Re: PlayStation Kid
An update to my PlayStation kid. He has now discovered Spelunky HD and Spelunky 2. We started playing co-op but now he can handle his own. As much as you can handle Spelunky.
Spelunky is a very difficult platformer rogue-like. Think a randomly generated Super Mario where if you make a single bad decision it’s an instant game over. That pit of spikes. Dead. That giant spider on the ceiling. Dead. You need to judge what’s ahead of you and act accordingly.
It probably wasn’t the best choice but as a 2D game it’s actually more approachable than a 3D platformer with a troublesome floating camera. He’s just gotten to grips with one analog stick after all.
This must’ve been what my mate felt like to play Spleunky HD alongside me in 2012. I would inadvertently cause more mayhem when it’s already hard enough to thread the needle on one’s own. Like with Crash Bandicoot, the kid doesn’t seem to care how many times we die, whereas I despise the lack of progress. He’ll be offing fantasy creatures in Elden Ring before we know it.
I’ve now purchased Spelunky on four different platforms. It’s a testament to the game and its longevity. I still haven’t been able to discover all of its secrets and just forget about me getting to the end(s) in Spelunky 2.
You can play Spelunky Classic in your browser.
What I’m watching: Here comes early 2000s nostalgia
Having finished TV shows Yellowjackets, The After Party, Raised by Refugees and Pixar’s latest film, Turning Red, I feel like I’ve stepped into a time machine. But not back to 1955 Hill Valley, Ancient Rome or anything like that. No, no, no. Back to a time after I was born and retaining memories at that.
Being born in 1988, I get to experience my childhood again, in visual form, made by people the same age as me. And it feels weird.
Yellowjackets
Okay, so still very much 90’s, Yellowjackets takes place in two timelines; 1996 and 2021. A plane carrying a teenage girl’s soccer team crashes in the Canadian wilderness, only a few make it back and it’s clear some cannibal shit went down. Now 1996 is a little young for me. I would’ve only been 8 and about to get my first PlayStation.
Alongside the fan theories, the soundtrack is the most talked about part of the show. There were some hits I recognised but I heard many tracks for the first time on the official Spotify playlist. I’ve added a few to my regular rotation including Hold On by Wilson Phillips and The World I Know by Collective Soul. I’ll belt them out in my car. I’m not embarassed.
The Afterparty
The main mystery is set in 2021 but since this is a high school reunion celebrating 15 years (an odd choice but we’ll roll with it). It’s Class of 2006. My final year.
The show is playful in that each episode explores a new genre, from romantic comedy to animation based on which character is giving their testimony. But my favourite episode flashes back to a 2006 St. Patrick’s Day house party (happy St. Patrick’s by the way) where everyone has cringey outfits and unfortunate haircuts.
We follow Walt, a character the show makes fun of as no one can remember who he is. This comes to a comedic crescendo when even in his own retelling he remains mostly in the background of shots and has awkward encounters with the extroverted characters more integral to the story.
Having severe social anxiety I never attended any house parties during my college years, so Walt was doing better than me! But I felt a strange kinship in being a fellow wallflower. That being said, I’m sure most people felt that way in school, which makes Walt so relatable and the humour sting just so.
Raised by Refugees
Raised by Refugees is a big hearted comedy-drama created by Pax Assadi and based on his early teen experiences. Real-life Pax plays his dad. Mentioned briefly in the last newsletter, I’ve now seen the full season and hoping for another.
Set in 2001, young Pax (12-years-old) would have been born in 1989. Jonah Lomu is the biggest name in rugby. Pax has a PlayStation. On Guy Fawkes there are enormous boxes of easily accessible fireworks. He’s into basketball. Okay, that part was definitely not me.
Something I should mention is, I’m Pākehā. So although I find things relatable to Pax’s experience, his was obviously far different to my own. Which makes his story so vital to be told. What are stories if not empathy machines after all. There’s also an episode all about wet dreams, so parents, be ready for that one!
Turning Red
Speaking of puberty... Set in Toronto in 2002, Mei is 13-years-old. Director/writer Domee Shi was born in 1987, which means, like young Pax, the ages once again line up. And the nostalgia is on point. Tamagotchis. Mix-CDs. Brick phones. Boy bands.
Okay, I was less into boy bands, but heck, what is U2 if not a boy band (that’s now primarily dad rock)? Add in some red pandas and you’ve got a movie. Disney really does love its animal transformations, huh? Unlike Soul, fortunately Mei gets to keep her agency. She’s just fluffy.
Millennium content
So, what to make of all this? These early-2000s flashbacks are going to keep happening. I’ve gotten older and I just need to make peace with that.
Gen Z will get their turn soon enough.
What you can do right now: Ukraine
This one is a bit of a one for them, one for you situation. Generous indie developers over at itch.io have put together a bundle for Ukraine, with proceeds split between International Medical Corps and Voices of Children.
It’s a pay-what-you-want for 1000 games, tabletop RPG’s and other items, with a minimum USD$10.00 donation. As of writing they are 98% towards their $6 million goal. Your contribution could help put them over the line.
Some games I whole-heartedly recommend in the bundle:
GNOG, Cloud Gardens, Wandersong, Backbone, Superhot, Ynglet, A Short Hike, Baba Is You, Celeste, Minit Fun Racer, Minit, TowerFall Ascencion + Dark World expansion, Golf Peaks, Super Hexagon, and And Yet It Moves.
Action: Buy the bundle (less than 24 hours remaining).
What you can do right now: NZ
JustSpeak, Amnesty International and People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA)—as part of the newly-formed Justice Coalition—has written an open letter to leaders of the Justice Sector, calling for urgent measures to be taken to address COVID in prisons.
Action: Sign the petition.
Odds & ends
Scream (2022)
Scream (2022), or Scream 5, has just made its debut on digital streaming via Apple’s premium rentals. I neglected to see it at the cinema due to the Omicron surge so I ponied up the extra $5 to own it, just having purchased the trilogy. Annoyingly, Scream 4 isn’t available in New Zealand for whatever reason.
Having rewatched Wes Craven’s films in preparation for this year’s legacy sequel (or re-quel), the first movie holds up as a commentary on slasher horror movies and as a horror movie in its own right. The others are messy, still fun but not as groundbreaking. They become more commentary on the franchise itself rather than horror movies in general.
Due to Wes Craven’s death in 2015, the new Scream is directed by the duo behind Read Or Not. Scream (2022) is largely enjoyable but as a meta-commentary on the original, you really need to see Scream (1996) in order to fully appreciate it. Oh god, I’m sounding like one of the film nerd assholes from the franchise.
It demands a rewatch. What a joy to see those familiar faces and the town of Woodsboro again. Speaking again of nostalgia, legacy sequels really do tap that vein. I got goosebumps when it finally dawned on me we were at a memorable location. As usual I couldn’t guess who was behind the Ghostface mask. The film really does make you think it could be anybody and knows you know that.
New to streaming
New to Disney+
Nightmare Alley - an adaptation of the 1946 novel (which was quickly made into a film in 1947). From Guillermo del Toro, director of Oscar-winning Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth. I’m still trying to work out if it’s too scary for my partner to watch!
The Eyes of Tammy Faye - Directed by Michael Showalter (who worked on the Theranos drama, The Dropout, which is currently streaming week-to-week on Disney+). Based on the life of Tammy Faye, a televangelist that endured scandals and was outspoken for her support of the LGBT community at the height of the AIDs epidemic. This one’s on my watchlist.
New to Prime Video (on Neon March 25th)
Old - M. Night Shyamalan’s latest horror, about, well… a beach that turns you old. Can’t say I’m expecting big things but my morbid curiosity compels me.
Substack app
If you subscribe to other Substack newsletters you would’ve likely heard about their new iPhone app. It’s a tidy way to manage multiple subscriptions without clogging up your inbox. I know, it’s basically a blog RSS reader. What’s old is new again.
If you don’t have iOS, you can join the Android waitlist here.
To help build up your Substack reading list, I’ve listed the Substack newsletters I personally subscribe to below. Some are paid subscriptions but will send out the occasional free newsletter if you want to get a taste.
My Substack recommendations
Emily Writes Weekly - writing about parenthood and all things topical. I’ve followed Emily’s work for a while now and have a few of her autographed books on my shelves— one before and one after the birth of my child!
Webworm - David Farrier’s newsletter, delving into the people who fall into conspiracy theories and other weird things online. My mates and I were interviewed by him for Three News in 2010 when we decided to cycle up from Wellington to Hamilton for the now-canned Parachute Christian music festival. It’s a little odd seeing things come full circle with how megachurch leaders can sometimes lead their followers astray but I appreciate the thoughtfulness to his work and including knowledgeable voices.
Garbage Day - Ryan Broderick covers the nitty-gritty of today’s Internet subcultures and memes. It often goes way over my head (such is the Internet these days) but there be gems within.
The Bulletin - The Spinoff’s morning newsletter summarises the latest New Zealand news and links to pieces across the journalism world.
More than A Feilding - Opinion writer David Slack opines poetically about New Zealand politics and events.
Exploding Giraffe (SPECTATORS) - Previously mentioned Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon, delivering fresh comic pages every week. You get to see a graphic novel come together in real-time. Emphasis on ‘graphic’.
YeeHawTheBoys Direct - Daniel Vernon’s comic strip offerings, often on social issues in Aotearoa, most recently critiquing anti-vaxxers. You can also find these on his social media channels. He’s just started drawing political satire for New Zealand newspapers.
I’m Fine I’m Fine Just Understand - a sweet personal comic series on transitioning and mental health. I came to find them after my disappointment in The Book of Boba Fett show. They drew this awesome fancomic that made me like the characters again.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, send it back to the year 2002.
Michael.