Heavy Metal and Horror
An exposition on the subversive sub-genre of heavy metal and its use in cinema that exudes the provocative, violent, terrifying, and esoteric.
Topic: Period Studies
From “period” fiction to retro gaming and reenactment, all of our pursuits have changed over time. Prepare to roll up your sleeves and dig in.
Soundtrack to Your Escape
Sonata of the Screen and Grid is an exposition on film and animation directors’ work and compositional comparison of the musicians and composers who scored them. For this piece we’ll look at the evolution of speculative fiction cinema scores and “Rise of the Synths”, dissecting their flirtation with cyberpunk style synthesizer riffs.
Mushroom Melodies – It’s a Mario!
An analysis and introspect on the audio and musical design behind the Super Mario franchise.
Where Are They Now—Series Conspectus
An introduction to a slipstream meta-commentary on the evolution and current status of video game franchise icons and how they’ve mutated and grown across multiple platforms! Time is kinder to some than others, and some of these… well, clearly came from a different era. An enthusiast invites our readers on a somewhat more visceral examination than most.
‘Super Mario, this is your Extra Life!’
Nintendo and its mustachioed plumber stood alone atop the video game console mountain in the ’80s. Then came an upstart, spiky-haired blue hedgehog leading the charge for Sega and its console. In this installment of Where Are They Now? we explore the beginnings of the console war between Nintendo and Sega.
For Whom the Box Beeps
Music does far more than just soothe the savage beasts of our psyche. The sonic experience viscerally brings virtual and cinematic worlds to life. Join us in our examination of the evolution of video game and synth music in tandem with storied and largely influential arrangements used in film and animation.