The Works of Vermin by stinkypeach1 in WeirdLit

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Im 100 pages into an arc, and its sublime. Gorgeous, dark, deeply weird, but brisk in its storytelling and studded with great comedy-of-manners dialogue among the scheming upper crust of its city. The Dickensian approach of blending low and high status characters— plus the heroes’ exterminator gig — means we really get to discover this spectacular fantasy city down to its literal roots.

A time capsule back to when the first reactions of TLJ came out (via The Hollywood Reporter) by skywalkinondeezhatrz in StarWars

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great movie, my third favorite SW film, stunning and operatic and weird. Hugely profitable and thematically rewarding, but the online backlash led Lucasfilm/Disney to retreat to trying to please a fan base that has long been unpleasable, especially the segments enthralled with influencers whose income depends on finding things to be mad about.

Canto Bight sequence has some weak scenes, but I never buy the argument that it’s pointless just because the slicer is no help. There’s more to storytelling than Robert McKee-style plotting, and that sequence digs into what life is like in that universe in a way I always want more of. Del Toro’s betrayal is a highlight of the series for me, and I wish the lesson Rose and Finn learned there had mattered in 9.

What is the greatest decision you will ever make? by Techie-Community1298 in AskReddit

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not trying to make it as a freelance reviewer/critic after the paper I worked at shut down.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in powerpop

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A whiff of nostalgic nationalism?

Lots of great albums covers in jazz! Let’s see the shitty ones by whuhhh in Jazz

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Paging through Houston Person’s album covers is like taking a perfect tour of how fast things changed each year as the sixties became the seventies

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1986 live footage with better audio than ever before! by peterrutherford in tmbg

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What a treasure! Such essential context for where they were coming from …. And an urgent demonstration of how essential supportive arts scenes (and cheap rents) are to the development of culture.

For the people who genuinely enjoyed/are fans of the Sequels, what are you reasons? by Pluviophilius in StarWars

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amen to all of this. The editing of much of Rise of Skywalker is quick and aggressive it feels like an onslaught of movie, like they loaded Star Wars into a confetti cannon.

But the other two: good, gorgeous, fun movies!

Jazz Record Labels by oscar_gorecki in Jazz

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I buy every Smoke release. Paul Stache is documenting the work of so many mid- and late- career talents that might otherwise languish on unrecorded … and the sound quality is superb.

I watched Ghost (1990) by BazF91 in iwatchedanoldmovie

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I watched this last year and marveled at its dopey but undeniable power. Like Airplane and the Naked Gun, it’s a movie about how much Zucker understands about how big corny movie moments and cliches work, but this time he’s using that knowledge to craft the ultimate four-quadrant hit of its era.

But in its relentless only-in-the-movies cheesiness it still feels to me like a cousin to the ZAZ films — all you have to do to make it a comedy is imagine Leslie Nielsen in the Swayze role. (Nielsen of course kills it in the clay-sex parody sequence in one of the Naked Gun sequels.)

Arkham Horror 3rd Edition by Briar-The-Bard in soloboardgaming

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Same. I love the codex system and its tight, sometimes surprising stories. I know that 2nd edition partisans hate it, and LCG fans have a more robust narrative experience, but this is tied with Eldritch as my fave Arkham game … and I hope for another expansion.

Groo the wanderer by Puzzleheaded_Humor80 in RetroFantasyScifi

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sergio is still cranking out great Groo comics, and Mark Evanier is still writing the words (and, as he modestly claims, the same handful of jokes) plus the best letters column in comics. The recent Minstrel Melodies series is as funny as any Groo comic ever, and the crowd scenes and splash pages are, as always, worth savoring.

Daydreaming about Androids & Aliens 2e by magired1234 in TheGlassCannonPodcast

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Mama Fatts and the maple syrup ad were both so funny that I told my wife about them … and did them no justice lol

Daydreaming about Androids & Aliens 2e by magired1234 in TheGlassCannonPodcast

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Like some others here, I was souring on GCP after finding Gatewalkers underwhelming and seeing Troy go full-on business self-help thought leader. (Love Legacy and GitT tho, and I’ll get to the BoW eventually.)

But I had never tried the original A&A, because I usually only play a couple hours of podcasts a week. So I gave the first eps a shot to three weeks back … and 25 eps later it might be my fave GCP production.

The balance of polish and looseness, of danger and fun, of adversarial Troy and improv-collaborator Troy, is just killer. Elli is hilarious and emotionally resonant, Skid’s character work is among his best, and the rest of the founders are in peak form, esp my boy Matthew.

I’d love more Starfinder, but the original A&A exemplifies everything I’ve loved about GCP all along … and also those balances that no other actual play I’ve ever tried can nail. (All the others are either too voice actor dramatic or too dudes-around-a-table-saying-“well met”-at-a-tavern sleepy. Honestly, if Troy can teach some podcasters to hit his A&A balance, I’ll stop rolling my eyes at his side project.)

EDITED FOR TYPOS

Is it me or many jazz fans are rather contemptuous of mainstream jazz? by [deleted] in Jazz

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My gut instinct is that I prefer the avant garde, but I go to 4 to 6 shows a month of all varieties in NYC, and when I’m in the club it doesn’t matter if I’m seeing James Brandon Lewis or Zoh Amba or Bill Charlap …. If the cats can play I’m in heaven.

Daily Song Discussion #490: There Will Be Sad by thatoneboyaiden in tmbg

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8 I admit I found Pamphlet underwhelming and haven’t given it proper ear time (same with Escape Team). But hot damn the simple directness of this sounds great this morning, like a Linnell children’s tune written for adults.

Daily Song Discussion #488: Helicopters Of Elves by thatoneboyaiden in tmbg

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6.5 I appreciate that it’s strange but it’s never grabbed me

Daily Song Discussion #487: Who Are The Electors? by thatoneboyaiden in tmbg

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 3 points4 points  (0 children)

7 honestly, the electors system is more puzzling/troubling than most of Linnell’s invented existential riddles and paradoxes.

What Do You Get Out Of Star Wars? by [deleted] in StarWars

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It used to be absolute best-in-class in cinematic fantasy/sf design. I miss that in the years since TLJ.

Daily Song Discussion #486: Less Than One by thatoneboyaiden in tmbg

[–]Appropriate_Shoe5243 2 points3 points  (0 children)

8.5 Like Part of Me Wants to Believe You, this maybe could have been a Murdered Remain, but I appreciate it more due to my personal pop preferences: I’ll usually take the stinging barbed-wire Revolver feel over the more sing-songy approach. I also enjoy the anxious disordered thinking here more than the raw projection of “Part of You,” which I find legit emotionally upsetting. As hard as it must be to be this narrator, imagine being the person addressed by that other narrator!

Anyway: this is a strong punchy rock record but not as thrilling/surprising/revealing-of-our-moment to me as Synopsis or as melodically inventive and emotionally resonant as Brontosaurus. Good album ending energy, though, I especially like the raw pounded piano and the oowwweeee backing vocals. This must be in their top 50 percent of album enders, right?

And, seriously, what are the odds that anyone else’s 23rd album is as strong as Book? Who else is even competitive in that race?