Okay, so…everything that’s been said about prior Avatar movies remains the same here.

- The CG is incredible
- The movie looks as expensive as it was
- The 3D is the best ever rendered, and nothing else has matched
- James Cameron can direct the hell out of an action sequence
- The script can be really cheesy
- I’ll be damned if I can remember a character name besides JAKE SOOLY.

And it’s really a spectacle unlike anything else being made today.

That said, this really is the Return of the Jedi of the series.  More of the first two, and a threat which is “what if the last time, but more?”

It’s a heck of a piece of movie making, I will forget about it by next week.

…but damn if it’s not worth seeing big and loud, once.

Do you like Hong Kong action movies?

Do you like Law & Order?

Have I got the movie for you!

Great action, with some really inspired camera work, mashed with a decent legal drama. Damn fine lazy Saturday movie.

I said it when Knives Out hit, I said it again with Glass Onion, I’ll say it again here: I could go for a million of these.

Just a joy of a watch, with great performances up and down. I’m officially sold on Josh O’Connor.

Bummed I couldn’t see this in theaters, but just as jazzed to finally watch it at home. Loved it.

I admit, I came into this cold, curious about why it was such a major success in theaters (I’ll probably watch the Demon Slayer movies for similar reasons). As an old anime head, I try to keep my ear to the ground still.

In turn, I’m sure there’s a lot of context I’m missing. But hey, if well animated, violent horror romances are what the kids are into these days: good for the kids.

The Short Version

Awesome Games Done Quick is coming up on January 4th-10th, 2026, and I’m incredibly pleased to announce I will be one of the on-air hosts during the event, for the following speedruns, all times/days Eastern.

Tuesday, January 6th

• 12:46am - Path of Exile 2, as run by Angormus

Friday, January 9th

• 1:15am - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as run by EricgO8
• 2:55am - Redout 2, as run by Etiketi
• 3:57am - MINDWAVE, as run by Anneurismz

The stream will be viewable on Twitch, and VODs will hit their YouTube shortly thereafter.

The Longer Version

Over the last few years, my wife and I have gotten really into watching the major bi-annual events from Games Done Quick, a video game speedrunning marathon for charity. For those unaware about what speedrunning is, its the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. This often involves following planned routes, which may incorporate the use of glitches to allow sections to be skipped or completed more quickly than intended.

Since 2010, Games Done Quick has been one of the biggest events where speedruns are done, with the intent of going 24 hours a day for a week both in the Summer (Summer Games Done Quick) and in the Winter (Awesome Games Done Quick), and raising money for charity. They’ve raised literal millions of dollars for great causes, and are an awesome celebration of both video gaming and those dedicated enough to understand the ins and outs of the games these runners focus on.

I think COVID was what got us into the space, but since, during the weeks these events run, they’ve been both a great watch, and a comforting background noise. We’ve seen people beat Elden Ring with a saxophone, Crazy Taxi completed with a live band soundtrack, Super Mario Bros conquered with a blindfold on and played with feet (while also playing the soundtrack), and yes, we’ve seen a dog win a baseball game.

In addition to the runners playing the games themselves, there’s a few other elements in play:

• A couch of commentators, which could be a mixture of other speedrunners who know the game, or even the developers of the game itself
• On-screen talent, who do interviews and other segments
• Hosts, who act as a voiceover for the actual gameplay moments – introducing the runs, talking up upcoming runs, and reading donation messages during the runs themselves

That last bit – hosting – stood out as something which I wanted to do. Of course, I’ve been hosting Super Art Fight as a live event for years, and I’ve been doing the weekly podcast with The Rough House, so I have some experience under my belt…but could I move into a whole new space?

Thankfully, getting involved is straight forward. You submit your information, audition (as if it’s a live broadcast), and be entered into a panel to be judged for inclusion.

This past Summer, I submitted, and was not chosen, but received some really strong feedback.

This past Fall, I entered the mix again, and found myself approved for hosting!

So, at the beginning of 2026 (just a few weeks away), I’ll be heading to Pittsburgh, PA and serve as one of the event hosts during the runs mentioned above.

I am incredibly excited about this. Sure, having overnight shifts is going to be tough from a sleep schedule perspective, but this is the first time (ever?) that I’m hosting something solo on purpose, putting myself as a host in an event which I’m not producing, heading to a major event solo, and placing myself into a space where I am a relative newbie.

I’m embracing the unknown, and I’m ready to smash it.

Now, why do this? Besides the idea of giving back to an event I’ve enjoyed for a number of years, and getting out of my comfort zone, the whole thing is for a great cause – Prevent Cancer Foundation. Last year, the Awesome Games Done Quick event raised over $2.5 million for the cause.

Sadly, I – like many of you, I’m sure – have a history of dealing with cancer. My mother is a cancer survivor. My wife is a cancer survivor. I’ve lost an uncle and my stepfather to cancer.

This isn’t just for a great cause, this is for them. And if me making silly jokes and talking video games in the middle of the night can make the world better for those dealing with, who have dealt with, or hopefully may not even have to deal with cancer, I’m for it.

I’m going to, understandably, be talking more about this in the weeks ahead, along with pushing donation links and more the week of the event. I couldn’t do this without the support of the awesome people in my life who pushed me to audition, the support of those who I’ve had the pleasure of hosting shows with, and the support of the host crew at Games Done Quick (thanks to savage_octagon and Jaypeg, who have corralled us all.)

Hopefully you can join me live. If you can’t, I hope you can donate – even if its with your time and viewing the event.

Here goes.

Really great peek behind the curtain from the folks at Los Campesinos! – they just updated their blog to share (without any sense of slant, or opinion, allowing you to make your own conclusions) the money they made from streaming services.

Los Campesinos! is one of my favorite bands, and they’re not that obscure. If they can be an indie band of note, which can tour internationally, and that’s all they’re making? Hopefully you can understand why it’s hard for musicians out there.

See also a prior post of theirs, breaking down the finances of doing a singular show in Dublin.

More opportunities for Olivia Coleman to do her Ian McKellen impression, please.

What a well-made version of a movie which already exists in a more artistically satisfying form.

Broken record for a lot of movies these days, but this is definitely one of those, “we used to get a dozen of these a year!” gritty crime movies, by way of a kinda scummy protagonist. 

Thankfully, it’s a decent one of those.

Interesting to see Aronofsky branch out into something more commercial.

Tonic as Bud the Cat for Best Supporting Actor.

Let’s be honest. After Part One, you know if you’re in for this or not.

Same things apply: great performances, and a level of Hollywood movie making they really don’t do much of anymore.

As everyone said when the movie was split in half, it’s the weaker half, and as a stand alone movie, does not fit the bill.

But — if you’re a fan, you’re gonna be satisfied.

That said: there’s one moment of de-aging CG which may be among the most disturbing things on film this year.

Much like the first — gorgeous animation, fun enough script, great cast. Missing that extra something, but fine enough for a Saturday morning watch.

What a truly charming little movie. Shame it seems to have bombed in theaters, but hopefully more will catch it at home. 

Unofficial new Holiday movie entry?

Much like the movie's lead, this new version of The Running Man has everything to check the boxes, but it's just missing that certain something.

It's a fine watch, a fun way to spend a few hours, and there are little bits from actors who I was happy to see (Katy O'Brien, Martin Herlihy, Michael Cera), but it never really blew me away.

I think what has me feeling down on it is that, to this point, Edgar Wright has been one of my favorite directors, someone whose joy in the movie he is making comes through every frame. But there's something missing, and I can't place my finger on what.

The ending, too, feels like there were some strong studio notes.

Aside: Was Josh Brolin channeling Vince McMahon here, or is that my wrestling-addled brain talking?

Maybe I'll watch this again and enjoy it more on what it is, versus what it isn't, but until then: it's Fine™.

I’m not sure why this has me rankled today, but it does.

Per Deadline.com, in this morning’s quarterly stockholders call, Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke of future changes to the Disney+ streaming service, saying:

Since splashing out on an equity stake in Fortnite owner Epic Games for $1.5B last year, Iger said the opportunity is now there to “integrate game-like features into Disney+,” which would directly challenge streaming rival Netflix – a business that has leant hard into gaming of late.

“Obviously there is a huge opportunity for games and our investment with Epic Games, well that will largely be an opportunity to integrate game-like features into Disney+,” said Iger.

This is the absolute last thing I could want.

I don’t need “game-like features”. I have games for those. I subscribe to their service (yes, I came back after they fixed things up with Jimmy Kimmel) to watch things. Period.

Now, I recognize, that doesn’t sound great to stockholders. “The average user of Disney+ watches what they subscribed us for and moves on”. This is why they, like all streaming services, want to push you into automatically playing content, binging, following their suggestions, and so on. To be able to say that the average user was “engaged” (i.e. the app was on and showing something) for more minutes every quarter.

It’s not fun. It’s not entertaining. It’s not enjoyable. It’s cruft that makes me waste time.

Is it any wonder that people are flocking to using apps like Plex, Stremio, Infuse, and Kodi to just watch things? The more traction you put between me and what I’m intending, the less I want to use your service. “Engagement” minutes or not.

Kind of an odd bird of a movie.

Dwayne is, if nothing else, getting out of his element here — I still think that Pain & Gain is his best performance.

What I didn’t expect was how much this movie reminded me of Steve Jobs, in terms of its “here’s these key moments” structure.

The “plot” as it were wasn’t terribly compelling, but the performances and the direction are top notch and enough to keep you interested.

I can completely see why this didn’t resonate, but if you’re into MMA/combat sports, it’s at least worth a watch.

Oh man. What a fun movie!

Credit to whoever at the studio said, “yes, the audience CAN take subtitles.”

Al-Pacino-Saying-What-A-Picture.jpg

Never Naruto Run. Not even once.

River Akira Davis on The Japan Times by way of The New York Times:

The Japanese parent company of 7-Eleven is betting billions of dollars that it can expand its business in the United States by making its convenience stores more like the food meccas they are in Japan.

Convenience stores, or konbini, are an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, known for high-quality fresh food — from seasonal bento boxes to egg salad sandwiches that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once called “pillows of love.”

Leading the push to expand Japanese-quality fresh food to 7-Eleven in North America is Stephen Dacus, a Japanese American former Walmart executive who started as CEO of Seven & I Holdings, the 7-Eleven parent company, three months ago.

Following YouTubers like Seerasan, it’s abundantly clear how much better Japanese convenience stores are than those here in the States. If done right, I truly believe that this could thread the needle of fast, fresh, healthy food in places which don’t normally have it, and crucially, make it as convenient — if not more so — than standard fast food.

I really really hope this works out for the best. It could benefit all of us.