The Monthly Roundup - May 2024

This was definitely somewhat of a sparse month yet again. May mostly consisted of a lot of complex personal matters, but the roundup must press on!

Movies & TV

• The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) -- I guess you could say that this is kind of a comfort movie for me. I've seen this film enough times to the point where the jokes and emotional climax don't hit as hard anymore, but I would be lying if I said that this wasn't one of the best animated kids movies of the 2000s, and even up til now. It's unironically a masterpiece, especially considering the source material they had to work with. If I had been allowed to watch Spongebob as a four-year-old, this easily could have been one of my fondest moviegoing memories.

• Knuckles (2024) -- As a Sonic fan, it took me quite a while to get through this whole show, despite it only being six episodes long. Yeah, I am quite nitpicky about this production, but I generally stand with everyone else saying that Knuckles himself should have had more screentime. As a side-project in anticipation for Sonic 3 later this year, it was enjoyable enough, but not something that longtime fans like myself will find much to relish in. I kind of felt like I hallucinated episode 4.

• The Edge of Seventeen (2016) - I really enjoyed this movie! I never really knew much about it before queuing it up one night, but I'd wanted to watch it for a while. I don't think this is in any way an original comment, but it reminded me a lot of Lady Bird, which was interesting since this movie came a year prior. If you liked that movie, then you'll definitely like this one. After seeing this, it's no wonder Sony wanted Hailee Steinfeld for Spider-Verse. Speaking of which:

• Madame Web (2024) -- I would definitely recommend watching this movie under the condition that you are anything other than sober!

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) - This exists in the same tier as Spongebob '04 in my opinion. I randomly popped this on one night while doing laundry, and while it may have been the nostalgia talking, I seriously have to commend them for how well this movie came together. The entire production feels so monumental despite being constrained to a middle school setting. This whole movie is filled with some of the best child performances I've ever seen, and knowing that so many of the film's cast still keep in touch is incredibly heartwarming. You probably won't get much out of this movie if you didn't grow up with the books, but it's really stood the test of time, in my opinion.

Books

• Bone by Jeff Smith (Books 4-7) -- The plot thickens! I am still enjoying my time with the Bone series, even though I'm getting the lore a little tangled from time to time. I've got two books to go, although I realized that I don't actually have book #9, so I'll need to scower the library for that one sometime soon.

Games

• Sonic Mania (mobile) -- I consider Mania to be one of, if not, my favorite Sonic game of all time, and it just recently made the switch to mobile devices via Netflix earlier this month. Touch controls do hinder the experience a little bit, but it's still the same game I know and love. You are seriously getting a good value with this game if you have a Netflix subscription, so please give it a shot!

• Sonic Origins Plus (Switch) -- Since Mania put me in the mood for more classic Sonic, I began a full playthrough of "mission mode" in Sonic Origins Plus. It was actually my first time playing through all of Sonic CD, and it was okay. Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles are definitely the stand-out games in this collection, so I enjoyed those the most, but the whole package was decently comfortable.
  

Theatre

• Jersey Boys (Fort Wayne Civic Theatre) - Golly gee, this show was impressive. So much music, so much characterization, so many memorable performances. I was fortunate to know a good chunk of the performers in this production, and it was undoubtedly some of their best work. Judging by the night that I went, as well as seeing the reception to it on social media, this was probably the biggest show of Civic's recent season, and what a way to go out!

• Little Shop of Horrors (Indiana Repertory Theatre) -- I've wanted to see this show live for a long time, and this was my first time seeing a proper production of it, and it was every bit as fun as I hoped it would be! The chemistry among the cast was incredibly genuine, and the costume design was particularly great. This is only the second show I've seen at IRT, but I wish I lived closer to the Indianapolis area so that I could see more from them.

• The Father (First Presbyterian Theatre) - Gah, what a gut-wrencher. I didn't know what I was going to walk away with after I saw this show, but I feel like I got the ultimate taste of not taking things for granted. This show felt very intimate and personal, which is some of my favorite theatre to experience: a smaller production with a big impression.

Medical conditions

• Asthma - Can't recommend it.