3.2.26 best price in the world

Hey! It's not the last Monday of February, but I'm doing a log on the 2nd of March anyway because the month was toooo short. There's a lot to cover here, so let's get started!

This is the first full album I've heard from Cavetown and I was recommended this album in particular specifically because of its stylistic pivot towards hyperpop. While I feel like some tracks kind of blend together, I find its blend of punk rock and electronics to be very consistently solid overall even if I lean more towards the ballads and tracks that emphasize synths a little more.

Fav Tracks: Rainbow Gal, Baby Spoon, Reaper, Micah

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I vaguely remember listening to this album on SoundCloud back when I was discovering PC Music for the first time, but I decided to check it out again this month since it became available on streaming. House music isn't typically a very replayable genre to me unless it has an interesting enough progression, but I feel like Kane West's humorous approach to it carries a lot of this record, especially since his use of basic MIDI instruments surprisingly complements his ability to make solid grooves.

Fav Tracks: preview, good price, pr, power of social media (Joe Smooth Rework)

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I first found out about this group through an A. G. Cook interview where he recommended them and I definitely hear the types of sounds he would gravitate to in this EP. The dry, percussive sound design mixed with a more melody-driven direction is something that I vibe with wholeheartedly even if these tracks don't go too wild with their progression.

Fav Tracks: ADDICTIONZ, O'SALLEEE, Disease Again

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Given that this is a lot more dance-oriented than Magdalene, it's wasn't surprising to me that I would instantly enjoy it a little more, though it did surprise me how sparse a lot of the instrumentals are. That said, I still vibe heavily with Koreless' ethereal production style, which really complements Twigs' vocals in a way that feels like a more cinematic version of early 2000s pop and the work of Imogen Heap. I'll be coming back to both versions of this record frequently methinks!

Fav Tracks: Eusexua, Girl Feels Good, Perfectly, The Dare, Perfect Stranger, Sticky, Keep It Hold It, Got to Feel, Lonely But Exciting Road

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I've seen a lot of surprisingly mixed reactions to this record, though I personally enjoyed it quite a bit. While its pastiche of Y2K-era trance and Eurodance kind of wears a little thin towards the end, I still love how Danny is able to replicate the ethereal qualities of that general era through the more bitcrushed synths that he uses throughout much of its tracklist. It may not be as bombastic as Harlecore a lot of the time, but I can't deny how effective it is at being as infectious as dance music should be.

Fav Tracks: Azimuth, Te Re Re, Laa, O Now Am I Truly Lost, Crystallise My Tears

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I'm not too interested in the movie that this album was created to promote, but I do find it fascinating how effortlessly Charli is able to switch up her style in order to complement the film. That being said, much of this record does play like a very typical pop album with string arrangements attached, but I feel like just the addition of strings is enough to complement the record's lyrical direction about feeling heavy emotions while in love. Pretty neat listen overall, even if it does kind of simmer down in the back half.

Fav Tracks: Dying for You, Chains of Love, Out of Myself, Open up, Seeing Things

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A classic film about eating eggs and prison friendships! I find it interesting how the film depicts Luke's motives for being sent to prison in the first place as vague as it does, adding a sense of mystique to the character that makes him more endearing as a man driven more by instinct than by any ill intent. Very fascinating character study that is as inspiring as it is entertaining.

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As I was watching this film for the first time, I was immediately impressed by how fluid the animation was, so much so that I would probably consider it the most 'animated' anime film that I've ever seen. I recognize that this film is a landmark achievement in anime history for its sheer scope and detail which I appreciate, but I feel like I would be more crazy about it if it was more focused on the psychological aspects of its story and how these psychic happenings affect the characters at its center. Less military stuff, more focus on Tetsuo please!

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I liked how despite being an animated film with environmental messaging, this film doesn't rely on the old trope of the world being saved by one person who shows an ignorant populace how to take care of their planet. It doesn't really focus on establishing a call to action as much as it simply reflects on how humanity would deal with climate change and technology in the distant future, which is interesting, though I would have preferred if it connected more conclusively with its themes on parenting, especially as it relates to its depiction of AI being placed into a nurturing role. Maybe I'm just more jaded about AI than this film is, but I feel like it could have been more profound on that front.

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They finally did it and aside from some minor complaints, it was just as fun as I'd thought it would be! It's interesting that this backdoor pilot seems establishing a new formula for the Muppets interacting with celebrities on the show that combines the 'very special guest star' format of the original show with the all-star cameos of the Muppet movies. While I'm excited to see if that direction will continue if the revival gets greenlit, I would also love to see the backstage plots have a little more direction since it felt like they didn't quite know how to wrap it all up towards the end. Here's hoping for more Muppet Show and here's hoping Matt Vogel's 'yaaaaayy' as Kermit gets better!

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This film is a great commentary on the allure of fame from the perspective of a fanatic who bases his self-worth on other people's fame. The fact that Rupert Pupkin makes an effort to come off like a professional comic adds a level of nuance to his delusion where he is able to get away with kidnapping his idol and get on his show through the sheer self-assuredness that's expected from comedians. Sandra Bernhart especially steals the show as his obsessive friend and her moments with Jerry Lewis are brilliantly awkward.

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While on the subject of fame, this newer satire of the music industry through the lens of Charli xcx's album BRAT and its mainstream popularity works best when it is satirizing the narrow expectations that are put on pop stars through Alexander Skarsgard's out-of-touch manager character. However, I feel like it builds up to a very cynical conclusion where Charli never attempts to reclaim her vision and acts entirely on instinct to sabotage herself instead. This self-destruction might be an intriguing plot point if the plot was based around Charli losing control of BRAT due to its cultural influence, but since there's a more tangible threat to her art, it doesn't feel as emotional to see her deal with the consequences of her actions. Soundtrack's decent tho.

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I didn't expect this film to be as atmospheric and visual-driven as it was, so it was a pretty welcome surprise to expect a straightforward sci-fi story and be greeted with something more experimental. Its more avant-garde moments really put you in the mind of the alien predator at the center of the narrative as she hunts, gains humanity and becomes hunted. The film's score also feels instantly iconic with its eerie synthetic string swells repeating throughout the film to create a fittingly uncanny mood.

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There are a lot of different ideas crammed into each act of this experimental special, which sort of acts as a testament to how imaginative the four creative voices at its center can be. I was expecting it to be a lot more abstract, so I was a little bit underwhelmed to see each act be a little more up-front about its themes of existentialism and purpose. Acts 1 & 2 are probably tied for my favorite due mainly to the imaginative worlds and fun characters present in both, though Act 3 kind of falters a bit in the writing department for me despite being more stylistically ambitious.

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This feels like one of those perfect 90s comedies where the cinematography, pacing and slapstick are all fine-tuned to play like a live-action cartoon without feeling too overwhelming as to distract from its narrative center. Every comedic setpiece of this film works simultaneously as a self-contained vignette and as a part of its larger narrative in a way that both serves its characters and increases the stakes as it goes on. Who knew that a film where Christopher Walken eats mouse shit could be this good?

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As I was watching this series progress, I started focusing on the progression of its characters, namely Fry and Leela's relationship, and how certain events end up mattering down the line without having the show turn super serialized. I'm impressed by how Futurama manages to balance its continuity with its more episodic sitcom format so that the jokes can still hit without feeling like any characters are being cheapened as a result. I hope that the rest of the series keeps up this goodwill, but I'll be taking a break from it for now so I'm not burnt out on it.

Fav Episodes: Fear of a Bot Planet, My Three Suns, Mars University, Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?, The Problem with Popplers, Parasites Lost, The Luck of the Fryrish, Time Keeps On Slippin', Leela's Homeworld, Jurassic Bark, The Sting, The Farnsworth Parabox, The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings

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While I'm torn on how much I should be engaged with media depicting law enforcement positively in this day and age, I find myself to be thoroughly engaged with this game's character-centered approach to problem-solving. There are some testimonies in this game that genuinely stumped me and required me to think about the whole case in context until I figured it out, which speaks to the game's effectiveness at creating engaging puzzles. The solutions to some cases rarely feel like deus ex machinas, making each mystery feel more unpredictable as the game goes on. I'm interested in seeing what else the trilogy has to offer and how the gameplay might advance in the other two installments because I'm pretty hooked so far!

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This sure was another long one! I might watch more Oscar nominees this month, so stay tuned for the end of March for my thoughts on those!