Unlocked Post: Paradise Killer (Kaizen Game Works, 2020)​

Unlocked Post: DAIVA Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia (T&E Soft, 1986)​

From The exp. Archive: Mirror’s Edge (DICE, 2008)​

From The exp. Archive: Resident Evil 5 (Capcom, 2009)​

exp. Du Cinéma

The Naked Gun (2025)

Watching this in the theatre, I was struck by just how sad it was that it felt so unusual to be watching a broad comedy with an audience. You could almost feel everyone tense up initially when the movie started being intentionally illogical: "can they do that? I'm only used to nominally funny things occurring between CGI action sequences."

Once everyone was able to relax, this was incredibly funny, managing—for a while, at least—a return to the rapid-fire nonsense of the great spoofs with a similar hit-rate (not every one a winner, but the next one is quick enough that it doesn't matter.)

There are a couple of all-timer sequences in this, and my critique is going to feels harsh because I think we're all so willing for this to succeed and for movies like this be allowed to exist again, but The Naked Gun's problem is that it simply runs out of steam. There's an incredible peak that it can't seem to follow, and while it's not like I'd want the movie to be longer (85 minutes? *chef kiss*) the jokes suddenly get a bit weaker, more sparse, and the narrative feels not so much underbaked—which would be fine, it's a spoof—but missing entire ingredients. The climax is so limp, in fact, that I have to question if it's what was originally intended, and it (sadly) had me thinking a bit too long about the film in general: "you know, they could have gone harder on that joke... they should have built on that gag more... there was a good chance for a callback there.. man, Paul Walter Hauser went underused..."

It's not the end of the world that they didn't completely nail it, and I still think everyone should go and see this and let some joy into their life in this sick, sad world. And if you didn't go and see Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, go twice to make up for that.

Also reviewed this week: KPop Demon Hunters​

Other Zines

​Forgotten Worlds #6. The Sega issue​

“100+ pages of dedicated to classic Sega magazines … , with exclusive interviews and insights from the people who were there.”

​VGHF Acquires Early Game Magazine Computer Entertainer​

“The magazine, which ran from 1982–1990, has been released into the Creative Commons for anyone to use.”

​Summer Sale: ON: Volume One - Now 50% Off! Ends Sunday​

“ON is the ultimate celebration of gaming's past, present and future. We give the very best writers in the industry freedom to write their dream feature and combine those words with bold and experimental design in a luxury journal.”

​Pound the Pavement #15: Handala​

“This is a slightly-updated reprint of a small zine I created for the Librarians and Archivists With Palestine Box Set that was compiled for Booklyn back in 2014. Previously it was unavailable outside of this exclusive box set. The zine itself is a compilation of 29 photos of cartoonist Naji al-Ali's Handala character painted, pasted, stenciled, and screenprinted around the Palestinian Occupied Territories.” (via Tiny Cartridge)

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And Finally…

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There’s been a lot of debate over what this year’s “song of the summer” is, but I’ve got no idea why, Neil Cicerega has got it completely sewn up. Sing it with me, everyone! Blankets… blankets… blankets…

Next week on exp.: A game for the current moment.