turns to see Julia Styles holding a gun. Styles confronts Ester about her lie, but instead of killing Ester and ending the movie, she blackmails Ester into keeping up the charade. Styles had been covering up the murder of the original Ester, and the new Ester was the piece she needed to make her husband happy again. 

This was a great moment that easily stands out against the blandness carried throughout the rest of this film, but it is a moment wasted because the rest of the movie doesn’t have any of this energy. I liked that Ester was made a victim because it puts the audience in an uncomfortable position. Do they root for Ester who is conning the family and has a murderous past, or do you root for the family the dark secret she is conning that also wants her dead? It makes me mad that such an interesting idea sits so comfortably within such a disappointing movie. 

You can stream this on Paramount+, but I wouldn’t bother.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Long Night (2022)

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The Long Night didn’t make much of an impression on me. It doesn’t do anything I would go rushing to see, but it had enough interesting visuals to keep my attention. The acting is solid, the story is okay, and the lore is pretty tame. I honestly don’t have much to say because it doesn’t stand out much from any other demon cult movies I’ve seen.

The Long Night is a story of a woman who is searching for her biological parents. This search brings her to a mysterious house in the middle of nowhere. She begins to hear voices and sees visions of cults and demons. The situation grows bleak when they are trapped in the house by a group of cultists. Now she and her boyfriend must survive the night. Will they be able to escape, or will they become a sacrifice to some unknown demon?

This movie is better than the average cult movie, but it isn’t something I would go rushing to see. The writing is a bit awkward, and the characters aren’t great. It is always harder to write about these movies because they don’t really inspire much. There are definitely things about this movie I appreciated, but it isn’t something I’ll be watching again. If you like the genre and are starving for a new horror movie, then this movie is fine. If not, you can live your life without it. You can stream it on Shudder.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Cellar (2022)

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If you like demon possession movies, The Cellar is fine, but it is not without issues. The acting is mostly okay, but there are definitely some outliers trending towards bad. The story is fine, but I don’t know how I feel about math being the evil force that powers the whole narrative.

The Cellar is the story of a family that moves into a house that is possessed by an ancient demon. The family isn’t even allowed a night of peace in the new house as their daughter goes missing instantly. Strange things continue to happen to the family. They hear voices, see figures, and some even lose their free will through possession. The matriarch takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of what is happening to her family. Will she be able to free her family from the clutches of the Leviathan, or will she and her family be more souls added to his collection?

This movie is fine. If you like horror and don’t mind the acting, there are some cool things it does visually that are worth checking out. It plays around with some interesting lore and mythology, but it isn’t something you should be racing to see. It is a nice addition to a horror movie marathon if you are running out of choices.

I will say that after watching a few of these Shudder originals, I am impressed with the direction in which they are taking the genre. They might still be rough, but I can see some solid attempts and exploration that I can see paying off when they truly find their voice. I am curious to see them grow and hopeful that they will become a household name for horror one day. They still have some growth to do, but it is only a matter of time. 

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: So Vam (2022)

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Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

It has been a while since I have seen a movie this rough and unpolished. So Vam is a low-budget vampire movie that you are better off not watching. While well-intentioned as it addresses important issues that affect the LBGQT community, it just isn’t a good movie. The acting is rigid and stiff, the writing is inconsistent, and the story isn’t interesting. At least the camera quality and the sound is good.

The movie focuses on a young gay kid who just wants to live his life and be who he is. The town he lives in doesn’t accept him for being gay. As a result, he experiences a lot of bullying and discrimination. He is an outcast in this town and dreams of going somewhere where he can be who he is without any judgment. His life changes when a strange man turns him into a vampire. With the help of a few trans and gay vampires, he learns to use his powers for good. He now has the confidence to be who he wants to be, but there is a dark force after him. Will he and his new friends be strong enough to defeat this lingering evil from another time, or will evil prevail?

This movie has too many issues, and it isn’t worth your time. I liked that they try to redefine the vampire mythos, but the writing is too inconsistent to do so properly. There is no effective world-building aside from narrative existing in a small town, no consistency in the powers the vampires have, and no clear distinctions between the faction except that one are the bad one. The villain is one-dimensional and flat partly due to the bad writing and largely due to the rigid and emotionless acting that is thematic for this movie. The writing isn’t good, full of some notable holes and continuity errors. For example, there is a character in this movie that uses the they/them pronouns at the beginning of the film, but then is changed to he/him later on. This inconsistency is glaring for a movie that boasts of being an LGBTQ film early on. If you are going to make an LGBTQ movie, at least get the pronouns right. 

I can forgive low-budget movies when they are fun like Velocipastor, but there is nothing fun here. You can stream this on Shudder, but it isn’t worth your time.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Alone With You (2022)

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Image by María Prieto from Pixabay

I don’t know where to start with this movie, but it is hard to talk about because it didn’t leave much of an impression. This is a well-intentioned film that tried something unique, but it has too many issues holding it back that make it impossible to recommend. Even if you like experimental horror movies, there isn’t anything noteworthy to this film. I suggest you skip it.

Alone With You is a psychological horror movie about a woman trapped in her apartment. Her night starts out normal as she waits for her girlfriend to come home from a trip. Strange things start to happen to her as time passes. Charlie finds herself trapped in a sinister loop of memories and thoughts as she becomes more desperate to escape this nightmare. She hears voices, sees visions, and keeps reliving bad memories about her relationship. Will she ever be able to leave, or will the insanity that binds her to the apartment keep her trapped there forever?

Nothing really happens in this movie despite it frantically jumping between memory, reality, and delusion. The main problem with the movie is that the lead isn’t good enough to carry the film. Sure there are some neat visuals, but there isn’t anything to hold the audience’s attention. A movie like this needs a lead that can create the tension required to make this movie work. This movie needed disorienting tension that builds to the big reveal at the end, but there isn’t much here. The big reveal is incredibly obvious, I figured it out before the horror even started. I wouldn’t mind this knowledge if the movie were entertaining, but it is not. It goes without say, but the acting is bad, and the story suffers for it.

Just skip this movie, I am sure you have better things to do with your time. But for those who don’t believe me, you stream it on Shudder.