History’s Greatest Puzzle Room in which the Prize is Punching Nazis: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

|Allison Vincent| When we first started dating, my wife worked at a puzzle room in St. Paul, MN. One of the many perks of such a venture is that I got to play-test rooms occasionally. One such room was heavily influenced by a certain wizarding world created by She-Who-Must-Not-… Continue reading

The Alchemist: Steven Soderbergh’s Version of Raiders of the Lost Ark

|Devin Bee| During his brief retirement from directing movies—between Behind the Candelabra (2013) and Logan Lucky (2017)—Steven Soderbergh was doing some of his most exciting work. He acted as director, editor, cinematographer, and primary camera operator for all 20… Continue reading

If Women Talked About Pride and Prejudice the Way Men Talk About Blade Runner

Sean Young as Rachael, a light-skinned woman with dark, made-up hair, wearing bright-red lipstick and nail polish, is encircled in a cloud of smoke from the cigarette she holds in her fingers while gazing into the camera.

|Veda Lawrence| Our unsuspecting man will be minding his own business, drinking a lackluster old fashioned at the bar, reading a book, likely taking a day off of his more literary endeavors and winding down with some fluff, perhaps Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? or some other light, beachy read. Just then, his peace will be disturbed… Continue reading

Twice Quit—Blade Runner and the Reluctant Noir Protagonist

Deckard is sitting at a noodle restaurant, facing us, with his eyes turned downward. Behind him, Edward James Olmos’ Gaff stands menacingly.

|Timothy Zila| There’s a knock on the door or a ringing phone or, quite often, a stranger waiting in the detective’s office. The noir protagonist doesn’t seek trouble out; trouble seeks him. So it goes in Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon. And so it goes, too, in Blade Runner. When we meet Deckard… Continue reading