by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: You finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot.
Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, TV show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
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It seems that releasing a video game film in April is a surefire way to ensure success, as evidenced by The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, and this year with A Minecraft Movie. No matter the scoffs that might have otherwise been shed by doubting audiences, the Jack Black-led franchise hit theaters to a wave of applause, excitement, and memes that definitely went a little too far at times — if you don’t believe me, ask the cinema staff who had to clean gallons of soda and buckets of popcorn during to a certain feathered undead character cameo.
However, that’s neither here nor there. Now that the block-inspired mayhem has begun to die down a little, fans might find themselves hoping to enjoy it a little longer. To continue sampling the flavors offered up to them by the film. If this description includes you, then you know just what to do: Continue reading…
Book: Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Some of the people who walked away from A Minecraft Movie might have just been exhilarated enough to delve further into video game content all hours of the day. If this is the case, then there is a novel that has taken the elements of found family, video game lore, and meta referencing, and put it together into an introspective look into what it means to be the designer of it all.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a story about friendship. Sam and Sadie are childhood friends-turned-creative partners who have decided to collaborate on a brand new experience in video game design. As they succeed in their goals, and start to weather the effects of fame and fortune, their ambition, hearts, and friendship are tested in unexpected ways. Taking place over 30 years, intermingling love, identity, failure, and video game play, this is a moving story of connection that redefines what a love story can be.
Considered by some to be a modern coming-of-age for the Gen X crowd, this novel manages to combine the magic of nostalgia, with the realities of modern gaming — in a way, quite similarly to a certain new movie with fan favourite, Jack Black.
What some might consider to be an exploration of a toxic relationship, others might find a refreshing look at what is the reality of how a relationship between two complex people may grow, and grow apart.
TV Show: Secret Level
Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer, Mega Man, Pac-Man —do all of these sound incredibly familiar? They’re all infamous game titles, just like Minecraft. So would you like to see even more beloved titles come to life in the ways of Arcane and popular anthology series Love, Death & Robots?
If yes, you’re in luck! All of those element, and more make themselves known in this new series by Tim Miller (Deadpool, Sonic the Hedgehog, Love, Death & Robots).
An animated anthology series, each episode explores a different video game franchise, blending its well-loved lore with cinematic storytelling. Exploring genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and psychological drama, this show is also teeming with an incredible voice cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart, and Laura Bailey.
It’s an exploration in creativity, and an exercise in gaming excellence, as you get to see the world’s that you may have already spent multiple hours in, but in a completely new way.
Not every episode might be appealing, but the point is that there will probably be at least one story or adaptation that will hit exactly where it needs to. The success was enough to bolster a second season, but for now, this is a great first step, as video game retelling starts rising in popularity with every month that passes.
Album/Podcast: Flight of the Conchords: Live in London
Now it’s possible that one of the ear worms from A Minecraft Movie has made its way into your brain and hasn’t left since the cinema. Perhaps that ear worm was the one that made its way over was by none other than half of the iconic Kiwi duo that once graced our screens alongside collaborator Taika Waititi — Bret McKenzie’s “Could this be Love?”
If you haven’t heard of them before, Flight of the Conchords is a musical comedy duo-turned-television-show-turned-actual music act that was originally cooked up by New Zealand comedians Jemaine Clement (eagle eyed fans might have also spot him in the movie), McKenzie, and Waititi. From their origin as part of a five-man band, into their time as a successful duo, they have become a staple of down under comedy.
Cut to the late 2010s, and while the different members had moved on to bigger and better things, they got back together for a comedy special, Live in London,hosted at the Apollo in London, and filmed for HBO.
However, we’re here for an audio experience, which brings me to 2019. The show was so successful that it was properly released as a double live album, featuring some classic songs, and six brand new tracks.
Capturing the essence of their live performances, this is a one stop shop for all things Flight of the Conchords, making it highly enjoyable for veteran fans, and inviting for brand new ones.
Video Game: Vintage Story
So now we have come to game play. Obviously, if you loved A Minecraft Movie, you should go play the Minecraft game. That seems pretty standard. However, if you’re looking to move beyond the obvious, or maybe you’ve already played your heart out on the former, then may I recommend an alternative option that still focuses on survival and building, but in a slightly different manner.
A sandbox survival game, Vintage Story focuses on immersive, hands-on crafting, and exploration — very similar to the titular film of the month. Players take on the role of a seraph, where they must navigate generated worlds with realistic biomes and structures, while avoiding ending up in a distorted “rust” world that’s filled with dangerous creatures. There’s also a gameplay mechanic to do with temporal stability, which adds just the slightest tinge of philosophy to this already intriguing build game.
Inspired by eldritch horror themes, this is considered to be the level up version of Minecraft, uncompromising in its outcome, yet wholly customizable, and seemingly endless. There is also a storytelling aspect that one must uncover through their playing of the game, and hitting the right beats at the right time. Who are you playing as, really? That, my friends, is the ultimate question to unearth throughout this Vintage story.
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It’s been a whale of a time, or should I say a zombie… From a complex novel to further explorations in beloved title narratives to funny music, and survival sandboxes, there are plenty of weird and wonderful worlds for any fan of Minecraft to inhabit until its inevitable sequel. June will see us pick apart what May presents to us, so until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop — we hope to see you again soon!
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd