NOTE: This piece contains spoilers for Wonka.
This may sound like it is damning with faint praise, but Wonka is much better than “a Willy Wonka prequel” has any right to be.
A lot of this is down to director Paul King, who co-wrote the script with his Paddington collaborator Simon Farnaby. King infuses the movie with a dynamism and an energy...
2023-12-15 21:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Note: This piece contains spoilers for Godzilla Minus One.
Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One is an impressive piece of blockbuster filmmaking, a movie with incredible scale and spectacle, anchored in very real human emotion and propelled by an earnest sincerity.
It is remarkable that the film was produced for2023-12-14 23:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
We're excited to announce that Adventure is Nigh! is coming to Second Wind, starting this Saturday with the re-premiere of episode 1 of Season 3! Over the next few weeks we'll be re-releasing S3 episodes of Adventure is Nigh while we work on wrapping up the current season!
Beyond that, we are continuing to plan on shooting Season 4 of Adventure is Nigh in Spring 2024 and will be remasteri...
2023-12-13 21:02:35 +0000 UTC View Post
This week's episode of Windbreaker is now available! Sorry for the delay!
2023-12-13 21:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
This week's episode of Fully Ramblomatic is now available!
2023-12-13 20:02:05 +0000 UTC View Post
We've just premiered our new video series, Bytesized, which is a continuation and evolution of our 3 Minute Review series from back at The Escapist!
We hope you enjoy it!
It seems that Christmas comes earlier and earlier every year. At time of publication, it is the 11th of December. There are still twenty days – almost three weeks – left in the year. However, the deluge of end-of-year “best of” lists has already begun.
Just in terms of film, IndieWire published their list2023-12-11 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post
A new episode of The Backdrop is now available!
2023-12-11 17:15:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Last week, Vulture cultural critic Angelica Jade Bastién published a review of Beyoncé’s concert film, Renaissance. It was a powerhouse piece that interrogated Beyoncé’s meticulously stage-managed public persona in the context of carefully curated concert film, ex...
2023-12-09 18:57:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger talked to a New York Times business summit about the company’s recent troubles, including the underperformance of The Marvels.
Iger offered several theories about why the company’s output wasn’t connecting with audiences in the way that it had been. Of course, it’s worth acknowledging that Iger is not an impartial observer and that he was...
2023-12-08 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's today's episode of Design Delve, taking a look at what just might be the worst puzzle design of all-time!
Enjoy, or, don't?
It's about time we had a little refresher on how to title a game. As the year draws to a close and I go over the usual shower of bastards that were this year's releases, the sheer soporific blandness of a title like "Lords of the Fallen" really stands out. What is it with all the rising and falling these days?
2023-12-07 17:04:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Marty Sliva, Nick Calandra, and KC Nwosu are back for a brand new podcast here on Second Wind. Each week we'll be discussing the latest gaming news, hot topics, what we've been playing... and maybe even a craft beer review.
2023-12-07 16:41:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Join us in just a few minutes for the premiere of our second podcast series, Firelink, hosted by Marty Sliva, Nick Calandra and KC Nwosu!
Audio format coming this week!
Here's this week's episode of Fully Ramblomatic covering The Talos Principle 2!
Enjoy!
On this week’s episode of Windbreakers, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about their favorite individual game mechanics of 2023, including Ultrahand in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the Lovecraftian inventory management of Dredge, and the orb-hopping puzzles of Cocoon. …
2023-12-05 20:05:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's this week's episode of Cold Take which is a whopping 40 min episode on a legal case involving a mother suing AAA studios over her son's addiction to their games.
Enjoy!
Today I'm very proud to be able to share with you our first month revenue report on Second Wind.
This was a promise we made at launch that we would be transparent with our numbers, with this first month revenue report, and then quarterly after that, with a full annual report at the end of 2024.
You're helping fund a big independent media organization of 10 full-time people + freelancers, and as our audience, you deserve to know where your money is going.
I also person...
NOTE: This piece contains spoilers for Blue Eye Samurai, now streaming on Netflix. Go watch it. It’s gorgeous. The piece will still be here when you get back.
Blue Eye Samurai, Netflix’s recent animated series from Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, is an interesting study in cross-cultural pollination.
This is reflected in the production. Noizumi and ...
2023-12-04 15:44:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers was released on premium video-on-demand this week.
It’s a movie that seems perfectly situated for that space between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Universal’s release window strategy suggests that it will end up on Peacock, the company’s streaming service, in time for Christmas. The film has already been hailed as a “2023-12-02 16:06:52 +0000 UTC View Post
Surprise!
We got the edited version of Yahtzee's Tries done a little bit early today so we went ahead and released it since Cold Take is releasing Monday now instead as it's a super meaty episode.
Enjoy!
2023-12-01 21:11:23 +0000 UTC View Post
This weekend sees the release of Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, a concert film chronicling the artist’s Renaissance World Tour. The film is tracking for a global opening weekend of between $30m and $40m. This is an impressive figure for a concert film...
2023-12-01 15:51:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Join Marty and Nick at Noon ET as we do a watch along for the PC Gaming Show today at Noon CT.
Runs for 2 hours and we're expecting new reveals, along with a bunch of updates on games arriving in 2024.
We'll also be doing The Game Awards watch along next Thursday as well, so plan ahead for that!
2023-11-30 17:28:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's this week's episode of Robocop: Rogue City completely ad and sponsor-free.
Enjoy!
2023-11-29 17:40:34 +0000 UTC View Post
On this week’s episode of Windbreakers, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss the state of modern game coverage, including the recent drama surrounding the blurry lines between professional critics, YouTubers, and influencers.
2023-11-28 22:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
I’m a sucker for holidays, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve adored the ritual, reflection, celebration, nostalgia, community, and pageantry that comes with them. If Target moves all of their shit around and creates a dedicated aisle in the weeks leading up to it, you best believe I’m there.
For me, holidays and their respective seasons act like cultural mile...
2023-11-28 20:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
The first episode of The Backdrop with Darren Mooney is now live!
You may have read the column version of this already as we were prepping the episode, but even if you have, it's still worth watching!
Episodes going forward will be their own scripts and topics, so don't worry about us doubling up.
Enjoy!
Introducing The Backdrop, hosted by Darren Mooney!
The Backdrop is our new show from Darren that's focused on critical analysis of movies, tv shows, and the business surrounding them.
Darren is a straight-up encyclopedia of film / tv knowledge, and we cannot wait for more of you to meet him!
Premieres tomorrow here on Second Wind at Noon ET.
Ho...
2023-11-27 20:11:35 +0000 UTC View Post
This weekend, Doctor Who writer and showrunner Russell T. Davies reteamed with actors David Tennant and Catherine Tate for “The Star Beast.” This was the first episode of Doctor Who that the three had collaborated on since “Journey’s End”, which broadcast in July 2008. It was the finale of Davies and Tennant’s last full season of Doctor Who, although the pair wo...
2023-11-27 16:20:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Early in The Killer, the titular assassin (Michael Fassbender) articulates his methodology. “My process is purely logistical, narrowly focused by design,” he narrates. “I’m not here to take sides. It’s not my place to formulate any opinion. No one who can afford me needs to waste time winning me to some cause. I serve no God or country. I fly no flag. If I’m effective, it’s bec...
2023-11-26 18:19:08 +0000 UTC View Post