My August 2024 Media Diet
The past month saw me bringing my new app to life and watching a whole lot of Love Island, a guilty pleasure in our apartment. I’ve also began experimenting with using Anthropic’s Claude AI to boost my programming productivity and I’m disappointed to say that… its boosted my output by like 2x. To be completely honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Here is what else I’ve been up to the past month:
🍿 Deadpool and Wolverine. Fun sendoff of the 20th Century Fox films. I was hoping for better but oh well. Hugh Jackman is consistently amazing as Wolverine though. I’m not sure how you replace him at this point.
📺 Batman: Caped Crusader. I’m really enjoying this one. I loved the ’90s animated series and this has all the same vibes. (👍)
🍿 A Quiet Place: Day One. Fun, short action thriller set in NYC. Ultimately forgettable but fun to watch late at night before going to sleep.
📖 The Tiger: A True Story of Vengence and Survival by John Valiant. I don’t read much nonfiction but this book had me captivated. The true story follows the hunt for a man killing tiger and details Russia and the Far East’s deep respect for the animal.
🍿 Mars Express. Interesting, modern, French Ghost In The Shell-esque animated movie. More from this team of creators please!
📺 The Olympics: Paris 2024. We love the Olympics in our house. I do tire of it by the end but that first week is always exciting.
📖 The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey. Loved this book. I never read the Expanse novels but now I’m considering it. Cannot wait for the sequel. (👍)
🍿 Twisters. Enjoyable romp of a movie. Watched with some friends and because of that, I probably could have paid more attention but didn’t.
🍿 Rebel Moon: A Child Of Fire. Forgettable, joyless, Star Wars-derivative. There are a few good ideas here but Zach Snyder’s style has not changed since the movie 300.
🍿 Rebel Moon: The Scargiver. A sequel to A Child of Fire. I enjoyed this one a bit more. The action sequences were fun if a bit gratuitous. Give me more of Anthony Hopkins’s wild robot and I might actually of liked this one.
🕹️ Chrono Trigger. Always wanted to play this title. It’s easier than I expected (which is great) and the narrative is very engaging and fun. I’m playing it via Delta for iOS and iPadOS. Being able to sync states and even stream to my Apple TV has been a seamless experience worth recommending. (👍)
📖 Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. I’ve got conflicting feelings about this book. It was a really easy read and as such I kind of devoured it. Unfortunately it feels a bit too much like Ready Player One for my tastes. It’s also a kind of sad time capsule for when tech companies felt like they were saving the world rather than ruining it.
📺 One Piece. When I have nothing else I want to watch, I watch One Piece. I’m only just breaking into the second season now. This is going to take a while.
🍿 Aliens. With the release of the next installment in the Alien franchise this week I figured I’d watch my favorite in the series. James Cameron really nailed this movie and it holds up nearly 40 years later. (👍)
🍿 Longlegs. Nicolas Cage really got into this role. I’m always down for a crime procedural horror film even if this one was a bit predictable.
🍿 Strange Darling. Best thriller I’ve seen in years. It’s a shame that this isn’t being promoted as much as it should be. Go in knowing nothing and you’ll enjoy the ride. (👍)
🍿 Trap. First half was hokey but entertaining. Second half was hokey and awful.