Put simply, scrolljacking is terrible and should never be used. Earlier this year, I critiqued scroll fading content, which is a different feature altogether from scrolljacking, though both are obviously related to one of the most common activities that your website’s users will do. But whereas scroll fading affects the display of a webpage’s content as users scroll, scrolljacking affects the scrolling itself, and in the process, creates some significant UX and accessibility issues.
When you flick your finger up or down on a trackpad or something like Apple’s Magic Mouse, the webpage starts scrolling, and the faster you flick, the faster and further it typically scrolls. But the webpage stops scrolling the instant your finger comes back into contact with the trackpad, similar to scrolling on an iPhone. Scrolljacking, however, overrides and hijacks this expected behavior to impose its own behavior: the webpage continues scrolling a bit longer even after you’ve signaled that the scrolling should stop. This is unexpected and distracting, and therein lies the problem. As the Nielsen Norman Group’s Sara Paul writes:
In most computer operating systems, the default scroll speed can be manually adjusted to be more sensitive or less sensitive, but it is always consistent. Users expect a consistent scroll rate across all the applications on their devices.
When a website alters the default scroll functionality, it “hijacks” the user’s control over their device and can generate disorientation.
I’ve created a scrolljacking demo so you can experience this disorientation for yourself. Adam Siekierski’s colorfully titled “Don’t Fuck With Scroll” website is another example, and also lists various reasons why it’s a terrible idea (e.g., accessibility issues, inconsistent performance).
I personally hate scrolljacking because it increases the cognitive load of using a website. When I’m scrolling down a webpage to read it, I know roughly where I want to scroll to. I’ll pick out a specific word, line, or heading for use as a marker and scroll to that point. But scrolljacking keeps moving past my selected marker, forcing me to scroll even more to reacquire its location and reorient myself on the webpage. That may only require a fraction of a second, but I notice it every single time I have to do it. And every single time I feel like the webpage is getting in my way when all I want to do is read it and move on with my day.
Scrolljacking is sometimes given a cool, advanced-sounding name like “momentum scrolling,” “inertial scrolling,” or “smooth scrolling” that makes it sound like a must-have feature. (After all, who wants a website that doesn’t scroll smoothly?) Don’t believe the hype, though. Fellow designers and developers, resist the urge to make your website “cool” just by making it scroll a little differently. Your users won’t benefit from it nearly as much as you think they will. But if you insist on implementing scrolljacking, then at least provide a mechanism by which users can disable it.
Some valid use cases might exist for scrolljacking: a showcase website that relies heavily on animation for an immersive effect, perhaps. But for the vast majority of websites, scrolljacking offers no benefits and will just make them worse for their users.
]]>I hesitate to even call this a “trailer,” since it’s really just a confirmation of what we already knew to be true: that a new Evangelion series is coming from writer Yokō Tarō (Nier: Automata), directors Kazuya Tsurumaki and Tōko Yatabe, and studios Khara and CloverWorks.
As such, this doesn’t really feature anything other than some cryptic and ominous phrases (e.g., “What we hear is the song of eternal damnation”), some beautiful-if-otherworldly imagery, and some final animation of a particularly demonic-looking Eva, and all of it set to some brooding music. No story details are revealed, but I can already hear countless Evangelion fans taking to the internets to discuss and dissect what it might mean.
In other Evangelion news, two movies — Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion — will be screening in American theaters this month for one day only.
]]>Although they don’t exist within the Star Wars canon proper, the three seasons of Star Wars: Visions nevertheless delivered some intriguing stories set in that galaxy far, far away, and rendered in stunning detail by some of the world’s best animation studios, including Trigger, Production I.G, and Science Saru. The recently announced Ninth Jedi series expands on several episodes in Star Wars: Visions, and follows the adventures of a young Force-sensitive girl who’s searching for her father, a renowned sabersmith.
Animated by Production I.G and directed by Shunsuke Tada (Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These), The Ninth Jedi certainly looks promising in this first trailer, especially when it reveals that our heroes and villains might not be all that they’re cracked up to be. The series is ostensibly set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker; the Jedi and the Sith have long since disappeared, and the galaxy is now trapped in an age of chaos. And in this era, do the concepts like the Jedi and the Sith still mean anything?
We’ll find out on August 5, 2026, when The Ninth Jedi begins streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
]]>
In order to better track my various cultural experiences (e.g., movies, TV shows, books, restaurants), I’ve created the Cultural Diet. Think of it as my own personal Goodreads, Letterboxd, and Yelp, all rolled into one (more info here). Every month, I recap everything that I watched, read, etc., in the previous month.
Originally released in 1988, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira — which he adapted from his own manga — is undoubtedly one of the greatest anime titles of all time. Indeed, for many Western viewers, Akira was their introduction to anime, and its dystopian storyline, stunning animation, and haunting soundtrack remain as influential and iconic as ever (read my review).
Crunchyroll, which currently streams the film, has announced that they’re bringing Otomo’s film back into U.S. and Canadian theaters for a limited run, and in 4K and IMAX no less (via io9). This special edition will begin playing on September 4, 2026, and will be available in Japanese with English subtitles as well as an English dub.
In related news, Katsuhiro Otomo has launched a new anime studio called OVAL GEAR, and its first work is currently in development, though no title or other details have been announced.
]]>A robotic voice intoning existential despair against punishing beats and harsh electronics? Yes, please, and thank you. Originally recorded as a brooding instrumental for 2018’s WarMech soundtrack, Front Line Assembly’s “Molotov” had undergone several permutations over the years. For my money, though, the best one comes via Ottawa’s Encephalon, who turn the track into an excoriation of a world devoid of meaning and purpose.
“I was born for no reason at all” intones Matt Gifford, his voice wrapped up in cold mechanical tones as he laments a life seemingly wasted: “All my life I’ve tried to live as though with humility/Though I dropped so many torches.” But the song takes a darker, more foreboding turn in its final moments, as a purpose finally emerges, albeit one that might cause most to shudder:
I was born to murder the world
To light the Molotov
Perform the cluster bomb
Yoke the throat of man
And scorch the stars
A criticism of those who resort to violence to deal with the mundanity of their lives? A glimpse into the mind of a psychopath? A call to arms and revolution? Whatever the interpretation, Encephalon’s take on “Molotov” is a certified industrial banger.
Mechviruses is currently available on Artoffact Records.
]]>
Everyone knows you use CSS to create and style beautiful websites. But did you know that you can also use it to play classic video games? That’s precisely what LayoutIt! have achieved with cssQuake, a port of id Software’s 1996 first-person shooter that uses the PolyCSS library to render 3D visuals as an actual inspectable website.
cssQuake is built around the PolyCSS 3D DOM rendering engine. This turns Quake geometry into real HTML elements: world faces are positioned with CSS
matrix3d(...)transforms, textured with pixelated CSS backgrounds, and grouped into meshes instead of being drawn on a<canvas>.
That may seem really technical, but all you really need to know is that you can play a mid-’90s video game in your browser without needing to download or install any plugins or extensions. cssQuake runs completely native in-browser, which is pretty impressive, as is the fact that creator Agustin Capeletto is continually adding new features and updates. Also, to really set the mood, be sure to listen to Nine Inch Nails’ original soundtrack, which can be found on Apple Music and other platforms.
]]>
As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the new titles. Every month, I compile a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies and TV shows to add to your streaming queues.
If you’d like to receive my streaming recommendations even sooner, become an Opus subscriber today.
After hearing about the brutal murder of a Kansas family, acclaimed author Truman Capote becomes fascinated by the story, and insists on traveling to Kansas to document it for his next book (which would eventually become In Cold Blood). The late Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a bravura performance as Capote, portraying the author as a charming and talented man who is not above using manipulation to achieve his own selfish goals for fame.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was one of 2000’s biggest and most successful films, thanks to an epic plot, incredible special effects, and thrilling action sequences (read my review). Russell Crowe stars as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a disgraced Roman general who is enslaved and forced to compete in Rome’s brutal gladiatorial exhibitions. Gladiator also stars Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed (in his final film appearance), Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris, and Joaquin Phoenix as the corrupt Roman emperor.
Ryan Gosling plays a taciturn, socially awkward young man who suddenly reveals his new girlfriend: an adult-sized sex doll named Bianca. At first blush, such a storyline sounds like it could easily be exploitative and prurient, or just weird for weirdness’ sake. In reality, Lars and the Real Girl is a gently humorous and affecting story about community and family… that just happens to star a sex doll.
If you’re my age, then Miami Vice brings to mind pastel jackets, sports cars and speedboats, and big hair. But for his 2006 big screen adaptation, director Michael Mann went for a grittier, rawer feel — and it worked pretty well. A lot of that had to do with some great casting, especially Luis Tosar as a drug kingpin and Gong Li as his paramour. But Mann’s striking use of digital photography also played a big role, giving the film a very immediate and distinctive look.
A group of former spies and special operatives are hired to steal a briefcase with unknown contents. It’s the sort of mission that’s bound to go smoothly without any betrayals or doubles-crosses… right? Ronin features a star-studded cast (Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce) and puts them through the wringer, including some of the greatest car chase sequences in movie history.
After his partner is killed by a ruthless counterfeiter, a Secret Service agent is willing to do whatever it takes to bring the killer to justice, even if that means breaking a few laws himself. Thanks to William Friedkin’s direction, Robby Müller’s cinematography, and Wang Chung’s soundtrack — yes, that Wang Chung — To Live and Die in L.A. is a solid ’80s exercise in style as substance (read my review).
The iconic anime franchise takes on a new look for its latest incarnation. Or rather, an old look that hearkens back to Masamune Shirow’s original manga from the ’80s and ’90s. Major Motoko Kusanagi leads Japan’s Public Security Section 9 in defending the nation against all manner cyber-terrorism threats, but an elite hacker may prove to be their biggest challenge yet. Originally produced by Production I.G, this new Ghost in the Shell series is animated by Science Saru (Star Wars: Visions, Devilman Crybaby).
Debbie Claybourne and Judith Burton have been best friends for years. They know everything about each other’s lives, but Debbie doesn’t know that Judith is actually a skilled assassin. And when that little secrets comes out in the open, all manner of chaos ensues. This action comedy stars Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham in the lead roles, along with Bill Nighy, Ed Skrein, and Sylvia Hoeks. The first two episodes will be directed by Peyton Reed (The Mandalorian, the Ant-Man movies).
The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader — which chronicles the superhero’s earliest days in the cape and cowl — was alright (read my review). But it was received well enough to merit a second season, which looks to be darker than the first season as Batman takes on the Riddler and possibly even the Joker.
Here’s everything arriving on Amazon Prime Video in July 2026.
Anya Taylor-Joy stars in this adaptation of Marissa Stapley’s best-selling novel as a young woman who must return to her criminal ways one last time in order to leave them behind. The original series also stars Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr., and William Fichtner.
Here’s everything arriving on Apple TV in July 2026.
You know the story: two rock n’ roll-obsessed burn-outs are destined to save the world with their band Wyld Stallyns, but only if they can successfully complete high school with a kick-ass history presentation. Enter a time-traveling phone booth from the future and, well, the rest is history. Featuring what is arguably Keanu Reeves’ greatest role, this is truly a most bodacious movie. Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.
Snake Plissken is one of cinema’s great anti-heroes, a cynical and violent man willing to do anything to survive. That survival instinct will come in handy, though, when Plissken is sent into Manhattan (which is now a maximum-security prison) to retrieve the President after Air Force One crashes there. Directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, and Adrienne Barbeau, Escape from New York is a classic example of dystopian cinema.
Based on Daniel Clowes acclaimed comic, Ghost World is an acerbic film following two best friends — played by Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson — who’ve just graduated from high school and are trying to figure out what’s next in life. The film’s humor is as dry and bleak as the Sahara, and yet it’s hard not to feel compassion for its disaffected characters. The film also stars Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, and David Cross.
One of the great cult TV series of all time, The Prisoner stars Patrick McGoohan, who also created the series, as a former British spy who suddenly finds himself living in the seemingly idyllic Village. But the Village’s picture-perfect veneer hides an inescapable prison, and McGoohan must use all of his wits to keep his identity, and more importantly, his sanity. Although it only ran for one season, The Prisoner would have a major cultural impact, influencing later TV series like Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and Lost.
When the authorities are helpless in stopping a serial killer, an FBI trainee (Jodie Foster) is sent to interview Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who might shed some light on the case. But Lecter, who also happens to be a cannibal and a psychopath himself, soon engages in a battle of wits with the young agent. The Silence of the Lambs was a massive commercial and critical success upon its release in 1991, and would receive numerous awards, including multiple Oscars. Fun fact: The Silence of the Lambs remains the only horror film win a “Best Picture” Oscar.
Here’s everything arriving on The Criterion Channel in July 2026.
The modern revival of the classic X-Men cartoon from the ’90s — which I loved back in the day — returns for another season. This time around, the X-Men are scattered throughout time and must find a way to return to the ’90s to face their greatest threat yet.
Here’s everything arriving on Disney+ in July 2026.
I didn’t really know what to expect the first time I watched Evil Dead 2, but I don’t think I was expecting it to be as over-the-top funny as it is. The legendary Bruce Campbell — in his most iconic role — is Ash Williams, who just wanted a romantic weekend with his girlfriend in a remote cabin, only to find himself facing off against unimaginable evil with nothing but a shotgun, a chainsaw, and a perfect blend of gore and slapstick comedy (read my review).
Denzel Washington returns as Robert McCall, a former government operative who just wants to be left alone, but always finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. After surviving his final mission, McCall lands in a quiet Italian town where he hopes to finally put his past behind him. But in a development that’ll surprise no one, brutal gangster activity forces McCall to return to his old ways to defend his new home. The third Equalizer film is easily the franchise’s most violent film, and it benefits from both Washington’s natural gravitas and some lovely Italian scenery (read my review).
Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, The Mummy is a delightful throwback to the classic action serials of the ’30s and ’40s. When an Egyptologist discovers a map to a hidden city, she enlists the aid of an American soldier of fortune to help her, not knowing that they’re about to face a slew of supernatural threats. Filled with cutting edge (for the time) special effects, and more importantly, a sense of fun and adventure, The Mummy is popcorn cinema par excellence.
Even after you know the big twist, The Usual Suspects is still a fun noir film to watch due to powerhouse performances from Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, and of course, Kevin Spacey. But if you don’t know the big twist, then you’re in for a treat. And once you’ve seen the twist, you’re going to want to rewatch it, just to see how the film put everything together leading up to that sublime “A ha!” moment.
In this spin-off of The Big Bang Theory, it’s up to comic shop owner Stuart Bloom to save the multiverse after he accidentally breaks an invention by Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter. Whereas The Big Bang Theory was typical sitcom, this new series looks more post-apocalyptic, though still plenty silly. Several Big Bang Theory guest stars, including Wil Wheaton, Christine Baranski, Riki Lindhome, and Teller, will also make appearances in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
Here’s everything arriving on HBO Max in July 2026.
This classic Adam Sandler comedy from 1996 stars Sandler as a wannabe hockey player who discovers a secret talent at playing golf — which comes in handy when he needs to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure. Needless to say, Happy Gilmore’s unorthodox playing raises the ire of professional golfers, most notably Shooter McGavin (played with slimy glee by Christopher McDonald). Happy Gilmore also stars Carl Weathers as Happy’s one-handed coach and The Price Is Right’s Bob Barker in a truly glorious cameo.
I don’t mean this as an insult, but Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is worth watching for the visuals alone. Of course, it has an emotional storyline, as an astronaut is forced to leave his family in order to find a new home for humanity. And Hans Zimmer’s score has become increasingly iconic. But the film’s visuals are simply jaw-dropping. Fun fact: Nolan worked with theoretical physicist Kip Thorne to make the black hole effects as realistic as possible, which ultimately advanced the scientific understanding of black holes and led to the publishing of several scientific papers on the topic.
Released in 2008, Iron Man marked the beginning of what we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a bravura performance as Tony Stark, a brilliant inventor and arrogant industrialist who is forced to question everything he knows when he’s nearly killed during a terrorist attack. Rebuilding himself as Iron Man, replete with an advanced suit of armor, Stark soon comes into conflict with the U.S. government even as he faces betrayal from a close friend (read my review). Iron Man also stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark’s personal assistant, Virginia “Pepper” Potts.
When her boyfriend screws up a delivery for a local gangster, Lola has just 20 minutes to find the 100,000 Deutschmarks necessary to save his life. But as the film progresses, it shows the various ways that Lola’s Quixotic quest might unfold, for better or worse. With its kinetic non-linear plot, pulsing soundtrack, and striking lead performance from Franka Potente — who would later star in the Bourne movies — Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run was one of 1998’s most celebrated films.
One of 2022’s most acclaimed films, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a riotous journey through the multiverse as a Chinese woman (played by Michelle Yeoh) tries to file her taxes. Oh, and prevent the collapse of all of existence. Riffing on everything from Wong Kar-wai films to Ratatouille, with a heady dose of martial arts and existentialism and fantastic performances from Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a truly unique cinematic experience (read my review).
Nirvanna the Band — no, not that Nirvana — have spent years trying to get their dream gig at Toronto’s Rivoli venue, only to fail time and again. So they do what any band would do in their situation: they travel back in time to the year 2008 to ensure their success. Of course, time travel hijinks always prove to be just that — hijinks — and before too long, the duo’s plan spins out of control. Filmed guerilla-style throughout Toronto without permits, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie was a hit at the 2025 South by Southwest festival.
Here’s everything arriving on Hulu in July 2026.
Millie Bobby Brown reprises her role as Enola Holmes, the plucky and enterprising younger sister of Sherlock Holmes. When the third movie begins, she’s getting ready for her own wedding. But the wedding plans get complicated when her brother Sherlock goes missing. Enola Holmes 3 also stars Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes, Himesh Patel as Dr. Watson, and Helena Bonham Carter as Sherlock and Enola’s mother, Eudoria.
Featuring cinema’s most infamous wood chipper scene, the Coen brothers’ Fargo is yet another twisted moral tale told with a sense of humor as black as the film’s wintry setting is white. When a hapless car salesman (played to perfection by William H. Macy) contracts with a couple of goons to hold his wife for ransom, he sets in a motion a twisted tragicomedy of errors that pulls in one of the Coens’ noblest and purest heroes, police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand).
John Cusack stars as a rumpled and cynical record store owner who decides to try and make sense of his failed relationships by seeking out his old partners. Based on Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name, High Fidelity is filled with music in-jokes, especially when Cusack spars with his employees, and specifically, Jack Black’s extremely annoying Barry Judd.
Building on the success of Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming stars Tom Holland as a young Peter Parker. You know the story, radioactive spider, etc., etc. As young Peter comes into his own as a costumed superhero, he soon finds himself clashing with the Vulture, a supervillain who utilizes illegal technology for his crimes. Oh, and he also happens to be the father of Peter’s love interest. Awkward. Spider-Man: Homecoming also stars Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, and Zendaya as Peter’s future love interest, MJ.
When a person spontaneously explodes on TV, Japan is thrown into a panic by a mysterious individual who can someone turn their body into vapor, making them all but unstoppable. The series, which is actually a remake of a 1960 movie by Ishirô Honda — who also directed a little film called Godzilla — is Japanese/Korean co-production led by Shinzo Katayama (Gannibal) and Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula).
Although it wasn’t his first film, 2000’s Memento was the film that made folks really take notice of Christopher Nolan, who wrote and directed the film. Leonard Shelby is determined to track down the men who raped and killed his wife. There’s just one problem: he has anterograde amnesia, meaning he can’t form new memories. Nolan takes that premise and delivers a modern noir classic featuring an unreliable narrator and a non-linear narrative that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Here’s everything arriving on Netflix in July 2026.
James Cameron is best known for the Terminator and Avatar movies, but of all his movies, I’ve probably watched The Abyss the most. This movie about deep sea workers who find themselves trapped at the bottom of the ocean between the military and an amazing discovery is filled with groundbreaking special effects, amazing attention to detail, intense disaster sequences, and some excellent performances from an ensemble cast. It’s also infamous for its grueling production, which found cast and crew coming to blows and suffering mental breakdowns from the stress.
David Norris is a would-be senator with aspirations of becoming the next president. But his life seems to be taking a different direction as he continues to meet a strange woman throughout New York. What seems like a burgeoning romance, however, runs afoul of shadowy men who seem intent on interrupting and even controlling David’s life. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt star in this philosophical sci-fi film based on a Philip K. Dick short story from 1954.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) returns in this 1994 thriller directed by Phillip Noyce. This time around, Ryan gets pulled into America’s war on the Colombia drug cartels after they kill a close friend of the President. Before too long, though, he’s caught in the middle of a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the American government. The movie also stars Willem Dafoe, James Earl Jones, and Anne Archer.
This is one of those movies that I’ll pull up every now and then just because it’s so solidly made and entertaining (read my review). Based on the best-selling Tom Clancy novel about an experimental Russian submarine, and starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, The Hunt for Red October is classic Cold War action/intrigue that is eminently watchable. (But what else would you expect from director John McTiernan?)
Rian Johnson teamed up with Daniel Craig for this utterly delightful murder mystery whodunit. When a famed — and wealthy — mystery novelist apparently commits suicide, private detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) is hired to investigate, but the case grows increasingly convoluted and deadly. Knives Out boasts a star-studded cast, including Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, and Michael Shannon, all of whom are obviously having a blast with Johnson’s witty script and clever direction. Knives Out subsequently spawned two sequels, 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and 2025’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Released at the height of Will Smith’s box office dominance in the ’90s, Men in Black stars Smith as the latest recruit of a shadowy organization that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Paired with a veteran agent (played with cranky glee by Tommy Lee Jones), he must prevent an alien menace from destroying the world. Men in Black is topnotch Hollywood blockbuster entertainment, filled with sci-fi action, imaginative alien designs, and most importantly, Smith and Jones’ wise-cracking comedy chemistry.
Bob Odenkirk is the most unlikely action movie star in this action thriller from writer Derek Kolstad, who created the John Wick franchise (read my review). Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, a seemingly ordinary family man and office worker whose life has settled into tedium. In a previous life, though, Hutch used to be an elite government assassin, and those deadly skills will come in handy when he runs afoul of a Russian gangster. Nobody also stars Connie Nielsen, Michael Ironside, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s elderly father, who possesses some deadly skills of his own.
Ocean’s Eleven is about as slick as heist movies come, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney at his most charming) assembles a team to knock over three Las Vegas casinos in one night. Directed with all assurance by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven is just a joy to watch, as the twists keep coming and the stakes keep getting higher (read my review).
Here’s everything arriving on Peacock in July 2026.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) returns in this 1994 thriller directed by Phillip Noyce. This time around, Ryan gets pulled into America’s war on the Colombia drug cartels after they kill a close friend of the President. Before too long, though, he’s caught in the middle of a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the American government. The movie also stars Willem Dafoe, James Earl Jones, and Anne Archer.
Now here’s a slice of prime ’90s Hollywood “so bad it’s good” cinematic fluff. In Demolition Man’s vision of the future, criminals are reprogrammed while in cryogenic stasis, leading to a utopian society. Until a psychopath breaks free, that is, and — of course — there’s only one man who can stop him. Come for the gratuitous violence and cheesy one-liners, stay for Wesley Snipes’ scene-chewing and Sylvester Stallone’s “man out of time” shtick.
There are certain movies that, if I ever come across them playing on the TV, I will stop everything I’m doing and watch them. Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is one such movie, with its sci-fi tale about a great evil that can only be stopped by a young woman. Packed to the gills with stunning visuals and set design, as well as an intriguing mythology all its own and a manic sense of energy, The Fifth Element is a blast to watch.
Written and directed by David Lowery, The Green Knight offers up a very unique spin on Arthurian mythos. When the mysterious Green Knight challenges the Round Table to a bizarre contest, the only one who responds is the brash and immature Sir Gawain (Dev Patel). When ensues is a bizarre fantasy that challenges the notions of chivalry as Gawain journeys through an increasingly bizarre England to respond to the Green Knight’s call.
Robert Neville is the last human alive on an Earth filled with vampire-like monsters. But even as he fights for survival, he starts making discoveries that may complete undo his understanding of the world — or threaten his sanity. Will Smith plays the lead role in Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Richard Matheson’s acclaimed novel.
In Satoshi Kon’s mind-bending final film, technology allows researchers to enter other people’s dreams. But after a “dream terrorist” steals the technology and starts using it, the line between dreams and reality threatens to unravel. Filled with stunning animation, a plot that’ll keep you guessing, and a trippy Susumu Hirasawa soundtrack, Paprika is anime par excellence (read my review).
This was my absolute favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a kid. Based on the classic movie, The Real Ghostbusters finds Peter Venkman and the rest of the Ghostbusters squad — along with their ectoplasmic sidekick Slimer — tackling all sorts of supernatural threats in New York City and beyond. Although there’s plenty of Saturday morning silliness, The Real Ghostbusters is noteworthy for all of the historical, folklore, and literary references packed into its episodes, including Lewis Carroll, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and even H.P. Lovecraft.
Here’s everything arriving on Tubi in July 2026.
]]>Now, just to be clear, no day of the week contains the word “fish” in its name. This seemed like an obvious bug akin to Google’s recommendations that people glue cheese to their pizza and eat rocks. I assumed that Google would use some of their billions of dollars to fix this rather glaring issue. So here we are, a month later, and as you can see, Google has addressed the issue. Sort of.
Instead of returning a different wrong answer every time I pose the question, Google now just sticks with a single wrong answer. Which I guess is progress, although the wonky formatting makes me worried that my simple question gave Google’s fake brain an aneurysm.
Interestingly, when I pose this question to Gemini directly instead of going through Google’s search, it gives a more accurate answer: “If we are looking at standard calendar names — zero. None of the days of the week are named after or contain the name of a fish.” But it follows that with a curious assertion: “It is just a classic nonsense riddle meant to trip people (and algorithms) up!”
Now, to be fair, Google isn’t the only one who gets it wrong. Claude and ChatGPT also returned absurd answers to my question. But are people really tripped up by this “classic” riddle? And is it even “classic”? I’d never heard of it until last month, and I suspect that most people quickly cop to its obviously nonsensical nature. So is Google’s assertion really just intended to make it more palatable that AI chatbots, even those created by some of the world’s biggest tech companies, still get it wrong even after all this time?
On the one hand, it is the sort of humorous aside that I’d write if I wanted to make my AI chatbot a bit more endearing. On the other hand, if AI still gets something so simple and obvious wrong, what does that say about its reliability concerning more important and complicated matters?
]]>
To call the original Neon Genesis Evangelion ending “controversial” would be something of an understatement. What began as a “giant robots battling giant monsters” series had grown increasingly bizarre, weaving in strands of Christian mysticism and psychoanalysis, before culminating in a truly surreal finale that seemed to completely ditch the original storyline.
Fans were confused and irate, so much so that some even issued death threats against series creator Hideaki Anno and the Gainax studio. In response, Anno and Gainax released two movies: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion.
The former recapped the series’ first 24 episodes while the latter was, in part, a giant middle finger directed at those Evangelion fans who wanted a more action-oriented ending. The End of Evangelion is certainly filled with action, but Anno takes it to apocalyptic and even traumatizing extremes while also throwing in some of the most bizarre imagery in anime history, only to end things on a grimly ambiguous note. And it served as the final word on Evangelion until Anno began work on the Rebuild of Evangelion project in the mid ’00s.
To help mark the 30th anniversary of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series, which concluded in March 1996, GKids is releasing both Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion into theaters for one day each. Death & Rebirth will screen on July 21 with The End of Evangelion following on July 22. Watch the trailers for both films below.
In other anime news, GKids’ annual Studio Ghibli Fest is currently happening. My Neighbor Totoro — which was directed by Hideaki Anno’s mentor, the great Hayao Miyazaki — will screen in July, followed by Tales from Earthsea, Only Yesterday, Castle in the Sky, and more in the following months.
]]>
‘Tis the season for elaborate box sets, I guess. First there was Criterion’s Stanley Kubrick collection. Then Cherry Red Records announced a four-disc shoegaze compilation. And now Joy Division have announced Eternal (Live), a massive 14-disc set that contains 16 of the post-punk legends’ live performances.
The performances, which include some that have never been heard or released before, were all sourced from audience cassettes, soundboard tapes, and broadcast recordings, and subsequently mastered at Abbey Road Studios. What’s more, the physical collection also contains two DVDs containing nearly three hours of concert footage as well as a new edit of Malcolm Whitehead’s Joy Division concert film, along with a 16-page booklet featuring photos from Anton Corbijn and Kevin Cummins.
Listen to the band’s 1979 performance of “Transmission” at Paris’s Les Bains Douches.
Eternal (Live) will be released on September 25, 2026. Preorders are now available for $139.98. The collection will also be released digitally on Apple Music and other platforms.
]]>If you want to market your drum and bass to someone like me, you could do far worse than adorn it with cover art that directly references classic PlayStation games — which is precisely what Chicago-based Arcologies did with 2025’s Vapor Drive. And it totally worked.
Arcologies’ brand of atmospheric drum and bass, in which the swirling and soaring textures are just as important as the propulsive rhythms and intricate breakbeats, immediately makes me feel like I’m playing Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere, and taking to the Strangereal skies in an Orcinus or Delphinus. (If you know, you know…)
All of Vapor Drive is quite consistent, sonic-wise. As a result, it’s been my recent go-to soundtrack for in-depth coding and design sessions. That said, “Three Days Later” is a solid example of Arcologies’ skill at not just employing ambience and breakbeats, but also dynamics — of knowing when to let the beats fly fast and furious, and when to let the synth textures drift around and draw listeners in even further.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to Strangereal. Ouroboros is up to their old tricks again and someone needs to shoot them down. Time to press “Play” one more time…
Vapor Drive is currently available for “name your price” on Bandcamp.
]]>
When news broke that martial arts superstar Chuck Norris had died at the age of 86, people did what they always do whenever a celebrity passes: they immediately began posting responses online. Some of the responses came from the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who paid tribute to their fellow action star. Others, like movie critic Drew McWeeny, shared fond personal memories of the actor’s generosity. As a sucker for Norris’s ’80s action movies like The Octagon and Lone Wolf McQuade, I even posted a tribute of my own.
Other responses were less charitable. Noting his long-standing conservative views, which included support for Proposition 8’s ban on gay marriage and tacit endorsement of Barack Obama “birther” conspiracy theories, some chose instead to celebrate Norris’s death and dismiss him as a MAGA racist, sexist, and homophobe. Some went even further and criticized those who had paid tribute to Norris. When The Office’s Rainn Wilson posted a Chuck Norris memory on Instagram, some of his followers responded with disappointment and dismay (e.g., “He was a Trump activist who went against everything you claim to stand for,” “Really sad to see you make this post”).
I suspect, however, that many of those who celebrated Chuck Norris’s death were none too pleased when President Trump celebrated Robert Mueller’s death. Mueller, who died the day after Norris, was the former FBI director who oversaw the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Although the investigation ultimately found no evidence of wrongdoing by Trump’s campaign, it was obviously embarrassing for Trump, who consistently called it a “witch hunt” and never hid his dislike for Mueller. Thus, when Robert Mueller’s death was announced, it wasn’t too surprising that Trump celebrated on social media. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead,” posted Trump. “He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Subsequent posts only doubled down on his disdain and continued to paint Mueller’s investigation as a travesty of justice.
Trump has a long history of denigrating political opponents who’ve passed, including John McCain, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, director Rob Reiner, and now Robert Mueller. As ugly as those comments are, though, they take on an added layer of hypocrisy given how quickly and forcefully the president and others on the Right condemned anyone who celebrated or was otherwise critical of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk after he was killed last September.
In a statement issued shortly after Kirk’s murder, Trump called it the “tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible” and claimed that “radical left” rhetoric is “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” Others in Trump’s administration went further: Vice President J. D. Vance stated that people celebrating Kirk’s death ought to lose their jobs; Attorney General Pam Bondi announced plans to “target” those guilty of “hate speech”; and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued orders to fire military service members who “celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American.”
So just to recap, left-leaning folks celebrated the death of a conservative actor even as they criticized the president for celebrating the death of a political opponent, and this very same president previously condemned those who demonize their political opponents. It’s a real mess, to be sure, one that’s compounded by our innate desire to justify ourselves, our modern tendency to reduce people to their politics, and the dopamine rush of social media. And it raises a simple question:
Should we celebrate someone else’s death?
Though it’s often misattributed to Mark Twain, Clarence Darrow — the lawyer best known for defending the evolution-teaching educator in the Scopes Monkey Trial — famously wrote, “I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.” I have no doubt that each one of us could come up with at least a few obituaries that we’d probably read with “great satisfaction.” Indeed, we might even look forward to the day when we’ll be able to read them, an admission that probably comes with a slight pang of guilt.
Nevertheless, we’ve all felt that impulse, that deeply felt desire for someone to finally — finally! — get their ultimate comeuppance. They’re gone, and they can’t hurt us anymore. We feel that impulse because we all know, on a fundamental level, that this world isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. The weak are dominated by the strong, the poor are fleeced by the wealthy, and the innocent are destroyed by the wicked. We long for justice, for those imbalances to be corrected, but how? Who is to blame for this? Who can be held accountable? What needs to be changed?
The world is broken, yes, but it’s also extremely complicated, and further complicating things is the fact that we all have different answers to those questions. That doesn’t mean morality is relative, but rather, that our answers are filtered through individual perspectives that have been shaped by a million influences that we couldn’t begin to list even if we tried. For Christians, though, our desire for justice must ultimately be shaped by the Bible. And indeed, the Bible contains numerous cries for justice.
The “imprecatory” Psalms, in particular, are filled with language that’s quite blunt and shocking. Psalm 69 finds David weary and overwhelmed by his enemies, and in response, crying out to the Lord: “Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.” Later, in Psalm 83, Asaph asks that God’s enemies would “be put to shame and dismayed forever” and “perish in disgrace” — words that are surprisingly similar to posts that you might see on social media today.
The Psalms, however, make it clear that any such judgment ultimately belongs to the Lord. The very same David who asked God to pour out his wrath and indignation also wrote Psalm 37, which counsels the reader to “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” We are told to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” rather than give into worry. “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked,” writes David. “For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.”
Does this mean Christians should remain silent and not call out evil and injustice when we see them? Obviously not, since that’s precisely what David, Asaph, and the other psalmists do throughout their writings, and never once do they mince their words. But are we crying out for justice so that God may reveal himself to the world and put the wrong things to right? Are we yearning for God’s redemptive plan to come one step closer to fruition? Or are we crying out for justice for our own selfish benefit (and social media clout)? Is our desire for justice and fairness in fact a masked desire for vengeance? Do we really just want to see our enemies, political or otherwise, fall into disgrace and be revealed as fools, thus proving how right — and righteous — we are?
Just as the Bible contains imprecations that cry out for God to move against those who seek our downfall, God’s word also contains warnings against our own selfish desires, lest we be the ones who bring about our downfall. Thus Proverbs 24:17 – 18 warns us against rejoicing in our enemy’s defeat “lest the Lord see it and be displeased.” Even Jesus warns us against presumptive declarations of who deserves judgment. In the opening of Luke 13, he uses a recent disaster to challenge popular and convenient notions of who might be good and evil, and instead, urges his listeners — and us — to reflect on our own mortality and need for repentance.
The final song on Luxury’s 2015 album, Trophies, is a piano-led ballad titled “The Gates of Paradise (Give Praise Where Praise Is Due)” that finds frontman Lee Bozeman reflecting on brokenness, the fragility of existence, and his duties as an Orthodox priest. At one point, in his Morrissey-like croon, he wonders “Do I feel love where I used to feel hate?” Those words have become a sort of internal refrain that’s often played in recent years as I consider my own culpability in our current state of affairs, including the selfish thrill I get when I think about those aforementioned obituaries.
In our sinful state this side of eternity, it might prove impossible to completely deny ourselves that thrill. The desire to see our enemies get their comeuppance is just too strong, especially when paired with the dopamine hits that come from social media interactions. Perhaps the best we can hope for is to simply keep such thoughts to ourselves, or share them with a close confidant who won’t judge us, and pray that God will redeem such desires. That we’ll begin to feel love where we used to feel hate, mercy where we once sought judgment, peace where we once felt urgency, and trust where we once felt the need to take justice into our own hands — even if said justice only ever exists in the form of a snarky social media post.
This was originally published on Christ and Pop Culture on .
]]>
“Why does Noah look different in every shot?” That question kept running through my mind while watching the AI-generated music video for “Two by Two” — a rockin’ country worship tune (also AI-generated) about the biblical flood account. And while I was puzzling over Noah’s inconsistent appearance, I also couldn’t help but notice his inability to hit a nail, the weird hunch-backed creatures helping his family in the fields, and even a pair of cute triceratops.
Yes, triceratops.
At first blush, such observations might seem like nitpicking pedantry, especially given the video’s obvious biblical focus and worshipful pose. (I’m still not sure what to do with those dinosaurs, though.) But they get to the heart of why I find this video, and others like it, so troubling. Namely, the sloppiness with which they’re produced, and subsequently, the carelessness with which they’re critiqued and consumed.
Given AI’s ever-increasing encroachment on our lives — regardless of whether we’ve asked for it or not — it’s no surprise that it’s also making significant inroads into Christian evangelism, ministry, and worship. Pray.com’s AI Bible project, which produced the aforementioned “Two by Two” video as well as other AI-generated videos about the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, the Genesis creation account, the book of Ruth, and the Nephilim (to name just a few topics), aims to use “cutting-edge generative AI to transform timeless biblical stories into immersive, hyper-realistic experiences.” The goal — to “[reimagine] how you connect with the Bible, delivering engaging, visually stunning, and thought-provoking content that resonates with today’s generation” — is ambitious, and on its face, laudatory. What Christian wouldn’t want a “visually stunning” and “thought-provoking” biblical experience?
To that end, the AI Bible project has released Music Bible in a Year, Pt. 1, a concept album of AI-generated songs inspired by the first 25 chapters of Genesis that uses “a bold and immersive fusion of country soul, cinematic EDM, hip-hop rhythm, and gospel fire” to create “a spiritual soundtrack for a modern audience.” Four AI-generated videos have been released for the album to date, with more to come.
There’s no denying the AI Bible videos are slick and flashy in that typical AI manner, and if the YouTube comments are any indication, they’re striking a chord with many folks. Consider these sample comments on the “Two by Two” video:
So what’s the problem?
For the moment, let’s set aside the usual criticisms leveled at AI, including its environmental impact, its use of stolen and pirated intellectual property, the threat it poses to our collective understanding of reality, its ability to spin conspiracy theories and inspire delusional thinking, and its deceptive, even psychopathic behavior. Those are all valid concerns, but generative AI like that used to create the AI Bible’s videos also raises questions concerning the nature of human creativity and imagination. In other words, can an image, video, or song created by generative AI really be considered the fruit of human effort, labor, and imagination? And if it’s not, then what is it, exactly, and why should we care?
Scientists, philosophers, programmers, lawyers, and politicians have been battling over the answers to those questions for years now, and the debate shows no signs of resolving any time soon. Such questions might seem like a triviality or worse, Luddite gatekeeping, particularly if you believe AI to be just another tool like Photoshop, Pro Tools, or Premiere (all popular applications used to create images, music, and videos). But whereas those programs require a considerable investment of human time, effort, and intention to learn and use skillfully, generative AI literally requires nothing more than a single sentence to churn out surprisingly — and disturbingly — realistic content. A longer AI-generated video like the one for “Two by Two” might require additional editing to stitch its disparate scenes together into something cohesive. But even that’s nothing compared to the amount of work involved in a purely human-created work, even with the aid of modern software.
This distinction, however subtle it might be, applies to any AI-generated content, but it takes on an additional layer of meaning and concern for Christians. Specifically, should we care that art created with the stated goal of drawing human beings into a deeper connection with God’s Word is not, in fact, created by human minds or hands?
Twenty years ago, even ten years ago, that question might have seemed like the premise of a Black Mirror episode. But it’s a question that John Piper pointedly raised earlier this year when talking about an AI-generated prayer. More recently, O. Alan Noble outlined his own concerns with AI and the potential ramifications it holds for pastors, specifically that it “will make our churches more shiny and polished and corporate, but less human, intimate, and wise.” For example, concerning AI sermon preparation, he writes:
[T]here is a wisdom that comes from researching the Word and great theologians who have studied the Word. Wrestling with verses, organizing ideas on your own, flipping through pages, reading commentaries, praying for the work of the Holy Spirit to guide you — these practices cultivate wisdom in pastors, in anyone. Offloading this work to A.I. short circuits that valuable process. The beautiful unity and expanse of Scripture becomes the purview of a machine, not the pastor.
Noble may be writing about AI within the specific context of pastors and churches, but his broader concern about AI’s dehumanizing effects is equally relevant concerning AI-generated worship music and biblical music videos.
One way this dehumanization might play out is a distinctly utilitarian approach to creativity, artistry, and worship, an approach where essentially anything is permissible so long as it has the potential to spread the Word of God. In other words, Christians are encouraged to accept, praise, and promote sloppy, soulless work simply because it might be useful to the Kingdom. In a recent interview with 404 Media’s Emanuel Maiberg, professor Corrina Laughlin discussed Christians embracing AI videos, even those that contain obviously subpar elements:
Unlike other audiences, like Star Wars fans who passionately rejected an AI-generated proof-of-concept short AI-generated film recently, Laughlin also told me she wasn’t surprised that some Christians commented that they love the low quality AI-generated videos from the AI Bible.
“The metrics for success are totally different,” she said. “This isn’t necessarily about creativity. It’s about spreading the word, and the more you can do that, the kind of acceleration that AI offers, the more you are doing God’s work.”
Or, as one commenter wrote on the AI Bible’s video imagining a Studio Ghibli-directed Bible movie, “To me it’s not about the artist, it’s about getting the message across by any means necessary.”
Such utilitarianism, however, often involves lowering standards and accepting lackluster work for no other reason than because it can potentially convey a particular message. This has often been one of the chief criticisms leveled at modern Christian music and pop culture, which often exchange true creativity and expression for simplistic lyrics and glossy aesthetics that are selected simply because they get the point across. But that’s not art; that’s propaganda.
Which brings me back to those questions I posed at the beginning of this article concerning Noah’s ever-changing appearance and inept carpentry. And yes, those triceratops.
A human filmmaker might actually be concerned with continuity, and thus, ensure that their protagonist maintains a consistent appearance from beginning to end. Or if he was constructing something out of wood, like a giant boat intended to save his family and countless animals, that he could actually hit a nail on its head. But an AI generator cares not about such things (because it doesn’t know what any of those things actually mean), and in their rush to post slick-looking, viral-friendly content on YouTube and social media, it seems that neither does the AI Bible Project.
My social media feeds frequently display examples of AI “filmmaking” that are cited as irrefutable evidence that traditional Hollywood filmmaking is dead. There’s no doubt that AI video is improving in quality at a frightening pace. And yet, for all of their slick, flashy visuals, every single example I’ve ever seen is rife with continuity flaws, visual hallucinations, incoherent editing, and/or inhuman motion that emerge from within the depths of the uncanny valley. (But even if generative AI eventually proves capable of rivaling Kubrick, Kurosawa, Miyazaki, Spielberg, and Tarkovsky, it will still be just an approximation and amalgamation devoid of human agency and creativity.)
Those things, often lumped under the term “slop,” are precisely what human filmmakers and artists seek to avoid because they diminish the work and distract from the message. As those who worship the Great Artist, the one who brought the universe into existence simply by the power of his word and lavishes great beauty on even the most insignificant facets of his creation, Christians should demand nothing less of our own art.
This was originally published on Christ and Pop Culture on .
]]>
Back in 2016, Cherry Red Records released Still In a Dream, a massive five-disc compilation that highlighted the history of the shoegaze and dream pop genres. But apparently, they didn’t think they did a good enough a job, and have announced a second shoegaze compilation. We Are the Beautiful is an upcoming four-disc boxset that “[charts] the story of the shoegaze movement — from the UK underground to international phenomenon.”
The compilations features plenty of genre legends and luminaries, including Ride, Lush, Catherine Wheel, Kitchens of Distinction, Slowdive, and Chapterhouse (whose song “We Are the Beautiful” gave the compilation its title). But it also features plenty of lesser-known shoegaze (and shoegaze-adjacent) artists from around the world, including The Veldt, Anilore, The Mary Onettes, and Pinkshinyultrablast. I’m also pretty chuffed to see the inclusion of Starflyer 59 and Morella’s Forest.
Here’s the complete tracklisting:
Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
Disc Four
In addition to the music, We Are the Beautiful will also feature an essay and band biographies by Frank Deserto, who also blogs at Post-Punk.com and Systems of Romance (and also does plenty of his own gazing as bassist for New York’s The Harrow).
We Are the Beautiful will be released on July 31, 2026 and preorders are now available. U.S.-based customers might consider preordering their copy from Projekt Records. (The label’s own Lowsunday and Mira appear on the compilation.)
]]>
What can be said about Stanley Kubrick that hasn’t already been said by now? The man was an absolute titan of cinema, and responsible for some of the most influential and iconic films of all time, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket. Thus, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the Criterion Collection would eventually release some sort of box set chronicling the man’s illustrious career. But even so, the recently announced Complete Kubrick is truly lavish.
For starters, the collection features all thirteen of Kubrick’s feature films, as well as three short films, all of which have been remastered in 4K and feature restored and remastered soundtracks. Here’s the complete list of features:
In addition to the films themselves, The Complete Kubrick will also contain over 25 hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes material, and all of it will be contained in deluxe packaging with “rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick himself.”
The Complete Kubrick will be released on October 20, 2026 and cost a whopping $600. Preorders, however, get 20% off.
]]>Here’s the thing about trip-hop… On the one hand, it almost always sounds instantly dated, forever locked in the ’90s as the soundtrack playing over the speakers in some swanky mall boutique. On the other hand, the good stuff is the sleeker, more suave cousin to the hauntology emanating from labels like Ghost Box, always dreaming of a stylish future that we’ll never actually experience.
Rest assured, Trickpony’s latest EP, 24/7 Heaven, is chock full of the good stuff. The trio of Michael Gunson, Maria Korkelia, and Katie Campbell — who should definitely not be confused with the country music trio that was active throughout the ’00s and ’10s — excel in producing the sort of sultry, uber-chic trip-hop last heard in the mid-to-late ’90s (e.g., Hooverphonic, Lamb, Sneaker Pimps). You know what I’m talking about: crisp beats, smoky electronic textures, and wispy female vocals that are as sensual as they are aloof, and all of it coated with lush production and arrangements.
Every song on 24/7 Heaven is a master-class in trip-hop revival, but “Trick Trick” stands out thanks to a serpentine bass line that glides under the funky rhythms, swirling atmospherics, and subliminal vocals to keep them all grooving.
24/7 Heaven is currently available via Step Ball Chain.
]]>
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Rainbow Rider’s We’ll Last So Long 7″ single, which also means that it’s the 30th anniversary of one of the finest indie labels around: Huntington Beach’s very own Velvet Blue Music. To help celebrate the occasion, I’ve unlocked my VBM-themed subscriber playlists along with their related podcast episodes:
Also, check out all of my VBM reviews from over the years.
Founded by Jeff Cloud (Starflyer 59, Joy Electric, Pony Express), VBM has slowly but steadily established an enviable discography that features the likes of Fine China, LN, Map, The Lassie Foundation, Jetenderpaul, SS Bountyhunter, Kat Jones, the aforementioned Starflyer 59 and Pony Express, and many, many others. In all, VBM has released over 270 albums, EPs, singles, and compilations, not to mention music videos, short films, and even some old school print zines.
A 30-year run for an indie label seems downright miraculous in today’s music climate, and VBM’s ongoing success is a testament to both Cloud’s independent spirit and ear for interesting music, as well as the community that’s sprouted up around the label. (More than a few VBM artists have guested on each other’s albums.) So congratulations to Cloud and the VBM crew, and here’s to many more years of indie music par excellence.
On a more personal note, I’ve still got my copy of Rainbow Rider’s We’ll Last So Long (in mint condition, of course).
I’ve been rocking with VBM since day one, and I’ll keep rocking with VBM until the very end.
]]>Leo Messi’s GOAT status is basically unassailable at this point, as evidenced by his recent World Cup hat trick (which also tied him with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s leading scorer). This excerpt from the 2019 series This Is Football (via Kottke) attempts to explain that greatness.
Much of the video features Messi’s former coach Pep Guardiola commenting on his efficient and hyper-aware style of play. But mathematician David Sumpter also weighs in on how math explains Messi’s seemingly inhuman abilities, and specifically, his ability to use the space on the pitch to his advantage.
Of course, mathematical analysis is one thing, as Sumpter notes. Successfully applying that analysis to beat Messi is quite another thing. And as his World Cup performance proves, far more difficult to do.
]]>Tortoise’s TNT (1998) was the band’s third album, coming on the heels of the critically acclaimed Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996) — which, for the record, was the first album I ever saw described as “post-rock.” With TNT, the Chicago-based outfit honed their instrumental skills to create some of their loveliest material.
Chief among said material is “I Set My Face to the Hillside,” a Morricone-esque piece that evokes barren desert vistas, ghost towns, and the lonesome cowboys drifting through them. Enid Valu’s video above captures the band performing that song at Munich’s Technikum earlier this year.
The video itself is a bit disorienting, as Valu shifts between the various band members, some of whom are obscured by John Herndon’s drum kit. As for the performance itself, it’s as masterful as you’d expect from the post-rock veterans, who subtly and slightly rework certain parts and melodies.
]]>
Given that Norway consistently ranks as one of the world’s happiest countries — it sure must be nice to have a functional social welfare net — you wonder if they can possibly be angry enough to have a punk/hardcore scene. And then you hear Hammok’s blistering When Does This Place Become Our Scene, and you realize that alienation, unrest, and dissatisfaction will always transcend any world happiness index. And thankfully, there will always be young punks ready to shove that truth into our faces.
Just as Turnstile challenged people’s notions of what hardcore can or should be with last year’s Grammy-winning Never Enough, the Norwegian trio do their own part to explode the genre’s tropes. While they cite Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as influences, Hammok certainly aren’t afraid to render songs like “BANG” and “Groundbreaker” as brutalist slabs of noise akin to something you’d expect from a Ben Frost album.
But even on the album’s more, dare I say, accessible moments, like opening single “The Scene,” vocalist/guitarist Tobias Osland and his bandmates still redline their instruments until everything bleeds together in an ear-piercing glory. Meanwhile, Osland sings/screams/wails about the universal search for identity and belonging: “I’d like to know I’m not the only one/I’d like to grow a place of green/When does a space become a scene?/When does this place become our scene?”
“Gooning For Free” eviscerates the internet-driven attention cycles that encourage people to sell their bodies and souls on OnlyFans and social media. “I can be a pimp and put my face on the screen/Screaming would you pay for me,” shrieks Osland against pummeling industrial rhythms before identifying the ethos of the era — “Be outrageous!” — as his voice sounds like it’s slowly being consumed by a capitalist hell. Similarly, “Tap Water” tackles the numbness of modernity (“How can I set myself on fire if nothing is sacred anymore?”) as it veers from jagged riffs to droning interludes to more of the band’s well-honed tumult.
When Does This Place Become Our Scene isn’t all doom and gloom, though. “When the Kids Are Too Old to Cause a Scene” is a heartfelt examination of Norway’s hardcore scene and Hammok’s place in it while “For My Friends” ends the album with a triumphant celebration of community. Whatever topic the band might be tackling, though, they do it with complete and total abandon, throwing themselves — and their instruments — headlong into the very maelstrom that they’ve whipped up.
I’m sure that some old heads will frown at the term “hardcore” being attached to When Does This Place Become Our Scene, but if Hammok’s bracing onslaught isn’t hardcore, then I don’t know what is.
When Does This Place Become Our Scene is currently available from Sargent House.
]]>
So here we are, half-way through 2026 already. Which means it’s time to take a few minutes to reflect on the year’s music so far. At the start of every year, I compile a list of albums that I’m looking forward to hearing, but there are always surprises that pop up in my email inbox, catch my eye thanks to social media, or appear in Bandcamp’s listings.
This month’s playlist, titled “Mid-Year Favorites (2026 Edition),” highlights just a few of the songs that have stuck with me in the days, weeks, and months since I’ve heard them — which means that there’s a good chance they’ll end up on my year-end mix. (Check out my mixes from previous years.)
Accompanying the playlist is the latest episode of my “Playlist Breakdown” podcast, in which I spotlight one of the playlist’s songs and why it’s so special, interesting, and/or meaningful. This month’s episode focuses on “Prophecy at 1420 MHz,” a standout track from Boards of Canada’s Inferno, the enigmatic duo’s first album in thirteen years.
Both of these are little bonuses for subscribers who support Opus financially. If you’d like to get access to them (and more), subscribe to Opus for just $5.00/month or $50/year. (You can also subscribe for free and get my weekend newsletter.)
]]>I will forever have a soft spot for Commodore thanks to the many, many hours I spent on my family’s Commodore 64. At one point the world’s biggest computer company, Commodore eventually went bankrupt in the mid ’90s. But its legacy lingered on, and thus it’s been kind of fun to see what the newly revived Commodore has been up to these days.
Earlier this year, they released the Commodore 64 Ultimate, a modern revamp of the C64 that’s compatible with all of the original Commodore peripherals and runs classic Commodore games and programs. In other words, it’s the ultimate nostalgia trip for computer users of a certain age even as it boasts modern features like USB, HDMI, and Wifi.
And now the company has announced their latest “retro” product: an old-school flip phone called the “Callback 8020″ (via Kottke). Like the Commodore 64 Ultimate, the Callback contains modern features like HD audio and Wifi, and it runs Android apps (though Commodore’s quick to point out that the Callback is not an Android phone, and has been completely de-Googled). However, social media and web browsing apps are completely blocked, even down to the DNS level, preventing any access to social media platforms. Furthermore, email and work-related apps are not available in the Callback’s app store.
In short, the Callback seems intent on providing a phone experience that sidesteps everything you hate about modern smartphones (e.g., doomscrolling) while still letting you communicate with people (and play the occasional round of Snake). Indeed, everything about the phone feels very early ’00s, from the launch ad to the phone’s various designs. The “Starlight” edition, with its translucent blue case, feels like the epitome of ’00s tech style. Not surprisingly, I love the “BASIC Beige” edition, which features a beige-and-brown color scheme that immediately evokes the classic Commodore 64 look and feel.
All of this comes with a hefty price tag that starts at $549 and ultimately depends on the edition you get, though early purchasers can shave $100 off the final amount. While that price is relatively comparable to similarly stripped down phones like the upcoming Light Phone III and Clicks Communicator, it’s still a bit too rich for my blood — even with all of the obvious nostalgic appeal.
]]>
Following Slowdive’s dissolution after 1995’s Pygmalion, Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, and Ian McCutcheon opted for a complete one-eighty with their new band, Mojave 3. Whereas Pygmalion featured minimalist loops and ambience à la Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works, Volume II, Mojave 3 eschewed electronics altogether for a stripped down, singer-songwriter sound influenced by the likes of Nick Drake, Neil Young, Gram Parsons, and Bob Dylan. And you know, it totally worked.
Mojave 3’s debut, 1995’s Ask Me Tomorrow, was a spell-binding album in the vein of Mazzy Star and Cowboy Junkies, with Halstead and Goswell’s harmonies proving just as well-suited for acoustic ballads and slide guitar as they were for effects-filled shoegaze atmospherics. The band, which would eventually include keyboardist Alan Forrester and guitarist Simon Rowe (Chapterhouse), would go on to record four more albums, with their final album being 2006’s Puzzles Like You.
Although some post-Puzzles Like You songs were recorded, Halstead and Goswell recently confirmed that Mojave 3 would not be reforming in light of Slowdive’s ongoing activity (including their performance at the Primavera Sound festival earlier this month). But fortunately, 4AD Records have announced newly remastered editions of every Mojave 3 album. The albums, which were remastered at the iconic Abbey Road studios, will be available individually on LP, CD, and digital, or collectively in a limited edition vinyl box set.
All five remastered Mojave 3 albums will be released on July 24, 2026.