Media Noms: Week 39 2026
September 21st - September 27th 2026
Movies
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi | George Lucas | 1983 - I remember this film very fondly. Unlike Episode 1-3, where I religiously fail to finish Episode II and never start Episode III, I typically finish Episodes 4-6 with consistency every year. They are serious and silly and the practical effects are timeless and it just feels good! Han, Leia, and Luke are such a good scamp trio and it never gets too serious and the worldbuilding is always 10/10. I knew I loved Episode IV (still true), couldn’t remember Episode V (still can’t remember what goes on), and always thought I loved Episode VI. I mean, it has Leia in terrorist disguise AND slave outfits (how are both of these in the same movie?!) and then it has Yoda passing (sad) and then the Care Bear Stare (Endor) and the whole Luke-Vader-Sidius storyline. My girlfriend made a really good point that the emotional relief of the film is off. We have the emotional closure of Luke and his Father with the death of Sidius and the genuinely emotional scene of Vader seeing his sone with his own eyes, knowing that it ensures his death. But then, you gotta have the whole Death Star 2.0 resolution which feels weird. But whatever. Anyways, I realized that I don’t like the Endor sequence. It feels much too weak compared to other mid-movie sequences in the previous 2 movies, and compared to the stellar opening of VI. It’s an okay movie that didn’t leave me as happy and Star Wars hyped as I imagined.
- Resident Evil | Zach Cregger | 2026 - Sick ass movie. Tows the line between “it’s a video game movie” and “it’s in any way a good movie.” It doesn’t take itself too seriously so that you feel the need to have expectations or a bar of any kind. It focuses on the feeling of survival horror through the very movie feeling of horror-comedy and I really appreciate it. Look, it’s a fun movie that gestures at something real and impactful(TM), but it doesn’t fulfill that and that’s totally fine. You’re gonna laugh and be genuinely wowed at some of the shots. They are artistic in a way that kind of feels like when you boot up a modern title after playing old and indie games where ray-tracing is on and you feel like you’re in the future or something. Super fun film and an easy watch.
Music
- Only Love | Ezra Collective, Pa Salieu | 2026 - Good good very good.
- On & On | Sylvan Esso | 2026 - New album! My favorite tracks are this one, Hot Slob, and Flood Season.
- In Motion | beabadoobee | 2026 - New Beababoobie :) This and Sun Has Set are my tops.
Podcasts
- Bobby Kotick’s Been Sending Legal Threats To Games Journalists | Aftermath Hours - A really cool two-year-long investigative report by ReaderGrev guy.
YouTube
- TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026 WAS HUGE - Frank Howley Reports | noclip_2 - Very curious after having gone to PAX what the actual experience of other major games cons were like.
- How I Beat The Pokémon HeartGold Drunken Nuzlocke Challenge | zeritt - One of the better Zeritt videos I have seen in awhile.
- /noclip Studio Prop Tour - Stuff We Filmed over our First 10 Years | /noclip - Soooooo fun! Happy 10 years :)
- Sony PSP HIDDEN GEMS Games - 10 awesome games for the Playstation Portable! | MetalJesusRocks - I find it hard to say exactly which games, and not adaptations/multi-platform, really define the PSP. I had the PSP as my first internet-connected device, so yeah not always games defining my PSP era, but I did play Patapon (no rythm bad bad not good for me) and it did expose my to the Ys series, but like what’s the whole deal with PSP how do people love this platform? Especially for people who were older and were playing a more diverse range of games and had more refined taste. Cool fun video of people who genuinely love the PSP!