My goodness, this is equal parts fascinating, frustrating, and beautiful. The randomness of the rooms you can select from to add to the house layout is incredibly challenging, but not entirely insurmountable.

The art is gorgeous, its look balancing pen & ink with watercolour wash, giving it a mixture of book illustration and blueprint / technical drawing (an obviously conscious choice there).

The puzzles and story are fascinating. Mr Ros has clearly poured his heart into this, and his experience with and love of both puzzles and cine- and still photography have been perfectly combined here.

I haven't been this impressed (and frustratedly determined) with a game since Myst. This is easily the best game purchase I have made in a very long time.

★★★★★

#review #VideoGame #Steam #IOwnThis #Mac #PS5 #Windows #XBox

I watched this because I have no internet connection this evening. Technicians are investigating, apparently. So, it was time to dip into the Blu-Rays on my shelf.

Louis Malle’s first film, shot in late-‘50s Paris, starring Jean Moreau in an incredible performance, with a score by #MilesDavis, a Mercedes 300SL W198 “Gullwing,” and an interrogation scene which is nothing but three people with jet black surroundings and heavy top light… CAN IT GET ANY COOLER THAN THAT?

It’s slow and quiet, but do not let that dissuade you. Pay attention, let things unfold, and it’s only 91 minutes, for goodness sake!

It’s so good.

But those croissants M Tavernier insists on having lots more of are clearly… well, you can tell those are bad. There’s no flakiness at all! Bah. What an awful item. Go somewhere else, Julien!

Highly recommended.

★★★★☆

#review #CineMastodon #Noire #FilmNoir #IOwnThis #CriterionCollection

I started this evening with the 102-year-old classic I have a copy of, then realized I wasn’t in the mood for it despite its brilliance.

So, I turned to the Clement/Waititi masterpiece to slake my need for silliness.

I regret neither decision.

Watch them. Watch them now!

★★★★★ for both

#review #CineMastodon #Kanopy #VPL #IOwnThis

Because I now own copies of both “The Wizard of Oz” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” it seemed inevitable that I would create the so-called “Dark Side of the Rainbow” for myself.

The number of amazing coincidences are vastly out-weighed by the number of non-events.

Maybe you need to be stoned.

Everyone probably does this once. That much is enough for me.

★★☆☆☆

#review #CineMastodon #iOwnThis

Whilst watching “Lynch / Oz” three weeks ago, I realized that not only did I not own a copy of this, I hadn’t seen it since I was in Grade School. So I fixed that.

My goodness, the number of films this has influenced is nearly incalculable. The message of how you lack for nothing if you only look within yourself is excellent. If you haven’t seen it lately — or even if you have — do so.

Mandatory viewing, no matter your age or cinema viewing experience.

★★★★★

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After last night’s viewing, I had to see this as well.

The problem with the cult status of the first film is that the casting of the second becomes a series of celebrity cameos. This is a shame, as lesser-known actors could have shone in parts given to Cult Film Stars.

The story is a bit formulaic, but expecting this picture to plough new ground is a fool’s errand. It’s still fun, though.

Pretty good.

★★★☆☆

#review #CineMastodon #iOwnThis

I have often enjoyed the comedy of Nish Kumar during his appearances on the podcast “The Bugle.” Hearing that his latest special was available for LEGAL PURCHASE on all platforms WORLD-WIDE, I said to myself ‘right, it’s time to hand this guy some money.’

It’s lefty, extremely profane, usually un-relatable (I’m white and almost 60), and very esoteric at some moments.

Absolutely fantastic; it will change your life (for the better) and reinforce your faith in humanity (ibid).

★★★★★

#iOwnThis