January is a time for beginnings, or so it’s been said. For me, this month was more a month of endings. I ended one (and am just about to end another) great TV series it’s taken me years to watch. I did manage to partake in lots of goodies this month, probably because of the frightful weather forcing lots of indoor time. I used to abhor winter, but I’m beginning to think the winter really is the Yang to summer’s Yin, the other side of the river bank, or the flip side of the coin. The ghastly winters are what make the beautiful summers. And besides, the nastiness outside is the best excuse for someone like me to stay indoors and revel in my gaming, reading, guitaring, and movies!
The Sight Below It All Falls Apart on HI-RES FLAC: Mostly comprised of one man, Rafael Anton Irisarri, this group has recently become one of my favorite ambient music groups. Their minimalist (but oh so whole!) soundscapes remind me of gloomy skylines with winter tree silhouettes, and sad near forgotten childhood memories. Pitchfork Media calls the group “a beautifully bleak cloud of sound.” XLR8R Magazine says The Sight Below “is a hurricane passing over an ocean, gathering heat and force while simultaneous cooling the waters below.” Suggested listens: “It All Falls Apart” or try “Stagger.”
Read Dead Redemption 2 on PC: I almost refused to play this game, being Read Dead Redemption, the original, was only released for consoles. Again, Rockstar Games decided to leave money on the table. I’ve dabbled in their Grand Theft Auto series, but became jaded rather quickly. I mean, seriously, this is a company fielded by coders and artists who snicker at the word “boobies.” And then I started playing this. Maybe Rockstar Games isn’t comprised of the sophomoric churls I once thought. I’m only 12% into the game, but the art style, the music, the story line (so far) is making this a standout game I should have played a long time ago. Still, in line with every Rockstar Game I’ve ever played, I’m being forced to do bad things to people I’d never imagine doing in real life. My friend Tommy Stevens tells me to hang on for the ride. Pay attention to the title of the game. True redemption awaits. We shall see. Oh, another thing. I’ve become a poker addict because of this game. My new favorite pastime: going all in and breaking everybody at the table.
Lost: Season 6 on Blu Ray: No spoilers, I promise. After a sojourn began in December 2012, I finally watched the last episode. Was it good? Yes. Was it worth watching the whole series for? I’m not so sure. Admittedly, I didn’t see the ending coming, but I suppose it really was a neat tidy way to sew up all of the different paths the show took during its six seasons. I can see how each cliffhanger episode had nearly all of America glued to their TV sets when the show aired, but the ending was kind of a cheap shot to me. I still maintain the real character in the show was the beautiful island the survivors were on. So much so, that looking back, I can say I’m glad I watched it.
The Cabin at the End of the World by
Paul Tremblay: (disclaimer: blatantly plagiarized from my review on GoodReads).
Blindsided. This book took me by surprise. One of the better horror novels I've
read in the last decade. The oh so innocent start, a little girl catching
grasshoppers in the front yard of her parents' cabin on a summer day, and the
sinister entrance of Leonard, a man who walks up her driveway and with his warm
smile wins her over instantly. Leonard talks to the girl and helps her catch
grasshoppers. And then three more strangers come down the driveway, all of them
carrying menacing looking objects. And so begins this journey into terror.
Paul Tremblay's plot pacing and his characterizations, not to mention his
craftsman style of description make this a must read for any horror fan. Oddly,
I started seeing advertisements for a movie being released based on this book
as I got halfway through it. But as good as the book was, I'm not surprised.
Papillon by Henri Charriere: This book met with such success when it was published in 1969 that in 1973 it became a movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. I remembered seeing parts of the movie and realizing at my boyish age it was a powerhouse of a story. I’d had the book for years, but never undertaken it. With my oddly unorthodox system of building the pile of books I’m going to read next, this one had worked its way in. I’m only 150 pages in, but I can tell already it’s a book I’m not going to want to end. Like Gilbert Grape did in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in becoming a real character, someone who seemed to be living and breathing in the real world, Papillon has done the same for me. Though it’s difficult to put down, I’m almost reluctant to pick the book up because I know I’m always getting closer to the end of it.
Battletech on PC: I’d tried to get into this game when it first came out in April of 2018, but the campaign was overwhelmingly long (and quite difficult.) I started it once again about a year later and had to restart the campaign since I had become so out of touch. I didn’t stay the course. I gave it another go this month and to my delight, the game seemed to have taken off. I’m making progress and advancing the story. I’ve read in reviews, the campaign isn’t that long, but looking at that star map, sheesh, I don’t know. It looks overly spacious to me. The game has a great art style, however, and the set pieces for each battle are meticulously crafted. The details in the mechs themselves are brilliant. I’m really enjoying this.
Back 4 Blood on PC: I was always intrigued since the release of this game crafted by the same people who worked on Valve’s famously fun zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. This one is just as frantic with the new addition of perk cards you can choose to play before each match. It went on a sale price that was heavily discounted and I couldn’t help but pick it up for a few buddies. So, me and my friends, Garrett Thrasher and Vic Berwick have been hard at it, saving the world from hordes of zombies, one bullet (or several depending on the weapon) at a time. The game really does play like the Valve’s originals. Graphics are of course, a generation ahead. Unfortunately, seeing that game as a fun time must be a rare observation because we see very few people playing it. Still, with friends, it’s a blast!
Star Citizen on PC: Chris Roberts’ brainchild, Star Citizen has been in development since 2012. You remember Mr. Roberts from the old wondrous Wing Commander games from the early 1990s (and the abominable movie starring Freddie Prinze Jr and Matthew Lilliard.) Well, Roberts used his own inspiration to develop the space fighting sim/MMO the one that would rule them all. Lagging horribly behind in development (RSI aka Roberts Space Industries, the company helming this thing even stopped detailing patch updates because fans were irate over promised inclusions that were, in fact, not included at all.) Ships are purchased with real world money which also includes a buy in into the universe of the game. (There are ships selling for over $1,000. Yes. Serious.) I bought in way back in 2015 at the behest of my friend, Tommy Stevens, who has gone on to become one of the universe’s holy terrors when it comes to sheer dogfighting. Tommy recently helped me set up my flight control system controls to where I could become somewhat competitive in the game, and then a patch released which destroyed my controls scheme. Two and a half hours’ worth of work down the tubes. I haven’t written off the game, but I am going to wait.
Northern Exposure: Season 6 on DVD: This is the second of a series I’m about to complete. I’ve been watching this one since before 2011, so it’s probably a record book entry for me for being my longest watched series of anything! It’s sad because I know it’s all winding down, yet I still spend as much time laughing as I do reaching for a Kleenex tissue while watching. I probably won’t watch the series again yet I’m reluctant to part with it. I’ve discovered this series is not being streamed anywhere . . . and never will be. Sad, huh? It turns out the series hosted a lot of great music for its time. Unfortunately, networks wanting to stream it have encountered issues with the music license owners of the songs in the show. The end result is, unless you own a physical copy of this wonderful series, you won’t be able to see it. Not to worry, however, you can find cheap copies on eBay.
