david.reviews: Everything!

david.reviews: the movie "Hackers"

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: On its surface, it's sort of a doofy movie. The typing scenes are overwrought and there's an undercurrent of casual misogyny that probably fit right into 90 hacker culture. I didn't really get it at first (and my early reviews reflect that).

At the same time, it's just so earnest. It takes its characters at their word, no matter how silly they're being. It paints them almost as jocks, never talking down to or belittling them. The costuming and roller blading is so over the top, yet utterly charming and cool. The villain is the same, but you just love to hate him. A truly masterful performance. The hardware is so 90s and overall vibe is just impeccable. I've really come around to the film as a chaotic, energetic expression of computer-focused joy. It holds a special place in my heart.

HACK THE PLANET

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "1000xResist"

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Tells an ambitious story that I mostly enjoyed. Its non-linear narrative works well to keep everything mysterious while still being engaging. Its high concept world works well as a setting and the architecture of the garden was comforting while everything around it was not. The voice acting was superb, especially when performances were used to differentiate versions of individual characters. There wasn't much gameplay but had some cool ludonarrative cohesion that made it feel unique.

The worst thing I could say about it is how artsy it was. I'd admire its dedication to telling its story its way, but it occasionally veered into "art house movie" territory and lost me a little. Saying evocative phrases that seem like they make sense in the moment can only get you so far. I enjoyed it and wanted to see where it went, but I'm not totally sure it actually brought me anywhere. I might just be 20% too dumb for it though. And I wish there was a little less aimless wandering around.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the book "The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook" by Matt Dinniman

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Does a good job smoothing out the detail while focusing on the big picture. I love the media / "the revolution will be televised" angle and the intergalactic worldbuilding.

Growing the ensemble is good and some of the more complex plot threads are coming to fruition. Carl is also less terrible at this point, which is probably for the best. He can't save everyone, but he does really seem like he cares.

The audiobook narration continues to be excellent. Jeff Hays is an all-timer.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the book "Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Provides a perfect foil to the original novel. I liked Bean as a character explaining so much of his inner monologue and the political machinations around him. Some of the plotlines get wrapped up a little too quickly and cleanly, but it kept me engaged throughout. Like revisiting an old friend who's gotten a new haircut- familiar, yet treads new ground. A fascinatingly brutal world. Goes down with media like Lion King 1 1/2 to re-tread a beloved story effectively.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana"

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: An excellent action RPG. Loved the breezy island setting and the exploration aspect. Finding castaways to grow your base who also act as shopkeepers is brilliant design- it helps your exploration have real gameplay impact and makes the settlement really feel lived in. It's a fun supporting cast though and they hold just enough space to be distinct without feeling like there's a million people to meet.

The story was interesting and runs a little long, but kept me engaged throughout. I wouldn't have hated if they'd kept it a simple adventure story, but I didn't mind where it went. I liked the time jump gameplay and am glad they didn't use it too heavily for puzzles. There was just enough of it to be novel.

Basically the epitome of a AA RPG. Combat is engaging without being complicated- jump, dodge, attack, block, 4 skills. Weapons get upgraded over time without you having to shop for them. There are armor & accessory slots that provide character customization, but there are only 3 stats, so your choices are never overwhelming. The controls are also simple, letting you do everything without memorizing a bunch of chords and button combinations. Each of the 6 characters handle differently, so they feel distinct to use, keeping combat fresh. Plus you could adjust the difficulty on the fly, so you can engage as much or as little as you want.

Maybe more than anything else, I loved how fast paced everything felt. Animations were snappy, you can sprint everywhere, the menus were responsive, and you can fast forward all the cutscenes and dialogue (if you so choose). The whole thing just felt breezy. It was a svelte runtime too, especially for a game of this size!

Just a delight, top to bottom.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Thunderball"

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: I think it's got the worst treatment of its female characters of the Bonds so far, but everything else kind of rocks. The underwater scenes are cool and the plot felt like it had real stakes while advancing the world of Bond. The climax maybe went on a little long, but some of those stunts are cool even today. It was a fun one.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Spider-Man: No Way Home"

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Manages to stand on its own as a touching action movie, but also cash in on nearly 20 years of Spider-Men in film. It's just such a delight. A crushing, emotional delight.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Echo Isle"

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: A compact, classic-Zelda inspired adventure game. I like that it followed the classic formula well: 4 little dungeons, each with an upgrade and a boss.

True to its word, there's no fluff. A single collectable, a linear series of areas, and few NPCs to talk with. I appreciate when games make a point to streamline their gameplay in useful ways. Much like Shapez distilled Factorio, removing elements helps what remains shine. The graphics and sound effects represent their inspiration well and going on a little adventure with power ups along the way was pleasant. I liked that I could hold everything in my head at once (like all of the places I couldn't reach yet) because the map is small and easy to reason about. Breezing through the whole thing in a sitting was relaxing and satisfying.

But, take simplification too far and the results can feel a little thin. To its credit, I prefer smaller games to those with near-infinite content. But at some point fluff provides opportunities to engage with the game's world and acquired abilities. Echo Isle was so streamlined, it feels like it will lack staying power. It was fun while it lasted, but it felt more like a snack than a meal.

And the combat, while simple, was frustrating at times. The sword swinging animation was interestingly imprecise. More than a few times, I'd be rotated slightly the wrong way or positioned just above an enemy and miss entirely. Accurate to early games, but has really been improved upon since then.

In the end, I enjoyed my brief time with Echo Isles and I think it's a great palette cleanser between other games. It may not stick with you, but you'll enjoy it while you're in there.

Thanks to the dev for the key!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: As an unapologetic lover of the Pirates movies, this one is always a bit of a letdown. It's got its moments and a top tier cast (as usual) but it's a little too cheeky. It treads on winks to the series rather than serious character work. It does some passable work expanding the world of the Golden Age of Piracy, but it's mostly limited to a couple of lines. It's also pretty crowded - a LOT of factions show up to the climax. There are good bones in there and it's not a total loss, but there are better outings.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "The Parent Trap"

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Perfectly paced. Great performances all around. Lots of cute moments. Some truly dangerous pranks. Where are the adults at the camp??

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Goldfinger"

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Still a little goofy in that way 60s movies were, but has a pretty straightforward plot and some fun action. Good humor too, he's cheeky. The series is really starting to come together!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Enola Holmes 3"

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Returned to the frenetic pace of the first one, which I like. It dipped a bit, especially with so many flashback clips. But the story was good and it was a light, exciting watch.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Fail Fail Succeed"

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Cute little puzzle platformer where dying with an ability alters leaves something behind to help you solve puzzles. Neat concept, but (despite the cute dog) not really something I'd spend a ton of time with. It's just not the kind of gameplay that engages me. There's good polish though, including a a nice hint system and camera controls. Good ability variety, too!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Jurassic Park"

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: RIP Sam Neill. Great movie though, per usual. So many fun details. And wild how it just established what a T-Rex sounds like. Everyone just agrees now.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

Article: "The Incident at Galley House" reimagines a modern classic

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A non-linear story that you have to piece together makes for a superb time.

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david.reviews: the game "The Incident at Galley House"

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A gripping story and killer voice acting make this a compelling package. Read more in my full review!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Drop Duchy"

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Excellent strategy game that mixes Tetris and deckbuilding. Shouldn't work as well as it does, but it's a hoot. There's a pretty good variety of deck archetypes and you can combine them in interesting and exciting ways. There's a great tech tree to unlock cards and being able to upgrade as you go lends a lot of strategy. Making numbers go up (in sometimes hilarious ways) was a blast. You don't even have to be that good at Tetris!

I could have used 10% more clarity for some of the card mechanics, but there's enough opportunity to undo mistakes (both the last piece and the whole level) that the cost of mistakes is low.

I got the DLCs to support the dev, but neither added particularly interesting mechanics. They're not _bad_, just underwhelming. They both require you to build in a really specific way that takes away some of the flexibility you get from the rest of the builds.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Her"

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Sort of a slow, fascinating movie. Wish I had seen it years ago so I could watch it again now, with current context.

I admired its tiny cast, but never felt myself connecting with the protagonist. It's just sort of a story that happened, but not one that got much of an emotional rise from me. It's near-future sci-fi setting was neat though, as was its beautiful cinematography. And it ended in an interesting place. I can't say that it really succeeds as as an enjoyable movie though (other than it's prescience, which makes it worth watching).

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the book "A Drop of Corruption" by Robert Jackson Bennett

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Another excellent fantasy mystery full of political intrigue and layers of deception. Had me guessing at every step. There's a lot to keep track of, but it builds its case well. The worldbuilding is excellent, per all of the author's works. Its protagonists play off each other swimmingly. Excited for more!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "The Red Pearls of Borneo"

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Heavily inspired by "Type Help", it does a good job carving out its own niche with a larger cast, multiple sections, and a visual interface to help your solve. I loved how much actual history it wove into the story

The gameplay itself follows a tried-and-true formula, but I found the game itself a little rough around the edges. The UX had lots of little papercuts and there were a _lot_ of typos. It's free, so one can only expect so much, but it still soured the experience a bit. In a game consisting of mostly text, your text must be correct. Plus, the back quarter of the game drags a bit- it's not a bad story, but it's a lot of clicking and not much solving. I liked the pseudo-interactive nature of the epilogues, but they felt slow compared to the actual puzzles.

But, these are all fixable in a sequel! I hope it gets the care and attention the format deserves.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "From Russia with Love"

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Certainly has its charms. Feels like we're starting to inch closer to the modern Bond experience. There's a great spy vs spy scene and then a bunch of goody nonsense stuff too. Interesting to see that's it's regarded by as many as a favorite- it was fun, but not especially memorable for me.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "A League of Their Own"

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: An excellent blend of sports and family drama. Many movies make you care about the protagonists, but it's a special movie that makes you care about everyone. All time classic

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Shadows of Doubt"

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: It's a technically impressive game, but wasn't for me. I end up with the same problem I have with most immersive sims- there are so many ways to approach something that playing it at all becomes overwhelming. Plus when things start to go wrong, you die very quickly, not giving you much opportunity to understand how to react or take stock of the situation. It's cool that the world is so thoroughly simulated though, it's an interesting concept.

I'm also not sure I would have loved a fully generated mystery. Some of them would have been great, but others duds. I prefer a more crafted experience. I like the idea of truly getting to investigate my own way, but not doing it in practice.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Map Map: A Game About Maps"

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: An original and charming mapmaking adventure. Read more in my full review!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Theater Camp"

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: This felt like they made Fame, but well. Everyone is earnest and over the top. You know where it's going, but the dry humor and unstoppable theater kid energy make it a delight.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Holes"

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Got to be one of the best book adaptations ever. Immaculately cast, covers its heavy bits well, and everything comes together nicely. Great watch in the TX summer.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Pizza Movie"

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: I don't usually enjoy drug trip movies, but this was excellent. It felt like a cross between 21 Jump Street and Community, dialed up to 11. The segments of ludicity provided some nice character moments while the drug portions could be as goofy as they wanted. I loved the densely interwoven storylines- everything is set up and paid off with aplomb. Is totally absurd while still having real stakes. It all comes together swimmingly. It could have used a better title, but if that's my biggest complaint, I think that's a promising sign.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

Article: Map Map turns triangulation into triumph

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Explore little islands and fulfil your cartographical dreams!

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david.reviews: the game "Tales of Berseria"

Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: As a longtime enjoyer of the Tales series, I came into Berseria with high hopes (and shame on me for letting the community set those expectations so high) and it failed to meet them.

The biggest weakness is the combat. Eschewing the series' Smash Bros-style control scheme, it instead lets you slot 4 moves onto each face button. This means to target enemy type and elemental resources there are up to 16 slots you need to memorize (and more if you play other characters). Either you're resetting them constantly to optimize every battle or you lean into the game's "choose for me!" button and literally just press X to clear every battle. There are other attacks (super, block, dodge) but a playable version of the combat felt so watered down that it just wasn't worth it. All of the other interesting gameplay decisions (equipment, etc) fed into combat. But if I wasn't engaging with that, then nothing else felt worthwile.

All that said, the story was pretty good. I loved that we were anti-heroes instead of plucky do-gooders. Some of the dialogue (Magilou, mostly) was the best performance I'd seen in ages. Outside of the typical anime stuff, there are some great characters in there. So much so that I'm planning on watching all the cutscenes through on youtube (something I've never done before).

I felt like I gave it the old college try, but when I'm searching phrases like "does this get better" and "Berseria combat bad?", it didn't bode well.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "The Iron Giant"

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Silly, touching, and beautiful. Paints a charming picture of 50s America and the characters really pull their weight.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Frostpunk"

Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Played all the base scenarios and some of the DLC (The Last Autumn). I had forgotten how well this game flows. City builders can get bogged down in minutia, but Frostpunk manages to strike the perfect balance between micro (managing work assignments) and macro (developing your economy, building buildings). Mix that with some tough narrative choices and general resource management and you've got a heck of a time. There's great variation between the scenarios, too. They each require different priorities and brought a good mix of mechanics to each outing. There's nothing that makes me feel quite as hopeless as my already suffering population staring down the barrel of more temperature drops. Enjoyed every minute of it.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Chorus"

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Chorus initially wowed me with its freedom of motion and huge sense of scale. Its dogfighting battles were chaotic and cool, but felt like something I could really get good at. And that was true, but those battles came with a pretty serious legibility problem. With all the lasers and enemies flying around, it's easy to get disoriented. Couple that with a sort of nonsense story (albeit a nicely voice acted one) and an undercooked upgrade system and the game left me wanting. It's worth trying out if it's really up your alley and it's beautifully animated, but it didn't come together for me.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Small Time Crooks"

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Sort of charming little humorous character drama. Tracy Ullman steals the show. I might have liked a little more plot but it wraps up nicely.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

Article: "Wax Heads" makes you believe in the power of community

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Keep a neighborhood record store afloat!.

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david.reviews: the movie "The Princess Bride"

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Truly the best. A classic for a reason!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Wax Heads"

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A cozy visual novel that's full of energy and heart. Read more in my full review!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Rat Race"

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: A comedy of errors with a little more error than comedy. All of the scenes are funny, but some land better than others. At some point it's hard to root for anyone as they all reveal themselves to be pretty heartless. It works out in the end though and there are a couple of truly funny scenes in there. Great ensemble, too.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter"

Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Gets a little preachy towards the end (ironically) but stays fun and funny throughout.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the book "Carl's Doomsday Scenario" by Matt Dinniman

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Fairly tight story. Doesn't escape being someone's D&D retelling and we probably hear too many stat numbers, but this sequel does an admirable job expanding the world and characters. Shows a slightly more introspective Carl, too which is a promising sign.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Ruined King: A League of Legends Story"

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: An excellent turn-based RPG steeped in the world of League of Legends. Fans of League will find many cute allusions, both in item names and lore scrolls you find scattered around. The voice acting is superb and there are lots of great side quests (including legendary weapons and abilities for each character. The "motion comic" animation worked well for the more involved scenes and the campfire conversations between characters did a lot to flesh out their relationships. The story is basic, but has some cool moments and isn't totally predicable. The battle system itself was great. Its small cast of playable characters feels both unique and true to their original designs. There's good ability variation and everything can be useful in the right context. Battles were fun without being overwhelming. The "lane" system adds a decent amount of strategic depth and bosses can use it for unique interactions, to great effect. The whole thing is just put together nicely and was a blast to play!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Dr. No"

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: A pretty chill classic spy movie that does what it sets out to do. Establishes a lot of classic Bond things unironically, which is charming. Plus, it's way less problematic than you might expect the first Bond movie would be. Not spotless, but pleasant.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Wicked: For Good"

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Much less fun than part one. The added songs are duds, unfortunately. The direction and staging/costumes are great though, and the cast certainly pulls their weight. It just leaves a ton of time for dark emotional adventure while, even at its darkest, the musical is still a broadway musical (with the expected level of fun). The movie lacked some of that charm, instead feeling more like a moody fantasy drama with some songs. Good songs, but still.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Merrily We Roll Along"

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A touching story of lifelong friendships. Sort of odd, musically, but charming in its own way. The actual filming was odd- lots of super zoomed shots that you wouldn't get on the stage. It's not bad, just a different emotional experience. Great that more people get to see it though.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Project Hail Mary"

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Did an admirable job adapting a dense, hard-science book into a very approachable movie. I thought it zoomed through some plot moments to save time for wordless visuals, which is not the choice I would have made. The visuals (both in and out of the ship) were superb though, so it makes sense they'd want to really feature them.

They nailed the core relationship between the main characters, but provided little explanation for everything they worked through. I didn't expect the full book's worth of detail (the movie felt long as it was) but the film had a remarkable dearth of figuring things out. They seemed to solve everything immediately and always use their first intuition. It hit the core emotional beats, but tread more on vibes than explanation. This is maybe as technical of an adaptation as you could get without losing the core audience, but I wonder if non book-readers could follow everything.

But it does a lot right and is worth seeing on the big screen. There are a lot of little details to enjoy, and Gosling is great, per usual.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Tangled"

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Visually striking. Moves along at a brisk pace. There's a lot of character in these characters and a ton of small animation touches. Cute music too!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "A Mighty Wind"

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Some funny parody, but it felt slow and light on actual plot. His writing just may not be for me. The music sounded great though and the cast is unreal. And boy did I not care for Eugene Levy's character. He played it well, but he was just uncomfortable to watch

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the movie "Hercules"

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Holds up so so well. Songs are bops, it's dense with jokes, and it the animation is beautiful. Gospel music has no place working as well as it does for a Greek mythology movie, but it hits!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "Thank Goodness You're Here!"

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A short, surreal, lovingly animated experience. It's basically an interactive cartoon, but every inch of it is packed with jokes and visual gags, not to mention an unmistakable layer of British charm. Every single one of the game's many signs is hysterical. Helping all these lovable weirdos makes for a great evening.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "American Arcadia"

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: The gameplay is light, but the presentation is superb. The world flows around you, dialogue responding to your pacing so naturally that it's hard to believe it's not static. The story kept us guessing the whole time and it made great use of 3rd/1st person perspective. Felt like an interrogation of the attention and steaming economies, which most modern-set games don't really engage with. The whole world was beautifully designed too: retro futurism as far as the eye could see. I kept wondering why we don't have lobbies like that. And where their noses were!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: the game "StarVaders"

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A stellar roguelike deckbuilder on a 2D grid. Effectively mixing positioning and attack cards made for some really satisfying runs. Its "pack" system meant that synergies were easy to come by, which meant each run had a good shot and some interesting cohesion. There's a lot of cards and items to unlock (plus the characters themselves) which helped it feel fresh throughout. I was always interested in starting one more run. There's 3 classes and 4 characters in each, so plenty of build variety. It never felt _too_ difficult either, which I appreciated.

Boppin' soundtrack too; lots of bright guitar riffs that make it feel like an action anime. There's some light story, which is interesting enough. I appreciated that there was a "true ending", since a lot of times these sorts of games don't really end. It was perfect for what it was though.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!