2020 in Review: What We Liked in Music
Much like everything else in 2020, music was a little weird. Amazing albums came out bereft of the typical touring cycle and songs got lost under the weight of COVID […]
2021 Preview: A Wish List for Theater, Virtual and Live
There’s no need to say how devastating 2020 has been for live theater and all forms of live entertainment. Millions of careers, lives and families have been turned upside down […]
2020 In Review: Our Favorite Video Games of 2020
So long 2020—you were a terrible year for a lot of reasons, but a surprisingly good year for video games. Sure, there was the big letdown that was Cyberpunk 2077. […]
2020 in Review: Best Narrative Films of the Year
Call me old fashioned, but I’m a firm believer in not posting a Best of the Year list until the year is actually over. I’m often able to squeeze in […]
Old Joy Shares the Gift of Music with Monks Aflame
There is something special about sharing music with music lovers, friends, family, and fellow fans. In a way, sharing music in a world where we feel so distant from one […]
Review: Promising Young Woman Channels Fury and Frustration into a Bold and Sharp Revenge Thriller
This time last year, I was writing about the film that ultimately landed at the top of my Best Films of 2019 list: Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. In Gerwig’s capable […]
Review: Calico‘s Marshmallow World Delights but Deflates Due to Clunky Controls
I have a lot of good memories growing up of time spent with My Little Ponies and Barbies and Strawberry Shortcake dolls. It wasn’t necessarily about the dolls, all soft […]
Review: El Hijo–A Wild West Tale Is a Charming, Well Crafted Adventure
I’m a sucker for bright, cartoony games. I know people who absolutely won’t play a game unless they’re grim dark with photorealistic graphics. That’s a shame, because there are some […]
Review: Sound of Metal Charts the Painful, Inspiring Journey of a Musician Losing His Hearing
In what might be one of the coolest opening sequences of the year, the beginning of Sound of Metal sees Riz Ahmed’s Ruben drum as if his life depends on […]
Review: Per Aspera Offers a Rich Escape to the Stars Through Its Hardships
There are certain things I aspire to like–cultural experiences I feel robbed of based on my tastes. Sushi. Baseball. Any sort of video game requiring me to actually think and […]
Review: The Storied Life and Prolific Work of ’70s Rocker (and So Much More) in Zappa
As someone who was in elementary school when rock legend Frank Zappa died in 1993, I never had much of an awareness of the musician, a multi-talented composer, songwriter, band […]
Review: Video Game Documentary Insert Coin Is a Fun Look at an Interesting Time in the Industry
The era of video games discussed in the new documentary Insert Coin was one I basically missed, but I don’t just watch documentaries about subjects I’m familiar with. In fact, […]