Peruvian Idle

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#8 · Back to the Movies

November 1, 2024

Saturday, November 2 at 8am Central, I'll be playing video games for 24 hours to raise money for Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. This is my 11th Extra Life and to date we've raised over $49,000. We're very close to hitting $50k all-time! Your donation could help get us there!

🎮 Games

This month I got the platinum trophies for Space Marine 2 and Astro Bot (on the same day, no less). Typically once I plat a game I stop playing it, so that freed up time to grind my favorite "chore-based" video games. I picked up a bunch of new games that I'm saving for Extra Life, so next month's games should be a bit more meaty.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Box art for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

The latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise released this month, featuring a new campaign, all new multiplayer maps and a return to the "round-based" zombies mode. As much as I enjoy Call of Duty, I found this one to be a bit underwhelming. The campaign tries to do some innovative things besides just going from place to place shooting things, and that's when it's actually at its best. There's more of an espionage element to this one, complete with an Ocean's Eleven-like casino heist. There's also some interesting levels involving hallucinogens that are straight out of Control. The combat is actually the most boring part. I kind of wish they had leaned into the other stuff more. Multiplayer is fine. None of the new levels feel particularly fresh and all of the weapons just feel like the typical COD collection. It's still fun to play, but I'm not sure for how long. I really enjoy how COD evolved its zombies mode the last few years into a more open-world experience. Ditching that to go back round-based wave-defense gameplay feels like a step back, though I know a lot of people prefer that experience. Aside from the interesting campaign, I find this year's Call of Duty to be hard to recommend to anyone but the most devoted fans. [PS5, Xbox, PC]

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Box art for Super Mario Party Jamboree

My 5-year-old, Ryan, loves Mario Party Superstars, so when I saw there was a new Mario Party I surprised him with it. He gets pretty frustrated with the minigames, though he's slowly getting the hang of it. My goal when playing with him is to keep the CPU characters from beating him rather than just outright letting him win. The latest edition of Mario Party has some cool new courses, a bunch of new minigames, including motion-controlled ones, and a huge pool of characters to choose from. There are also some new modes we haven't checked out yet, including a massively multiplayer online battle. I think that'll have to wait until he's a little older. [Switch]

Other games I enjoyed

Added 13 more gold joker stickers in Balatro, leaving just 17 until I get the platinum trophy. I've also been playing on mobile, which is incredibly dangerous. I started getting into NBA 2k25's MyTeam mode again, which has you collecting cards to form a team and completing various challenges to get more cards. It's really a huge time suck that eventually results in every card being a 99-rated card, making it incredibly boring. But the early months where even a 90+ player is hard to come by are usually fun. Destiny launched some new content which feels like it was custom-made for me to not enjoy. All of the new content and perks are geared around Stasis and grenade launchers. And the current Halloween event is incredibly grindy. At this point it feels like I'm only still playing it out of habit or nostalgia.

🎬 Movies

With fewer games in the rotation, I was back to watching movies. Almost 3x as many as I watched last month. And there were some doozies.

The Substance

Poster for The Substance

Very rarely do I find myself watching a movie and realizing that it will be among my all-time favorites before the credits even roll, but The Substance grabbed me from the start. Coralie Fargeat’s follow-up to 2017’s excellent Revenge is so confident and well-executed. It “yes ands” itself to absurd heights (depths?) in a way that elicited such joy that I couldn’t help wish I had seen this opening night in a packed screening. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are excellent. Fargeat asks a lot from them and they deliver. I don’t know that I can recommend this to literally anyone but for me, it was perfect. [VOD]

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

Poster for The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

A deeply moving documentary that recreates the online life of its subject in a unique, if at times cheesy, way. It’s a loving tribute to a person who touched so many lives despite his physical limitations. But it’s also an examination of how people use video games as an escape, while also being able to form deep and meaningful connections with others. Keep the tissues handy. (I learned after watching this that it’s by the same director as The Painter and the Thief, another excellent documentary.) [Netflix]

Saturday Night

Poster for Saturday Night

I was predisposed to liking this, having grown up with SNL (we both turn 50 in 2025) . This is an earnest and loving imagining(?) of the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode. I’m sure very little of this happened that night and characterizations of real life people are far from accurate, but like the show Winning Time, I couldn’t care less because the subject matter is something I enjoy and have deep knowledge about. Love the casting — the SNL regulars were largely unknown to me but each do a passable job of capturing the essence of their real life counterparts. The more known actors around them are inspired casting. I wish the movie had spent more time fleshing out the main SNL cast, it gives particularly short shrift to the female cast members, spending most of its runtime following Lorne Michaels. It’s still quite enjoyable, though probably less so if you’re not familiar with SNL lore, particularly those early years. I can imagine this being nearly unintelligible without that context. When they finally say the iconic opening line, I got a little choked up. [Theaters]

Interstellar

Poster for Interstellar

Ryan is recently obsessed with black holes. I showed him a clip from this on YouTube and he asked to watch the whole movie. He patiently sat through the whole thing (a rarity) until the climactic black hole scene, by which point he was pretty invested in the story, even though a lot of it went over his head. Try explaining a tesseract to a toddler. At the end he asked if there was a sequel and was disappointed to learn that sometimes movie endings are ambiguous. Hoping this, of all things, finally sparked an interest in film, rather than the crap he watches on YouTube. [VOD]

Other movies I enjoyed

I rewatched Double Indemnity for the first time in forever. Often imitated, never duplicated, this noir is among the best. I also revisited Shaun of the Dead just in time for Halloween. Hard to believe it's 20 years old. Such a clever spoof of the zombie genre that serves as a great example of the genre itself. The dialogue and comedic timing is so meticulous and the pace of the gags unrelenting. It's What's Inside recently came out on Netflix and features a brilliant premise. I went in knowing absolutely nothing and when I realized what was happening I had a real “oh shit” moment. I re-watched Coralie Fargeat's Revenge in VR with some first-timers and everyone loved it. Such a confident debut feature. It was no surprise that The Substance was equally daring. I realized I had never watched 2004's Man on Fire, which is very self-indulgent, in the most/best Tony Scott way. Denzel is great as usual and surrounded by a pretty solid cast, including an adorable Dakota Fanning.

đź“ş TV

Disclaimer

Poster for Disclaimer

This limited series written and directed by Alfonso CuarĂłn is kind of incredible. Just gorgeously shot by Emmanuel Lubezki and featuring some great performances by Cate Blanchett, Lesley Manville, Sacha Baron Cohen in a rare dramatic role, and an almost unrecognizable Kevin Kline. Blanchett plays a journalist who discovers a novel featuring her as the main character, which reveals a dark secret from 20 years ago. It's a slow burn but as the show reveals whats going on through its non-linear narrative, it gets pretty good. Maybe not for everyone, but as a fan of CuarĂłn and the cast, this feels tailor-made for me. [Apple TV+]

Nobody Wants This

Poster for Nobody Wants This

A fun show starring Kristen Bell as a podcaster who falls in love with a rabbi, played by Adam Brody. I first saw Brody, like many people, on Fox's The OC, where he stole every scene he was in. I was surprised he never became more of a star. Here, he and Bell are both effortlessly charming and have great chemistry. It's probably not going to win any awards but it's a breezy show to watch while you're folding laundry or something. [Netflix]

Shrinking

Poster for Shrinking

Another fun show entering its second season about a therapist, played by Jason Segel, who gets way too invested in his patients' lives. Harrison Ford plays his boss and I love the dynamic he has with Segel. The show is co-created by Bill Lawrence, who also did Ted Lasso, so this show has a similar vibe, if you're into that. [Apple TV+]

Other shows I enjoyed

I watched the first episode of Starting 5 on Netflix, which follows five players through the 2023-24 NBA season. It's an interesting behind the scenes look at what it's like to go through the grind of a season. It doesn't have the immediacy of something like Hard Knocks but I'm looking forward to finishing it. I still need to check out the latest seasons of What We Do in the Shadows and The Diplomat, and Silo also returns this month, so lots to catch up on in television.

📱 Videos

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

What are you looking forward to in November? Let me know!

#7 · Too Many Games

October 1, 2024

The slow season of video game releases came to a quick end in September with several new games eating up a lot of my free time. As a result I watched the fewest movies per month this year and only dipped briefly into television.

🎮 Games

The PS5 Pro went up for pre-order and despite the consensus that it's a bit overpriced ($700) for a marginal upgrade from the regular PS5, I went ahead and ordered one anyway. It's set to ship on November 7th — a week after Extra Life, unfortunately. While the performance gains on existing games doesn't seem that impressive, it's really games that have yet to be released (GTA6) where it should really shine.

Sony also announced a sequel to one of my favorite games of all time, Ghost of Tsushima, called Ghost of Yotei, which I'm super excited for.

NBA 2k25

Box art for NBA 2k25

I have a love/hate relationship with this series. I absolutely love its dedication to realism and the depth of game modes, from playing a career as an NBA player to running a franchise over multiple years, to collecting cards to create a super team. But year-to-year the game seldom evolves in a meaningful way. This iteration feels especially stagnant, though they did streamline the ridiculous "City" that you have to run around in to do "chores" in MyCareer. Not to mention the constant pushing of microtransactions. Still, at its core it's an excellent game that I can't put down and I'm having fun leveling up my "Defensive Stalwart", a 6'9" power forward who excels at defense and rebounding and not much else. [PS5, Xbox, PC, Switch]

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

Box art for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

I first learned about Warhammer 40,000 (or simply, "40k") in college. It's a tabletop war game where you typically spend more time painting little plastic and metal characters than actually playing the game. It's since spawned dozens of video game adaptations, which have been largely hit or miss until now. Space Marine 2 is a third-person shooter reminiscent of Gears of War, in which you and two fellow marines tear through an onslaught of alien forces. If it sounds a lot like this year's Helldivers 2, it shares a lot of similarities.

Where Helldivers 2 is campy and gives you the feeling like your marines could die at any moment, Space Marine 2 takes itself very seriously and makes you feel like the ultimate badass, mowing down hundreds of aliens (an almost unbelievable amount appear on screen at once) with ease. Space Marine 2 has a bit more depth, with a campaign, PvP, and an "operations" mode, which are similar to strikes in Destiny.

Like Helldivers 2, it also gets a bit monotonous after you've played through it, leaving very little reason to continue once you've leveled up your character to the max. Still, it's a gorgeous game and a great co-op experience with friends and randos alike. [PS5, Xbox, PC]

Shogun Showdown

Box art for Shogun Showdown

Shogun Showdown is a delightful blend of Slay the Spire, Into the Breach, and Darkest Dungeon. The game takes place on a 2D board and enemies spawn on either side of you, telegraphing their next move above their head. You can move, turn around or add attacks to your queue and each action causes the enemies in turn to play their own actions. You take on wave after wave of enemies until you reach an area's boss. If you win, you can spend money upgrading your gear and buying skills and consumables at the shop. Making it all the way to the end and defeating the Shogun unlocks a new "day", which adds a new layer of difficulty to each run. There's a deep collection of fun and interesting weapons and skills that you can unlock through repeated playthroughs and five unlockable characters that each have their own unique ability.

It's a simple game that plays more like a puzzle game than anything, but it's extremely satisfying when you have the perfect synergy of weapons and abilities and tear through wave after wave, unscathed. I highly recommend this one if you love the aforementioned games. It's a ton of fun. [PS5, Xbox, PC, Switch]

Astro Bot

Box art for Astro Bot

From the moment you fire up Astro Bot, you can't help but smile. Everything about Sony's take on Super Mario Galaxy is genetically engineered to bring you joy, with cute characters, a wide variety of clever abilities and mechanics, and making excellent use of the DualSense controller's many functions.

I showed this game to Ryan and all he wants to do it play it constantly, leaving me very little time to play other games. (It's a good thing I ordered the PS5 Pro, I guess!) It's easy enough that he can pick it up and make decent progress but as the game progresses it does get pretty tricky! Your goal is to rescue 300(!) bots hidden across various levels, with many of the bots and levels themed around classic Sony properties like God of War, Bloodborne, Last of Us and others.

Astro Bot is just so damn fun and I'm constantly in awe of how clever it is. Highly recommended whether you have kids or just want to feel like one again. [PS5]

Other games I enjoyed

Still chipping away at the last few gold joker stickers in Balatro. Given how little I played this month it's a small miracle I added 12 more, leaving 30 to go. Shout out to my friend Josh, who managed to get the platinum trophy before me in about half as many hours played. I played a bit of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta and was pretty lukewarm on it. It features a new movement system called Omnimovement, which I found kind of clunky. This game makes a 15-kill streak look boring. (Or maybe it's me.) I'll still probably end up buying it and sinking a regrettable amount of hours into it. I spent more than 10 minutes playing Vampire Survivors and I finally get what the hype was about (three years late). It's like a weird auto-shooting bullet hell game that has some interesting power-ups and roguelike progression. I'll probably go back to it if I can carve out the time. Finally, a new Zelda game, Echoes of Wisdom came out a few days ago and I loved what little I played of it. It's a modern take on A Link to the Past from the SNES where you play as Zelda. (Zelda, it turns out, is NOT the boy.) You have a wand that gives you the ability to copy various objects like rocks and furniture, which makes for some interesting puzzles. Looking forward to playing more of it.

🎬 Movies

Rebel Ridge

Poster for Rebel Ridge

I had a blast with this. Jeremy Saulnier made a Reacher movie. I couldn’t tell you if Aaron Pierre can act because I was lost in his hazel eyes the whole time. Pierre plays a Marine who has a run-in with some small town cops on his way to bail out his cousin with a large sum of cash, which gets confiscated. Shades of First Blood with Don Johnson filling in admirably for Brian Dennehy as a crooked chief of police. I loved how Pierre's character goes to great lengths to avoid conflict and when it ultimately erupts, he efficiently takes guys down with non-lethal methods. (If you're looking for a bloody revenge tale, you'll be disappointed.) The definitive civil asset forfeiture movie. [Netflix]

The Remains of the Day

Poster for The Remains of the Day

I decided to check this out based on Todd Vaziri's recommendation and I'm glad I did. Anthony Hopkins is so compelling as a butler who is so into butlering he blinds himself to his naive, Nazi-enabling boss and the hot housekeeper (Emma Thompson) that clearly is into him. His slow realization of this is fascinating to watch. Also, wow, I haven’t seen Christopher Reeve in much outside of Superman and he’s so charismatic in this. What a loss. Young Hugh Grant and Lena Headey, too! Lots of similarities to Phantom Thread and Past Lives. [VOD]

Other movies I enjoyed

Snack Shack is surprisingly charming and heartfelt. It made me oddly nostalgic for being alive before the internet. I loved the reverse Die Hard premise of Trap in its first half. The second half goes off the rails a bit, but Josh Hartnett is dialed in and committed for the entire runtime. I’ve been burned too many times by M. Knight but this one was fun.

đź“ş TV

Pachinko

Poster for Pachinko

I'm so happy this show about a Korean family, told across multiple generations, is back for a second season. It's been like two or three years since the last season and I remember very little about the first season except the vibe. I'm only a couple of episodes in but I'm enjoying it so far. (Shoutout to Anna Sawai, who has a small role in this, and recently won an Emmy for her role in Shogun.) [Apple TV+]

Other shows I enjoyed

Sadly, I hardly watched any TV this month. I did check out The Penguin on Max, but was pretty underwhelmed despite loving The Batman and a great performance from Colin Farrell (though the makeup is doing a lot of the work). Looking forward to new seasons of Shrinking (Apple TV+), What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu/FX), The Diplomat (Netflix), and the start of the NBA season in October.

📱 Videos

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

What are you looking forward to in October? Let me know!

#6 · Football Fever

September 1, 2024

This month I kicked off my 2024 Extra Life campaign on Olivia's birthday (8/26) with a 12-hour gaming stream, raising more than half of our $6,000 goal already. We'll be doing the full 24-hour marathon the first Saturday in November. Aside from that it was a pretty light month screen-wise.

🎮 Games

Madden 25

Box art for Madden NFL 25

The Chicago Bears picked quarterback Caleb Williams with the #1 pick in the NFL draft and there has not been more hype around a rookie in Chicago since Derrick Rose. The city is buzzing and thanks in large part to the HBO series Hard Knocks, a documentary series covering the Bears training camp, I am excited about the Bears for the first time since Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI in 2007 only to lose to the Colts.

Madden NFL 25 uses the same engine as College Football 25, yet seems somehow not as good, gameplay-wise. But being able to play a Franchise as the Bears is too good to pass up. After a rough start I managed to win 10 games, including an extremely satisfying division-clinching win against the Packers, earning Williams Rookie of the Year honors in the process. The joy was short-lived, as I eventually lost to the Packers in the second round of the playoffs.

I'm not nearly as well-versed in NFL rules around free agency as I am the NBA (not to mention players), so my offseason was pretty hit or miss. Williams has already developed into a superstar in Year Two and is looking to take the Bears to the Super Bowl. [PS5]

Dredge

Box art for Dredge

Picked up this quirky 2023 fishing game on sale, based on a recommendation from a co-worker and immediately fell in love with its low-poly graphics, smooth gameplay and compelling story. It's a creepy game with elements of Lovecraftian horror. It probably took me less than 10 hours to roll credits, but I'm so into it I'm trying to knock out all the trophies and also upgraded to the deluxe edition, which includes a few different DLC packs. For $15 this game is a huge bargain for a great, short experience. [PS5]

Other games I enjoyed

Balatro gold stickers are getting harder to come by. I picked up 18 more this month (42 to go). A new update included a quality of life setting that shows the highest sticker you've earned on each joker, which is extremely useful. A new act of Destiny 2 launched with a fun exotic mission that rewards you with a powerful Void auto rifle that uses special ammo. I briefly checked out Tactical Breach Wizards, which looks like a fun cross between XCOM and Fights in Tight Spaces. Looking forward to digging deeper into it.

🎬 Movies

Ghostlight

Poster for Ghostlight

I was deeply affected by this story of a man working through his grief through a local theatrical production of Romeo and Juliet. I’m usually put off by child death as a source of character motivation, having lost a child of my own. Here it’s played with sincerity by largely unknown actors (a real Chicago family no less) and it really hit me hard. It reminded me a bit of Chloe Zhao’s The Rider. Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness) is a delight. A contender for my favorite movie of the year. [VOD]

Five Easy Pieces

Poster for Five Easy Pieces

A really interesting character study. Nicholson is in top form. I knew very little about this other than the famous line about holding the chicken. It really took me by surprise. It almost feels Shakespearean. It seems like a movie that would reward repeat viewings. The final scene is a real gut punch. [Amazon Prime Video]

Other movies I enjoyed

Speaking of character studies, I revisited two Paul Thomas Anderson movies. The Master is exquisitely shot and acted with a melancholic score by Jonny Greenwood. It really made me miss the hell out of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Phantom Thread is just a delightfully fucked-up romance with some incredible acting, production design, and a sublime score, also by Jonny Greenwood. "Kiss me, my girl, before I'm sick." I was compelled to revisit 2002's The Transporter, which launched Jason Statham to fame, after hearing that legendary director and fight choreographer Corey Yuen passed away unannounced a few years ago. The movie is completely ridiculous but still slaps. Some really inventive fight choreography and comes in at a tight 92 minutes.

đź“ş TV

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears

Poster for Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears

It's been awhile since I followed or cared about NFL football, aside from the occasional fantasy football league. But this excellently-produced documentary series is covering the Bears through training camp. Incredibly they turn out each episode in less than a week. It's been fascinating to get to know the players and the inherent drama of competing for a limited number of roster spots. Liev Schreiber does an impeccable job aping the gravitas of legendary NFL Films narrator John Facenda (you'd know the voice if you heard it). This show has me super hyped for the upcoming season. The Bears went 4-0 in the preseason, outscoring opponents by 68 points. Of the 6 previous teams to do so, all six made the playoffs and two won the Super Bowl. A good omen, indeed. [Max, the one to watch for HBO]

Other shows I enjoyed

I really enjoyed Adam Sandler: Love You, his newest Netflix comedy special. Say what you will about his movies (he's an underrated dramatic actor) but his comedy specials are sincere and combine music and comedy in a unique way. This special is no different. I'm slowly savoring each episode of Ripley. Every shot is just gorgeously composed in black and white. I only watched a bit of the first episode, but I'm really intrigued by Netflix's animated Terminator Zero. The Terminator franchise has been mostly misses since James Cameron's Terminator 2, but this series gives me hope.

📱 Videos

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

What are you looking forward to in September? Let me know!

#5 · Sports!

August 1, 2024

With the Euros and Copa America wrapping up and the Olympics getting underway, I spent a lot of time playing sports games. There were also a lot of remakes/sequels of 90s movies, including Twisters, Presumed Innocent, and Ripley.

🎮 Games

Elden Ring

Box art for Elden Ring

I finally got into enough of a groove with Elden Ring that I felt comfortable taking my character into the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. My character is a dexterity build, so I was thrilled to find a weapon called Backhand Blade early on. The Backhand Blade becomes a pair of blades when you two-hand them and they have a really cool looking move set. The DLC itself is pretty challenging but there's a ton of new stuff to explore in an already dense game. If you enjoyed Elden Ring when it first came out, the DLC is well worth dipping back in for. [PS5/PC/Xbox]

College Football 25

Box art for College Football 25

EA Sports' NCAA Football series was one of my favorite sports games until a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by a former player led to its cancellation in 2013. With the NCAA's new Name Image and Likeness (NIL) rules, EA was able to bring the series back as College Football 25 by giving some 11,000 players $600 each. The game is everything I remembered and more, taking advantage of 10 years of advancements in technology to bring an authentic college experience, complete with mascots, fight songs and pre-game rituals unique to each Division I school.

My favorite mode is Dynasty, where you take control of a school's program as head coach. Not only do you play the games, but you're also responsible for recruiting players from high school and other colleges for the next season. The recruiting mini-game is really deep, allocating hours to scouting a pool of thousands of players, figuring out their priorities (things like draft potential, championship potential, proximity to home and more than a dozen other options) and trying to convince them that your school is a perfect fit. The higher caliber players you can get to commit to your school, the more competitive your program becomes. You can also level up your coach and buy new abilities that give you an edge in gameplay and recruiting.

There's also a mode where you can create a player, pick your school and play your entire college career, leveling up your skills and unlocking new abilities along the way. I started playing quarterback at Northwestern, where we went 8-4, losing in a bowl game to Eastern Michigan. I ended up transferring to Illinois since their QB graduated and I'm currently 1-0 in my sophomore season.

College Football 25 is a ton of fun. I didn't think it would ever come back but I'm so glad that it did! [PS5/Xbox]

MLB The Show 24

Box art for MLB the Show 24

My stepson spent the first half of the summer pitching for the Burlington Bees in the Prospect League. So when I spotted MLB the Show 24 on sale, I was quick to pull the trigger. Much like College Football 25, MLB the Show has a mode where you can create a player and play their entire career.

I created a closing pitcher — the pitching interface is fun but I'm terrible at batting and fielding — got drafted by the Tigers and was immediately sent to their AA team, the Erie SeaWolves. After a few months of strong performances I got promoted to the AAA Toledo MudHens. After a short stint there, the Tigers realized they were already set for closers and traded me to the Red Sox, where I got sent back to AA to start the climb all over again. Just when I finally got the call up to the majors, College Football 25 came out and I haven't been back since. I was having a lot of fun with it and plan on going back at some point. [PS5/Xbox/Switch]

Other games I enjoyed

This month I checked off 33 more joker gold stickers in Balatro. 60 to go! I also played a little bit of Destiny's new act and got my soccer fix with FC24 (formerly FIFA).

🎬 Movies

Thelma

Poster for Thelma

Absolutely loved this funny and sweet movie about a woman who tracks down the phone scammer that duped her out of $10,000 by impersonating her grandson. June Squibb and Richard Roundtree make a great team. An absolute delight. [VOD]

Only the Brave

Poster for Only the Brave

What a gut punch. Great cast and cinematography. Does an utterly convincing job of selling the danger these firefighters put themselves in. I'm kind of shocked I didn’t hear of this until Top Gun: Maverick (by the same director) came out. Glad I finally got around to watching it. [VOD]

Risky Business

Poster for Risky Business

I first saw a screening of this 10 years after it came out, as a freshman at U of I. When Joel says, “looks like University of Illinois!” and flashes that famous shit-eating grin, the place exploded. It’s lived rent-free in my head ever since. Maybe the horniest coming of age movie of all time. The chemistry between Cruise and DeMornay is undeniable. An underrated Chicago movie, too. The Criterion 4K is great. [4k Blu-Ray]

Other movies I enjoyed

I re-watched Twister in anticipation of the sequel that came out this month. It was a lot more entertaining than I remembered and filled with notable character actors. The effects held up surprisingly well. I also re-watched David Fincher's Panic Room, another movie that I enjoyed much more on second viewing, especially now that I'm a parent. Ryan and I went to see Despicable Me 4, which was not particularly good, but I enjoyed watching Ryan have fun at his first 3D movie. Finally, I didn't re-watch it yet but Skywalkers: A Love Story, which I mentioned in Issue #1 is now available on Netflix. I highly recommend checking it out!

đź“ş TV

Presumed Innocent

Poster for Presumed Innocent

Legal dramas are like sports movies. There are rules and a back and forth that results in a winner and a loser. The best ones feature an underdog overcoming their opponents against all odds. There's drama in the unexpected. I love them. Presumed Innocent, based on the Scott Turow novel which also inspired the 1990 movie, is a limited series starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a prosecutor on trial for the murder of his colleague/lover. As a show, it takes its time and adds a lot more red herrings than the movie, which I watched after finishing the series. Some great acting on display and it really had me guessing until the end. The show is supposed to take place in Chicago but, aside from a few arial shots, it was so clearly not filmed anywhere near Chicago. [Apple TV+]

Dark Matter

Poster for Dark Matter

A really wild sci-fi premise in which Joel Edgerton plays a college physics professor who gets abducted into an alternate universe. He spends the rest of the series trying to figure out how to get back to his family. Nearly every episode ends with a big WTF moment. Dark Matter also takes place in Chicago but makes good use of actual Chicago locations and provides us with glimpses both dreadful and hopeful about Chicagos that might have been, including one where Trump apparently never put his name in absurdly large letters on one of Chicago's most iconic buildings. The end goes a little off the rails but I had a great time with it. [Apple TV+]

Other shows I enjoyed

I realized I never actually finished the last season of Atlanta, so I've been slowly chipping away at the last few episodes. I just love how the show got progressively more surreal over time. I also finally had a chance to check out Ripley, Netflix's limited series adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Andrew Scott is excellent as Tom Ripley, and the show is stunningly filmed in black and white. Every single frame looks incredible. I've only watched the first three episodes but I'm digging it so far.

📱 Videos

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

What are you looking forward to in August? Let me know!

A ton of new stuff dropped in June but, ironically, I spent most of my time revisiting old stuff and watching a lot of soccer.

🎮 Games

This month I dove back into games that I hadn't played in awhile that sucked me back in with new content.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Box art for Destiny 2

I've probably sunk several thousand hours into Destiny over the past 10 years. I haven't played it regularly in a couple of years, but when a new season would come out, I'd often burn through the story, maybe try the raid, and then dip out again. Destiny 2's new DLC(?), The Final Shape pulled me back in like Al Pacino in Godfather 3. In what's likely Destiny 2's last big release, they managed to wrap up the story they've been telling in a pretty satisfying way, while serving up plenty of nostalgia that goes all the way back to where Destiny 1 began. Bringing back Cayde-6, one of Destiny's most popular characters who tragically died around the time I stopped playing regularly, was a great choice and one that helped catch us both up with everything we missed over the past few years.

They also added a new subclass called Prismatic, which lets you mix and match abilities from all the existing subclasses in fun, synergistic ways. There's also a great two-player mission for an exotic class item which comes with random rolls that combine the abilities of two existing exotic armor pieces, which allows for even more interesting builds.

This is the best Destiny has been in a long while. If you ever played and fell off, it's great time to dive back in. [PS5/PC/XBox]

Elden Ring

Box art for Elden Ring

With the launch of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, it seems like everyone is getting into or back into Elden Ring. Even a bunch of Call of Duty bros are playing probably their first Soulslike, which has been fun to see. After starting the DLC, I quickly realized that I did't remember my character's build or most of the mechanics of Elden Ring, so I ended up starting a new character. I spent a lot more time re-playing stuff I had already done a few times rather than exploring all the new content. I still had a blast though. Elden Ring is one of my all-time faves, and perhaps the most accessible Soulslike to date. There's so much to explore and so much variety in different builds that even after putting in a few hundred hours, it still felt fresh. Looking forward to actually getting my groove back so I can explore everything the meaty DLC has to offer. [PS5/PC/Xbox]

Other games I enjoyed

When I wasn't playing Destiny or Elden Ring, I continued to chip away at the last couple of trophies in Balatro. I finally beat every deck on the hardest difficulty, which was no small feat. Now I just have to get gold stake wins with 93 more of the 150 jokers. It might take me awhile, but I'm determined to do it!

🎬 Movies

I only made it to the theater once in June for The Bikeriders, which was fine. Still hoping to see Inside Out 2, Kinds of Kindness and A Quiet Place: Day One soon but I couldn't squeeze them in this month. Here's some standouts that I watched at home.

Godzilla Minus One

Poster for Godzilla Minus One

After all the awards hype, I was eager to check out this 2023 movie, but it wasn't available to buy or stream for the longest time. Out of nowhere it dropped on Netflix this month and I was finally able to see it. I think the only Godzilla movie I've seen was the terrible 1998 Matthew Broderick one, so this was a pleasant surprise. They don't waste any time getting to Godzilla. There's a lot of lengthy melodrama in between Godzilla scenes, but it mostly worked for me. The movie looks great. Amazing effects and cinematography. I also loved the rousing soundtrack. Anytime the Godzilla theme kicked in I was immediately reminded of Pharoahe Monch's 1999 hit Simon Says, which sampled it. The ending was a little predictable but played with sincerity and on the whole you could feel everyone involved wanted to honor the movies that came before. Except perhaps the Matthew Broderick one. [Netflix]

Jim Henson: Idea Man

Poster for Jim Henson: Idea Man

A loving portrait of one of the most visionary entertainers of my lifetime. Henson's incredible ambition brought us so many memorable characters and moments that have stayed with me since childhood. It's incredible to think how much he gave us before passing at the age of 53. That his work lives on through his children and collaborators is a testament to its timelessness and the profound impact he had on everyone whose lives he touched. [Disney+]

Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show

Poster for Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show

If you had told me in 1995 there was a prime time sketch comedy show with a cast and writing staff that included Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Louis CK, Robert Smigel, and Charlie Kaufman, I would have said "who are any of those people?" To open after Home Improvement at the height of its popularity with a sketch starring Dana Carvey as Bill Clinton, breastfeeding babies, puppies and kittens from eight prosthetic and fully-functional lactating nipples has to be the ballsiest move in the history of comedy. Needless to say, it didn't work out at the time but somehow almost everyone involved went on to greener pastures. This doc chronicles the funniest show you've never seen. [Hulu]

Other movies I enjoyed

I re-watched The Grey for the first time in awhile. The first five minutes is so efficient in its storytelling. A great survival film that's also a meditation on grief. I also re-watched Children of Men, which feels more plausible every time I see it. Incredible texture and world-building in every shot. A profoundly sad film but hopeful at the same time. The walk down the stairs at the end gets me every time.

đź“ş TV

The Bear

Poster for The Bear

I burned through Season 3 of The Bear in two days. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two seasons, it's still one of the best shows on TV. It feels like it's treading water a bit but it's filled with great character moments and several new and returning guest stars. Personally, I'd much rather enjoy an Italian Beef (which Richie succinctly describes as a French Dip, but Italian) than anything Carmy cooks up on his hell-bent quest for a Michelin star. [FX/Hulu]

House of the Dragon

Poster for House of the Dragon

I enjoyed Season 1 of House of the Dragon, if for no other reason than I find the world of Westeros that George R.R. Martin created to be endlessly compelling. The first season jumped forward in time quite a few times, setting up the main conflict of Season 2. I like how much more focused House of the Dragon is compared to Game of Thrones. The stakes are lower but it still has all the drama and intrigue you've come to expect. And dragons. There's lots and lots of dragons. Only three episodes have been released so far, but I'm digging it. [Max, the one to watch for HBO]

Maid

Poster for Maid

Staggeringly heartbreaking. Margaret Qualley is excellent as a single mom trying to escape her abusive partner with her three-year-old daughter. Being in that situation is hard enough but doing it without money or an education makes it exponentially more difficult. On top of that, seemingly every other woman in her orbit is also in a messed up relationship, including her mother, played to perfection by Qualley’s real-life mother, Andie McDowell(!). Loved the surreal touches that added a bit of levity to an otherwise bleak situation. It’s a rough ride but it does end on a hopeful note. [Netflix]

The Night Manager

Poster for The Night Manager

Really enjoyed this limited series starring Tom Hiddleston as a hotel manager with a thing for women in abusive relationships with international arms dealers. Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine with charm and humility, becoming a reluctant spy for Olivia Coleman's British agency. The villain is played by none other than Dr. House himself, Hugh Laurie, in full Dr. Evil mode here. The series is pretty tense as Pine races to take down the baddie without being discovered. There's nothing mind-blowing here, just a fun spy romp with a great cast and a short run that you can easily burn through in a weekend. [Prime Video]

Other shows I enjoyed

June has been a great month for soccer fans. I'm admittedly a casual fan but got pulled into the European Championship (the Euros) when I was randomly assigned Belgium in our office Euro pool. I'm more invested in Copa America, which Peru was already eliminated from in group play, while the U.S. (which is hosting) is still alive.

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Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

What are you looking forward to in July? Let me know!

#3 · Apes-a-thon

June 1, 2024

May turned out to be a pretty lackluster month as far as new releases. I found myself still playing a bunch of Balatro, slowly chipping away at those last two trophies, and going back to watch a bunch of old stuff. There were a few bright spots though!

🎮 Games

Hades II

Box art for Hades II

Hades II released in early access and it's surprisingly polished for being in such an early state. I came pretty late to the first Hades but fell in love with its tight gameplay and compelling characters. I don't know if I'm rusty or the sequel is just considerably harder, but I haven't even made it to the first boss in my limited play time. It doesn't help that there seem to be a lot more systems in place, something that a lot of sequels (Horizon: Forbidden West comes to mind) suffer from. Maybe it'll click for me at some point. I've been reluctant to play more because the text is nearly illegible to my ancient eyes when playing on the Steam Deck. [PC]

Stellar Blade

Box art for Stellar Blade

I rolled credits on Stellar Blade this month. Towards the end, the bosses felt a little repetitive, but overall I had fun with it. I really liked the feel of the movement and combat. Parrying a series of enemy attacks and countering with a powerful flourish was super satisfying. There's not much incentive to play New Game+, where you start over with all the abilities you unlocked on your first play through. While you do unlock a harder difficulty, there's no trophy for beating the game on that difficulty, so the early parts of NG+ are trivial and frankly, kind of boring. I still enjoy the game and the platinum trophy seems pretty attainable, so I'll probably knock those last few trophies out before calling it quits. [PS5]

Other games I enjoyed

I still spent most my gaming time playing Balatro. A new balance patch made the higher stakes a little more forgiving. I've completed about 100 of the 120 stakes so far. I also played a little bit of Ravenswatch, a co-op roguelike from the makers of Curse of the Dead Gods, which I enjoyed. It's kind of like Hades meets Diablo with characters from fables like the Pied Piper. I picked up Animal Well based on its strong word of mouth but it didn't really click for me. Likewise for the free-to-play Call of Duty clone, XDefiant. The game looks gorgeous, but just doesn't have the same crisp feel as Call of Duty.

🎬 Movies

There's been a lot of talk about the tepid box office numbers for May. With no big Marvel release, films like The Fall Guy and Furiosa really struggled. The Fall Guy is already available to rent just three weeks after its opening. It's no wonder people aren't going to the theater when they can just wait a few weeks and see new releases in the comfort of their own homes.

Planet of the Apes Marathon

Poster for Rise of the Planet of the Apes

In anticipation of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which I didn't actually end up seeing, I re-watched the most recent trilogy, featuring Andy Serkis' Caesar. I loved how grounded these movies were, and seeing the advancement of the motion capture technology over the course of three movies was impressive. The films really hit different now that I'm a parent.

I also watched the original Planet of the Apes and its four(!) sequels. I had seen the first one before but the only thing that stuck with me was that iconic final shot. It still holds up as a strong sci-fi film. Having grown up on reruns of Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, it was totally up my alley. It should not have surprised me to find out that Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, was a co-writer of the first Apes. Charlton Heston is perfectly cast as the hyper-masculine hero and there's some really great cinematography on display.

The sequels get progressively lower budget and the endings more and more dark, culminating with Battle for the Planet of the Apes, which is just completely pointless. It's no wonder they didn't go back to the franchise for several decades.

I skipped the 2001 Marky Mark-led Planet of the Apes reboot. I hated it when I saw it in the theater. [VOD, except Kingdom, which is in theaters]

The Last Stop in Yuma County

Poster for The Last Stop in Yuma County

I can't say too much about this fun crime thriller other than that it certainly draws inspiration from the darker Coen Brothers films as well as Quentin Tarantino's work. Jim Cummings is great here as one of several people stuck at a roadside diner waiting for a fuel truck to arrive. As you can guess by the poster, things go awry. It's a tight 90 minutes and the way the final act escalates is wild. [VOD]

Problemista

Poster for Problemista

Writer/director and star Julio Torres makes his feature debut with a delightfully creative and sweet film about a young, aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who takes on a job with an eccentric artist (played to perfection by Tilda Swinton) in order to secure a work visa and avoid deportation. This really took me back to my younger days, working lots of shitty jobs to make ends meet and sometimes working for eccentric older people. Torres is such a unique talent. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next. [VOD]

Molli and Max in the Future

Poster for Molli and Max in the Future

A fun millenial mash-up of When Harry Met Sally and Idiocracy, with a Tron aesthetic. I was initially turned off by cheap look and the incongruity between the futuristic setting and the contemporary 2020s dialogue, but I soon grew invested in Molli and Max's relationship. There's a lot of good satire about the time we live in, complete with a plague and a Trump-like ruler, expertly played by Michael Chernus. Relatable on many levels. [VOD]

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Poster for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

They say you can never have too much of a good thing. Furiosa asks, “are you sure?” This movie has more everything. More Gastown, more Bullet Farm, more idiotic Immortan Joe offspring, more chases, more shooting, more dialog. It clocks in at 30 minutes longer than Mad Max: Fury Road but it doesn’t really earn it. That said, there’s some pretty spectacular action scenes and one rivals Fury Road in its creativity and sheer moreness. Chris Hemsworth is just having a good old time here as the villain and Anya Taylor-Joy does a serviceable job channeling Charlize Theron. Can’t say I was too disappointed. Fury Road set the bar for all action films impossibly high. [In theaters]

Other movies I enjoyed

I re-watched Nightcrawler in VR with the guys, since Scott hadn't seen it before. It was my favorite movie of 2014 and it still slaps. Even though I'd seen it several times, it still had me on edge as Jake Gyllenhaal's Lou Bloom goes to greater lengths to advance his budding career as a freelance news videographer. I also checked out L.A. Confidential (my 100th movie logged this year on Letterboxd!) for the first time in at least 25 years(!). This is one of the quintessential 90s guy movies. It's still pretty great, even though all the racism, misogyny, homophobia and Kevin Spaceyness haven't aged all that well. What a wild climax. Made me want to play L.A. Noire again.

đź“ş TV

I really did not watch much TV this month. It was mostly John Mulaney-related.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction

Poster for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction

I've been a fan of Mulaney for awhile (fun fact: his sister starred in my Second City writing show) so I was pleased to see him appear on David Letterman's Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. He and Dave have a very candid conversation about John's recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism and tour John's old high school, here in Chicago. I really appreciate that John is so open about his issues and mines it for laughs. During the show, John plugged his own Netflix series, which I watched next. [Netflix]

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A.

Poster for John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A.

In this six-part series, which aired live(!) on Netflix, John hosts a bunch of funny people and talks about various Los Angeles-themed topics like coyotes (we have them here in Chicago, too, LA. You all didn't invent that shit). I've only seen the first couple of episodes but it's a good time so far! [Netflix]

Other shows I enjoyed(?)

I'm not sure I'd say I'm enjoying it just yet, but I'm slowly working my way through Nicholas Winding Refn's 2019 Amazon series Too Old to Die Young. It's very similar in tone and theme to his 2011 film, Drive but, holy hell, is it slow. Tons of long takes and extremely slow pans where nothing happens. Still, the show has a compelling vibe and I'm keen to see where it goes.

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Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

There's a TON of new stuff coming out next month. I'm not sure how I'll get to it all. There's the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Destiny The Final Shape, Season 2 of FX's The Bear, new Disney+ Star Wars show The Acolyte, Season 2 of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, Orphan Black: Echoes, Inside Out 2, The Bikeriders, new Yorgos Lanthimos film Kinds of Kindness, and A Quiet Place: Day One. On top of that, I'm looking forward to seeing who the Bulls take in the 2024 NBA Draft. And I'll also be appearing on Learn with Jason this month!

What are you looking forward to in June? Let me know!

Balatro, a poker-themed deck-building game I wrote about last month, has really gotten a hold of me. It left me with very little time to watch TV or movies, but I still managed to see a few things. Let's get to it!

🎮 Games

Balatro

Box art for Balatro

I've taken Balatro's 0.1% completion rate for its platinum trophy as a personal challenge. Most recently I beat the game's hardest challenge, the Jokerless challenge, leaving just two more trophies until I get the platinum. I also had a lot of fun coaching my friend Dave through a round of Balatro. There's a massive patch incoming that will hopefully make the higher stakes a bit easier. [PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC/Mac]

Helldivers 2

Box art for Helldivers 2

The team behind Helldivers 2 keeps banging out new content, including new weapons and enemy types, seemingly on a weekly basis. Even though they nerfed my beloved Rail Gun, I still love diving in with friends for some adrenaline-packed action. I feel like Al Pacino in Godfather Part 3: just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. And thanks to Dave, Mike, and Jose I finally got the platinum trophy, which only 1.6% of players have earned! [PS5/PC]

Stellar Blade

Box art for Stellar Blade

Stellar Blade is yet another 2024 game that seemly came out of nowhere that hooked me immediately. I had been playing some Elden Ring and Sekiro to get my reflexes back in time for June's Elden Ring DLC, so when I heard positive reviews of this Sekiro-like, I decided to give it a shot. Despite its "jiggle physics" and impractical armor, the gameplay is extraordinary and the game feels a lot more accessible than Sekiro. For example, when you unlock a new move, you can immediately go into a Tekken-like training arena to practice it. A lot of the different counter-attacks are color-coded as well, making it easy to know which move you need to do at any given time. I'm really digging it so far. If you enjoyed Sekiro, you'll probably love Stellar Blade. [PS5]

Finally, Mega Crit announced a sequel to Slay the Spire, coming to early access in 2025. I had no idea this was even in the works so, needless to say, I'm excited!

Other games I enjoyed

Call of Duty's latest season brought back a remastered Rebirth Island map, which is a lot of fun. Destiny 2 also released some new content, which I played for a hot minute before going back to Balatro. Sekiro is finally clicking for me after struggling with it when it first came out. And Elden Ring is still just amazing. Can't wait for the DLC. I also dipped into Dave the Diver, whose quirky style I enjoyed, but there's just too much to play right now. Hoping to dive deeper into it next month. (See what I did there?)

🎬 Movies

It was a slow month for movies — both the quality and quantity of movies I watched was below average. Here's a few I did enjoy.

Challengers

Poster for Challengers

An early contender for my favorite movie of the year. Challengers slaps. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, Bones and All) is a modern master of horny cinema. This time-jumping, love triangle, tennis drama is literally dripping with sexual tension. Zendaya is electric. I would risk everything if she even looked at me out of the corner of her eye. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is one of their best. The most ironic thing of all is that the movie is written by the husband of Celine Song, who wrote and directed the best love triangle movie of 2023. What's going on in that relationship? Definitely worth checking out Challengers in theaters on the biggest screen with the best sound. [In theaters]

Late Night with the Devil

Poster for Late Night with the Devil

I found this wildly entertaining. Loved the whole setup and 70s talk-show aesthetic. Character actor David Dastmalchian is great as an ambitious late night host who takes things too far in his quest for ratings. The found footage angle really strains credulity near the end but it has some really clever twists. [VOD]

The Nice Guys

Poster for The Nice Guys

If ever a movie was ripe for a sequel it's 2016's private eye comedy, The Nice Guys. Writer/Director Shane Black, one of the masters of blending sharp, comedic dialogue and action is firing on all cylinders with this one. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling have such great chemistry. Gosling shows off his range with some excellent physical comedy and Crowe plays off him as the strong, silent straight man. This movie gets funnier every time I see it. According to Gosling, we have The Angry Birds Movie to thank for the lack of a sequel, opening the same weekend as The Nice Guys, which went on to gross just $36M at the US box office. [VOD]

Other movies I enjoyed

Monkey Man is a solid directorial debut for Dev Patel, who also stars at the titular character. Great action and incredible visual style. Alex Garland's Civil War has some incredibly memorable scenes, in particular a brief appearance from Jesse Plemons, which is just absolutely chilling. I revisited Drive on 4k blu-ray and it's still a great, tense crime film with an excellent cast and catchy synth soundtrack.

đź“ş TV

Tokyo Vice

Poster for Tokyo Vice

For some reason I thought season two of Tokyo Vice was only eight episodes (S1 had eight). After finishing what I thought was the last episode, it was pretty unsatisfying and anticlimactic. So when I realized when queuing up The Sympathizer that two more episodes had been released since I last logged into Max, I was pleasantly surprised. And let me tell you, A LOT happens in those last two episodes. The conclusion left it open for more seasons but everything felt resolved and they could just as easily have ended the series and it would have been satisfying. Overall a pretty compelling season with lots of Yakuza/police/journalist intrigue. [Max, the one to watch for HBO]

Fallout

Poster for Fallout

I was blown away with how well Amazon's new Fallout series was able to capture the look and tone of the video game series. The cold open of the first episode with Walton Goggins is just incredible. This adaptation by the team behind Westworld (Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy) is unique in that it doesn't adapt its story from the game so much as build a narrative within the world set up by the Fallout series. Fortunately, Fallout doesn't rely as heavily on its mysteries as Westworld. Overall a pretty satisfying season filled with action and humor (guest stars Matt Berry, Chris Parnell and Jon Daly particularly tickled me). It was just renewed for a second season and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. [Prime Video]

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Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Peruvian Idle. I send this out on the first of every month. You can subscribe at peruvianidle.mikeaparicio.com or via RSS.

The summer movie season is almost upon us. What movies are you looking forward to? Let me know!

It seems everyone has a newsletter these days. Rather than do a newsletter about CSS or design systems (stuff I spend my day thinking/stressing about) I thought I'd write one about something I enjoy in my free time: consuming copious amounts of TV, movies and video games.

My wife and kids are usually in bed by 9pm, giving me a few solid hours to veg out... assuming I don't pass out from exhaustion first. Once a month, I'll share with you all the best stuff I've been watching and playing.

It's already been a busy 2024, so here's some of the best stuff I've enjoyed so far. (I promise these won't be this long in the future!)

🎮 Games

Usually the first few months of the year are devoid of any big game releases, but it seems as though I've been jumping from great game to great game this year.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Box art for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

I hadn't played a Prince of Persia game since the original 80's version, so I was pleasantly surprised with this solid Metroidvania game. Fluid movement has been a hallmark of Prince of Persia from the very beginning, and the abilities you get in The Lost Crown make all of the platforming feel really good. The game is pretty challenging, but you can adjust the difficulty on the fly if you get stuck. There are a few platforming puzzles that are particularly hairy, but they won't keep you from beating the game. I can't really say how this compares to more recent iterations of Prince of Persia, but I ended up getting the platinum trophy on this one and had a great time in the process. [PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC]

Helldivers 2

Box art for Helldivers 2

I was immediately drawn into this cooperative third-person shooter that has you battling a two-front galactic war against bug-like aliens and killer robots, all in the name of "managed democracy." Helldivers 2 draws heavy inspiration from Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, Starship Troopers (which has seen a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to this game). While you could play this game solo or matched up with random teammates, this game really shines when playing with friends. The over-the-top violence combined with friendly fire makes for a ton of laugh-out-loud moments. And for $40 it's not hard to convince all of your gamer friends to get in on the fun. [PS5/PC]

Balatro

Box art for Balatro

Balatro is a poker-themed, roguelike, deckbuilding game that I am currently obsessed with. You're dealt eight cards and the object is to create poker hands to beat a specific score each round. After each round you can buy a number of special joker cards, consumables, passive abilities and additional playing cards to add to your deck, which help you keep pace with the exponentially increasing target score. The strategy is very similar to Slay the Spire, another deckbuilder I was obsessed with. There are so many combinations of cards, jokers and power ups that no two runs are ever the same. It's very easy to start "just one more game" before looking at the clock and realizing it's almost 3am. [PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC/Mac]

Nioh

Box art for Nioh

I dipped back into this 2017 Team Ninja Soulslike game in anticipation of their new game, Rise of the Ronin, which released in March. I never could get into Souls games, despite several attempts. Nioh was the game that finally unlocked the genre for me — I ended up going back and playing all the Souls games and Elden Ring and enjoying them immensely. Nioh, like Rise of the Ronin, takes place in 17th century Japan and offers a number of different weapon styles, abilities and stances, which combine to create endless varieties of play styles. The combat is so kinetic and smooth, and makes you feel like a complete badass when you defeat a particularly challenging enemy. I'm not really enjoying Rise of the Ronin nearly as much — it's closer in style to Assassin's Creed or the vastly superior Ghosts of Tsushima — and found myself going back to Nioh. After seven years I finally earned the final trophy I needed to unlock the platinum. [PS5/PC]

🎬 Movies

I'm on a record-setting pace for movie watching this year. According to Letterboxd I'm averaging 5.3 movies a week and have already logged 61 films. Here are some standouts.

Dune Part Two

Poster for Dune Part Two

At long last we get the second part of Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune. Leading up to it I rewatched Dune Part One and also watched Lawrence of Arabia for the first time, which obviously inspired Dune. Like Lawrence of Arabia, I loved the setup and action of Dune Part One but the second part, while still great, feels kind of overstuffed and sees Paul feeding into his own legend, much like Lawrence. Taken together as one story Dune feels epic and features some of Villeneuve's best visuals in an already stellar filmography. [In theaters]

The Promised Land

Poster for The Promised Land

I'll watch anything Mads Mikkelsen is in. In The Promised Land, he plays a retired Danish officer, Captain Kahlen, who sets out to establish a settlement on the barren Jutland moorland. From there things get complicated as Kahlen struggles to fulfill his lofty ambitions. This was an epic and riveting Western that reminded me at times of There Will Be Blood and Legends of the Fall. Amanda Collin, who starred in Raised by Wolves, is a force. [VOD]

Perfect Days

Poster for Perfect Days

I absolutely adored this meditative, analog, slice-of-life piece by Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire). Originally commissioned as a commercial for The Tokyo Toilet, Wenders turned this into a character study about a man who leads a seemingly simple life cleaning those toilets. The idea of living a modest life in Japan, enjoying cassette tapes, books and taking pictures of trees really appealed to me. One of the rare films that I've watched twice in a row in recent years. [VOD]

Poor Things

Poster for Poor Things

I was a little worried in the first few minutes of Poor Things that it would be my least favorite Yorgos Lanthimos movie. But as soon as Mark Ruffalo showed up, things turned a corner and I was deeply invested in Bella's journey of self-discovery. It was fascinating to see her learn about the world through other people’s own worldviews. The subtlety with which Emma Stone grows is wonderful. Incredible production design and costumes. Outstanding supporting cast all around. Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe in particular but also seeing Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley made me want to watch Sanctuary again. [Hulu]

Society of the Snow

Poster for Society of the Snow

Absolutely harrowing. The way it’s shot completely immerses you in the plight of these survivors that overcame impossible odds. When I was young my dad took me to a small town in the Peruvian Andes and we trekked by bus and then by donkey nearly to the peak of a mountain. In every direction all you could see was vast mountains. It was surreal. To imagine that people could survive in that environment for as long as they did is unthinkable. Just an incredible and unsettling tale of survival. [Netflix]

Skywalkers: A Love Story

Poster for Skywalkers: A Love Story

I watched Skywalkers: A Love Story in VR during the Sundance Film Festival (online). It's a documentary about a couple of "rooftoppers" who travel the world climbing tall buildings without the use of safety equipment. It's absolutely thrilling from start to finish and particularly harrowing in VR, with a lot of first-person shots by the couple themselves. This movie asks, what if Once was a heist movie? Netflix acquired the rights, so keep an eye out for this one. [Netflix, eventually]

The Last Samurai

Poster for The Last Samurai

I was inspired to revisit this with the current wave of Western-produced television featuring predominantly Japanese and Asian actors. (Shōgun and Tokyo Vice both feature actors from The Last Samurai, plus Blue Eye Samurai is also great.) It’s ironic that this film, which was met with a mixed response 20+ years ago, was ahead of its time as far as Asian representation.

It’s easy to dismiss this film if you think that Tom Cruise’s Capt. Algren is the titular Last Samurai, but he’s clearly not. This is among Cruise’s most compelling roles because his character undergoes a profound change, and he’s so deeply damaged that he can barely muster that trademark smirk.

The action is solid, the score by Hans Zimmer is stirring, and Cruise’s supporting cast (notably Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada, now well-known to Western audiences) are incredibly sympathetic.

Anyway, this movie is a banger and it still holds up for me. Perhaps even more now that America is only now starting to come to terms with the fact that perhaps we’re the baddies. [VOD]

Bamboozled

Poster for Bamboozled

I wanted to revisit this after watching American Fiction, which has a similar premise but isn't nearly as dark. Bamboozled is even more relevant and sharp now than it was when it came out in 2000 as a critical and box office flop. For my money, this is one of Spike’s best films. Incredible casting all-around. Savion Glover is really the heart and soul of the movie. As one of the first Hollywood films shot largely on digital, it’s a shame the technology wasn’t quite up to snuff yet. Even the Criterion edition that I watched looks pretty bad by today’s standards. But props to Spike for even getting this movie made. There’s no way in hell a movie like this would get released today. I wish more people would watch it. [Criterion Blu-ray]

Other movies I enjoyed

Maestro, Aliens*, The Abyss*, The Killer, The Blues Brothers*, Widows*, Blade Runner 2049*, The Game*.

* re-watch

đź“ş TV

There haven't been a ton of new shows this year that have really grabbed me, which maybe explains my prolific movie count. Here's a few that stood out and one that I enjoyed going back to.

Blue Eye Samurai

Poster for Blue Eye Samurai

I was immediately drawn in by the art style of this animated series about a young, half-white, half Japanese woman seeking revenge against the last four foreigners in Edo-period Japan, one of which is her father. Great characters and voice cast, including Maya Erskine of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the title role. This show is pretty dark and deals with very adult themes. I had to react pretty quickly when my five-year-old would walk in while I was watching. The fifth episode is particularly excellent. Really glad this was picked up for a second season. [Netflix]

ShĹŤgun

Poster for ShĹŤgun

Yep, I've got a thing for media set in feudal Japan and so far this year has been chock full of it. It took me a bit to warm up to ShĹŤgun, which was hyped as a Game of Thrones-type epic. It's really not that. There is plenty of combat and intrigue but as the show has gone on what's really kept me interested is the relationship between foreigner, John Blackthorne, and his translator/love interest Mariko. This show is low-key horny, y'all. It's great seeing Hiroyuki Sanada, who's spent decades working as a character actor in Hollywood, finally get a much deserved starring role. [Hulu/FX]

Band of Brothers

Poster for Band of Brothers

I had an itch to re-watch this after being underwhelmed by Masters of Air on Apple TV+. Still the best of these WW2 series and maybe in my top 3 HBO series. Filled with great character actors and some notable faces that would go on to future stardom (Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Colin Hanks). I'm kind of surprised more of the cast didn't become more well-known. It's over 20 years old but feels grittier and more realistic than Masters of Air, which looks like most of it was shot on the Volume. [Netflix/Max, the one to watch for HBO]

📱 Videos

I did a poor job of saving the best YouTube/TikTok content that I enjoyed this year, but here's a few off the top of my head.

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this first issue of Peruvian Idle. I'm planning on sending this out once a month, so future editions will probably be significantly shorter and more manageable to read (and for me to write).

Shoutout to my friend Dave Chen, who hosts two podcasts that help keep me informed about what's going on in movies and television: The Filmcast and Decoding TV.

What are you enjoying on screens big and small? Let me know!

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