OFFSCREENDEATH's 2024 REWIND
Film.
I think if I absolutely had to, I'd say "I Saw The TV Glow" was the best movie I've seen this year, but not because it was better than anything else I saw on a purely technical level. It just resonated very strongly with me emotionally, which is all I really care about when it comes to film, or art in general. I did want more -something- out of it, maybe because I was anticipating more of an action-genre element to come into play, since it reminded me a bit of Stranger Things from the little bit of promo and previews I saw before watching it.
I thought the horror/thriller aspect would be incorporated just a bit more than it was. In 2025 I would really like to watch more obscure/independent/art films, at least as many as the more big budget box office ones. I fear I won't be satisfied if I don't...because I don't believe what I'm looking for just isn't being made, but that it takes a bit more effort to find it. Lots of Horror this year, I'm honestly kinda burnt out on it. I have a feeling I'll get more than enough horror dealing with the incoming political shit show that's inevitably gonna go down.
Watched in 2024 (incomplete list):
Longlegs - In a Violent Nature - Terrifier 3 - The Substance - The Deliverance - Deadpool & Wolverine - Inside Out 2 - Cuckoo - Trap - Monkey Man - Civil War - Love Lies Bleeding - Alien: Romulus - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - Road House - Bad Boys: Ride or Die - Babes
TV.
This was a mediocre year of TV for me, especially when last year's releases seemed so excellent -- like I'm A Virgo, Survival of the Thickest, Bodies, The Changeling, Invasion, and more I'm probably forgetting.
I mostly ended up watching a lot of Dropout TV's series towards the end because I got tired of trying to wade through all the slop and 500 different reality TV shows to find something interesting. While it didn't come out this year, I very much enjoyed "Kevin Can F**k Himself". I also caught up with the new seasons of shows I was already watching, like "The Bear" and "The Boys", but both are sorta starting to lose their flavor (no pun intended). As far as TV goes, "Arcane," is definitely top my list as the best show out of all that I've seen this year, even though I absolutely HATE how Violet's arc ended, and I'm honestly not too big of a fan of the soundtrack either. Honorable mention goes to "3 Body Problem" for the premise and overall execution, as well as "Mr. And Mrs. Smith".
Anime.
Slow but interesting year for Anime, for me. I feel like (as with every year,) lots of good anime has come out that I either just didn't have time for or slipped under my radar when something else caught my attention. I have mixed feelings about it, but I pretty much enjoyed "Dan Dan Dan," and "Delicious In Dungeon" turned out to be way more interesting than I thought it would be. On the top of my list of anime to watch are "Frieren" and "Kaiju #8". I will probably be adding more. I heard "Shangri-la Fronteirs" is good, and I'll be checking out "Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction" too (what's with all these "D" heavy titles?)
Video Games.
Unfortunately I haven't been gaming recently because I haven't had a chance to get any systems and my computer is struggling as is just opening up new tabs. There's an arcade local to me that I've had a chance to visit a few times this year, but I haven't played anything that really stood out. I have a lottttt of catching up to do as far as gaming goes, and I don't anticipate I'll be able to catch up any time soon. I did play a lot of "Disco Elysium" and "Cult of the Lamb" earlier in the year/last year, which aren't "new" releases, but were definitely still fun. I want to play Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dragon Ball Z Sparking Zero really badly and they'll probably be one of my first purchases, among many others.
Books.
I wasn't gonna include this category because it's so sparse and I typically don't reblog or post book-related content -- I've only finished about 2 books this year because I kept buying more and more and starting them before finishing, a bad(?) habit of mine. I have read quite a few zines to completion, however, given that they require way less time and are usually quite portable. Since reviewing and running this blog isn't my job, and my day job requires a non-insignificant amount of mental focus and physical labor, by the time I get home and have time to myself I'm in the mood for more "lowbrow" entertainment that doesn't make me think too hard...though that feeling waxes and wanes. I've been dragging my feet through a few books in my rotation -- "Black Punk Now!", "Jesus and the Abolitionists", "How To Lose the Hounds", "The High Desert" currently have my attention, but my reading list has far, far outgrown my watchlist at this point, which I didn't even think was possible. It's sad that I only have one brain and pair of eyes, and so little time. I will absolutely read (AND FINISH!!!) more books in 2025...I won't leave the house without one.