They’re doing better. My dad is scheduled to return to work on Tuesday, and other than a cough, he’s pretty much back to normal. My mother i… mores a bit different. She has had a history of health issues, so this hit her far worse. She actually did go to the hospital the other day. They didn’t need to keep her, but they did say she had pneumonia induced by Covid or something along those lines, I forget the exact terminology they used. They gave her some medication and she’s looking and sounding a lot better. She’s still sleeping through a lot of the day and coughing, but it’s a huge improvement from a week ago. She’s been staying hydrated and drinking a lot of water (which is good because she usually drinks like 5 diet Pepsi’s a day), so that’s definitely helped. They were planning on driving up from South Carolina to visit me and the rest of our family, but then all three of us got it, and we ended up staying put. As for me, I still feel completel… [view original content]
Glad you are feeling better,msm and including your parents too. Also? Played any good horror games lately? I been playing Dead Space more an… mored still very fuckin scary to this day. Never stop loving it!
Also i been going gym more than ever. I bet you looking forward to getting back to that. Stay safe everyone and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah too
Appreciated. Like I said, there’s already been a huge improvement from a few days ago e er since she started taking the medication for the pneumonia, she should be back to her usual self soon.
Well, now that I’ve had my Christmas dinner, it’s time to cozy up on the couch and enjoy the greatest Christmas movie ever made. That’s right, time for motherfucking Die Hard.
By the way, something's wrong with the Steam client. It doesn't display Telltale's Wallace and Gromit anywhere in their store, not even under Telltale's Developer tab. I had to use the URL from Telltale's site to get to the page, which is really weird. Other old games from around that time are publically viewable like Monkey Island and Strong Bad. But not W&G.
Also, they didn't buy back Telltale Texas Hold'em just to remove it. It's still up there for purchase.
Merry Christmas, everyone. I had my Christmas dinner with my parents but I didn't get any Christmas presents because the only thing I wished for was a PS5 which is still out of stock.
Not much of a horror, but I'm recently replaying Dying Light. It got a Christmas theme update where some weird viral elf zombies come out of nowhere to attack me and the reward I get from them is candies. They are soo small and a little bit annoying. I'm so surprised that Techland is still supporting this game and I wonder when they are gonna give us some updates for the sequel.
Glad you are feeling better,msm and including your parents too. Also? Played any good horror games lately? I been playing Dead Space more an… mored still very fuckin scary to this day. Never stop loving it!
Also i been going gym more than ever. I bet you looking forward to getting back to that. Stay safe everyone and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah too
Soul is absolutely fantastic hot damn. It's incredibly beautiful looking, the characters are all great, dialogue and narrative are really well written, and it's also surprisingly mature to the point that I think adults will enjoy it way more than kids. Also that soundtrack
To me it's up there with the best of Pixar, but boy does it get too real at points lmao (in a good way of course).
Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that, there's a Dying Light 2 that's supposed to come out. Seriously, what has happened with that, it's gone completely dark since last year. It was supposed to come out early 2020, so its not like you can blame COVID for this. I know the game's writer got accused of sexual harassment, but I don't think that had any impact on the delay either. There's been no news, no updates, no anything, but they've been supporting the original Dying Light. What the hell is going on over at Techland?
Played any good horror games lately?
Not much of a horror, but I'm recently replaying Dying Light. It got a Christmas theme update w… morehere some weird viral elf zombies come out of nowhere to attack me and the reward I get from them is candies. They are soo small and a little bit annoying. I'm so surprised that Techland is still supporting this game and I wonder when they are gonna give us some updates for the sequel.
the greatest Christmas movie ever made. That’s right, time for motherfucking Die Hard
Oh, good. You're one of those people. The ones… more who think Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. Because it is.
Glad to hear you and your family are doing better, too. Beat that Covid!
Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that, there's a Dying Light 2 that's supposed to come out. Seriously, what has happened with that, it's gone completely dark since last year.
Me and the other FromSoftware fanatics who are waiting for the major updates on Elden Ring which was announced at E3 2019.
Apparently, Techland has a record of zombie game sequels that refuse to come out despite their big promotion. Looking at you, Dead Island 2.
I have a feeling they are going to cancel the ports for PS4 and Xbox One just like how they did with the first game which was originally planned to be released for PS3 and Xbox 360. It would suck to not be able to play DL2 on my PS4 but I think it would be better to make the game for next-gen consoles cause if they made a lot of improvements gameplaywise which cannot fit in the hardware of the current consoles, then they should NOT follow the same route as CD Project who completely ruined Cyberpunk 2077.
Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that, there's a Dying Light 2 that's supposed to come out. Seriously, what has happened with that, it's gone… more completely dark since last year. It was supposed to come out early 2020, so its not like you can blame COVID for this. I know the game's writer got accused of sexual harassment, but I don't think that had any impact on the delay either. There's been no news, no updates, no anything, but they've been supporting the original Dying Light. What the hell is going on over at Techland?
they should NOT follow the same route as CD Project who completely ruined Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 was the most anticipated game in my life. Now? Total BS and now everything sucks. I mean idk how if i will get the game again. I just my refund for it yesterday and got a new game to play. Unfortunately their doesn't seem to be a new game where choices and consequences reflect the game anymore. Mass Effect Legendary Edition? Possibly the only game so far I guess
I rather try to wait for that game and it is sad that cyberpunk 2077 has bugs and glitches and not much choice based on the paths you chose. Ugh
Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that, there's a Dying Light 2 that's supposed to come out. Seriously, what has happened with that, it's gone… more completely dark since last year.
Me and the other FromSoftware fanatics who are waiting for the major updates on Elden Ring which was announced at E3 2019.
Apparently, Techland has a record of zombie game sequels that refuse to come out despite their big promotion. Looking at you, Dead Island 2.
I have a feeling they are going to cancel the ports for PS4 and Xbox One just like how they did with the first game which was originally planned to be released for PS3 and Xbox 360. It would suck to not be able to play DL2 on my PS4 but I think it would be better to make the game for next-gen consoles cause if they made a lot of improvements gameplaywise which cannot fit in the hardware of the current consoles, then they should NOT follow the same route as CD Project who completely ruined Cyberpunk 2077.
Oh damn, that sounds great, and everything I've been hoping for in the film! I gotta convince my folks to watch it tonight.
Can you say how much of the film takes place in that afterlife blob-world? I've got to admit, part of me is worried they'd focus too much on that aspect of the story than the gorgeous Earth segments I've seen in trailers.
(Also, despite being a pretty good Disney/Pixar fan, my sister doesn't see the appeal of the movie at all, and just thinks most of the film will take place in that blob-world,whcih she has no interest in seeing.)
Soul is absolutely fantastic hot damn. It's incredibly beautiful looking, the characters are all great, dialogue and narrative are really we… morell written, and it's also surprisingly mature to the point that I think adults will enjoy it way more than kids. Also that soundtrack
To me it's up there with the best of Pixar, but boy does it get too real at points lmao (in a good way of course).
Yeah, after watching the comparison videos with this game and other open world games like GTA, Red Dead and Watch Dogs, I think it's safe to say that Cyberpunk 2077 is the most overhyped game of the generation. Not just because the game is full of gamebreaking bugs and glitches but it lacks the content that was promised for the game and a lot of details that were missing for an open world gem.
Even if that's the case, there are still those fucking fanboys who will do anything to defend this bullshit only because CD made Witcher 3.
they should NOT follow the same route as CD Project who completely ruined Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 was the most anticipated ga… moreme in my life. Now? Total BS and now everything sucks. I mean idk how if i will get the game again. I just my refund for it yesterday and got a new game to play. Unfortunately their doesn't seem to be a new game where choices and consequences reflect the game anymore. Mass Effect Legendary Edition? Possibly the only game so far I guess
I rather try to wait for that game and it is sad that cyberpunk 2077 has bugs and glitches and not much choice based on the paths you chose. Ugh
there are still those fucking fanboys who will do anything to defend this bullshit only because CD made Witcher 3.
Yup also before Cyberpunk 2077 was like a few months to come out. I actually played Witcher 3 and i couldn't get into it. I don't think Witcher 3 was a bad game. It just wasn't my game cause I only got it cause I thought I would enjoy it. But, i didn't cause I don't understand the world that much or even lore tbh.
Like i tried to enjoy it and i got into like maybe a few hours (4 1/2 hours) and i just to myself "i am done". Like i tried to understand this game. Like it is good game,bit it wasn't for me. Because I grew up with action and shooting games with open world. Like GTA V or even fallout 3 or Fallout new vegas. I understood that works better than the The Witcher 3.
Yeah, after watching the comparison videos with this game and other open world games like GTA, Red Dead and Watch Dogs, I think it's safe to… more say that Cyberpunk 2077 is the most overhyped game of the generation. Not just because the game is full of gamebreaking bugs and glitches but it lacks the content that was promised for the game and a lot of details that were missing for an open world gem.
Even if that's the case, there are still those fucking fanboys who will do anything to defend this bullshit only because CD made Witcher 3.
there are still those fucking fanboys who will do anything to defend this bullshit only because CD made Witcher 3.
Yup also before C… moreyberpunk 2077 was like a few months to come out. I actually played Witcher 3 and i couldn't get into it. I don't think Witcher 3 was a bad game. It just wasn't my game cause I only got it cause I thought I would enjoy it. But, i didn't cause I don't understand the world that much or even lore tbh.
Like i tried to enjoy it and i got into like maybe a few hours (4 1/2 hours) and i just to myself "i am done". Like i tried to understand this game. Like it is good game,bit it wasn't for me. Because I grew up with action and shooting games with open world. Like GTA V or even fallout 3 or Fallout new vegas. I understood that works better than the The Witcher 3.
Oh damn, that sounds great, and everything I've been hoping for in the film! I gotta convince my folks to watch it tonight.
Can you say h… moreow much of the film takes place in that afterlife blob-world? I've got to admit, part of me is worried they'd focus too much on that aspect of the story than the gorgeous Earth segments I've seen in trailers.
(Also, despite being a pretty good Disney/Pixar fan, my sister doesn't see the appeal of the movie at all, and just thinks most of the film will take place in that blob-world,whcih she has no interest in seeing.)
In similar news, I caught up on all those new Sparkshorts from D+ today.
Loop, which is the one from last year's collection, I hadn't seen yet. It's a very nice (and kinda heavy) short story about a young teen forced to go on a canoeing trip for the day with a non-verbal autistic young girl attending the same summer camp. He has to learn to cope with the awkward language barrier between the two and her special way of perceiving the world. (if I'm saying that correctly)
Anyway, it was damn heartwarming and eye-opening. Brought me to tears.
This one's a very interesting production, in that they hired a young autistic teen to play the part of the girl and had her record her lines in the comfort of her own home.
As part of the 2020 slate, there's only two Sparks this year.
The first one is Out.
Greg, a gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, unexpectedly swaps bodies with his dog just as they come over to help him move out. Leaving him forced to find a way to turn back while also keeping his parents from finding out about his secret boyfriend.
It was a very cute short. Loved the pastel-style animation (or is it acrylic? I'm not an expert on brushes/pencils) and the crazy lengths to keep his parents in the dark were fun. (Also really liked the Toy Story-Wheezey cameo as a dog toy!
Also, I think specifically Greg might be bisexual, but I could be wrong. The mystical animals at the start and the body-swapping sequences explicitly feature the bisexual colour palette, (lots of pinks, purples, blues) which could be an intentional choice.
Fun, cute short that I brought a big smile to my face.
The second one is a very recent addition (like yesterday, I think) called Burrow.
About a young bunny who has a dream of making her own little burrow. The problem is, she keeps running into her neighbours' place!
Oh. My. God. This short was too freaking ADORABLE!! It melted my heart, my body and my soul, and I'm so in love with it.
It's got wonderfully-dynamic 2D hand-drawn animation that reminds me of Studio Ghibli classics. The character designs are so cyuuuute. Plus, it's some great non-verbal storytelling.
Watch this dang short if you've got a subscription.
I'm really bummed though that the newest shorts don't have any behind-the-scenes extras like the first ones. Maybe they couldn't arrange it smoothly in 2020, but damn, Disney can't throw them or their own camera crew any money for it?
I really enjoy how much freedom Pixar gets with their Sparkshorts and I hope the success of the series and Soul means that their future movies will be willing to take more risks with their storytelling and representation.
Haven't gotten around to watching Burrow yet but if you liked the art style then you might be interested in a couple french animated movies that the short reminded me of called Ernest and Celestine (2012) and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017). I highly recommend them, they are absolutely adorable and pretty heartwarming though they might be a bit hard to get your hands on.
Aha, that's all I wanted to know!
In similar news, I caught up on all those new Sparkshorts from D+ today.
Loop, which is the o… morene from last year's collection, I hadn't seen yet. It's a very nice (and kinda heavy) short story about a young teen forced to go on a canoeing trip for the day with a non-verbal autistic young girl attending the same summer camp. He has to learn to cope with the awkward language barrier between the two and her special way of perceiving the world. (if I'm saying that correctly)
Anyway, it was damn heartwarming and eye-opening. Brought me to tears.
This one's a very interesting production, in that they hired a young autistic teen to play the part of the girl and had her record her lines in the comfort of her own home.
As part of the 2020 slate, there's only two Sparks this year.
The first one is Out.
Greg, a gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, unexpectedly swaps bodies with his dog j… [view original content]
Disney really held back on the marketing of this movie, which leads to a story you probably won't be sure where it's gonna go... And a bit hard to get into specifics without spoiling stuff.
How do I begin talking about this movie? Where do I start? Ohhhh damn.
Alright, let's start off by talking about the question the movie itself proposes, and how that was a weird starting point. Pete Docter, the director of the film, started out with the idea of exploring and maybe answering the question "What is the meaning of life?" for this film. And that's quite the big question to ask for your movie, let alone one aimed at kids (well, from a kids-aimed animation company). What comes out of this film is a story structure that is different to where the trailers might make you think it'll go, and that was necessary to get the movie's message across -- to me, at least.
The long and short I'll post here is: The movie is Pixar Animation at its best. And especially the animation part. Even if you're gonna think this movie is mediocre, I can guarantee it's at least a visual feast. We've seen the amazing photo-realistic toys and environments in Toy Story 4, and boy do they deliver that here (maybe not with the humans and animals, but those environments and now clothing are still super top-notch).
There's a cool behind the scenes video in the Extras section (plenty of them, actually) and one goes into how they created the Soul World, especially how they had to figure out how to create something no one has ever reported on or seen. Something that really can't be explained other than "ethereal" at best. The designs for the strange, immortal, beams of light that are just wire-frame drawings is such a cool idea!
The movie is also quite funny. Plenty of fun visual gags and humour on how real life can get. (There's one bit where Marie Antoinette's soul appears, and she's just a floating head. What lovely dark humour...)
Also pretty nice to see a Pixar feature-length film with a large amount of black characters. Awesome, unique designs for all of them. (Ah, there's one scene where Joe confronts his bandmate Dorothea Williams, and she's wearing an exquisite, golden-sequined dress (I think), and holy moly that dress looked real. Like, somehow, they put this real fabric onto this animated character's body. I was floored.)
And of course, it's also tear-jerking. Made me cry twice in this film, but I'm not entirely sure why. I've got a feint idea, but I can get into that elsewhere. The beauty of those scenes really captivated me, so there's that.
It's certainly a different kind of Pixar film that not everyone might be able to enjoy in the same way, with a much more abstract and open-ended interpretation than Inside Out. It's kinda like Inside Out, but a lot deeper.
I have no idea what amount of a message kids will get out of this movie. This is certainly for those who have lived a life and know the crushing blows of it, the spark of passion, the push-and-pull of where to go in your life's path. It is great. The parents thought a bit less of it, and my sister, too. But I really enjoyed it, and that's what matters to me.
(I found it odd how 10 minutes into the film, we finally get the "Disney Presents... In Association with Pixar..." title card tease... but no title card. That's for the credits. Dang, why have they been doing that with lots of their movies lately?)
Got some new long-sleeved shirts
A new reversible leather belt
Some thick gloves to keep my skinny hands warm
A pair of good sunglasses
A blue winter jacket. (I’ve been mentioning to my fam that I’ve been wanting a new jacket, preferably not black, since everyone else wears black and it’s not ideal in the dark mornings.)
A digital copy of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for my Switch. (super happy bout that )
A gift card, for the same. (I used it to buy the new NFS: Hot Pursuit Remstered. Just the right amount.)
Lots of yummy goodies in my stocking. (Such as some café gift cards, a tub of Hot Cocoa mix, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and an Instant Muffin – You just add water and heat!)
And finally, a gift for myself, from myself.
The PC Collector’s Edition of Hand of Fate from IndieBox. Somehow, despite me ordering this a month ago on Black Friday, it took until the 24th of Dec. to arrive, so it’s basically considered a gift to myself by that point. Nice box, good deck of cards inside a nice fabric bag as the Collector’s item.
Ah, there’s also a mystery gift from my sister didn't arrive until today. It was The Complete Series of The Legend of Korra on DVD! Super pumped about that, what a nice gift!
In terms of what I've given this year, I gave donations to local charities on behalf of my family members:
20$ each to
The Sick Kids Foundation
Toronto Humane Society
Black Legal Action Centre
I also gave my sister a Supernatural-inspired (the TV Show) cookbook. She really thought that was a nice gift, which I'm proud of.
@lupinb0y I watched the Pixar short Burrow. Bruh that was the cutest shit I've ever seen.
Didn't I tell ya? That one's a heart-melter! (fun fact, it was supposed to be played before Soul in theatres, though of course now that didn't happen.)
I already did.
Does that mean I'm cooler than you?
@lupinb0y I watched the Pixar short Burrow. Bruh that was the cutest shit I've… more ever seen.
Didn't I tell ya? That one's a heart-melter! (fun fact, it was supposed to be played before Soul in theatres, though of course now that didn't happen.)
Soul is absolutely fantastic hot damn. It's incredibly beautiful looking, the characters are all great, dialogue and narrative are really we… morell written, and it's also surprisingly mature to the point that I think adults will enjoy it way more than kids. Also that soundtrack
To me it's up there with the best of Pixar, but boy does it get too real at points lmao (in a good way of course).
I started watching it but I thought it’d be better to watch with family. I’m probably going to watch it entirely tomorrow. I’ll tell how I feel about it when I do.
So I kinda went back on what I said and am about halfway through Life is Strange Before the Storm. It's a bit more consistently engaging despite having less plot and has been good background noise.
Didn't really planning on including much of anything from it when I give my thoughts on characters, possibly including the obvious one
Comments
Merry Christmas 🎄
Glad you and the family are okay man, I hope your mom will be better in a few weeks!
If you count DOOM as a horror game, then yes, been playing a lot of that. It’s sort of a horror game, in which you are the horror.
Appreciated. Like I said, there’s already been a huge improvement from a few days ago e er since she started taking the medication for the pneumonia, she should be back to her usual self soon.
Santa Clause really didnt drop a copy of Tales from the Borderlands 2 in my stocking, huh?
Oh, good. You're one of those people. The ones who think Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. Because it is.
Glad to hear you and your family are doing better, too. Beat that Covid!
By the way, something's wrong with the Steam client. It doesn't display Telltale's Wallace and Gromit anywhere in their store, not even under Telltale's Developer tab. I had to use the URL from Telltale's site to get to the page, which is really weird. Other old games from around that time are publically viewable like Monkey Island and Strong Bad. But not W&G.
Also, they didn't buy back Telltale Texas Hold'em just to remove it. It's still up there for purchase.
Merry Christmas, everyone. I had my Christmas dinner with my parents but I didn't get any Christmas presents because the only thing I wished for was a PS5 which is still out of stock.
Not much of a horror, but I'm recently replaying Dying Light. It got a Christmas theme update where some weird viral elf zombies come out of nowhere to attack me and the reward I get from them is candies. They are soo small and a little bit annoying. I'm so surprised that Techland is still supporting this game and I wonder when they are gonna give us some updates for the sequel.
Soul is absolutely fantastic hot damn. It's incredibly beautiful looking, the characters are all great, dialogue and narrative are really well written, and it's also surprisingly mature to the point that I think adults will enjoy it way more than kids. Also that soundtrack
To me it's up there with the best of Pixar, but boy does it get too real at points lmao (in a good way of course).
Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that, there's a Dying Light 2 that's supposed to come out. Seriously, what has happened with that, it's gone completely dark since last year. It was supposed to come out early 2020, so its not like you can blame COVID for this. I know the game's writer got accused of sexual harassment, but I don't think that had any impact on the delay either. There's been no news, no updates, no anything, but they've been supporting the original Dying Light. What the hell is going on over at Techland?
Of course it's a Christmas movie, anyone who argues otherwise is just wrong.
Me and the other FromSoftware fanatics who are waiting for the major updates on Elden Ring which was announced at E3 2019.
Apparently, Techland has a record of zombie game sequels that refuse to come out despite their big promotion. Looking at you, Dead Island 2.
I have a feeling they are going to cancel the ports for PS4 and Xbox One just like how they did with the first game which was originally planned to be released for PS3 and Xbox 360. It would suck to not be able to play DL2 on my PS4 but I think it would be better to make the game for next-gen consoles cause if they made a lot of improvements gameplaywise which cannot fit in the hardware of the current consoles, then they should NOT follow the same route as CD Project who completely ruined Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 was the most anticipated game in my life. Now? Total BS and now everything sucks. I mean idk how if i will get the game again. I just my refund for it yesterday and got a new game to play. Unfortunately their doesn't seem to be a new game where choices and consequences reflect the game anymore. Mass Effect Legendary Edition? Possibly the only game so far I guess
I rather try to wait for that game and it is sad that cyberpunk 2077 has bugs and glitches and not much choice based on the paths you chose. Ugh
Oh damn, that sounds great, and everything I've been hoping for in the film! I gotta convince my folks to watch it tonight.
Can you say how much of the film takes place in that afterlife blob-world? I've got to admit, part of me is worried they'd focus too much on that aspect of the story than the gorgeous Earth segments I've seen in trailers.
(Also, despite being a pretty good Disney/Pixar fan, my sister doesn't see the appeal of the movie at all, and just thinks most of the film will take place in that blob-world,whcih she has no interest in seeing.)
Yeah, after watching the comparison videos with this game and other open world games like GTA, Red Dead and Watch Dogs, I think it's safe to say that Cyberpunk 2077 is the most overhyped game of the generation. Not just because the game is full of gamebreaking bugs and glitches but it lacks the content that was promised for the game and a lot of details that were missing for an open world gem.
Even if that's the case, there are still those fucking fanboys who will do anything to defend this bullshit only because CD made Witcher 3.
Yup also before Cyberpunk 2077 was like a few months to come out. I actually played Witcher 3 and i couldn't get into it. I don't think Witcher 3 was a bad game. It just wasn't my game cause I only got it cause I thought I would enjoy it. But, i didn't cause I don't understand the world that much or even lore tbh.
Like i tried to enjoy it and i got into like maybe a few hours (4 1/2 hours) and i just to myself "i am done". Like i tried to understand this game. Like it is good game,bit it wasn't for me. Because I grew up with action and shooting games with open world. Like GTA V or even fallout 3 or Fallout new vegas. I understood that works better than the The Witcher 3.
I'm on the same page. Witcher 3 had a very interesting story but couldn't manage to continue due to the gameplay.
I'll just say that the trailers and marketing did a good job of not showing off too much.
Aha, that's all I wanted to know!
In similar news, I caught up on all those new Sparkshorts from D+ today.
Loop, which is the one from last year's collection, I hadn't seen yet. It's a very nice (and kinda heavy) short story about a young teen forced to go on a canoeing trip for the day with a non-verbal autistic young girl attending the same summer camp. He has to learn to cope with the awkward language barrier between the two and her special way of perceiving the world. (if I'm saying that correctly)
Anyway, it was damn heartwarming and eye-opening. Brought me to tears.
This one's a very interesting production, in that they hired a young autistic teen to play the part of the girl and had her record her lines in the comfort of her own home.
As part of the 2020 slate, there's only two Sparks this year.
The first one is Out.
Greg, a gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, unexpectedly swaps bodies with his dog just as they come over to help him move out. Leaving him forced to find a way to turn back while also keeping his parents from finding out about his secret boyfriend.
It was a very cute short. Loved the pastel-style animation (or is it acrylic? I'm not an expert on brushes/pencils) and the crazy lengths to keep his parents in the dark were fun. (Also really liked the Toy Story-Wheezey cameo as a dog toy!
Also, I think specifically Greg might be bisexual, but I could be wrong. The mystical animals at the start and the body-swapping sequences explicitly feature the bisexual colour palette, (lots of pinks, purples, blues) which could be an intentional choice.
Fun, cute short that I brought a big smile to my face.
The second one is a very recent addition (like yesterday, I think) called Burrow.
About a young bunny who has a dream of making her own little burrow. The problem is, she keeps running into her neighbours' place!
Oh. My. God. This short was too freaking ADORABLE!! It melted my heart, my body and my soul, and I'm so in love with it.
It's got wonderfully-dynamic 2D hand-drawn animation that reminds me of Studio Ghibli classics. The character designs are so cyuuuute. Plus, it's some great non-verbal storytelling.
Watch this dang short if you've got a subscription.
I'm really bummed though that the newest shorts don't have any behind-the-scenes extras like the first ones. Maybe they couldn't arrange it smoothly in 2020, but damn, Disney can't throw them or their own camera crew any money for it?
I really enjoy how much freedom Pixar gets with their Sparkshorts and I hope the success of the series and Soul means that their future movies will be willing to take more risks with their storytelling and representation.
Haven't gotten around to watching Burrow yet but if you liked the art style then you might be interested in a couple french animated movies that the short reminded me of called Ernest and Celestine (2012) and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017). I highly recommend them, they are absolutely adorable and pretty heartwarming though they might be a bit hard to get your hands on.
↑ This guy was right, everyone. ↑
Disney really held back on the marketing of this movie, which leads to a story you probably won't be sure where it's gonna go... And a bit hard to get into specifics without spoiling stuff.
How do I begin talking about this movie? Where do I start? Ohhhh damn.
Alright, let's start off by talking about the question the movie itself proposes, and how that was a weird starting point. Pete Docter, the director of the film, started out with the idea of exploring and maybe answering the question "What is the meaning of life?" for this film. And that's quite the big question to ask for your movie, let alone one aimed at kids (well, from a kids-aimed animation company). What comes out of this film is a story structure that is different to where the trailers might make you think it'll go, and that was necessary to get the movie's message across -- to me, at least.
The long and short I'll post here is: The movie is Pixar Animation at its best. And especially the animation part. Even if you're gonna think this movie is mediocre, I can guarantee it's at least a visual feast. We've seen the amazing photo-realistic toys and environments in Toy Story 4, and boy do they deliver that here (maybe not with the humans and animals, but those environments and now clothing are still super top-notch).
There's a cool behind the scenes video in the Extras section (plenty of them, actually) and one goes into how they created the Soul World, especially how they had to figure out how to create something no one has ever reported on or seen. Something that really can't be explained other than "ethereal" at best. The designs for the strange, immortal, beams of light that are just wire-frame drawings is such a cool idea!
The movie is also quite funny. Plenty of fun visual gags and humour on how real life can get. (There's one bit where Marie Antoinette's soul appears, and she's just a floating head. What lovely dark humour...)
Also pretty nice to see a Pixar feature-length film with a large amount of black characters. Awesome, unique designs for all of them. (Ah, there's one scene where Joe confronts his bandmate Dorothea Williams, and she's wearing an exquisite, golden-sequined dress (I think), and holy moly that dress looked real. Like, somehow, they put this real fabric onto this animated character's body. I was floored.)
And of course, it's also tear-jerking. Made me cry twice in this film, but I'm not entirely sure why. I've got a feint idea, but I can get into that elsewhere. The beauty of those scenes really captivated me, so there's that.
It's certainly a different kind of Pixar film that not everyone might be able to enjoy in the same way, with a much more abstract and open-ended interpretation than Inside Out. It's kinda like Inside Out, but a lot deeper.
I have no idea what amount of a message kids will get out of this movie. This is certainly for those who have lived a life and know the crushing blows of it, the spark of passion, the push-and-pull of where to go in your life's path. It is great. The parents thought a bit less of it, and my sister, too. But I really enjoyed it, and that's what matters to me.
(I found it odd how 10 minutes into the film, we finally get the "Disney Presents... In Association with Pixar..." title card tease... but no title card. That's for the credits. Dang, why have they been doing that with lots of their movies lately?)
So, this year was a good, fine Christmas.
Got some new long-sleeved shirts
)
A new reversible leather belt
Some thick gloves to keep my skinny hands warm
A pair of good sunglasses
A blue winter jacket. (I’ve been mentioning to my fam that I’ve been wanting a new jacket, preferably not black, since everyone else wears black and it’s not ideal in the dark mornings.)
A digital copy of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for my Switch. (super happy bout that
A gift card, for the same. (I used it to buy the new NFS: Hot Pursuit Remstered. Just the right amount.)
Lots of yummy goodies in my stocking. (Such as some café gift cards, a tub of Hot Cocoa mix, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and an Instant Muffin – You just add water and heat!)
And finally, a gift for myself, from myself.
The PC Collector’s Edition of Hand of Fate from IndieBox. Somehow, despite me ordering this a month ago on Black Friday, it took until the 24th of Dec. to arrive, so it’s basically considered a gift to myself by that point. Nice box, good deck of cards inside a nice fabric bag as the Collector’s item.
Ah, there’s also a mystery gift from my sister didn't arrive until today. It was The Complete Series of The Legend of Korra on DVD! Super pumped about that, what a nice gift!
In terms of what I've given this year, I gave donations to local charities on behalf of my family members:
20$ each to
I also gave my sister a Supernatural-inspired (the TV Show) cookbook. She really thought that was a nice gift, which I'm proud of.
I watched the Pixar short Burrow. Bruh that was the cutest shit I've ever seen.
Play Obra Dinn if you're cool
I already did.
Does that mean I'm cooler than you?
Didn't I tell ya? That one's a heart-melter! (fun fact, it was supposed to be played before Soul in theatres, though of course now that didn't happen.)
No, but it does mean you are officially cool
I caved in and bought Disney+ just to watch it
That bastard mickey mouse finally got me lol
Lol and what did you think of it?
I started watching it but I thought it’d be better to watch with family. I’m probably going to watch it entirely tomorrow. I’ll tell how I feel about it when I do.
I finished building the Lego Razer Crest. It took like 6 hours and my fingers now have the callouses of a guitarist but it's absolutely glorious.
So I kinda went back on what I said and am about halfway through Life is Strange Before the Storm. It's a bit more consistently engaging despite having less plot and has been good background noise.
Didn't really planning on including much of anything from it when I give my thoughts on characters, possibly including the obvious one
Been thinking bout In The Valley of Gods.
Damn.
I hope that gets finished someday, however unlikely that is.
Something I made
pick one
Hate it when that happens
...
The McRib.
Shocking information you must know.