TV Review: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) created by BenDavid Grabinski based on the comics by Bryan Lee O'Malley

This animated version of Scott Pilgrim's life starts off like the movie and graphic novels, where he discovers the literal girl of his dreams Ramona at a party in his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Her seven evil exes mobilize to fight him before he can date her. In the first fight, Scott loses--a major plot twist in the very first episode and the exact opposite of what happens in the previous versions. The story then plays out as Ramona tries to figure out what happened. Their friend Young Neil mysteriously writes a screenplay for a Scott Pilgrim story where he beats all the evil exes, which goes into production and stars many of those evil exes. So at least they show up in Toronto and Ramona does not have to go far to interrogate them.

I was happy to see that this was not just another faithful adaptation into another format (i.e. a cash grab). The plot twists open up new possibilities, most of which work well, and are fun. The show has the same lighthearted tone and visual style. Toward the end I figured out what was going on before the characters did. The whole series is quite entertaining. All the cast from the movie came back to voice their characters and they do a great job. This is a labor of love and whimsy and will be very enjoyable for fans of the other Scott Pilgrim stuff.

Recommended, highly if you are a Scott Pilgrim fan.

As I write (November 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

Book Review: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by A. Moore et al.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? written by Alan Moore with art by Curt Swan

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths saga in the mid-1980s, DC Comics was going to reboot all their characters. Just before the reboot, Alan Moore wrote this story of the last days of Superman, when all his enemies and allies came together in a story for one last time. A Daily Planet reporter comes to the house of Lois Elliot (nee Lane), who tells how Superman disappeared ten years earlier. She was an eyewitness. After Superman's secret identity was revealed, his rogues gallery start killing people and trying to destroy Metropolis. Superman flees to the Fortress of Solitude, taking all the people he knows best to protect them from his enemies. Lex Luthor finds a nearly-defunct Brainiac who takes over Luthor's body (against Luthor's will, of course) and schemes for the ultimate downfall of the Man of Steel.

The story cleverly weaves in a lot of characters and resolves a lot of the questions often left hanging, like does Superman prefer Lana or Lois? What happens with Krypto and Supergirl? Will Jimmy Olsen always be the "damsel in distress?" The story is melancholic and satisfying, a fine farewell to a character who will never really leave us.

The book reprints "The Jungle Line," a crossover story with Superman and Swamp Thing (a character for whom Alan Moore wrote a definitive saga). Superman has been infected by a Kryptonian disease that survived travel through space on a meteorite. It drains his powers before it drains his life. He drives south away from civilization, hoping to die in peace and quiet. His feverish perceptions make him crash the car in a swamp where Swamp Thing discovers him even though he doesn't recognize Superman. He helps the Man of Steel to recover. The story is an interesting depiction of Superman facing his mortality though, like every serialized narrative, his experience does not fundamentally change who he is.

Also reprinted is "For the Man Who Has Everything," where Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman come to the Fortress of Solitude to celebrate Superman's birthday. Another gift giver has beaten them to the punch, for Supes has an alien plant attached to his chest. Superman is in a sort of coma where he imagines he is in his best possible life--married to an actress, with two kids, living on an undestroyed Krypton. Again, Moore explores an interesting idea as the trio try to free Superman from what might be his perfect life.

Recommended--these are some classic stories.

Movie Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie - Infinity Castle (2025)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie - Infinity Castle (2025) directed by Hikaru Kondo and Haruo Sotozaki

My daughter and I caught up on all the available episodes on Crunchyroll for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, so we went to the movies to see the feature film that has been a worldwide hit. I'll provide a brief synopsis of what came before just to get unfamiliar readers some footing for following the narrative of this movie.

Tanjiro Komado is the typical anime teen--his life has been swept up into a fantastic adventure. His family was killed by the demon Muzan Kibutsuji, leaving only Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko alive, but she has been turned into a demon by the sadistic Muzan. She has a thirst for blood and can't be exposed to sunlight or she will burn to cinders. She has been able to keep her thirst under control (she wears a bamboo gag over her mouth, which gives her a creepy appearance). Tanjiro travels to a mountain where new recruits are selected to join the Demon Slayer Corps. After an extensive training program, he is one of a handful of recruits who becomes a Demon Slayer. They use specially-crafted swords to behead the demons, the only way to kill a demon without sunlight. He and his two friends Zenitsu and Inosuke usually travel and fight together. Tanjiro carries Nezuko around in a box during the daylight; she joins the combat on occasions. The big twist comes when she develops immunity to daylight, an ability Kibutsuji wants desperately. The demons hunt after her as the Corps hunts after the demons. Things come to a head when the best Demon Slayers, the Hashira, are pulled into the Infinity Castle, Kibutsuji's secret base. Tanjiro and his friends are pulled in too though they are not top-level yet. Nezuko is still in the regular world at a Demon Slayer hideout.

The movie starts as the Slayers are falling into the castle, which has very disorienting physics, almost like an Escher painting. Lots of upside-down and sideways paths look like they are right-side up when someone stands on them--gravity is wacky. The castle has hundreds if not thousands of demons in it, including top-level demons created by Kibutsuji. Kibutsuji wants to find out where Nezuko is hidden so he can take her powers, though he is undergoing his own transformation somewhere in the castle. The Slayers fight their way through the castle, trying to find and eliminate Kibutsuji. The Corps has sent in some crows that are flying around trying to map the expansive and confusing place.

The action is very intense and well-choreographed and surprisingly easy to follow. The visuals give a lot of innovative angles amidst the mayhem of the fights but viewers know what is going on and are drawn. The Slayers are separated and roaming around in pairs. Tanjiro is with one of the masters and they have a tough fight with a demon who doesn't turn to dust when decapitated. Other battles are just as interesting and well-staged. The action is amazing to see.

The main narrative at this point is a bit on auto-pilot--the Demon Slayers are trying to end the demon threat, especially Kibutsuji (Tanjiro wants to avenge his family), while the demons want to eliminate the Slayers (and get the ability). The action is broken up by extended flashbacks which describe the motivations of the characters. By extended, I mean like 20-30 minutes of prior narrative, often of a seemingly minor character who is on the verge of death. One of the demons has his history explained, how his life led to becoming a demon. It's so long that the main narrative is almost lost. I find these interludes too long even though they do make interesting side stories. Throwing in extended backstories has been an ongoing issue with the series. Ultimately I think it is a minor flaw that feels frustrating in the moment.

The narrative does not come to a completion. Two more films are coming out in 2027 and 2029, so it's a long wait for the story to end. I might rewatch the show and backfill reviews of what led up to this.

Recommended--highly for anime fans. Even without seeing the show, this is an amazing spectacle.

Book Review: The 21 Day Financial Fast by Michelle Singletary

The 21 Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom by Michelle Singletary

A lot of people struggle to manage their finances. Either they don't pay attention or they can't resist impulses or they just have more expenses than revenues. Money management is not glamorous and is barely lauded in our culture. But it is very important for personal wellbeing. 

With that in mind, Michelle Singletary has developed a financial challenge: for three weeks, don't use any credit cards (i.e. only use cash) and only buy essentials. The idea is to recognize what you spend money on and what you can live without. Swiping a credit card is a bit of magic, spending money you don't have on you with the promise of paying it later. A purchase is more real and impactful if you put actual dollar bills down for what you are buying. By eschewing non-essentials, you can see how much cost they consume and if their absence is really a hardship for you. Having extra money at the end of the month may be more satisfying than having a Starbucks treat every day.

The book has a section for each day, focusing on one issue in financial life, like how to manage debt or how to make a budget or where to put extra money. Each section is only a few pages, including testimonials from people who have gone through the fast before and tools and tasks (usually journalling) to apply what's been learned. She has a lot of good insights and practical tips for making it through the fast and for being more deliberate in using money.

She comes from a Christian perspective, emphasizing how money is to be used wisely and the spiritual benefits of managing it well. She talks about the Lord blessing you financially if you live a good and deliberate life (i.e. the prosperity gospel) which I don't think is right. God wants you to be full of grace, not full of cash. He cares for your wellbeing, which includes your financial wellbeing, but He isn't going to make you rich because you are a faithful follower. That idea is a small part of Singletary's bigger picture, so you can still do the program without being evangelized. 

As with many self-help books, I did not jump into this whole-heartedly. My challenge was not using credit cards. Using cash at the grocery store or gas station was hard to get used to (and remember). Leaving off buying snacks or random drinks while running errands was relatively easy, I quite often take a travel mug of hot or cold beverage. I am working out our budget, a thing I've thought a lot about but never put to paper (or the digital equivalent). Getting more deliberate about money is important, especially with the goal of retirement coming closer.

The program is very valuable as a financial "reset" if you want to improve habits around money, a goal everyone should have.

Recommended for accessible financial advice even if you don't go fully with the program.

Paris Pastries IRL

Inspired by the card game Paris Pastries (see my review here), we started making some delightful French treats at home. First up was the easiest one from the game, shortbread.  

Shortbread Dough

Our results with the game card for comparison

Macarons are slightly harder to make than shortbread, both in the game and in real life. We tried a basic recipe (no chocolate like on the card) and it came out really well, so macarons have entered a regular rotation in our household.

First attempt

We also tried palmiers, an item that is difficult to make in the game and not so hard in real life. Ours were a bit simpler than the card photo though they were just as delightful. In fact, I am sure they were more delightful than eating the card! The pastry is supposed to be shaped like a palm leaf, hence the name. 

A passionate chef

Delightful results

10 points!

Crepes Suzette was our next effort. My daughter has a real passion for crepes, so that part of the recipe was easy. Making the orange sauce (with alcohol!) was a little trickier, especially with a recipe that calls for lighting the dish on fire. We think that is just for restaurant showmanship. Does it really change the flavor (other than burning off the alcohol)?

Crepes Suzette

In game version

Soufflés are almost stereotypically French. My daughter has become a master of making these.

A good variety of sizes and flavorings

Clearly a dessert souffle

Making galette des rois took some skill. It's the northern France version of King Cake. The southern is gateau des rois, a similar but different dish.

A kingly treat

The before photo

We were too intimidated to make Canele and went to a bakery in Baltimore that listed them on their website. The store did not disappoint!

Bakery delights!

Trying not to get a picture taken

Trying to look cool

The game version

Croquembouche was doable at home, though coming up with the proper display caused a bit of a challenge. Typically the treats are piled into a cone shape held together with caramel threads. This dish is often served at weddings, baptisms, and first communions.

Piling them up without making a pile

Profiteroles were also easier at home. We've mastered a recipe for choux pastry, a common component in many a French delicacy (including many of the above works). In English "profiteroles" are known as "cream puffs" and are quite delightful.

We did not make the spoon, though it is handy to hold the card up

Mille-feuille looks more elaborate on the card than the one we made in real life. We were okay with that, since the card doesn't show any nuts or fruit like the drawing does. Most American bakeries call this a "Napoleon."

Mille-feuille, taller than a French general!

What a fun culinary adventure!

Game Review: Paris Pastries by Gamrana

Paris Pastries published by Gamrana

In Paris Pastries, players are bakers in early 1900s Paris, making delectable treats for customers. The game accommodates two to six players and plays in about half an hour.

The game comes with a rule book and four decks of cards: Tools, Ingredients, Recipes, and Customers. Each player starts with two Tool cards. These give special abilities to use either one time or throughout the game. For example, the Coal-Fired Deck Oven lets the player make two recipes on a single turn or the Brass Balance Scale doubles the points on the first pastry made (so obviously a one-time use Tool).

Some of Tool Cards

Five Recipe cards and five Customer cards are laid out between the players. These constitute the currently available recipes that players can create. Each customer craves one special ingredient, marked in the corners of their card and written on the bottom.

Recipe and Customer cards

Recipes require three to five ingredients. Some of the ingredients are more rare than others. The Ingredient deck also includes some Wild cards that can substitute for any other ingredient. Each recipe has a point value in the top left corner of the card and a bonus if any current customers match an ingredient for that recipe. 

Some of the Ingredient cards

On their turn, each player can do one of two actions:

• Collect Ingredients (The Baker's Gambit)--Draw ingredient cards one at a time. The player may stop at any time to take all the drawn cards. If a duplicate ingredient is drawn, the player busts and can only keep one of the ingredient cards (and the player cannot choose a Wild card as the one to keep).
• Bake a Recipe--Discard all the ingredients required for one of the five displayed recipes and take that card and any customers who match an ingredient for that recipe. Once this is done, the Recipe and Customer lines are replenished to their original five. The baker also draws two ingredient cards from the deck with no penalty if the two cards are the same ingredient.

Play proceeds continues clockwise until the ingredient deck runs out. The deck is reshuffled and used for a second time. Once that runs out, in a game of up to four players each player has a final turn to complete recipes. In five- or six-player games, the ingredient deck is reshuffled a second time and ends after that runs out.

At the end, players total up their scores for what they have baked using the number in the upper left and adding a bonus for any customer cards for that recipe. Include any end-game bonuses from Tool cards. If the score is a tie, the player with the most customers wins. If that is also a tie, the player with the most leftover ingredients wins. 

The game provides an interesting combination of pushing your luck and collecting sets. The Recipe cards have a variety of ingredients, making it possible for players to focus on one or two recipes as their targets. But the element of chance is very strong. A player could collect all but one ingredient and start pushing to get the last thing they need for a recipe. The harder they push, the more likely they are to bust. It's hard to see five cards go down to one. The luck factor can be frustrating, either busting early or not getting that one ingredient in a long line of cards.

The game has a couple of balance issues with the Tool cards. The cards that provide endless Puff Pastry or Pastry Cream or Butter provide a very large advantage to the player who has one or more of them. The advantages don't necessarily balance out. Also, the player with the endless Puff Pastry might collect the Puff Pastry Ingredient cards and then those cards are out of circulation for the other players in the reshuffle. We have thought about but haven't implemented any house rules on that.

The art is nice, evoking a Paris from more than a hundred years ago. The icons are clear and easy to understand. The theme is delightful. Who doesn't like French pastries? We certainly do and find the game mouth-watering, even if we don't win at the end.

Mildly recommended--this is a fun but very light game and has an issue or two.

Book Review: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 by G. Simone

The Uncanny X-Men Volume 1: Red Wave written by Gail Simone, art by David Marquez and Javier Garron

After the mutant island nation of Krakoa is wiped out, mutants are back on the run. Charles Xavier has also died, leaving no positive leadership and no group known as the X-Men. His Westchester school has fallen into the hands of a nefarious agency that turns it into a prison for mutants though the conversion is still in progress. Rogue and Gambit have married and are on a second honeymoon in Mexico when they get pulled back to the States to help out some fellow mutants in Louisiana. The call came from Jubilee who is tired of trying to hide her powers. Nightcrawler and Wolverine join up too. The informal team visits a mutant child dying in a hospital and then meets a quartet of mutants, one of whom may be the "Endling," the mutant who will see the last of the mutants die in a near future. Possibly by one of the many hunters sent by the nefarious agency that wants to put the four kids into custody.

The story shakes things up by having Rogue in charge of the team. She's okay as a leader but doesn't have presence that Professor X, Storm, or Cyclops has. She does okay but she does not do anything outstanding. Things move at a good pace but there is very little joy or excitement on display. Simone is a good writer but this is only average work. I don't think I will continue this series.

Mildly recommended.

Movie Review: Frankenstein (2025)

Frankenstein (2025) written and directed by Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro has had a life-long sympathy for monsters. Perhaps the most sympathetic monster in all of literature is Frankenstein's Monster, the creature crafted and then discarded by its creator. Long before zombie films presented humans as the real monsters, Mary Shelly gave us Doctor Frankenstein as the real monster, the modern Prometheus who is so obsessed with finding fire that he does not even think about what will happen once he has it.

The movie starts in the Arctic with a ship frozen into the ice as it tries to reach the North Pole. The crew are busy chopping away the ice when they spot an explosion off in the distance. They find a dogsled with the canines unharmed and a man with a shattered leg and other injuries. They bring him back to the boat as another being stalks out on the ice. The injured man is Doctor  Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaacs). The Creature (Jacob Elordi) attacks the ship, forcing the crew to fight back, though it is a loosing fight until they can submerge the Creature under the ice. Victor claims the Creature will just come back and relates his story to the Captain (Lars Mikkelsen), starting from his woeful youth as a medical protege to his domineering father (Charles Dance). Young Victor goes through a lot of hardships and develops a hardness and ambition that fuels the tragedy that unfolds.

The movie follows the general outline of the novel with some added background. Victor's childhood is marked with jealousy over his mother's affection and disdain for his father's excessive discipline. His obsession with creating life is admired (he has the attention to detail that del Toro himself has for filmmaking) and excessive (Victor doesn't care about the impact of his work on other people, not a trait del Toro shares). His minor successes with various body parts and partial cadavers spurs him on to the larger project of a whole person. But once he achieves his objective, he's at a loss and unsatisfied with all the other work he has to do, like caring for the Creature's needs. Victor has the Big Idea but not the Big Picture. His impatience with his creation (also with his collaborators, friends, and family) turns the situation blacker than it already is. In addition to giving the Creature life, Victor has given the Creature immortality, with healing so quick he is almost invulnerable. But the Creature has no satisfaction in life, especially with no community or companions. Victor refuses to create one, seeing it as a ploy to foster a new and horrible race. What the Creature wants is a genuine human need. But Victor does not see him (or anyone else it seems) as a genuine human. That attitude causes a lot of suffering, though there is a moment of redemption at the end that is touching. Del Toro manages to respect the source material and make his own creation.

The performances are good. Isaacs is compelling as the Doctor. Elordi captures the angst and frustration of the Creature in a very dynamic performance, the best of the movie. His immortality and super strength (at one point, he rocks the ship out of the ice!) are too over-the-top and are a bit distracting. The character of Elizabeth (Mia Goth) starts out interesting but quickly devolves into a romantic object for Victor, the Creature, and Victor's brother (Felix Kammerer). The problem is more with the script--they could have used less childhood narrative and given Elizabeth more. 

The production values are great. Del Toro always makes beautiful movies, even when they are dark or pessimistic. Everything from sets to makeup to visual effects looks wonderful.

Recommended--I still like the Karloff version best but this is probably my number two Frankenstein movie.

Strawbridge Shrine, Maryland

The Strawbridge Shrine was the home of Robert and Elizabeth Strawbridge. Robert was a Methodist preacher in his home country of Ireland. During his travels he met and eventually married Elizabeth Piper. They moved to America in the 1760s and established a Methodist following in the Colony of Maryland. 

Statues of Robert and Elizabeth, with their home in the background

They built a home and farm, but his calling was preaching and he developed an ever widening circuit, traveling as far as Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Strawbridge home

Like many colonial homes that could afford it, the Strawbridge home had a separate building for a kitchen to keep the heat out of the main house during the summertime. The kitchen also dealt with other domestic chores like ironing.

Kitchen and outbuilding

Barns

The site has a replica of a Methodist meeting house (called a "Methodist Class") and a bell from one of the historic Methodist churches.

Meeting house and bell

Robert died in 1781 of an unspecified illness and was eventually buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Baltimore. His work started the Methodist movement in what became the United States of America.

A gazebo further out on the land has statues that I assume are Robert and Elizabeth in action, riding the circuit of meeting houses and preaching a Biblical faith.

Gazebo with people in it?

The statues

When I visited, none of the buildings were open. They do have a museum and gift shop.

Book Review: American Indian Trickster Tales by R. Erdoes and A. Ortiz

American Indian Trickster Tales selected and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

Most every culture has its folk tales and most every set of folk tales has at least one trickster character. Norse tales have the god Loki; West Africa has Anasi the Spider; China has the Monkey King. Native American tribes have a variety of characters who are tricksters, the most popular one being Coyote. There's also Rabbit and Raven that cause mischief, along with a few other minor characters. Often tricksters are the butts of jokes, when they are not as smart as they think they are (like Daffy Duck against Bugs Bunny). Typically they cleverly try to get out of work by taking advantage of others (like Tom Sawyer painting the fence). But sometimes the trickster helps out others. In this book, a lot of tricksters have semi-divine roles in creating or organizing the universe, aside from their usual shenanigans. 

Pop culture generally mistakes folk tales for children's tales. While a lot of these stories are appropriate for the pre-teen crowd, many of them are much more adult in nature. Tricksters, in addition to satisfying their appetites for food or power, often satisfy their appetite for sex. They are not above changing shapes or genders in order to get a beautiful person "under the buffalo blanket." The tales here have plenty of amorous comedy and drama with more detail than I would like my pre-teen to read. This volume has a lot of simple black drawings of characters and situations, some of which are PG-13. I was a bit surprised to see them but they fit with the stories being told.

The stories are charming and enjoyable. Sometimes the trickster gets away with his misbehavior, sometimes he gets caught and either embarrassed or punished (occasionally both). If you like folk tales or mythology, these are light and enchanting.

All the stories are one to four pages long, so the book can be a quick read or something to dip in and out of over a long period. They are entertaining and show the vast creativity of Native American tribes.

Mildly recommended.

Cute Kid Pix October 2025

More photos that didn't make their own post...

Our friends were out of the country for most of the month, so we wound up picking up their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) distributions from Gorman Farms in Columbia. It was quite a haul. We gave some of it away, but managed to eat or freeze the majority of it.

First haul of veg

The most creative use was finding a recipe for muffins that used the beets (not a popular vegetable in our house). The recipe called for grinding up oat flakes to make flour and adding chocolate chips to make it flavorful. The results were pretty good, though I was the only one to eat more than two (over several days, not at one sitting!).

Chocolate/beet muffins

The kids also did some cooking with the veg we got, but it might have only been the cilantro that they used in this dish.

Measuring soy sauce

Combining in the skillet

Serving from the skillet

While up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we visited Central Park and explored the Garden of Five Senses. The kids were a little bored but it was fun for the grownups. 

Sign of the garden

Sound of the garden

On the way home, I stopped off at Chickie's Rock for some geocaching and amazing views.

The Susquehanna River and me

Unobstructed river

More of the gorgeous view

Yet more view

I needed to get gas and the GPS pointed me to a nearby Turkey Hill gas station. Turkey Hill is also known for its ice cream. Low and behold! the gas station was right in front of their museum! The kids wish they had driven home with me that day.

Yeah, sure, I only bought gas here

The town had some interesting duplexes with completely separate sides!

Does Two-Face live here?

Our dance studio had their Costume Dance for Halloween. My wife and I went as galaxies!

We light up your life!

Shark and Greek god dance

My son went trick-or-treating as Iron Man and made a big haul with his friends.

What's with the dangling bits?