Elijah Gonzalez

Cracking Angel's Egg is a fool's errand, but let's try anyway Forty years later, Angel's Egg finally reached U.S. theaters. To celebrate we attempted to crack the film wide open.

For its 40th anniversary and 4K re-release, I took a crack at unraveling the enigmatic all-timer Angel's Egg, while also acknowledging that fully "figuring out" the movie is impossible and kind of missing the point.

Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe on what it takes for art to "survive beyond" We interviewed Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe about his work, where his love of overseas culture came from, and what's next.

I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.

Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe on what it takes for art to "survive beyond" We interviewed Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe about his work, where his love of overseas culture came from, and what's next.

I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.

PSA: We're over at the A.V. Club now.

yeah so here’s the news

I reviewed Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, a frantic animated anthology that elevates the chaos, strangeness, and pathos of its source material. Another excellent adaptation of Fujimoto's work, this dude signed his soul away or something.

I've really been enjoying May I Ask For One Final Thing? mostly because it's about monstrous rich people getting their shit rocked by a heroine nicknamed "The Bloodstained Lady."

Six Missing Children Have Haunted These Arcade Cabinets For Decades. Why? For 40 years the faces of missing children have haunted arcades from inside a miniature golf video game.

why are there missing children posters coded into Mini Golf and other Bally Sente arcade cabinets?

for @endlessmode.bsky.social, I tried to get to the bottom of it.

Sanda (aka the buff Santa Claus anime) continues to be one of the most interesting shows of the season, and its latest episode offered a suprisingly robust critique of anti-queer politics in Japan and Class S Tropes. Never judge a book by its cover etc.

I got blindsided by the Egg game in a way that was very enjoyable.

I reviewed Star Wars Visions Volume 3: overall, a bit of a step down from the previous two volumes, but it features a weirdo experimental short (Ep 9, “Black”) that everyone needs to see.

Just in time for the big day, we updated our best horror games of all time list to include one of last year's standouts.

Five Horror Games That Need To Be Re-Released It's hard to play many old games, and that's even more true when it comes to horror. Here are five horror games that deserve a re-release.

It's hard to play many old games, and that's even more true when it comes to horror. @elijahgonzalez.bsky.social looks at five horror games that deserve a re-release on current hardware. www.endlessmode.com/video-games/...

Capcom, please let me play Haunting Ground and/or Sweet Home.

I wrote about the very good Chainsaw Man movie and how it further solidifies the series as a preeminent tragedy of the moment.

I wrote about the very good Chainsaw Man movie and how it further solidifies the series as a preeminent tragedy of the moment.

The Six Types of Anime Openings Anime openings can serve dramatically different purposes, from setting a show's tone to pulling the rug out from under us. We've come up with six categories to classify them.

Anime openings can serve dramatically different purposes, from setting a show's tone to pulling the rug out from under us. We've come up with six categories to classify them. www.endlessmode.com/article/the-...

I reviewed 100 Meters, a movie about trying to outrun the absurdity of human existence; it's very good!

Silent Hill f Returns the Series To What It Always Should Have Been: An Anthology Silent Hill f delivers on something that was set up by Silent Hill 2 and then forgotten: the promise of Silent Hill as an anthology series.

Silent Hill f pays off something that was established in Silent Hill 2, but then forgotten: the promise of this series as an anthology. @elijahgonzalez.bsky.social on how the latest game frees itself of lore and plot-specific baggage to tell its own very good, but still very Silent Hill story.

Silent Hill f is a perfect example of what happens when a game isn't weighed down by established lore and canon; it can actually tell a new story. It's the anthology Silent Hill was meant to be before the series became increasingly obsessed with its past (and that damn cult) after Silent Hill 2.

in my section alone, we're running monthly pieces about women-fronted action movies, Blaxploitation soundtracks, new Criterion releases, and frequent actor-director collaborations. Plus, reviewing all the new stuff. No AI, no herbs, no glorified PR

Silent Hill f is a perfect example of what happens when a game isn't weighed down by established lore and canon; it can actually tell a new story. It's the anthology Silent Hill was meant to be before the series became increasingly obsessed with its past (and that damn cult) after Silent Hill 2.

Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 Is A New Template For HD Remasters Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 on the Switch 2 restores Mario’s past without reinventing it—and that’s a good thing.

"are games art?" is out

"here's how Mario Galaxy is like the Sistine Chapel" is in

my latest @endlessmode.bsky.social:

Belt Looks Weird On Child

Belt Looks Weird On Child

Even as a complete Lumines newbie, 90 minutes with Lumines Arise completely converted me: maybe it won't be quite as impactful as Tetris Effect, but man, it's just as entrancing.

I wrote up our list of the best anime premieres of the fall: Spy x Family is back, May I Ask For One Final Thing? is the best kind of wish-fulfilmment (evil rich men getting punched in the nose), and dear god, the horse girl show is an alarmingly well-constructed sports drama.

It is very funny to me that this is getting another adaptation which looks like its doing its own thing, but I honestly don't know how you look at that key visual and think anything besides "that looks sick as hell."

I played a bunch of Steam Next Fest demos and came up with a list of five you definitely want to check out. We've got some long-awaited Devolver releases, a PSX flavored real time/turn based hybrid that I haven't seen anyone talk about, and a game about a psychic baby. Something for everyone, etc.

I played a bunch of Steam Next Fest demos and came up with a list of five you definitely want to check out. We've got some long-awaited Devolver releases, a PSX flavored real time/turn based hybrid that I haven't seen anyone talk about, and a game about a psychic baby. Something for everyone, etc.

In ‘Toxic Yuri’ Manga Black and White, A Co-Worker’s Fist Feels Like A Kiss Black and White: Tough Love At The Office looks at how male-dominated workplaces pit women against each other.

for @endlessmode.bsky.social - I wrote about yuri manga 'Black & White' and how it depicts the way women get pitted against each other under capitalism.