This is truly a blessed day - Hideo Kojima has been given access to The Criterion Closet.

This is truly a blessed day - Hideo Kojima has been given access to The Criterion Closet.

ESPN Releases Oral History of the Day NBA Shut Down for COVID

ESPN:

Back inside the Diamond Lounge, Ho pointed out something Silver would never forget.

“If you notice,” he told Silver, “the restaurants in Chinatown are empty.”

Silver paused.

“The Chinese community in the U.S. are quite aware of what’s going on in China – much more than the general public,” Ho said. “And the Chinatown restaurants are a reflection of that. People are scared.”

The two talked for 15 minutes. Silver had already been concerned about the possibility of filling NBA arenas with nearly 20,000 fans, but the unemotional, matter-of-fact tone from Ho was striking. The next morning, on the same day the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global public health emergency, Silver called Ho and asked whether he would serve as a consultant for the NBA on COVID-19. Ho agreed.

The first, goosebump inducing moment of this amazing oral history of the day the NBA shutdown due to COVID, which was – believe it or not – five years ago today.

Definitely going to be hanging with me today the five years that have passed, what happened in them, and who we are now versus who we were then.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Chrono Trigger!

Gematsu:

The timeless RPG Chrono Trigger, which first launched for Super Famicom in 1995, celebrates its 30th anniversary on March 11 in Japan. In a celebration post on its official Twitter account, Square Enix said users can look forward to various developments that go beyond the world of the game throughout the next year.

I admit, I was a latecomer to Chrono Trigger, playing it via emulator some years after its initial release. But, wow. What a game.

It truly is one of the best JRPGs of its era, if not all time.

I’m sure the celebration events hinted to are more likely to be, say, Chrono Trigger concerts, as opposed to a new game or redux version…but, Squeenix, old pal, if you were to HD2D this, like you did with Dragon Quest? Day one. Full price.

Aw Snap, a New Katamari Damacy Game Is on It’s Way to Apple Arcade!

Apple Newsroom:

In this quirky action game — an Apple Arcade exclusive — players expand their Katamari by rolling up objects scattered across the earth. Featuring unique and whimsical gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack that blends different genres, the game invites players to energize the king’s “live stream” by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king’s challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.

The proper title of the game is Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE. The Katamari franchise is one of my all time favorites, and I am incredibly excited to see a new installment.

The question, however, is this: the games have always been, uh, quirky in their controls, and that’s with two proper analog sticks. How’s this going to work via touch?

Spent my morning at the Charles, seeing Star Wars on the big screen. Even if you’ve seen a movie a million times, it always hits harder on...

Spent my morning at the Charles, seeing Star Wars on the big screen. Even if you’ve seen a movie a million times, it always hits harder on the big screen.

Passed another important adult milestone today: We have a Costco membership. And yeah, it definitely has to do with their policies and how...

Passed another important adult milestone today: We have a Costco membership. And yeah, it definitely has to do with their policies and how they treat their staff.

Looking at the new MacBook Air, it strikes me that for my use, my next laptop likely isn’t going to be a Pro, but a maxed-out Air....

Looking at the new MacBook Air, it strikes me that for my use, my next laptop likely isn’t going to be a Pro, but a maxed-out Air. Swift and powerful. And with a cool color (I like the Midnight look).

You thought Digg was dead. You thought wrong.

You thought Digg was dead. You thought wrong.

It’s not often, but sometimes, one craves Domino’s Pizza. And when it hits, kids, it hits.

It’s not often, but sometimes, one craves Domino’s Pizza. And when it hits, kids, it hits.

Say what you will about Kathleen Kennedy’s run as head of Lucasfilm (the word “mixed” comes to mind), but I can’t...

Say what you will about Kathleen Kennedy’s run as head of Lucasfilm (the word “mixed” comes to mind), but I can’t help but feel like The Worst People on the Internet® are going to take her retirement as a win, as opposed, to, you know, a 71-year old retiring.

I suppose that this announcement would also mean…10 more years of live blogging the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (I can hear you all...

I suppose that this announcement would also mean…10 more years of live blogging the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (I can hear you all screaming NO now.)

ANDOR SEASON 2 TRAILER. HELL YEAH.

ANDOR SEASON 2 TRAILER. HELL YEAH.

Apple seeming to follow-up their introduction of Crosswords last year with a Food section for Apple News+. Aiming DIRECTLY at the New York...

Apple seeming to follow-up their introduction of Crosswords last year with a Food section for Apple News+. Aiming DIRECTLY at the New York Times these days…

Whom of my pals – IRL or offline, alike – are caught up enough on Severance to start having a spoiler filled group chat about...

Whom of my pals – IRL or offline, alike – are caught up enough on Severance to start having a spoiler filled group chat about the new episodes every week?

I absolutely adored The Philippou Brothers' debut Talk To Me. So it goes without saying that I am so happy to see the teaser for their next...

I absolutely adored The Philippou Brothers' debut Talk To Me. So it goes without saying that I am so happy to see the teaser for their next movie – Bring Her Back – has hit today.

You had me at Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson.

You had me at Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson.

We finally started watching Severance. I know, I know, sorry. Six episodes in. I love when you’re watching something and just know how...

We finally started watching Severance. I know, I know, sorry.

Six episodes in. I love when you’re watching something and just know how really special it is.

There’s a real vibe shift for the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. I can’t place my finger on it, but it feels more...

There’s a real vibe shift for the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. I can’t place my finger on it, but it feels more like an adventure movie (like, say, the Brendan Fraser Mummy) than they had in the past? Shows promise.

Ugh. Feeling like my brain needs an internet detox for a few days, yet I also feel like I can’t look away.

Ugh. Feeling like my brain needs an internet detox for a few days, yet I also feel like I can’t look away.

Iconfactory has launched Tapestry, a “unified timeline” app. I had the pleasure of beta testing, and it’s real, real good....

Iconfactory has launched Tapestry, a “unified timeline” app. I had the pleasure of beta testing, and it’s real, real good. If the new Reeder didn’t work for you, this may grab you more!

The first teaser for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is here. Emphasis on teaser. Interesting that they don’t showcase Mr....

The first teaser for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is here. Emphasis on teaser. Interesting that they don’t showcase Mr. Fantastic’s stretching here, but the vibes are good otherwise…

It’s a smidge spoiler-y, so maybe stop watching 2 mins in, but the new trailer for Sinners absolutely rules.

It’s a smidge spoiler-y, so maybe stop watching 2 mins in, but the new trailer for Sinners absolutely rules.

An Easy Way To Make Millions: Write A Theme For A Hit TV Show

Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone:

One huge difference separates the two songs: a cover of “Uncontrollable Urge” soundtracks the comedy clip show Rob Dyrdek’s Ridiculousness, which can play on MTV for as much as 14 hours in a 24-hour period, nearly every day of the week. (At its peak in 2020, it played an astonishing 113 hours out of MTV’s entire 168-hour lineup, according to Variety) Over the past decade, through 42 seasons, 1,545 episodes and countless reruns airing every 30 minutes, the performance royalties on that song net Mothersbaugh around $1 million per year, according to an estimate from his wife and manager Anita Greenspan.

“I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh, who’s composed the themes for Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Rugrats alongside multiple Wes Anderson films, tells Rolling Stone. “I would’ve been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income.”

Absolutely fascinating article about the long tail value to musicians of the simple TV theme song.

Makes me wonder how much the guy from Seinfeld’s making from his mouth noises and bass playing.

Also: goddamn does MTV show a lot of Ridiculousness. I get it, it’s one of the perfect Hotel Room TV shows.

Here ya go, kids: The Nintendo Switch 2 is real. But we won’t learn more beyond that it’s bigger, plays Switch 1 games, and...

Here ya go, kids: The Nintendo Switch 2 is real. But we won’t learn more beyond that it’s bigger, plays Switch 1 games, and seems to have a new Mario Kart until APRIL 2.

On the Power of Imagination, And Leaving Things Unexplained

Earlier this evening, I was in my car, my music library on shuffle as it usually is, when a favorite I’ve not heard in some time came on — “Welcome Home” by Coheed and Cambria.

The song’s a jam and a half, so I was enjoying it, but it reminded me of an inflection point in my fandom of them — which lead to a bunch of other thoughts, so you’re getting a blog post out of it.

Coheed and Cambria, for those unawares, is a New Jersey based rock band who came of age in the early 00’s. With a unique sound that mixed prog rock and post-hardcore, they were catnip for a twenty something me. Now, add the fact that the lyrics were inspired by a sci-fi story being written by lead singer Claudio Sanchez, you have the makings of something for devoted fandom.

What was the story? Who were the characters? How did each song fit in? It was something to discuss with friends, debate over the internet, and made each album an event.

And then…alongside the release of some one-off comics in 2004 and 2005, and then a very lengthy series called The Amory Wars from 2007 to 2024…we found out what the story really was. And — for me, at least — it never worked or satisfied on the level of the versions of the story which spiraled in my head as I listened to their music.

Knowing — in turn — ruined the possibility.

And I see this pattern a lot in our current franchise based era of entertainment.

One of the coolest elements of the first John Wick movie were the glimpses of a mysterious world of hitmen. Antiquated coins, tattooed phone receptionists, protected hotels…you saw the tip of an iceberg, and it added to the tapestry of the film overall. These were lights shining just beyond the frame, something intriguing but out of focus.

In the three movies since — good films, yes — each installment has brought more clarity to the world of hitmen…and, I’d argue, has become more blasé. We now know how things work. We have logic to apply to random sequences, versus just going with the confidence of the filmmakers to let you connect the dots.

Solo: A Star Wars Story was, from the jump, a somewhat cursed film — telling the story of Han Solo prior to A New Hope. Like X-Men Origins: Wolverine before it, it said to the world, “You want to know about his jacket, right? The LORE of jacket, right?” And it all became less special. And lest you think this was a Disney-era issue — didn’t the Clone Wars sound a lot more interesting when Obi-Wan made a tossed off mention of it in conversation with Luke, versus knowing it was a conflict between Robots and Clones, and those Clones who somehow became Boba Fett, and I guess Yoda was there too, and the clones were ordered by the Jedi for some reason and…

Yeah. Not knowing was better than knowing.

This last weekend, I watched Anora, a great movie with an incredible performance at its core, which — without spoiling — has an ending which could be read many different ways…and it doesn’t tell you how. And the director, he isn’t talking.

Could you imagine what Lost In Translation would have been if Sofia Coppola told us all what Bill Murray’s character whispered into Scarlett Johansson’s ear? Instead, the ambiguity has meant decades of discussion and theory.

I’m not going to come out and say “not knowing things is better”, because I wholeheartedly believe that knowledge is power, and ignorance is foolish.

But I will say, when it comes to creative works — no, I don’t need to know how these things happened. I don’t need to know all the rules of the world. Let me make the connections. Let our imaginations roam.