Stay Positive Sunday: Your Engine's Alive

If you've ever had the misfortune of reading my early fiction, you've probably figured out that I have certain quirks, both in terms of style and plot.  I'm honestly not too ashamed of this; most writers have quirks, it's just that once you reach a certain level of success they start calling them 'marks of your distinct voice'.  Certain things just click with you, and end up sticking in your brain far longer than anyone expects.  Just by way of example, I have always been fascinated by the story of the hero Ulysses, better known as the Greek epic The Odyssey.  It's an idea that many people keep coming back to, and each iteration fascinates me - James Joyce's doorstopper novel, the Coen's O Brother Where Art Thou, even Symphony X's 23-minute epic metal track.   There's just something about the core concept, built around this deep-seated longing to return home, that speaks to me on a deep, emotional level.  It should come as no surprise, then, that Franz Ferdinand's 2009 album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, is in my mind the band's single greatest achievement.

The Black Rabite & Seiken Densetsu 3

Duran, Angela, and Lise finally slay the dark beast

It's apparently nostalgia week here at That American Sadness - I'm revisiting a number of my old favorites.  Nonetheless, I couldn't NOT post this - though very few people will get it.  That 16-bit image up there is a screenshot from the little-seen and less-played 1995 Japanese RPG Seiken Densetsu 3, aka Secret of Mana 3 (or 2, depending on how you count.  Don't ask, it's weird).  Moreover, it's a screenshot of me defeating the Black Rabite, a bonus boss and the single most challenging battle in the game.  In short, it's me finally accomplishing everything there is to accomplish in SD3.  And yet right after that screen I immediately rebooted the emulator on my phone and started up another game.  Why, you ask?  That's simple.  It's probably my favorite game of all time.

Stay Positive Sunday - Painfully Earnest

As I've previously alluded to, I was a massive nerd in high school.  Exhibit A?  Power metal.

Re: The Doctor Strange Movie

Don't screw this up, Marvel.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be an off-brand Harry potter.

Scientist, Explorer, Pragmatist, and Father: Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four

Deep within the recesses of this blog is an article from over a year ago, discussing the then-upcoming Fantastic Four movie.  Frankly, I wasn’t all that excited about it.  I haven’t necessarily come around, but I can say that I plan on seeing it this weekend, and while my hopes aren’t high I’m at least open to being pleasantly surprised.  If nothing else, it seems like they’re taking a lot of cues from the Ultimate Fantastic Four series, penned by such notable names as Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Mike Carey.  Good source material, to say the least.  And above all else, despite all my complaints, I truly want this film to be good.  Because Reed Richards is, hands down, my favorite character in all of comics.

The Biopic That Wasn't: 'The End of the Tour' Review

The End of the Tour

Stay Positive Sunday - The Thrill of the Crowd