Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Fallout, season 2 (2025-2026) “And just to ask the question, would it help if I said please?” “Guess I'm just trying to lead by example.” “So give me the drugs.” -Fallout, season 2 What is choice? What is control? Both of these motivating factors of human experience indicate a philosophical dilemma when it comes to interactivity, and its relationship with authorial intent. In other words, linear narratives have a difficult time coalescing effectively with a person's independence. Though, what if the choice is the narrative, and control its thematic through line? If you take the above quandaries into account, you would more than likely get the sophomore season of Fallout's televised efforts. Nothing short of a joyous contradiction in terms, Fallout returns, continuing an enthusiastic blending of mediums, or should I call it a breaking down of barriers? Either way, this coming together of both the interactive and linear narrative structures is a charm-filled reminde...

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) “Good night princess.” “Mario, we found where Rosalina is.” “This is what happens when you don't have a bed time.” -The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) No preamble here, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a light in a dark night from end to end. I shouldn't be surprised, though it is striking, how aware this film is of its capacity for cultural impact. I know how strong that statement may seem, but its use here is not to exaggerate. Instead, I hope it illustrates how comfortable this film is with its simplicity. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delights in its characters, and its focus on family, with their importance in our growth and understanding of who we are, and who we have the capacity to be. Mario and Peach's adventure through the outer worlds of The Mushroom Kingdom, in search of princess Rosalina, has a vibrancy that supersedes its already legendary Nintendo artistic pedigree. It took me until now to realize that Nintendo'...

  Mother Angelica: A Contemplative life of Action "If you don't go, He won't go." -Mother Angelica “Mother Angelica, weak in body, strong in spirit. Charismatic woman, charismatic woman.” -Pope St. John Paul II “The Lord gave it to me to do, I've done it.” -Mother Angelica An active Christian faith is not solely defined by motion, but by the strength derived from prayer and meditation. That is how Rita Rizzo was able to propel herself through hardship, tragedy and struggle. To become one of the most respected conveyors of the redemptive message of the Gospel, and the love of Jesus Christ. Whether you are religious or not, the sheer spunk and tenacity of Rita Rizzo cannot be overstated. It could be said that Rita Rizzo was born to take on the mantle granted her as Mother Angelica. As with all of us, Providence held her in the palm of His hand, and when He called, she answered with eagerness and gusto. She lived her calling to the fullest extent of her bei...

  Fallout season 1 (2024) “I'm not going back without my dad.” “If you insist on staying, then you will have to adapt. The question is, will you still want the same things, when you have become a different animal altogether?” “What Happened." “It's the same thing that always happens. Everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how.” -Fallout season 1 (2024) Perhaps it is a bit presumptuous, but credit is due where credit is due. Amazon's adoption of the Fallout video game franchise, is a delight in the most apocalyptic of ways. Fallout is known for its ridiculous, albeit insightful ridiculous satire on the end of the world. The humor is sharp, and the wit is biting, and remarkably it all works to a concise degree. Because, when you reach the precipice of the Apocalypse, you realize that maybe we're all to blame, in some way or another. Fallout, in its televised form, thrives in its ability to eloquently take shots at its many ideological combat...

  Resident Evil Requiem (2026) “Rest now Grace. We have so much to do.” “So nice to finally meet you, Leon.” "Through you, Elpis can finally be set free." -Resident Evil Requiem (2026) It's somewhat ironic that the most cathartic experiences, the moments in our lives that change us for the better. The moments that help us realize where we came from, and where we are going, often show themselves in the most unlikely of ways. Resident Evil Requiem is one such vehicle of catharsis. Though I have yet to formally declare it, in the broader sense of the word. Ask anybody close to me, and they will probably tell you that my taste in the interactive narrative space does not extend to horror. Making it all the more surprising when the ninth entry of the Resident Evil franchise, with its captivating visuals and intriguing characters, drew me into its horror infested world. To be clear, this is the first Resident Evil game I have ever played all the way through. I have dabbled h...

  Hamnet (2025) “Don't be sad Hamnet, I shall be well.” “I shall not. Not without you." “I'll be brave.” -Hamnet (2025) In all honesty, there aren't enough words to express the sheer poignancy of this film. Hamnet is an exercise in empathy to the most powerful degree. Though, even that phrase seems hollow and reductive in the face of the immense weight of sadness that pervades the thematic core of this beautiful parental tragedy. Hamnet abides in a place of waiting, a place where the terminus of grief seems eternally distant from its unlooked for start. However, time is your ally in these cycles of sorrow. At first, it may seem counter to the seeking after healing, though it is the traversal through this sadness that allows for the possibility of joy. It is the passage of time that allows us to remember our heart, and its beating truth, love is born out of suffering and its return echoes its beginning. Hamnet poignantly holds all these human truths in its skil...