Opus Digest for September 2022
Some of my favorite things that I posted on Opus in the previous month.
With a constant stream of articles, posts, and tweets, it’s hard to know what you’ve missed. Therefore, I’ve compiled a list of the previous month’s posts and reviews (i.e., the Reader’s Digest version of Opus).
Sep 1: September 2022’s Best Streaming Titles: Abbott Elementary, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Fight Club
Elementary school comedy, a return to Middle-earth, a galaxy far, far away, Tyler Durden, and more.
Sep 1: Review Roundup: Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Critics respond to the first two episodes of Amazon’s billion-dollar adaptation of Tolkien’s works.
Sep 2: My Cultural Diet (August 2022): Predator, Cinnamon Rolls, The Sandman, The Incredibles
A quick rundown of last month’s cultural experiences.
Sep 7: “The 15th Antiphon” by A Glass Darkly
The first release from former members of The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus is in support of Ukrainian refugees.
Sep 9: Remembering Newtype USA
During the early-to-mid ’00s, Newtype USA served up all of the anime coverage an American otaku could want, and then some.
Sep 9: Your Favorite Pop Culture Has Just Gone “Woke.” Now What?
Accusations of “wokeness” are fascinating, not because I agree with them, but because of the semblance of legitimacy that surrounds them.
Sep 10: Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Wicked City Is a Sleek, Stylish (and Stomach-Churning) ’80s Anime Classic (Review)
Wicked City tells a compelling story with style to spare, but its body horror and sexual violence is probably too much for most viewers (myself included).
Sep 13: What’s the deal with The Rings of Power’s opening credits?
The series’ opening credits are a clever, and meaningful, Tolkien deep cut.
Sep 14: Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury by Matt Hinton (Review)
This documentary about the indie Christian band has the requisite rock n’ roll drama, but also offers some deeper ruminations on faith and art.
Sep 15: Sustain Series, Volume 3 by Various Artists (Review)
With the Sustain series, ambient artists repurpose old and unused material, with uniformly excellent results.
Sep 20: New Subscriber Playlist: “Songs for the Cooldown”
Subscribers can listen to a collection of songs that’ll prepare them for the impending autumn.
Sep 21: French Magician Markobi’s FISM-Winning Card Routine
Markobi’s routine feels like it could fall apart at any moment — which is precisely what makes it so enjoyable.
Sep 23: The Upper Air by Fred Baty (Review)
These eight songs are effortlessly pretty, weaving delicate guitar melodies together with dreamy atmospherics.
Sep 26: The Road Not Taken by Ecovillage (Review)
The Swedish duo release their most austere and purely ambient album to date.
Sep 28: Watch: Roadside Monument Reunite at Furnace Fest 2022
Time has done nothing to blunt the band’s intense, intricate, and emotional brand of post-hardcore.
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