Running Commentary 12/4/2023
Fuzz by Mary Roach, Warframe (DevStream 175 and Snowball Fight), Western Capercaillie
Latest
Oct
17
Book Review | Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
This book is a well-written, well-conceived character study of a person falling to the Dark Side that manages to differentiate itself from the familiar story of the fall of Anakin Skywalker. It's the best villain-perspective book I've read besides Thrawn. The ending is weaker than the rest. 8/10
13 min read
Aug
02
Book Review | Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous is not the best Star Wars book I've read but it deserves better than to be lost in the pile of mid-2000s Prequel tie-ins. While the story isn't the most thrilling or meaningful, the character work really is excellent.
14 min read
Jun
09
Film Review | The Big Year
The Big Year is a very sincere look at the world of competitive birding that lets its humor come from the actual funny things that happen to birders. It's a nice little movie that deserves more love than it's gotten. 8/10
10 min read
May
23
Television Review | The Mandalorian (Season 3)
Season 3 is a marked technical and writing improvement over previous seasons. It isn't flawless, but the flaws aren't so persistent or egregious as to spoil the viewing experience. It feels like it could have been longer, and that the first episodes were transplanted into a different show.
11 min read
Feb
13
Book Review | Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith
Author: Adam Christopher
Publisher: Del-Rey
Length: 465 pages
EE Critic Score: 7/10
Shadow of the Sith, by Adam Christopher,
4 min read
Jan
30
I'm not a Midwesterner; No One Is
The Midwest isn't a thing, not really. Moreover, the Midwesterner isn't a person. The term "Midwest" refers to land truly part of three different regions...
14 min read
Jan
21
Television Review | Andor (Season 1)
I don't want every future Star Wars show to be like Andor, but I do want every future Star Wars show to have the same level of effort for excellence that Andor had. Andor is the present high water mark for Star Wars television, arguably for Star Wars generally, so I award the first season 10/10
16 min read
Jan
05
Television Review | Tales of the Jedi
An enjoyable watch that will go over well with fans of The Clone Wars. Makes me want an entire Dooku series more than ever. The show itself is just okay, seeming like streaming catalog filler. 6/10
10 min read
Sep
20
Television Review | Obi-Wan Kenobi
This show is sort of a reverse Solo, a television series that should have been a movie. If you’ve avoided the show due to bad word-of-mouth, I’d say give it a watch, expecting something a little small-scale but which builds every episode toward a satisfying finale. 7/10
5 min read
Mar
29
Television Review | The Book of Boba Fett (Season 1)
Good, not great, but good. Treats the main character as a character, against the obvious direction such a show might take.
4 min read
Jan
19
Film Review | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Producers: Marvel Studios
Runtime: 132 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
EE Critic Score: 7/10
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the
9 min read
Oct
13
Film Review | Black Widow
Black Widow succeeds in showcasing the title character while telling its own compelling story. It's not the best MCU film, but it's exciting and never collapses under the weight of detailing a known character's backstory.
9 min read
Sep
28
How to play Bismarck Whist
I'm posting this in the interest of cultural preservation. Bismarck is a type of
whist played by three independent players,
3 min read
Aug
07
A Proposal for the International Olympic Committee
Imagine, for a start, that the two goals in a football are placed not at either end of an open field, but instead at either end of a region more like a golf course.
4 min read
Jun
03
Book Review | Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
This book works well as the middle chapter. It follows from the previous volume smoothly, it points toward an interesting third book, and the story of Thrawn, et al, racing to prevent a civil war between the Chiss is more than enough to justify Greater Good in it’s own right.
3 min read