Favorite TV Shows of 2022

10) The Rehearsal: This show is a crazy experiment and goes insane places. I can’t believe how much money HBO gave Nathan Fielder. I was laughing and disturbed at the same time.

9) Bluey: Bluey is the show I watched the most of this year. My children love the show, but it is so much more than that. This show makes me want to be a better, more engaged parent. It is hilarious and heart-felt and tells beautiful stories in 15 minutes. More adults without children need to watch it because it is one of the best shows on television.

8) Our Flag Means Death: What a fun show! I loved the characters, and it seemed like they were having so much fun making this. It is unlike anything else, and I can’t wait for season two. I hope more people hear about this show and give it a shot because in the time of dark, anti-hero TV shows, Our Flag Means Death shins bright.

7) Ms. Marvel: Ms. Marvel brought so much joy each week and Iman Vellani, who plays Ms. Marvel, is a star. She lights up every scene she is in. The Achilles heel of most of Marvel’s shows/movies are the villains and I felt this show had a better one than most.

6) The Bear: I feel like The Bear is the most realistic look at what it is like to work in a kitchen of a restaurant and how hard it is to run one. It feels grounded and real and is about the relationships within the kitchen.

5) Stranger Things: I think season 4 of Stranger Things was a return to form. The tension and stakes felt higher and the introduction of the Hellfire Club and its leader Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, added a much-needed new character to this season.

4) White Lotus: Season 2 of White Lotus continues what was great in season 1. The characters are so well written and fun to hang out with. Each group is telling their own story and Jennifer Coolidge is such a delight.

3) House of the Dragon: I was very worried about a spin-off of one of my favorite shows and yet, it delivered. It felt more contained and smaller than Game of Thrones got at the end of its run. The best part of Game of Thrones was always smart people talking smartly in rooms and House of the Dragon brought back more of this.

2) Andor: The best compliment I can give Andor is it revived my love of Star Wars. This is the Star Wars show I always wanted. No Skywalkers, no familiar locations. There is a fast galaxy, show me what is going on out there. The show takes its time, develops interesting characters, and then pays them off with incredible set piece moments. The cinematography is also a standout.

1) Severance: This show blew me away! I was waiting every week to see where this mind-bending show would go. The characters and acting are top notch and Severance is one of the few shows that nails the ending. I was left with my jaw on the floor. I can’t recommend this show enough.

Favorite Films of 2022

After a less than stellar year in 2021 due to Covid restraints, movies rebounded to have a great year in 2022. This year I had a much harder time cutting my favorite films list down to 10. I finally made it back to theatre for the first time since 2020 to see Avatar in 3D at our newly opened Alamo Drafthouse in St. Louis. It felt great to be back in a theatre and I see why Alamo Drafthouse theatres are so highly recommended. It is a fantastic theatre that I will be going to whenever possible.

And now, for my favorite films of 2022:

A few honorable mentions that were close to making my list are After Yang, The Woman King, The Sea Beast, Decision to Leave, and Nope. All of these would have made my top 10 last year but it was such a strong year that they just missed making my list this year.

10) Tár (available on VOD): Just a masterful performance by Cate Blanchett. The movie throws you headfirst in to the world on conducting and musical performance and shows how obsession for greatness can take over you.

9) Turning Red (streaming on Disney+): The movie I watched the most this year. I never got sick of watching it and the music from 4*Town written by Finneas was brilliant and stuck in head all year. Pixar did such a wonderful job showing school friendship, the difficulties of being a kid, and growing up.

8) Top Gun: Maverick (streaming on Paramont+): I had such low expectations for this movie. I was shocked by how much I loved it. It’s pacing and action propelled me through a ride of a movie that I didn’t want to end. I still go back and watch some of the action scenes and I’m blown away by how they are shot and put you right in the middle of the action.

7) Athena (streaming on Netflix): This captivated me from the long opening shot and never let me go. It has some of the best performances I saw all year. I hope more people give it a shot.

6) The Banshees of Inisherin (streaming on HBO Max): Just a lovely story about two people, their friendship, and how growing apart can affect them and the people around them. Lovely performances by the entire cast and such a well written script.

5) The Menu (streaming on HBO Max): This was such a fun watch. I loved where this film went and how it kept me guessing and surprised about what would come next. Ralph Fiennes delivers a controlled Voldemort performance.

4) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (streaming on Netflix): I love the way the director, Rian Johnson, writes and directs his films. He is one of my favorite directors/writers and Glass Onion feels like him having so much fun. I was skeptical of the new cast, but they all were fantastic, with Janelle Monáe being the standout. I love the twist that happens halfway through and where it goes from there. Also, I need a Benoit Blanc voice on Google Maps.

3) RRR (streaming on Netflix): When I heard about this film, I didn’t know what to expect but it blew me away. Such amazing performances by the two stars, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan, which you start loving by their incredible stunts and action and end up loving through their portrayal of friendship. RRR has some of the most memorable scenes this year that will stick with me forever.

2) Prey (streaming on Hulu): I’ve never been a fan of Predator movies. This movie changed all that. It is a perfectly paced, perfect length film with incredible tension and action. I love how grounded this film made the predator by setting it back in time. It’s a shame this movie didn’t get a theatrical release because it would have been a blast to watch in a crowded theatre. I can’t wait to see what the director, Dan Trachtenberg, does next.

1) Everything Everywhere All at Once (streaming on Showtime+): This movie made me laugh, cry, sit on the edge of my seat, and gasp out loud. It was so much fun and pulled at my heartstrings. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan give deep, incredible performances. I loved every minute of it and think it is a masterpiece in genre filmmaking.

If your interested in following my reviews throughout the year, you can following me on Letterboxd at https://boxd.it/ot3.

Thanks for reading!

Favorite Video Games of 2017

The past year was arguably one of the best for video games in years. There are a few games that, in any other year, would be the game of the year. My feeling is that, although these few games are some of the best games I’ve ever played, the depth of quality of titles wasn’t present in 2017. The good news is most of my favorite games this year were 30-100 hour adventures that kept me busy all year long.

The Nintendo Switch was such a bright spot for me and had my two favorite games this year. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is my favorite Zelda game in 30 years and it soaked up 80 hours of my time, of which I enjoyed every minute. Super Mario Odyssey would easily be my favorite in any other year. I have been a Sony Playstation loyalist over the past few years, so it speaks volumes about how great a year the Switch had by taking the top two spots on my list over Playstation titles.

Without further ado, here is the list of my favorite video games of 2017:

1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took the Zelda formula and turned it on its head. Instead of large, long dungeons; there are short, small dungeons called shrines. The map is completely open from the start and you can go fight the final boss, Ganon, right from the beginning. You can climb anything. No more looking for the proper spot and hand holds on walls. It felt like a true adventure and is one the best games I've ever played.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Mario games have a long history of fantastic gameplay and Odyssey is no exception. The capture mechanic was brilliantly executed. By throwing your hat on anything in the environment, you gain control of that person or thing. World after world, there were new techniques unlocked that changed gameplay. I always had a smile on my face while playing this game, which is a huge compliment.

3. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

I’m a huge fan of the Uncharted series. In fact, this series made me switch from using Xbox as my main console to Playstation. Lost Legacy was a shorter adventure; which, in my opinion, told a tighter story. It also had the first open world level in Uncharted history, which was executed well. I loved the characters of Chloe and Nadine and their chemistry. The voice acting was second to none and really allowed me to get wrapped up in the story.

4. Persona 5

This game just oozes style. The production design is so eye catching and the music is super catchy. What Persona does best is character development. As days pass in the game, you hang out with your friends and develop relationships with them. It is part high school simulator, part dungeon crawler. The player has to balance both aspects to finish the dungeons on time. Other than Breath of the Wild, no other game this year captured my attention more than Persona 5. You would be hard pressed to find a better value for your money than the 100+ hours you get with Persona 5.

5. Horizon Zero Dawn

Coming from a studio that previously developed first person shooters, I was surprised at the quality Horizon since it is a third person open world action adventure game. The story was fantastic and bringing down mechanical dinosaurs was a blast. Each one had their own strengths and weaknesses and offered different ways to approach them. I loved playing as Alloy and her story was one of the best this year.

6. What Remains of Edith Finch

A shorter experience with no combat, Edith Finch tells its story through a series of vignettes. You play as Edith Finch, the daughter of Dawn Finch, who visits the Finch house and experiences a series of memorials and stories about how each Finch family member died. Each story is told in unique ways that really leaves an emotional impact. I really enjoyed this story and how it was told.

7. Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Set as a prequel to the original Life is Strange, Before the Storm tells the story of Chloe Price, a friend of the main character Max from the previous game. It dives into the relationship Chloe has with Rachael Amber. Most of the game is focused on developing this relationship through natural high school interactions. The writing is spot on and the relationship that develops feels organic. Shortening the story from the five chapters of the previous game down to three chapters really focuses the story.

8:  Hellblade: Senua Sacrifice

Hellblade was the game that surprised me the most this year. I wasn’t really interested when it was originally announced. What made me try it was the discounted price of $40, $20 cheaper than other games. Hellblade follows Senua, a warrior inspired from Norse mythology and Celtic culture, who is trying to rescue the soul of her dead lover from goddess, Hela. What Hellbade does best is display the struggle with psychosis as Senua hears voices in her head and see memories from her past. It is a game that must be played with headphones. As you play through the game, the voices Senua hears play around you. It makes you feel like you are suffering from the same condition as Senua. 

 9. Destiny 2

The sequel to the original massive hit game, Destiny 2, tells a better story than the original. The addiction to loot is still there and the fun multiplayer component continued to excel. There have been some issues with character progression and that was enough to make me stop playing. It still was my favorite multiplayer game this year and took up most of my spare time during the month it came out. For that reason, Destiny 2 lands at number 9. 

10. Resident Evil 7

This game in VR was so scary I couldn’t even play it in that mode. I had to move to regular TV mode. I love how it felt more grounded than that last few in the series. Some of my favorite memories of this year in gaming came from the scares and general creepiness of Resident Evil 7. It did lose some of its momentum later in the game and felt a little long, but the first few hours are worth it.

The top 5 games could all be my favorite game any other year. They all were fabulous experiences that I loved throughly. 

Next week will be all about movies. Until then...

Favorite TV Shows of 2017

As I look back on the last year in television, I think this might be the best year of TV ever. There were so many quality shows that I had to expand my usual top ten list to fifteen. I believe, with so many channels and providers offering original content, we are in a golden age of television. I hope that highlighting my favorites, you might give one of them a try and find a new favorite yourself.

To stake the obvious, I didn’t watch every TV show so this is an incomplete sampling. There are only so many hours in the day. Without further ado, here are my favorite television shows of 2017.

1) Master of None

2) The Leftovers

3) The Handmaid’s Tale

4) Game of Thrones

5) Mr. Robot

6) Insecure

7) Big Little Lies

8) Better Things

9) Black Mirror

10) Sense8

11) Legion

12) Better Call Saul

13) Glow

14) 13 Reasons Why

15) Orphan Black

What are your favorites? Did I leave one of your favorites off the list? Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for suggestions.

Look for my favorite video games of 2017 list next week. Then, the week following, I will post my top 10 movies list.

Until next week…

The Last Guardian Review

One of my greatest joys in life is spending time with my dog. The unbridled joy he has when he sees me, the companionship no matter what is going on in my life, and the unconditional love is always present. These feelings are extremely hard to convey in a video game because few animals on screen look and act like a real animal. The Last Guardian is able to accomplish this in a way I’ve never experienced before.

Trico, the bird/cat/dog hybrid, reacts just like a real animal would. At the beginning, you have to build your relationship with him. He won’t respond to your commands and he is fearful of you. Trico will scream at you to get away until you insist otherwise. This can be frustrating at first for gamers used to pressing a button and always getting the same result. I found it refreshing and these reactions made Trico feel more lifelike. By the end of the game, Trico was there for me when I needed him and I was there for him when he needed me. We were a perfect pair and because the relationship grew organically, it paid off it spades.

The real marvel with Trico is how he moves. The Last Guardian development for an extremely long period of time, which left many wondering if the game  would ever see the light of day. I imagine what took so long was getting Trico to act and move like a true animal. Trico will wander, sniff around, get enamored by random items and it will be hard to break his attention from these distractions. The expression in his eyes and his ears give Trico personality that will melt your heart. By the conclusion of the game, I was less motivated to get to the end because I didn’t want my time with Trico to end.

I would be remiss to not mention the incredible score of the game. Its sweeping orchestration that came and went as emotional action happened on screen gave me chills at times. The music helped build the relationship between you and Trico in a magical way. As you get to climactic moments, the music would build and crescendo right when you are falling and Trico would swoop in and save you. The score always added to the moments while never dominating them. Bravo to Composer Takeshi Furukawa.

The Last Guardian is a Playstation 4 exclusive that is a must play if you are able. Fumito Ueda, who previously brought us Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, created another masterpiece. Games like The Last Guardian are why I play video games. It gave me an experience like no other form of media can and I can’t wait to see what Ueda-san does next.