Some members of TLS choose to get a little unhinged during our review of Meryl Streep showcase, Sophie’s Choice, #91 on the AFI list. [Aggregate score: 4.75]

Please welcome Lee Esposito of Ritterhaus Productions, director of the award winning indie horror flick, Lillith (Check out the trailer here)! We got to chat with Lee a bit last week about his path to becoming a filmmaker, taking inspiration from other films, and his directorial debut among other fun stuff. So turn up and…

TLS jumps into the driver’s seat to review a historical flick about men building cars to get the best of other men who have also built cars. [Aggregate score 5.3]

In this short and bittersweet story, TLS explores what it is to be trapped between two worlds via forced technology.[Aggregate score: 9.6]

TLS scams their way into a review of Bong Joon-ho’s smart and sassy modern satire, Parasite.[Aggregate score: 9.3]

Trapped together in a claustrophobic and disconcerting situation, TLS navigates a review of the often disturbing, sometimes humorous, but constantly compelling sophomore effort by Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse. [Aggregate score: 9.6]

TLS celebrates their 5th annual MOTS-O-Ween by giving the fifth “Halloween” sequel the lowest score in MOTS history. More like the revenge of lazy film makers. [Aggregate score: 1.5]

Three men trudge through dangerous and mysteriously mystical ruins in search of themselves. We also review this Russian film about the same.[Aggregate score: 9]

Helpless people scream, “My god!” as TLS breaks down the original king of monster movies.[Aggregate score: 8]

TLS makes a deal with a demon to review this dark fairy tale set in Basque country. [Aggregate score: 9.25]

Marital problems are compounded by vengeful ghosts when TLS discovers what lies beneath the Bollywood horror scene. [Aggregate score: 3.5]

Two men enter, one brain leaves. Chris and J. Ian fight off nefarious aliens with bizarre humor while discussing this early Peter Jackson flick.[Aggregate score: 6]

In the haunting outskirts of Iran, TLS encounters a vampire and the (accidental) drug dealer who loved her.[Aggregate score: 9]

The Lost Signals joins a group of Brooklynites led by Gabrielle Puglia for The Hero’s Benefit, dedicated to benefiting US Military service members and their families. Event hosting courtesy of The Wicked Monk restaurant and bar. Facebook: The Hero’s Benefit BKInstagram: @theherosbenefitbk Daniel Rodriguezwww.danielrodrigueztenor.comInstagram: Drodtenor1 Twitter: @carusso239 Angela SbanoFacebook: Angela SbanoYouTube: Angela Sbano Pinups for Pitbullswww.pinupsforpitbulls.org

Two old crew reflect a bit on Breaking Bad and review the Netflix film follow up to its story, El Camino. [Aggregate score: 9]

Taking a starting point from this video/essay on the RE2 Remake, TLS delves into some of the (possible) connections between Nietzsche’s idea of the ubermensch, and the systems/mechanics within the game.

TLS sinks their Freudian fangs into a discussion on analyzing the prevalence of the vampire myth in pop culture.

On a forbidden secret island, TLS discover who the real monsters are in the 1933 classic, King Kong.[Aggregate score: 8]

The Lost Signals retain their sense of humor while discussing the complex and controversial themes –as well as Joaquin Phoenix’s landmark performance– in Todd Phillips’, “Joker.” [Aggregate score 8.75]

Join TLS in discovering the secrets behind the veil of reality in this detective/psychological cosmic horror story as we head into the 2019 Halloween season.[Aggregate score: 8.3]

TLS bears witness to a star-crossed love affair that spans both sides of the Iron Curtain in Pawel Pawlikowski’s, “Cold War.” [Aggregate score: 8.75]

Harkening back to the era of silent film, TLS follows a subpar plot with excellent visuals in Sunrise.[Aggregate score: 5.3]

Such is the gravity of Heart of Darkness that its resonance can be felt far away in space. The caveat being the further the signal travels, the less clear it seems, ala Ad Astra.[Aggregate score: 5.75]

Look closely as TLS attempts to definitively parse out what Easter eggs actually are in videogames, and highlight some of the best (and conversely, worst) instances of them. Check out What Culture’s video mentioned in this one.

We continue our journey through foreign language films with a review of The Lives of Others, a movie about life in state-controlled East Germany shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. [Aggregate score: 9.6]

On the rainy plains and in the classrooms of Venus, TLS experiences the sun for the first time in this Ray Bradbury short story.[Aggregate score: 5.75]

TLS returns to the root of their childhood nightmares to confront and overcome them in Part 2 of the modern film adaptation of Stephen King’s IT. [Aggregate score: 8.3]

Stopping down in South America on their global cinema tour, TLS hangs out with a renowned author returning to his hometown to find out what people really think of him and his work. [Aggregate score: 10]

TLS discusses film, proportionality, and just war theory. Faraci: https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/06/15/the-strangely-cruel-and-unusual-death-in-jurassic-world Hurka: https://www.kean.edu/~gkahn/PS4130/hurka.pdf Jurassic Word clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBTE3aH5gpw

After exploring the original story of Heart of Darkness, we review with extreme prejudice what is perhaps its greatest successor, Apocalypse Now. [Aggregate score: 10]

“Droll thing life is — that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself — that comes too late…”With those words in mind, join TLS for Part 1 of 2 in which we analyze and critique Joseph Conrad’s influential novella, Heart of…

TLS sits down with writer/director Andres Rovira to chat about his recently released film, Between the Darkness (see trailer here) as well as his filmmaking experiences leading up to it. About Andres: Originally from Miami, Florida, I’m an LA-based filmmaker. My writing/directing work spans films, digital shorts and commercials for brands such as Forbes, J….

Tag along with TLS as we attempt to parse out what exactly counts as a companion in videogames, and which ones were integrated well, and which ones definitely were not.

War, war never changes. Score: 8.25

The Lost Signals recaps Pinups for Pitbulls Bow Wow Luau 2019 at Bootleg Mannings, Staten Island, Saturday, August 3rd, 2019!

TLS travels to the troubled land of Timbuktu in this nuanced look at the life and times of the city and its citizens under extremist occupation. [Aggregate score: 8]

Sailing on the soundscapes from the days of future past, TLS steps into the genre known as synthwave; tracking its precursors and influences while highlighting some of their current favorite artists producing this unique style of music. NOTE: All samples are solely the property of their respective owners/creators, used here only for review/ analysis purposes….

In Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film release, TLS salutes the fading days of Golden Age tinsel town through a meta-Western bent. [Aggregate score: 9]

TLS discusses and debates the intricacies and pitfalls of charity work, blockchains, cryptocurrencies, statism and much more in Ken Liu’s polarizing story, Byzantine Empathy. [Aggregate score: 7.75]

TLS attempt to become “real men” in the off-beat quirky dark comedy, The Art of Self-Defense.[Aggregate score: 8]

When toys come alive via CGI, we scrutinize their motivations as well as the legacy of digitally animated films, in the original Toy Story. [Aggregate score: 7]

TLS visits a secluded Swedish community and explores themes of relationships and grief in Ari Aster’s masterful Midsommar. [Aggregate score: 10]

A quite short story with nevertheless more than a bit to say on dissolving relationships, TLS reviews Lawn Dad by Lincoln Michel. [Aggregate score: 8]

TLS spins a web or two in their discussion of Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Don’t forget to pack your suit. [Aggregate score 9.5]

A dramatic tale dealing with the repercussions of divorce, Alzheimer’s, and pushing people down the stairs. Score: 10

Chucky’s back, Jack! TLS takes on the modern reimagining of the classic killer doll in the 2019 version of Child’s Play. [Aggregate score: 8]

E3 rolls around for 2019 and TLS dives in once more to cherry-pick items of interest to discuss from it.

Remember, the second best Bill Murray zombie film is still the first loser. Aggregate Score: 6.5

International sci-fi flies on with an anime-based movie about the plucky crew of Earth’s last spaceship and their final mission against an alien threat. [Aggregate score: 7.5]

Returning to their childhood before all the world-weary cynicism set in, TLS experiences the original wonder of this classic Spielberg flick which sits at #24 on the AFI list.[Aggregate score: 8.5]

TLS discusses the final installment of this X-Men timeline, Dark Phoenix. [Aggregate score: 7.75]

TLS dives backward in time to review masterfully moody French short, La Jetée, the precursor and genesis to 12 Monkeys. [Aggregate score: 9]

On the trail of big-name franchise adaptations, TLS discovers one that’s quite decently done in Pokemon Detective Pikachu. Also known as: Ryan Reynolds’ Dick Pik. [Aggregate score: 7.5]

The TLS crew gathers around the fireplace to reminisce about the good old days of anthology series and whether these new-fangled, stream-driven anthologies can compete. What sad old-men they are…

Reality is perception; TLS dissects this idea through the mirror of Akira Kurosawa’s famous and influential Rashomon. [Aggregate score: 8]

Taking on the third entry in the tales of master assassin John Wick, TLS decides how on target the latest in series lands. [Aggregate score: 8]

With an idea spawned from a drunken encounter, TLS embarks on a path to discern differences between a narrative’s emotional arcs compared to its logical storyline climaxes, as framed through a range of pop culture works.

TLS investigates a complex web of murders, real estate deals, incest and cover-ups in 1930s Los Angeles. Forget all those other noir films, it’s Chinatown. [Aggregate score: 10]

Surrounded on all sides, TLS attempts to navigate another genre definition, as well as the games that may fall under it, this time specifically concerning bullets hells and their variations.

Our Asian martial arts flavored odyssey continues with a stolen statue head in Thailand, and the man determined to get it back at all costs, in Ong-Bak. [Aggregate score: 9]

Our foreign wanderings bring TLS to the lands of Asia for a review of martial arts flick, Ip Man.[Aggregate score: 8]

A decade-long chapter of the MCU comes to a climatic close in the epic in scope (and length) Avengers: Endgame. [Aggregate score: 9.5]

Operatic hijinks ensue as TLS covers the second (and better) Marx Brothers movie on the AFI list, A Night at the Opera. [Aggregate score: 7.6]

TLS backtracks and upgrades themselves during a discussion on the idea and appeal of Metroidvania style games.

In a strange apartment in post-apocalyptic France, TLS finds love and escapes being turned into mincemeat. [Aggregate score: 9]

Continuing our foray into foreign territory, TLS sneaks into the projectionist booth to follow the poignant tale of “Toto” Salvatore’s lifelong love affair with film in Italian classic, Cinema Paradiso. [Aggregate score: 9]

TLS finds themselves upon sour land, deciding that sometimes dead is indeed better in a review of the 2019 version of Pet Sematary, which definitely came back wrong. [Aggregate score: 3]

TLS travels to the old Swedish country to peddle their love potions, debate the depths of deception, and review Ingmar Bergman’s The Magician. [Aggregate score: 9]

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead: The Final Season ______________________________________________________________________________ As some may be familiar with by now, and as covered on our industry wrap up a bit earlier, Telltale games spectacularly and unexpectedly imploded last year, shuttering the studio and leaving the fate of The Walking Dead series that put them on…

TLS bids a sad salute and fond farewell to the recently cancelled Netflix Marvel series, and looks to the possible future of the smaller-scale suite of Marvel shows.

TLS enters into a dark realm of witch covens and avant-garde dance troupes in our review of the 2018 version of Suspiria. [Aggregate score: 9.3]

The GDC winners for this year were announced about a week back, and so it’s back to me to check in with my predictions and see how I fared. Let’s just press start and go into it then: Best Audio: My pick: Red Dead Redemption 2 GDC: Celeste Wrong on all fronts to begin with…

We’re back with our picks for the best games of 2018, as well as some not-so-top, a few in-between, and a look at some of the intriguing forthcoming titles of 2019. A few friends mentioned in this episode: Michelle Iannantuono of Octopunk Media, who we interviewed last year, has recently released a trailer for an…

Facing our own dopplegangers, we take on Jordan Peele’s latest (and arguably greatest) modern horror film. [Aggregate score: 10]

Our exploration into narrative turns to selections on why novels are not poems. Reading: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~carlos/607/readings/bakhtin.pdf

TLS goes back to back in time to 1995 to discuss the newest Avenger who’s always been there, “Captain Marvel.” [Aggregate score 8.25]

TLS opens this new season of Games Culture with a look back at some of the big, and often bad, noteworthy occurrences from around and within the video gaming industry in the past year.

TLS travels back to 1962 to discuss number 62 on the AFI, George Lucas’ “American Graffiti.” The Wolfman says, have a popsicle! [Aggregate score 6.75]

We get mad as hell in a not-quite review, but more of an impression/discussion of the recent Broadway production of classic AFI film Network (which we did review previously) featuring Bryan Cranston in the role of Howard Beale.

TLS grapples with the problems of A.I. and identity in this intriguing although often opaque short sci-fi story. [Aggregate score: 7.5]

Hello one and all, and welcome to the inaugural Errant Indication…ies where, along with your help, we pick the best movies of the year because the Academy has no idea what they’re doing. If your interested on our thoughts on that, we did just put out a couple of episodes — The Morganaissance: A Conversation…

Sail away on a methane-powered dirigible with TLS as we embark on a steampunk spy thriller/romance in this story. [Aggregate score: 7]

Well… Green Book won Best Picture. Here’s Gigli. [Aggregate score 2.25]

It’s MOTScars season again, and anarchy reigns as TLS proceeds without a show-host in their discussion of the good, the bad, and the snubbed films of the 2019 Oscars. Join us for this very special episode as Steevo and Scott try to balance Ian’s shame with Chris’ insufferable monologues.  Cue the music!

Another year, another Oscars discussion with returning friend of the show, Morgan Goldin. We go in depth about the nominees, what we liked, what bugged us, and what films we thought were snubbed. Morgan is a filmmaker himself and his work can be found at www.morgangoldin.com.He also does an annual supercut rundown of his favorite…

TLS gets themselves committed in order to review this AFI film about life in a psyche ward. [Aggregate score: 9.75]

TLS confronts their awkward and traumatic middle-school memories that surface in Bo Burhnam’s, “Eighth Grade.” [Aggregate score 9.5]

A few collected clips and moments (should be spoiler-lite at most, and definitely skill-free) to accompany the dialogue tree article touting the recently released and excellent Resident Evil 2 remake.

Already in this new year I find myself having a bout of déjà vu, in a good way. Back in early February of 2017, I wrote a piece on Resident Evil 7 and how it had, in my opinion, achieved a much-needed revitalization of the long-standing survival horror franchise. It sold quite well and was…

We attempt to hold onto what we’ve got while it lasts during a review of this dreamily evocative short story. [Aggregate score: 8.25]

TLS declares what makes the rockin’ world go ’round, and that does not include this film, which should get on its bike and ride. [Aggregate score: 2.75]

The Signals start to experience some unsteady, and some may say even nauseous, feelings over highly acclaimed Hitchcock classic, Vertigo. [Aggregate score: 7.6]

The Lost Signals recently watched and reviewed this year’s Oscars darling, a story about the facade of celebrity. It’s A Star is Born. [Aggregate Score: 9.25]

TLS returns to its proper, formalistic roots with a discussion of Russian folktales via selections from Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale.  Enjoy?

Join TLS as we intensely get caught up in Barry Jenkin’s masterful cinematic version of James Baldwin’s “If Beale Street Could Talk.” [Aggregate score: 10]

We decide not to review, but instead attempt to discuss at length the recent Black Mirror choose-your-adventure-style special, Bandersnatch, while also trying not to go insane doing so. Big thanks again to Bob Camp for our amazing studio portrait. Check out more from him at: Bob Lab Studios Bob Camp Art

TLS invites you to court to hear us weave through a narrative of monologues, handjobs and intrigue in The Favourite.[Aggregate score: 9.3]

Time marches on, the new year has arrived, and thus the GDC has announced their nominees for the upcoming awards in March. And as I’m no exception to being a slave to time, I also once again will go over certain categories, (i.e. the ones I’m personally most interested in) giving my thoughts and predictions on…

TLS takes a dive off the deep end as they discuss the DCEU’s other good movie, “Aquaman.” [Aggregate score 9.00]

The Signals take a look at the life and legacy of former Vice President Dick Cheney through the lens of Adam McKay’s signature style in his latest flick. [Aggregate score: 8]

Yippee Ki-yay, podcast listeners. It’s our review of the greatest action film and Christmas film of all time. [Aggregate Score 10.00]

A few minutes, perhaps even amusing and/or entertaining ones at that, of some screwing around with one of the new dynamic nature elements in Just Cause 4. It’s basically the Michael Bay of videogames, but kinda better.

TLS endures the Marx Brothers’ satirical political shtick-storm that is “Duck Soup.” We never forget a movie, but in this case we’ll make an exception, with a hey-nani-nani and a *honk honk.* [Aggregate score: 2.25]

TLS takes a trip to Mexico City circa 1970 to follow along with the captivating drama of Roma.[Aggregate score: 9.3]

TLS taps the vein of “The Junky’s Christmas.” William S. Burroughs’ bittersweet tale of a down-on-his-luck addict during the holidays, and to determine whether he/they are filled with the Christmas spirit, or the Grim Reaper. [Aggregate score: 9.25]

The Signals crew makes a deal with the devil to review the newly re-imagined Netflix series, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.[Aggregate score: 9]

This year’s Game Awards have just come and gone, and so it is time of course to insert my thoughts about the nominees and winners, in some of the categories of main interest to me at least. As usual, my standard disclaimer of I played what I was able to play stands, but will of…

The Lost Signals look at a chapter on Narratology from a textbook Steevo found.  

We sat down to discuss Green Book and the conversation got a little bit heated. Join us for our take on this feel good, buddy road trip movie. [Aggregate score: 8.6]  

The Lost Signals sits down in a well-lighted studio to discuss Ernest Hemingway’s atmospheric vignette, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” Bring your own brandy, the service here is terrible. [Aggregate score 9.25]

TLS plunders the depths of the AFI list to decide if everyone’s favorite worst-archeologist-ever hero is deserving of a place on it. [Aggregate score: 7]

We keep as silent as possible while reviewing a “missed” film from earlier in the year that was fairly well-received. Check out our take on A Quiet Place. [Aggregate score: 7.75]  

TLS tries to redeem themselves by offering up a review of Netflix/Marvel joint venture Daredevil, Season 3. [Aggregate score: 9]  

Below is the transcript of my talk given at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Pop & American Culture Association. Check out the full episode here at the Games & Gaming Culture section of the site.   Play to Pay: The Machinations of Microtransactions & the Lure of Loot Boxes Welcome everyone. Today I’ll be speaking about microtransactions/loot…

TLS have been very busy boys recently, but a few of us found some moments to spare this year to attend, and one of us to actually present again at the 29th Mid-Atlantic Pop & American Culture Association (MAPACA). Always a great time put on by a fantastic and important organization. Hopefully next year more…

TLS put on their big boy pants to investigate fecal-related crimes along with American Vandal Season 2. [Aggregate score: 10]

TLS takes one giant step towards deciding if Neil Armstrong’s personal story makes for quality film. [Aggregate score: 8.6]    

On this bonus episode Matt and Jesse of the American Slacker Podcast sit down with Steve and Scott of The Lost Signals and discuss the soon to release Bethesda production, Fallout 76. The guys dive into the Fallout timeline, what to expect and much more! Check out more stuff from the Slackers at the book…

MOTS-O-Ween 2018 concludes with The Return of Another Hollywood Halloween cash-grab. All trick, no treat! [Aggregate score 2.75]

In the Amazon jungle, a lonely merman’s paradise is permanently polluted and his courtship curtailed by colonialists with spears, nets, and too many outfits in 1954’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” [Aggregate score 5.25]  

Chaos, madness, train wrecks and unhealthy relationships are all topics of discussion in our review of “The Invisible Man,” starring the voice of Claude Rains. [Aggregate score 8.33]  

TLS unearths some recurring themes, a couple fine performances and a creepy love triangle from the sarcophagus of 1932’s “The Mummy.” [Aggregate score 6.75]    

Angry mobs with torches, the titular doctor’s madness and a nameless monster in love, bring discussions of creators and creations in 1931’s “Frankenstein.” [Aggregate score 7.6]  

A new moon, wolfsbane in bloom and a voyeur’s intent is thwarted by a band of gypsies, a wolf and a discussion on the duplicity of the human condition in our review of 1941’s “The Wolf Man.”  [Aggregate score 7.75]  

TLS scare up Universal’s oeuvre of monsters for this year’s MOTS-O-Ween, starting with a discussion of vampires, stalkers and European economics in 1931’s “Dracula” starring Bela Lugosi. Leave the bugs, bring the garlic.  [Aggregate score 8]  

Just in time to lead into our annual MOTS-O-Ween marathon, the latest entry in the grandfather of horror franchises returns for the modern age and manages to recapture what made it great in the first place.  [Aggregate score: 9.5]  

In keeping tradition, TLS closes off this season of Games & Games Culture with a discussion on horror games, this year focusing on their mechanics and design features via this article from Gamasutra.

Travel through time with TLS as we attempt to parse out how best to integrate the conceit of time-travel in videogames, narratively and/or mechanically.  

TLS sees specters and reevaluates their own misconceptions in an AFI review of M. Night Shyamalan’s original horror/thriller. [Aggregate score: 10]

TLS slithers along with Sony’s live adaptation of Marvel’s Venom in all it’s sub-par glory. [Aggregate score: 4]  

The Lost Signals try to discern who is real and who is not in their analysis of John W. Campbell’s (writing as Don A. Stuart) classic tale, “Who Goes There?” [Aggregate score: 8]    

As a precursor to kicking off Halloween season for 2018, TLS reviews the decently generic slasher flick, Hell Fest. [Aggregate score: 6]

Steve and Scott interview filmmaker Michelle Iannantuono about her upcoming feature, “Livescream,” as well as her company, Octopunk Media, and all of the various projects under its tentacles. On Facebook: Octopunk Media Livescream Crowdfunded projects Michelle is promoting: Flesher Killer Assistant

TLS reviews the latest Matt Groening brain-child, Netflix series Disenchantment, while channeling the habits and vices of the show’s characters. [Aggregate score: 8]

Less Dickensian and more Poe-esque, The Signal-Man is a story of ghastly foreshadowing and we’re just the Signals to review it. [Aggregate Score: 7.33]

TLS devolves into beasts while reviewing The Predator, not to be confused with Predator and/or Predators. [Aggregate score: 3. 66]

Join the “cool” section of video games, where exclusivity reigns. But is that a good thing? TLS discusses the nature of exclusive content/titles.

In Bertrand Russell’s brief work, he takes TLS on a tour of philosophical hell, exploring what it means to non-exist.

The TLS crew cleans up their emotional refuse (and ponders re-evaluating their review scale) in Amber Sparks’ wonderfully bittersweet story, The Janitor in Space. [Aggregate score: 6] Published in American Short Fiction, 2014.  

TLS tackles one of the modern day masterpieces that showcases both real life horror and honest humanity in the face of it, in the AFI #8, Schindler’s List. [Aggregate score: 10]

Delve into an ever-changing dungeon with us, as we breakdown and discuss the various facets of the roguelike and roguelite genres.

TLS follows along with a group of inept would-be “martyrs” in absurd British satire flick, Four Lions. [Aggregate score: 8.3]

TLS plays all the parts– past, present, and future– in a review of trope-making Robert A. Heinlein classic, By His Bootstraps [Aggregate score: 9.25]

The Lost Signals discusses the black and white and all the shades of gray in Spike Lee’s latest joint, “BlacKkKlansman.” [Aggregate score: 10]    

TLS looks into the practice of having parents and/or parental figures featured prominently as central characters/themes in videogames.

In the second of an improvised trilogy on the clash between narrative and academic works, The Lost Signals discusses Voltaire’s Micromegas.  

They were built to serve man, but all they did was serve.. as a nuanced look at the development of AI and as a metaphor for the exploitation of workers. What lazy, good-for-nothing robots. Tierra y Libertad Aggregate Score: 8

TLS heads to a small southern town riddled with racial tension to solve a murder (and enjoy some creampies) in this classic police procedural drama. [Aggregate score: 10]

The Lost Signals individually reflect on Podcast Movement 2018. See below the video for some links for a few of the folks we saw in sessions at the conference. Thanks to everyone who made our week awesome. We ran into our friends at Podcast Masters again. If you need someone to run your cast, let…

As the great Epic Rap Battles of History once famously stated: Poe’s poems pwn posers. The posers this time are the so-called “scientists” with their so-called “science.”

TLS enters into a mundane yet bizarre world, uncovering some uncomfortable aspects about corporate practices and themselves in the process, in a review of surrealist flick, Sorry to Bother You. [Aggregate score: 9.5]

Retro style games, it’s a new craze amongst gamers. But is it simply an innocent pastime or is it a cynical ploy by greedy developers to prey upon your man child’s nostalgia? TLS investigates.

The Misplaced Beacons discuss the life and legacy of the great Hollywood director, Alan Smithee. Whoever that is. A little further reading for the curious: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vdx78d/alan-smithee-is-officially-the-worst-hollywood-director-of-all-time-456 https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlanSmithee    

TLS debates the nuances and emerging dynamics of language evolving within the medium of texting, as presented by John McWhorter in this TED Talk.

Hop a small ride in a big world (or vice versa) with TLS as we review the MCU’s latest outing, Ant-Man and the Wasp. [Aggregate score: 7.3]    

Celebrate America’s greatness with Bobcat Goldthwait’s down-to-earth film about a middle age man and a teenage girl on a mission to right the perceived wrongs in society with extreme prejudice. [Aggregate score: 9]

Pony up with the TLS crew as they take aim at the practice of including microtransactions and their ilk in games.  

The Lost Signals recaps Pinups for Pitbulls Bow Wow Luau at Mother Pug’s Saloon, Saturday, June 23rd, 2018! Additional photographs by Daniel Marchelewski Featuring interviews with organizers, contestants and others: Pinups for Pitbulls https//pinupsforpitbulls.org @Pinups4Pitbulls (Twitter) @pinupsforpitbullsinc (Instagram) @pinupsforpitbulls Dayna Doll @daynadoll @dayna__doll (instagram) Serina’s Delights www.serinasdelights.com @serinasdelight www.etsy.com/shop/SerinasDelights Peggy Pineapple @peggypineapple @peggy_pineapple (Instagram) PA…

TLS discusses 2018’s E3 conference, as always, in their own unique manner.

Chris talks with Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc founder, director and model, Deirdre Franklin along with pinup, animal rescuer and musician, Rachel Robinson at the World Dog Expo 2018.

If you’ve listened to our review of A24’s newest horror offering, “Hereditary,” directed by Ari Astar, then you know how much I hated the film. The experience of watching this in the theater was frustrating. I often felt bored due to the tedious nature of most of the scenes, editing and run time. Upon reflection,…

TLS investigates a strange murder with a famous detective duo. [Aggregate Score: 8.33]

TLS tries not to punch each other in the face, either inadvertently or purposefully, in a discussion of co-op games.

TLS ponders their own demons while reviewing one of the latest newer-gen horror flicks, Hereditary. [aggregate score: 6.75]

We read a story of classic fantasy trappings turned on their head. [Aggregate score: 9]  

The Lost Signals takes a long draw from a Spike Lee joint as they discuss, “Do the Right Thing.” Batteries not included. [Aggregate Score: 10]

TLS suits up with Han Solo to follow his solo story feature film, featuring Han Solo in Star Wars. [aggregate score 5.3]

The Lost Signals interviews filmmakers Randy Rock and Erik O’Blivion about their production duties working on the film, “I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday,” as well as their videography business, Hollywood Weddings PA.

TLS joins Mr. Pool in his sequel to ask, can beauty come out of ashes? [aggregate score 8.25]    

The Lost Signals find themselves in a room with a view as they discuss Alfred Hitchcock’s Romantic-Comedy-Thriller, “Rear Window.” Binoculars not included. [Aggregate Score: 9]

We’re reviewing the delightful near future short story about a woman, a guitar, and a spider…type…thing. You know what, just read the story and tune into our newest episode below. [Aggregate Score: 10]  

We delve into a thorny topic: That of the inclusion of collectibes in video games, discussing what to do, and what defintiely not to do with them.  

Pour an aperitif and listen as The Lost Signals dish up a full plate of discussion about Damon Knight’s science fiction classic short story, “To Serve Man.” [Aggregate score: 7.66]

We wrap up and give our final impressions of our time covering the The Great Philadelphia Comic Con this year. Check out more from The Great Philadelphia Comic Con

The infinity war is finally upon us and TLS discusses the ins, outs, ups, and downs of the MCU’s climactic showdown. [Major Spoilers] [Aggregate score: 10]

We discuss one of the more unpleasant sides of Games & Gaming Culture, filtered through the experiences, treatment of, and testimonies from women in the video game community via the 2015 documentary, GTFO: Get the F&#% Out. Guest Starring Beth Morgan.  

The TLS crew returns to the hijinks of Broken Lizard in their sequel to cop-prank-filled cult classic with Super Troopers 2. Now with more Mounties. [Aggregate score: 9.25]

TLS bumbles through Modern Times with Charlie Chaplin in his final film as his lovable, but unlucky character, the Tramp. Check out our review and why we think this movie still rings true today. [Aggregate Score: 9]

[Contains spoilers]   Far Cry 5 was born in controversy long before it was released. The original promo art caused a bit of a stir and was accused of both provoking and encouraging some kind of vague alt-right sentiment and/or being an indictment on the state of American society. This backlash against it died down…

A compilation of some general screwing around and some decent skills in FC5 as a somewhat easter egg to the Dialogue Tree blog about it.

TLS very own three amigos gather to discuss the 80s comedy…Three Amigos, and their own personal El Guapos. [Aggregate Score: 7]

Games & Gaming Culture brings back one of our favorite guests, game designer Ara Shirinian, to explore the idea of the “grammar of games” with us. Which of course we end up applying to life at large.

TLS joins the fray in the debate over the degree of legitimacy for streaming services movies versus the more “traditional” major picture theatre films, kicked off by some recent comments made by Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan on the matter.  

With a revamped outlook TLS covers two essays in one go: the first by our frenemy Sigmund Freud on the nature of creative writing; the second by Northrop Frye on how to properly codify the criticism thereof.

Ever wonder what it would be like if a huge nerd who grew up in the 80s and 90s invented an entirely immersive virtual world? Well, wonder no more, venture with us down the rabbit hole of intense nostalgia as we review the newest Spielberg flick, Ready Player One. [Aggregate Score: 5.33]

So this year’s GDC Awards have come and gone, and the winners have been posted. I’m a little late to the game this year, as we’ve been busy at TLS with some redesigns and remodeling etc (on this very site) some of which are still in progress. Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t look…

TLS returns with the show formerly known as Syntax Error, now Games & Gaming Culture, for a fresh new season. What didn’t change was the fact that we always start with our top (and bottom, and all areas in between) games of the year. Check out our picks and thoughts on 2017’s releases.  

As a follow up to our discussion of his movie, Chris and Scott talk to Mike Lombardo, director of “I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday.” Check out more at: http://reelsplatter.com/ https://www.facebook.com/reelsplatter https://www.youtube.com/user/ReelSplatter http://www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/ “Benny Hill Style Theme” by Orion Williams

This week The Lost Signals decks the halls with whatever we can find in the bunker as we discuss the film that won awards for best Special Effects and Best Picture at NJ Horror Con and Film Festival 2018, “I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday.” Gas masks not included.  

TLS muses upon monoliths, monkeys, mind games, and more all while slowly succumbing to their space madness, in a critique of Stanley Kubrick’s epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. [Aggregate score: 8.7]

When your parental figures take you on a trip to summer camp, prepare by reading Sofia Samatar’s dystopian How to Get Back to the Forest.  Big Brother is watching you… have the best summer of your childhood! [Aggregate score: 9]

Ever the masochists, The Lost Signals crew decided to review this notorious film. [Aggregate score: 3.3]

The Lost Signals finishes its NJ Horror Con and Film Festival 2018 programming with an interview with Dayna Doll, Cate Ness and Hanna Banana from Pinups for Pitbulls. Featured Events: Bow Wow Luau Dog Walk of the Dead The Great Philadelphia Comic Con

Part 2. Interviews with: Father Evil Neil Young of Pennhurst Asylum Craig and KITT Neil A Cohen

Part 1 of TLS at the NJ Horror Con and Film Fest. Interviews with: The New Ghostbusters of Long Island Filmmaker Rakeem Lawrence Pennywise the Clown and Georgina

TLS killed it at the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival this past weekend. Here we wrap up our incredible experience at the show, and drop hints about more of our coverage coming later this week. Check out some of the action and more at: www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/ https://www.facebook.com/njhorrorcon/

The Lost Signals’ Chris Morgan fanboys out with P.J. Soles live at the NJ Horror Con and Film Festival 2018 to discuss her illustrious film career and more. See more from PJ at: Facebook Twitter

Steve and Scott sat down with long-time friend of the show, Morgan Goldin and talked about who should get little golden statues and who should go home empty handed. And once you’re done, check out his podcast (currently on hiatus), Amusing Ourselves 2 Death. And his movie mix tape of his favorite films of 2017….

There is a style to Guillermo del Toro’s films that is simultaneously recognizable and elusive. Indeed, there are certain design aesthetics he favors, often letting the story dictate the production design rather than adapting the story to conform to a certain look.

The Lost Signals wrap up the award year with their picks for best films among the nominees, as well as predictions for what the Academy will choose.  

The Signals crew gets conscripted in Burma circa WWII to build (and burn) bridges of both the physical and metaphorical kind, in this AFI #36 classic. [Aggregate score: 7.5]

The Lost Signals travels to the hidden city of Wakanda as they review Marvel’s latest–and possibly greatest–superhero story, “Black Panther.” WAKANDA FOREVER! [Aggregate score: 10]  

In 1980s Italy, The Lost Signals follow along with the tumultuous yet touching relationship of Call Me By Your Name. [Aggregate score: 8.5]    

Submitted for your approval, this week The Lost Signals turns its time and attention to Lynn Venable’s short story, “Time Enough At Last.” Time is relative and podcasts are portable, take a listen. [Aggregate Score: 6.7]

Welcome to the new Steven Spielberg cookie cutter normal. We discuss why sub par Spielberg films keep getting nominated for Oscars and ways that this could’ve been a more interesting movie. [Aggregate Score: 4.6]

The Lost Signals discuss relationships, perspective and a traumatic taxi cab ride featured in the story  “Thank You” by Alejandro Zambra. [Aggregate score: 7] “Benny Hill Style Theme” by Orion Williams

The Signals head to jolly old England to hang out with Winston Churchill. It just happens to be during the country’s Darkest Hour. [Aggregate score: 8.3]

TLS returns to talk with our favorite guest, and yours, game designer Ara Shirinian a sort of loose AMA session. Big thanks to everyone who submitted a question, and we will be speaking with Ara again sometime in the near future, so be sure to keep and ear, and eye out. Check out more from…

It is Oscar season and the Lost Signals is catching up on the “best” movies of the year.  Today’s episode features Daniel Day Lewis in a classy reboot of 50 Shades of Grey. [Aggregate Score: 8]

In a Lost Signals first, the crew simultaneously reviews two works that share many narrative and thematic similarities.  We are less Roger Ebert and more Henry Ford.    

The Lost Signals heads to the western frontier to deconstruct the genre and its characters with Clint Eastwood’s classic, “Unforgiven,” #68 on the AFI top 100. [Aggregate score: 9]

A new year of philosophizing with Steven Ormosi, Scott Thurlow, and Jonathan Ian Manczur.  Old Johnny is going through some nasty philosophical crises about narrative, bias, and knowledge acquisition.  Listen in or go watch these instead: Mark Blyth Robert Reich

For a change of pace, the Signals check out a relatively more optimistic (and possible Oscar contender) film, The Big Sick. [Aggregate score: 9.3]

Some of you may recall that we met Cody at 2017’s Podcast Movement among a group of other great folks and recorded a couple of episodes with him back then. Considering he co-hosts a Star Wars podcast, we wanted to get back in touch to hear his thoughts about The Last Jedi, so we just…

It’s been exactly a year and the GDC Awards have announced their latest nominees. In what is probably now a tradition, I’m going to comb through the list and pick out a few categories and entries that lay within my particular myopic games purview.

The Lost Signals takes a look at Netflix’s gritty buddy-cop-fantasy-drama, “Bright.” Leave the burrito, take the wand. [Aggregate score: 8]

The Lost Signals ring in the new year with a review of Guillermo del Toro’s fish-loving tour de force, The Shape of Water. [Aggregate score: 9.3]

Secure your plows, hide your dogs at the bank, and always buy American.  It’s time for some holiday mayhem: Gremlins. [Aggregate score: 9]

#80 on the AFI 100- The Apartment, or: Love in the Time of Toxic Patriarchal Capitalism. [Aggregate score: 10]

[major spoilers ahead] The Last Jedi hit theaters this past weekend, and inevitably the tidal wave of opinions, reactions and rants washed over this galaxy, ranging from the usual ‘best since the original’ to ‘sucks worse than ever’ and all shades between.

12/18/2017 The Lost Signals brings their signature analysis to the eighth installment of the ongoing War in the Stars, featuring the titular Last Jedi. [Aggregate score: 7]

12/13/2017 Having said all they can (or will) about The Room, MOTS goes even more meta with the strange story surrounding its eventual production, as portrayed by James Franco et al. in The Disaster Artist [Aggregate score: 8]

12/11/2017 The MOTS crew tackles the (in)famously so bad it’s good “The Room,” coming up with some interesting interpretations on the nature of this bizarre yet beloved film. [Aggregate score: 3.75]

12/6/2017 In a special guest interview episode, Scott and Ian chat with game designer Ara Shirinian, starting with some ideas contained in his previously covered article, and then expanding upon many more nuanced aspects of videogames and their inner workings as a medium at large. See more from Ara at: instagram: ara.shir https://www.youtube.com/user/arashirinian http://www.shirinian.net/

12/04/2017 MOTS flashes back to high school circa 2002 in their review of Lady Bird, an expertly crafted and presented coming-of-age tale. [Aggregate score: 10]

11/29/17 An exhausted Lost Signals crew discusses how you failed to establish a proper narrative for your childhood Legos.  Also, how storytelling can shape identity. Read the article here.

11/27/2017 The gang tackles the challenging, darkly humorous, and scathing Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. [Aggregate score: 9.3]

11/22/2017 Rich, Louie and Chris bring their long tradition of DCEU critiques to MOTS in their review of “Justice League.” It’s also the second DCEU film in a row we didn’t even have to rewrite! [Aggregate score: 6.6]

11/20/2017 MOTS checks out the Netflix original Mudbound, a compelling drama centered on two southern American families and their struggles during the WWII era. [Aggregate score: 9]

11/16/2017 Last week, The Lost Signals crashed MAPACA 2017 and gave pop culture presentations. In the final talk, Chris Morgan discusses the intricacies of moral conflicts in times of war as depicted in examples from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Babylon 5.”

11/15/2017 Last week, The Lost Signals crashed MAPACA 2017 and gave pop culture presentations. Steevo felt the need to bring everyone down with his talk about nihilism and depression in Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman.

11/14/2017 Last week, The Lost Signals crashed MAPACA 2017 and gave pop culture presentations. In this one, Scott Thurlow proves the case for Bioshock to be the “Citizen Kane” of videogames.

11/13/17 Last week,The Lost Signals crashed MAPACA 2017 and gave pop culture presentations.  This is the raw, unedited recording of my extemporaneous speech on modern myth, the television show Legion, and the themes within.

The Lost Signals learns a valuable lesson from #31 on the AFI list: Not every item of renown is in fact a treasure. [Aggregate score: 7.3]

11/6/2017 MOTS heads for the land of ice and snow to grapple with the latest MCU entry, Thor: Ragnarok.

MOTS finally catches up with the sleek and ‘oppressively stylish’ Edgar Wright flick, Baby Driver. Were we slow?

For this year’s MOTS-O-Ween finale we take a look at “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” the left-turn sequel that inspired this year’s theme. Michael Myers sat this one out, and instead we’re given a candy bag full of robot assassins in business suits, Stonehenge core processors, masks to die for, medical mustaches, catchy jingles…

In the penultimate MOTS-O-Ween for 2017 and we talk about the left-turn Jason takes from Crystal Lake to outer space in “Jason X.” It’s been 450 years and all he wants is his machete back.

MOTS-O-Ween examines the past, present 90s and future of a toy maker’s family and the puzzle box that summons Hell in the Alan Smithee classic “Hellraiser: Bloodline.” In space no one can hear you not finish your film.

MOTS-O-Ween hops into a hypercube to ponder the tesseracts of characters, dimensions of script, and entropy of plot.

MOTS-O-Ween takes a left-turn into a wall as we count the reasons to avoid “Leprechaun Back 2 Tha Hood.” There’s no gold at the end of this rainbow.

MOTS-O-Ween continues its journey into the absurd with beer, boomsticks and Bruce Campbell in our discussion of Sam Raimi’s “Army of Darkness” (aka “Bruce Campbell vs the Army of Darkness” aka “Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead”).

MOTS-O-Ween 2017 begins with, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.”  Join us as well delve into this bizarre twist on the Leatherface mythos. Pizza and coffee available at the drive-thru.

Join MOTS Ado as we take a walk with the body politic in Clive Barker’s “In the Hills, the Cities.”

The Lost Signals presents MOTSterpiece Theater.  Tonight’s episode features #14 on the AFI 100, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.  A review to be murdered by. [Aggregate score: 10]

The early access beta for Battlefront II just ended yesterday (after EA somewhat surreptitiously extended it by two more days) and after pouring a number of hours into it, I return from a galaxy far far away to give my initial impressions and thoughts on what was teased.

SE caps off with the traditional seasonal salute to horror, this year framed via an article that melds aspects of neuroscience with survival horror design.

10/9/2017 A threesome of MOTS minds gathers to discuss a threesome of artificial intelligences and many other standout elements from Blade Runner 2049, the long-awaited sequel to the highly influential original.

We venture out into the fields of the unknown to review an under appreciated classic of horror which influenced greats like H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, among many others. First, give The White People a read, and then tune in to our newest episode.

The Neophytes tread upon the topic of slasher films and their depiction of sexual and violent situations/characters as framed by a recent study on the matter.

MOTS wall themselves in with some fine wine to discuss a less famous, but no less impactful story from the master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe.

The Neophytes continue their exploration of unreliability in narrative with a freeform chat.

Reviewed in this episode: Until Dawn, Hue, The Surge (Demo), No Man’s Sky, Telltale Walking Dead: Season 3, The Flame in the Flood, Thomas Was Alone, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Mother Russia Bleeds, Late Shift, Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth DLC.

SE attempts to debate the nuances of writing a game story from the perspective of the bad guys, framed through an interview via Rock Paper Shotgun with the narrative designer of recent CRPG, Tyranny.

Join MOTS as we journey to the old west for drama and red scare commentary in AFI’s #27 feature, “High Noon.” Don’t forget to wind your clocks. [Aggregate score: 9.75]

Join MOTS Ado as we take this episode out of linear time to change our perspective of linguistics and physics in Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life.”

Bon MOTS face their childhood fears and come out the other side with high praise for the latest 2017 film version of Stephen King’s classic, IT.

SE jumps back into its genre coverage this season, this time around focusing on platformers with a few puzzler-related elements thrown in.

9/4/17 Steevo and his fellow Lost Signalers sit down with ‘Commander’ Cody Boyce of The Rogue Squadron Podcast to discuss Star Wars, craft beer and the state of podcasting at Podcast Movement 2017. https://www.roguesquadronpodcast.com/ Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to improvise, but also don’t record video on a cell phone set atop a stack of…

8/30/17 This was a big one. We got a bunch of beer and crammed six people (most of whom had just met) around a hotel room desk to discuss our takeaways from Podcast Movement 2017. We’re looking forward to keeping in touch with all of these guys and CHANGING THE FACE OF PODCASTING AS WE…

8/28/17 Steevo sits down with Julian Boireau at Podcast Movement 2017 to discuss, among other things, his ideas on podcasting and his upcoming project, Sad Clown. This is the first of our special episodes from ground zero at the biggest podcast conference in the world. Julian can be found at https://www.julianboireau.com/

SE looks at the intriguing data contained in an analysis of a recent survey regarding the effect playing video games may have on cultural and intellectual propensities. And then proceeds to go mad discussing the results.

The Lost Signals reviews the newest film in the Ocean’s franchise, Logan Lucky.

After having processed the origin of hero myths through Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces, TLS turn that lens onto one of the most influential modern hero arcs—the original 1977 Star Wars. [Aggregate score: 9.5]

The Neophytes finally finish their overview of Joseph Campbell’s A Hero with a Thousand Faces.  Now, they must attempt to readjust to normalcy from their heroic journey.

The Neophytes discuss identity in the age of instant celebrity.  They frame their discussion through Netflix’s documentary, Nobody Speak, which pits the fiction Hulk Hogan vs the fiction Gawker.

Bon MOTS spends a tense time following the 1960s Motor City riots and their social, cultural, and political aftermath, whose ramifications and parallels can still be seen today in Kathryn Bigelow’s opus, Detroit.

It’s the heart of summer, the time when traditionally as the temperature rises, so does my desire to cloister myself away in a cold room playing games, while conversely the number of major releases trickles and dries up to match the scorched earth outside. So, in that spirit I’m going to cover a handful of…

SE sets out to simply salute 3rd Person Action/Adventure games, but in true style ends up submerged in interesting subdivisions within the genre and possible future spinoff topics.

The Bon MOTS team locks and loads for a review of the thrilling summer blockbuster starring Charlize Theron, Atomic Blonde.

George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” is incomparable. It is the quintessential zombie film that set the standard and most of the rules for every zombie film that followed**. For me, however, George A. Romero’s masterwork was his 1978 film, “Dawn of the Dead.” 

In the penultimate episode of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the crew debates death and whether it is better to become a savior, a tyrant, or a saint.  Spoiler: they all choose tyrant.

Join MOTS on the tense and desperate beach of Dunkirk, as they discuss Christoper Nolan’s harrowing yet heroic WWII film.

SE sits down to look at the dichotomy between a game’s story and its mechanics, framed through an article by Thomas Grip, and how best to utilize/reconcile the two into a coherent experience.

This week, TLS has a podcast you can’t refuse as we discuss Coppola’s classic, “The Godfather.” [Aggregate score: 9.75]

Join the Lost Signals crew in a raucous conversation on Stephen King’s The Jaunt and miscellaneous literary topics.

The Lost Signals reviews a new teenage angst-comedy that follows an awkward young man with father issues as he navigates school, responsibilities, and finding a date to the homecoming dance.

SE presents the second of our ongoing talks within major game genres, this time focusing on the myriad ins, outs, and oddities of role playing games and their related ilk.

The MOTS Ado crew reaches the end of their rope with this review of a Civil War story about a life reclaimed. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge remains Ambrose Bierce’s most enduring work for a reason.

Having completed the Hero’s Journey proper, the Neophytes, like Odysseus’ crew, find their return to be more complex than anticipated.  Follow them through lands of Campbellian addenda, indexes and ancillary topics.

The Lost Signals crew debates who the real villain of the 1975 classic Jaws is: a misunderstood predator looking for a snack? A plucky small town bureaucrat trying to save the summer?  John Williams?  Spoiler: It is definitely John Williams. [Aggregate score: 10]

Syntax Error covers E3 2017, in their own way.

Today’s episode features our review of the 1955, reality bending short story by Frederik Pohl, The Tunnel Under the World. Coincidentally enough, we’re releasing this on the date before the events of the story. Good luck with June 15th.  

The Lost Signals begins a new mini-series that delves into the ambiguity that is “cerebral” cinema.  We will disentangle the philosophical from the intentionally obscure, the mastered craft from the merely clever twist, and the truly contemplative from the common chicanery. Perhaps it is all just Metaphysics.  First: eXistenZ.

SE sits down with the two-person team of Jeremie Duval and Corey Selover, developers at HappyRock Studios, to discuss their recently completed game Zorbit’s Obits, as well as the overall process of its creation and release. Buy the game at: http://www.zorbitsorbits.com/ http://gamejolt.com/games/zorbitsorbits/248021 https://cg923.itch.io/zorbits-orbits follow on Twitter: Jeremie @JeremieDuval ‏ Corey @CoreySelover ‏ Check out some…

Bon MOTS joins DC’s Wonder Woman in her war to end all wars against War.

The Neophytes finally arrive at a section of myth-narrative studies that they desperately wanted to explore sans their old foe Freud. Covering Chapters 3 (Return) and 4 (The Keys) in their ongoing reading of The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

The Neophytes take an accidental detour into French philosophy of language with Jacques Derrida and his thoughts on the differences of “differance.”

MOTS takes an ill-fated journey on a colony ship to a distant planet populated by an android with a god-complex and more xenomorphs in Ridley Scott’s latest entry in the Alien film franchise.

25 years after the original series concluded, Bon MOTS takes a seat at the Great Northern hotel, orders a damn fine cup of coffee, and discusses the legacy of the cult classic show Twin Peaks in light of its recent revival in a new season.

SE plays some recently released VR items and products, specifically for the Samsung Galaxy 8 Oculus Rift/Gear package, and then offer our impressions on its performance.

In a related follow up to discussing the digital bloodshed in many FPS, SE looks at the violence found in games as framed through an article titled Boom, Headshot! by Martin Annander, featured on Gamasutra.

MOTS goes on an Ego trip with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in their second feature film outing.

Been a few rounds since my last post, so I figured it’s time to cobble something together on two recently released and very broadly related games from last week– in the same way grey wolves are broadly related to labradoodles– Outlast 2 and What Remains of Edith Finch.

The crew takes on the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, looking at the social, cultural, and legal points of this classic story, with guest Geoff Blackwell returning to the set. [Aggregate score: 8] Check out Geoff’s law-centric podcast at: http://alltoocommonlaw.com/

Midway through a podcast, the Neophytes found themselves upon a darkened path.  What would Freud have to say about that?

SE covers a brief historical overview of first person shooters before delving into the psychological appeal of the genre.

This week on Bon MOTS, we reviewed the underrated detective comedy, “The Nice Guys.” So, put away that “entertainment” mag, make yourself a drink and take a listen… and stuff.

The Neophytes take a look at an essay focusing on how American standup comedy functions as an outlet and aspect of expression for the members of a culture and society

The Lost Signals continues its month of comedies with a mystery about two stoners, various aliens, a doomsday weapon, ostriches and “Chinese food mind games” as we discuss, “Dude, Where’s My Car?” And then?

Syntax Error jumps on the comedy train to discuss how to incorporate humor into games, and which ones we think did, or did not, achieve in this regard.

The Lost Signals continues its comedy month by reviewing the infamous Leonard Part 6, a movie often proclaimed as one of the worst of all time.  I mean, this isn’t the worst thing that Bill Cosby has done.

The Bon MOTS crew reviews Jordan Peele’s thoughtful sociological new thriller, Get Out.

MOTS shares shenanigans alongside some stoner/slackers (and a kindly grandmother) who are simply trying to help make the next great video game.

It’s a Syntax Error triple kill, as we return in a third season, kicking off with the now traditional top games of the year episode.

The Neophytes celebrate the coming third season of Syntax Error by discussing the potential conflicts between narrative and gameplay in video games. Article: The Uneasy Merging of Narrative and Gameplay by Ara Shirinian

While the Neophytes await their call to adventure, they debate the etiquette of answering a herald, how to politely chase off the trinket-bearing elderly and what exactly Freud would say about their personal threshold guardians.

MOTS gets stuck alongside Willem Defoe searching the wilderness for a rare and elusive animal while also trying to decipher the point of this film.

MOTS brings real analysis to imaginary anthropology in their discussion of “Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology” by Theodora Goss.  

MOTSterpiece tags along the ranch with a reluctant gunslinger whose name the film will never let you forget, in the titular 1953 western classic, Shane. [Aggregate score 7.5]  

Recently we read and discussed a short story about the unpredictable nature of adventure. This is our review of The Gorgon by Tanith Lee.

Back in January the GDC announced their 2017 game award nominees and I went through a few of the categories, going over the games I thought would win in each as well as the ones I thought should in fact win. Yesterday the actual winners were announced, so now it is time of course to recap, see how…

“Dies Irae” (That Day of Wrath) is a Gregorian Chant which dates back to the 13th century. It is probably one of the oldest and most recognized pieces of early music, and its use throughout the ages has been predominantly for religious music, starting with Catholic and then other Judeo-Christian masses.

This week, TLS decided to review the deliberation room classic, 12 Angry Men, and joining us to lend a whiff of legitimacy was someone with some legal experience himself, Geoff Blackwell. [Aggregate score: 9.5] Geoff is voice of the news podcast from a legal perspective, All Too Common Law and a lawyer with American Atheists.

It’s been slightly over a week since Resident Evil 7: Biohazard released, shipping 2.5 million copies in that time, and all I have to say is- goddamned right. Headshots off to Capcom for finally giving us a Resident Evil that returns to its survival horror origins. RE7 is a triumph, taking a spot in the higher tier of the…

This week MOTS Ado experiences John Shirley’s bizarre and darkly whimsical tale of modern horror. 

The crew reviews this Hugo winning short story by Ken Liu about the struggle to hold onto oneself, even at the end of the world.

MOTS steps into the ring to tangle with the classic Scorsese flick, Raging Bull. [Aggregate score: 8]  

The GDC recently announced its nominees for its 2017 awards, which will be held March 1. Separate from simply The Game Awards back in December, one can perhaps argue the GDCAs are more ‘prestigious’ although I think that’s somewhat of a false dichotomy. They share many of the same games, and I’m fairly certain I can predict what will win…

Happy New Year from The Lost Signals. The crew reviews Mel Gibson’s newest ode to peace and ultra-violent spectacle, Hacksaw Ridge. [Aggregate Score: 4.00]

[Spoilers for Westworld Season 1]   Westworld drew the curtain on its opening season the other week (in a rather dramatic and devastating manner) and we covered some of the interesting philosophical implications contained in it on our review. Throughout the season and leading up the finale, there were also a great many things written, said, theorized…

In the next episode of MOTSterpiece Theater, we review the Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. I wonder what the world would be like if this movie had never been made. [Aggregate score: 4.66]

The Game Awards for 2016 were announced earlier today, so it’s time to take a look at the winners in a few of the categories I’m particularly interested in. I’m going to just focus on those specific ones, but you can check out the full list here. The big one, Game of the Year, went to…

MOTS Ado gets taken over by an insidious force during their review of classic sci-fi author Philip K. Dick’s The Hanging Stranger.

The Order: 1886 was the catalyst for our first podcast, but it certainly wasn’t the first time I’ve heard the argument. Does the length of a game impact its value? Or is it what is packed in – the gameplay, the narrative, the art, the soundtrack — that ultimately defines what that game is worth? Of course,…

In the latest AFI review, the crew discusses the politics involved in broadcasting news and the dissemination of information in AFI’s #66 film, “Network.” [Aggregate score: 9.6]

MOTS Ado About Nothing reviews a short story about what some people will do for a little bit of fame. It’s The Fat Guy by Henry Roth.

In this episode, we review the John Updike short story about a kid who watches some girls in bathing suits wander around a store. It’s called A&P.

10/31/16 Happy Halloween! It is time for The Lost Signal’s MOTS-o-Ween finale, our annual review of a movie in the Halloween film series. Paging Dr. Myers, Dr. Myers to surgery.

10/29/15 The final choice in this year’s MOTS-o-Ween celebration is the 80’s horror classic, Poltergeist. This podcast is certainly not clean.

10/28/16 Is the television screen truly the retina for the mind’s eye? Is the podcast the drum of the mind’s ear? And, do we all–at last–have special names? Listen as we change the channel for our next MOTS-O-Ween offering as we discuss what is real and what is illusion in David Cronenberg’s “Videodrome.”

10/27/2016 As MOTs-o-Ween 2016 continues, the crew discusses the brilliant and influential, Jacob’s Ladder. Listen in as Steven Ormosi slowly realizes that he has died in a horrible podcasting accident. Who are the angels? Who are the demons? Who is simply a shady Santa Claus? Is Rich Perry the Lost Signals’ Danny Aiello? You decide.

10/26/16 MOTS-O-Ween 2016 continues as we venture through the Gates of Hell (and back?) in our discussion of Lucio Fulci’s 1981 film “The Beyond.”

10/25/16 The crew reviews Joss Whedon’s quintessential horror send up, Cabin in the Woods for MOTS-o-Ween 2016. Watch out for redneck zombie families.  

10/24/16 The MOTS-O-Ween 2016 week long horror movie marathon kicks off with an oft-overlooked John Carpenter flick, In The Mouth of Madness, a modern Lovecraftian-inspired meta descent into insanity.  

For the final installment of MOTS Ado Halloween 2016, we attempt to wrestle with insanity-inducing indescribable things in a ‘cosmic horror’ story from the progenitor of the genre.

(Contains spoilers) The Uncharted series came to a close earlier this year with the release of the fourth title in the series, A Thief’s End. Developer Naughty Dog stated that this is the definitive conclusion to the story of smarmy pretty boy treasure hunter/Indiana Jones Academy of Archaeology graduate, Nathan Drake, and his band of recurring allies. After 9…

In this second installment of MOTS Ado for the 2016 Halloween season, we journey into the dark reaches of one man’s closet of horrors in Stephen King’s “The Boogeyman.” Is there actually a monster lurking in the dark or is it only in the mind of a broken man?

Join us for dinner and a movie in a special Halloween episode of The AFI 100. Whether you prefer to flay or to fillet your victims, our discussion of the classic thriller, The Silence of the Lambs, will surely whet your appetite. [Aggregate score: 10]

MOTS Ado starts off the 2016 Halloween season with the first of a series of horror short stories. In this episode, we discuss a classic tale from one of the all-time masters of the craft- Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death.

It was recently announced that after just over a year of release, SOMA has sold 450,000 copies. Originally released in September 2015 by Frictional Games, SOMA attempts to grapple with an ancient yet timeless slice of unsettling metaphysics, via the viewpoint of a layman encountering it for perhaps the first time. The central conceit confronts…

The MOTS crew travels up the river on “The African Queen.” Love boat or torpedo boat? Listen and find out. [Aggregate score: 4.6]

Steven Ormosi evokes William Shatner as he hosts Veronica Hernandez, Scott Thurlow and Jonathan Ian Manczur in a discussion of “Lich-House” by Warren Ellis, a speculative future story involving “smart-houses.”

In our podcast about “Star Trek Beyond,” I argued that Michael Giacchino’s score could be considered a supporting character. He teases the main theme throughout the movie, using its buildup [0:00-0:42–theme starts 0:43] and variations to support the progression of the story, as well as character locations, emotions and actions.

Steven Ormosi hosts, and apologizes during, this discussion of Harry Turtledove’s parody on a Greek Myth with cultural references nearly as old as the original story itself. With Katie Kelly, Veronica Hernandez, Scott Thurlow and Jonathan Ian Manczur.

The Lost Signals crew discusses age, birthday cake and death at obligatory family functions in their discussion of Clarice Lispector’s short story “Feliz Aniversário.” Veronica Hernandez hosting Katie Kelly, Jonathan Ian Manczur, Steven Ormosi and Scott Thurlow

Ben-Hur had the largest budget for a movie at that time. I suspect it was mainly due to the fact that Charlton Heston was constantly chewing on the scenery. [Aggregate score: 6.6]

In this episode we discuss Haruki Murakami’s story of marriage, felony and fast food. Guest Starring: Katie Kelly and Veronica Hernandez

MOTS-terpiece attempts to hustle their way through the 1969 gritty classic, Midnight Cowboy, possibly being taken for a ride themselves along the way. [Aggregate score: 9]

Today’s short story begs the question: Does free will really exist? David W. Goldman’s The Axiom of Choice plays with the Choose Your Own Adventure format and we’re there to talk about it. [Aggregate Score: 8.00] With Guest Speaker: Veronica Hernandez

It’s another short story! This time we review the all-American classic, The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, the original M. Night Shyamalan. It is the story of two fools and their thoughtful, but ultimately pointless Christmas gifts to each other. [Aggregate Score: 6.00] Guest starring Veronica Hernandez.

The MOTS crew is back for another short story review, joined by friend of the show and literature everywhere, Veronica Hernandez. Roberto Bolano’s The Eye is the haunting story of a strange man in a strange land, and the changes his journey has wrought upon him. [Aggregate Score: 9.00] Special Guest: Veronica Hernandez

MOTS hits the highway, looking for adventure, reviewing whatever comes their way, which in this case was the 1969 classic, Easy Rider. Starring J. Ian Manczur as Dennis Hopper, Scott Thurlow as Peter Fonda, and Steven Ormosi as Jack Nicholson. [Aggregate score: 9.6]

TLS review Martin Scorsese’s enduring 1976 classic, Taxi Driver. Starring a young every-actor-who’s-over-60-now, it’s the story of Travis Bickle, a down and out war vet turned cabbie who’s got plenty of anger and nowhere to put it. [Aggregate score: 10]

We review Forrest Gump, #76 on the AFI list. Would you miss your bus to hear the story of the man who was at every major American event for a half century? [Aggregate score: 5.6]

This episode is a true lost signal recently rediscovered in the raw recording vault.  So lay back with your alien lover and enjoy a narcotic egg while the crew raucously debates Octavia Butler’s short story, Bloodchild. [Aggregate Score: 6.00] Special Guest: Veronica Hernandez

This week, the MOTS crew discusses the classic film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It’s a standoff at the mics as we sort out the best (and worst) parts of being old west bank robbers. [Aggregate score: 9.3]

It’s a new year for The Lost Signals. Sheriff Manczur and Ormosi the Kid have decided to rustle up [Aggregate Score: 9.00]

MOTS Ado sits down to read and review an early short story from one of the masters of the writing craft: Neil Gaiman.We always have to be asked to do this, you see. [Aggregate Score: 9.5] Guest Starring:Veronica Hernandez

MOTS-terpiece Theater returns with the chase scene-filled classic, The French Connection, also featuring drug deals and Gene Hackman. [Aggregate score: 4.6] Guest Starring: Leah Behar

In the unofficial prequel to Big Momma’s House, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis masquerade as a couple of female jazz musicians to escape the mob after witnessing a bloody murder to hilarious effect, according to some. Listen in to find out exactly who the some who like it hot are. [Aggregate score: 5.5] Special Guest: Leah…

MOTS Ado discusses a “lost” short story, Pluto is the Furthest Planet, by Abraham Rothberg. Cardiac incidents and familial alienation may be involved. [Aggregate Score: 8.75] Special Guest: Veronica Hernandez

10/31/15 Join us on Halloween for our review of one of the all time classics, you guessed it, Halloween! Michael Myers and MOTS, a match made in heaven.  

10/30/15 As we draw nearer and nearer the end of MOTS-O-Ween, a presence may be felt, just over your shoulder, making slow, but constant progress toward some unfathomable, terrifying conclusion. Today’s film, It Follows, explores the implacability of our podcast…I mean…the specter of teenage sex…I mean…well, I’m not entirely sure. But whatever you do, don’t…

10/29/15 MOTS-O-Ween heads to the foreign land of Canada for a look into the mysterious and thought-provoking events happening in the town of Pontypool in the film of the same name.

10/28/15 The dark fun continues on Wednesday with our review of the 1995 cult classic The Prophecy, starring Christopher Walken. There’s a war coming, and MOTS is here to tell you whether or not it makes for a good movie.

10/27/15 MOTS-O-Ween heads to the 1980’s in our week long horror highlight. For this decade, we checked into the Overlook Hotel, and discussed Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. Remember, all work and no play makes MOTS a dull boy. Enjoy.

10/26/15 Released in 1973, the Exorcist remains one of the greatest horror movies ever, pea soup and all. The MOTS team stares into the face of evil to see who flinches first.  

10/25/15 MOTS kicks off the Halloween season with a retrospective of lauded horror movies through the decades. We start with the 1960’s acclaimed film, Kill, Baby…Kill!  

MOTS Ado About Nothing delves into “A Good Man is Hard to Find” — Flannery O’Connor’s iconic Southern Gothic horror story of an American family that meets their fate at the hands of a mysterious drifter. [Aggregate Score: 7.75] Guest Starring:Leah Behar

Tune in to MOTSterpiece Theater and hearken back to a simpler time. A time when people met their fortunes, and their untimely demises, in the Alaskan wilderness. Join us and Charlie Chaplin on a quest for adventure and riches. [Aggregate score: 7.5] Guest Starring: Leah Behar

MOTS Ado About Nothing discusses Albert Camus’ classic tale of an alienated man and the greater relation to his philosophy of absurd existentialism within society. [Aggregate Score: 9.00] Special guest:Veronica Hernandez

The MOTS crew hops a tornado to Oz in this second episode of MOTSterpiece Theater, where we rate a randomly chosen film from the AFI top 100. Guest Starring: Leah Behar [Aggregate score: 7.66]

MOTS does one of the seminal Sci-Fi films of the 80s. Replicants, and Blade Runners, and Jesus motifs, oh my! Welcome to the scuzzy future, my friends, where even robots can be lonely. [Aggregate score: 8.1] Guest Starring: Beth Morgan & Leah Behar

In a world where punctuality is law and candy can stop traffic, we discuss Harlan Ellison’s “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman.  [Aggregate Score: 9.00]  Special guest:Beth Morgan

MOTS Ado About Nothing at the crossroads of family and jazz in James Baldwin’s literary classic, “Sonny’s Blues.” [Aggregate Score: 10.00] Special guest: Beth Morgan

For the premiere episode of The Lost Signals literary program, MOTS Ado About Nothing, we discuss the Isaac Asimov short story, “Nightfall.” [Aggregate Score: 9.25] Special guest:Beth Morgan

Bon MOTS learns to stop worrying and love this classic Kubrick film in the pilot episode of MOTSterpiece Theater. Turn on the podcast, lock your doors, and stop the commies from stealing your precious bodily fluids! [Aggregate score: 9.75] Special guest: Leah Behar

In the latest batch of ‘casts, we covered three topics in games that are broadly related–the ethics of betrayals, morality choices, and empathy-inducing characters/moments. We discussed the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of many instances of each, and why we thought some worked while others fell flat. Each of us had a number of examples that were, if not impactful,…

What exactly “counts” as an apocalypse? This is what we attempted to define in this week’s podcast. While the answers and viewpoints varied, this I believe is tied to the general aura surrounding the concept itself. A point brought up in the discussion that I would like to expand on further here is the idea of…

In lieu of the apocalypse, we humans have created an absurd number of golden calves to the idea. A concept so repugnant that our stories find it nearly impossible to follow to its realistic and logical conclusion, the world’s end has been a fascinating study of the human capacity for denial since the invention of…

In one of my more banal existences, I made sandwiches at a local delicatessen for a modest wage.  While not as soul-crushing as other professions I would later occupy, the job offered enough idleness to foster angst-ridden, pseudo-philosophy worthy of Updike’s A&P cashier.  One of my tasks was to dispose of unwanted sandwich meats at…

The Order: 1886 was the catalyst for our first podcast, but it certainly wasn’t the first time I’ve heard the argument. Does the length of a game impact its value? Or is it what is packed in – the gameplay, the narrative, the art, the soundtrack — that ultimately defines what that game is worth? Of course,…

“I paid 60 bucks for this game, and it’s only 6 hours long–what the fuck?!”