system shock

A Damn Fine Cup of Culture Podcast #35: Soderbergh’s Schizopolis, Schizopolis’ Soderbergh

Matt5 Comments

d1ad56da-abce-4afe-9f45-79294aede9e3For our August episode, we welcome special guest Daniel Thron (of Martini Giant) to talk about what may be the least-watched film of Steven Soderbergh’s directing career: Schizopolis. How does this surreal, experimentalist and often downright silly comedy about doppelgängers, lifestyle cults and failures to communicate fit in the director’s oeuvre? How does Schizopolis point the way to Soderbergh’s later career? And how do Netflix, COVID-19 and TikTok come into the conversation?

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d1ad56da-abce-4afe-9f45-79294aede9e3For our August episode, we welcome special guest Daniel Thron (of Martini Giant) to talk about what may be the least-watched film of Steven Soderbergh’s directing career: Schizopolis. How does this surreal, experimentalist and often downright silly comedy about doppelgängers, lifestyle cults and failures to communicate fit in the director’s oeuvre? How does Schizopolis point the way to Soderbergh’s later career? And how do Netflix, COVID-19 and TikTok come into the conversation?

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They create worlds: Prey

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One of the things that video games can do magnificently is create worlds. These posts are an occasional exploration of games that I love because of where they take me.

It’s one of the staples of premises in sci-fi games: the abandoned space station where something has gone horribly wrong. Did I say abandoned? Well, not quite… You’re not the only one creeping through the station’s corridors; there are… things barely glimpsed from the corner of your eye, things that are not your friends. So, arm yourself with a trusty wrench, hoard every medkit you can find – and survive. Because there is no escape – other than the cold, empty vacuum of space.

Prey

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Would you kindly read this blog entry?

Matt2 Comments

Yesterday evening the internet conspired to conspire against me. Hotmail didn’t work, nor did WordPress. I wanted to write and post an update, knowing that the huddled masses were waiting for a few well-placed words of wisdom on movies or video games or something equally relevant to our daily lives. But no – technology decided that it’s Lent, so perhaps a techno-fast was in order.

Anyway, it’s working again now. Aren’t you all relieved? I know I am.

So, what have I been up to? Not much in terms of movies and TV. But I’ve started playing Bioshock, one of the best-reviewed titles of 2007. Can’t say I’ve played much of it so far, but I’m definitely intrigued by its thematic ambitiousness and its art deco aesthetics. And it’s got one of the best starting sequences I’ve ever played. More on Bioshock is likely to follow, but for now, enjoy this video clip: