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The dread is gone, we're an action movie now. You want scares? Have some body horror. You want to be able to move more like a human? Blessed quick turn is here, alongside dodges that work when they damn well please. Explosions? Fire? Final stands? Yes to all three and add superweapons while you're at it.

It's fascinating playing the original games in order. There are elements here that are awesome and would fit right in with the spookier predecessors (ammo crafting, a dedicated map button, more notes/lore) but it's in an entry that's anything but similar. Fortunately it kind of works, especially with the knowledge that the series would, eventually, return to its creepier roots.

Nemesis is a great antagonist. Brutish and rather one-dimensional on the surface, yet him following you through doors takes away the feeling of safety effectively. There is not one player unleashed on Racoon City but two, and the other has a thing for killing S. T. A. R. S personnel. Unlucky.

The other characters don't really bring anything new to the table. It's neat to see Jill again, but a strength of the series is its ability to bring newbies in the fold, giving a sense of a larger world. She already passed her first crucible, I want to see someone else get traumatised, thanks. The other integral character, Carlos, is dull as a brick, especially coming from the Remake.

The game, like many other Resident Evils, is very front loaded. The initial section in downtown/uptown is glorious; my run was mostly chaos with serendipitous progress, the way every RE game should be. It does funnel into a much more linear experience halfway through, and the choice system, while fun, doesn't do enough to spruce up the variables.

I also had around 3-4x the amount of ammo I ended up using by the end. One day I won't save my magnum rounds to cheese the final boss. One day.

Now, finally, I can complain about the clock tower absence in the Remake. I didn't particularly care for it in the game (cool, mini-mansion atmosphere but way too short), but I simply have to join in with the rabble. Closer and closer every day to becoming a true fan.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind weaves a deeply moving relationship through a fractured narrative. It's amazing how easy it is to keep track of what's actually happening, despite how dreamy the film's grasp on time is; clever camera tricks and editing fill the screentime, with a script that balances so many different things it almost feels like a flex.

And yet: the film remains heartfelt as hell. The literally perfect choice of Jim Carrey in a dramatic role that requires some shenanigans from time to time, put up against the unstoppable Kate Winslet, accompanied by a soundtrack that screams, somehow, both melancholia and panic.

The only dip in the film is that the middle portion could have been tightened up even more. You'd then be closer in runtime to the most wholesome Black Mirror episode ever.

I watched this as a teenager and it was alright at the time. I think I was much more focused on unraveling the plot, when the themes of the film struck me much harder as an adult. Definitely better on a rewatch.

Gates of Heaven is a fascinating documentary about two Pet Cemeteries. It's presented mostly with people talking at the camera, the interviewer never seen or heard. Mixed in are occasional shots of relevant areas, or small moments of people interacting. The bulk of it is just people talking.

It's not just about the cemeteries of course; the documentary captures people rambling about local gossip, differing philosophies, their hopes and dreams. All this extra, seemingly superfluous dialogue could threaten any focused documentary. Not so much here. It turns the whole film into a time capsule - not just the sensibilities surrounding pets, but of everything else that's important to them, important to the times.

It's morbid to think of this but a lot of the old folk shown here, who were so loving and kind to their pets, will now no longer be with us. I can only hope they lived good lives amongst people that cared about them - what more can you really ask for?