YouTube Obsession

As mentioned below, I am currently replaying the latest trilogy of Hitman games and anytime I want anything Hitman, I go to MrFreeze2244.

If you’ve played the games before, you know that the level challenges can be convoluted and offputtingly difficult to pull off. Fortunately, MrFreeze breaks down all the challenges into precise and autistically efficient chunks. As with most of my YouTube faves, he does not yell or present like a morning radio DJ. Just the facts.

Watching

For fun I was compiling a list of 100 essential movies over on my Letterboxd, just throwing movies on the list that instantly sprang to mind as my favorites. While going over the list afterwards I had a stunning revelation: Danny Boyle is my favorite director. Sure there were some directors with multiple movies on my list but far and away Danny Boyle dominated.

I saw Trainspotting when I was in 7th grade and was instantly obsessed with it’s clever editing, physicality and active camera. Only later when I read the actual book² in 10th grade, did I have an even deeper appreciation for the movie. To collate all the wild stories in the book to a semblance of a readable film story all the while maintaining it’s frantic anxieties is a tremendous feat. Also, an insanely great soundtrack.

Millions is a coming of age story elevated by Boyle’s inventive camera work and perspective focus. This could have easily been a saccharine drama in another director’s hands but instead its an imaginative and humorous twist on a morality play with extremely likable characters.

Shallow Grave asks: What would happen if the cast of Friends stumbled upon an ill-gotten 2 million dollars? Despite being Boyle’s directorial debut it’s easy to see his inventiveness and dark humor already at work. Not to mention spurring the careers of then unknowns Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston.

It always surprises me how little Sunshine from 2007 gets talked about. An absolutely stacked cast, increasingly relevant premise and stunningly beautiful, inventive visuals. This movie goes places that still surprise me every time I re-watch.

127 Hours is a movie that absolutely surprised me. Considering it was nominated for a few Oscars I just assumed it was a treacly melodrama like Forrest Gump or Chocolat so I put off watching until the COVID lockdown in 2020.

As someone who has had a spiritual experience, a white light moment, at what I thought was the moment I was going to die; I can say that 127 Hours is the closest I have seen a movie depict this feeling³ . That’s the highest praise I can give it.

In conclusion: Watch more Danny Boyle movies!

Reading

The Intercept ran a great article on how Germany’s leftist party performed in recent elections by “growing a spine.”

Another Substack I read often, Ettingermentum, shared similar sentiments about right-of-center democrats in this article…

Which reminds me of a book I read a couple years ago: The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History by former Jacobin writer Luke Savage. The book outlines how and why the Biden admin would lose in 2024 if it didn’t put a boot to the throat of far-right and focus on leftist policies that promote universal services and the labor class. I recommend the book if only for its excellent breakdown of how centrist and liberals that still hold to “economic calculation” and capital markets cannot be anything but accomplices to a far-right takeover.

Playing

I have been enamored by the Hitman games for since I f’d around in the Xbox game forever ago. It’s a game that has a clear theory of design and I love when games know their identity. That core design is freedom, experimentation and chaos (Other than Absolution which was far more linear than other entries.).

The new trilogy which started with Hitman 2016 reintroduced the format with revamped looks, tech and story. They brilliantly worked in a “Storylines” system that can help new players get a foothold in maps that that can seem overwhelming due to their complexity. It’s me, I’m new players.

I loved the reboot and played the sequel in 2018 but completely whiffed on Hitman 3 for whatever reason. Which worked in my favor because they released my favorite gameplay mode later in 3’s lifetime: Freelancer Mode. Which adds a layer of rogue-like to the Hitman formula. This solves a problem I have with the base game: There was never enough of a sense of progression.

Freelancer is very hard. It’s obviously an end-game mode meant for people who have played all the campaign missions repeatedly and need a new challenge. The rogue-like elements add more stress to missions, since you cannot save-scum¹ and you always risk losing all of your equipment and money.

Since I am extremely rusty I’ve decided to replay the main campaigns to brush up. I’m having a good time just spit-balling my way through missions, not chasing perfection and creating chaos.

Listening

I don’t think I’ve spoken on how Minecraft is the perfect video game. It is one of those games that, as far as I can tell, has no flaws. Someday I will talk about it I’m sure.

One of the huge elements of its success is it’s soundtrack.

Its soft tones are not only gentle on the ears, allowing it to be on loop for long play sessions; But it’s piano and synth melodies add an air of melancholy, almost creepiness. Perfect for a game that will surprise you at every turn.

It’s also a great relax album. I often play this before bed and I sleep like a baby!

Other Notables

** International long-list for the Booker Prize announced. A few interesting books you may see in the ‘Reading’ segment someday.

** An explanation on why Tesla’s irrationally high stock value is tied perilously to investor sentiment.

** Goldeneye 64 remade in in vanilla FarCry 5 engine.

1  A perfectly respectable strategy.

2  The book is a must-read. Written entirely in Scottish dialect, it’s like learning a language. The moment it begins to click is an experience I hope everyone can have.

3   Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot also depicts the over-all spiritual experience common among people in recovery. I often suggest this movie to people curious about what day-to-day AA looks like.