Upon discovering the World Wide Web in the mid ’90s, I immediately began using it for the same purpose that any other red-blooded heterosexual male in his late teens would: looking up anything and everything I could find about Christian industrial music. I had discovered bands like Mortal, Under Midnight, Circle of Dust, and globalWAVEsystem only just a few years prior, and I was hungry for more.

My search eventually led me to the Flaming Fish email list and its related label. Overseen by Carson Pierce, the Flaming Fish community served as one of my chief gateways into the world of Christian industrial and goth music via wide-ranging discussions and a growing archive of user-submitted reviews. When Pierce announced that he would no longer host the reviews on his site, I offered to host them on Opus, and he graciously agreed.

Those reviews remained on Opus for several years until they eventually disappeared from the site (for reasons that I can’t quite remember). For the last decade plus, they’ve only existed on the Internet Archive, but as part of my ongoing efforts to centralize all things Opus-related, I’ve reclaimed them and placed them in their own special collection.

Reading through and prepping the 40+ reviews that comprised the archives was certainly a trip down memory lane, bringing back names with whom I frequently interacted and discussed music. (And all over email, mind you. At the time, social media as we now know it was still years away.) Many of the artists and releases reviewed remain obscure even now, and some have all but vanished into the ether, these reviews being the only proof of their existence. Others have landed on YouTube and Bandcamp, and a few artists, like Circle of Dust and The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, are still active today.

Above all, these reviews serve as a reminder of a time, before Amazon, Spotify, and social media made finding music all-but-effortless, when you really had to hunt down the music that interested you — especially if you were interested in anything remotely on the fringe. But there was joy in the hunt, and community to be found along the way, and music felt less like a commodity than it so often does today.

As the guitarist for The Smiths, Johnny Marr established a six-string style that continues to influence countless guitarists, even decades after that band’s breakup. His latest solo album, The Age of Everything, continues that legacy. Mind you, I wouldn’t describe any of the album’s ten songs as particularly Smiths-esque, with the possible exception of “How Come,” but the moment you hear those jangly riffs and pristine melodies, there’s absolutely no mistaking them for anyone else’s work.

Case in point, “Ophelia,” one of the album’s initial singles, and one of its more uptempo tracks, thanks to Jack Mitchell’s propulsive drumming and the pulsing electronics. Marr’s riffs sound like they’re carved from silver, and he jumps back and forth between them and the song’s dreamy chorus with an ease that borders on the supernatural. There’s a reason why Marr’s name has become an adjective for guitar-playing, and “Ophelia” is yet more proof of it.

The Age of Everything is currently available via BMG.

I can think of few better experiences for a music lover than when you start listening to a new album by an unknown artist and, within the first few notes, you feel something click inside you, on an almost fundamental level. It doesn’t happen all that often — maybe a handful of times a year if you’re fortunate — but it’s undeniable, an instinctual sign that you’ve just discovered something special.

Such was my experience within the first ten seconds of “Bluebells,” the second song on Whisper Doll’s sophomore album, Lucky Clover. The breezy guitars and effortless melodic shifts unlocked something inside me, a sensation further confirmed when Fiona Tagami’s breathy voice made itself known. Along with her bandmates, Tagami taps into the same winsomeness that made The Cranberries and The Sundays so beloved, a winsomeness brought about by her efforts to capture and convey a sense of whimsy and magic with her music.

Thus the album’s title song finds her contemplating various possibilities: “Oh, if it wasn’t clear I hope it is now/I stand on the edge, I don’t know how… In the universe there’s only me and a lucky clover.” Meanwhile, the aforementioned “Bluebells” is filled with evocative imagery that captures various romantic and existential twists and turns before culminating in a plea for simple understanding. And if that wasn’t clear enough, album closer “So Sweet” finds Tagami musing “I don’t think like how I used to/I’m more alive, I’m more awake” before concluding that “So sweet is living life.”

If that was all that Lucky Clover had to offer, though, then the album might be accused of being sappy, even cloying. But all of the considerable dreaminess that washes over you from the speakers is tempered by some darker impulses and undercurrents.

“I Dream Next to You” certainly sounds as buoying and effervescent as the rest of the album, and then you realize the obsessive nature of Tagami’s seemingly romantic confessions (“I wanna taste his spit/I wanna sleep in his shirt”). And I must say, I did not expect to hear a critique of purity culture when I started listening to Lucky Clover, but that’s precisely what Tagami delivers with “Am I a Knife” when she sings “If all I am is sin, how can you look at me as real?/If all my words are temptation, what do you hear?” — and her critique is all the more pointed for the earnestness with which it’s delivered.

On their Bandcamp page, Whisper Doll calls themselves the “luckiest band in Brooklyn.” And in a very true sense they are, having developed such a rich and fleshed out sound for their sophomore album. But in the end, we listeners are the truly lucky ones, because we get to listen to and enjoy that sound as often as we like — and look forward to what’s next for Tagami and her bandmates.

You’ve probably noticed this, but my movie reviews as of late have been trending decidedly towards the sort of cinematic fare that I would’ve stared at with wonder whilst perusing the VHS rental shelves as a kid back in the ’80s and early ’90s. We’re talking low-budget post-apocalyptic titles, sci-fi knock-offs, and of course, Z-grade ninja flicks galore, all of which I’ve finally been able to enjoy as a mature and functional adult thanks to streaming services like Tubi.

One of the things that I’ve come to sincerely love about these movies are their posters, which are clearly meant to compensate for the movies’ clear lack of good cinematic taste. You know the producers of Overkill — a 1987 buddy cop flick about an LA detective who teams up with a Japanese cop (and goes undercover as a male stripper) to defend California from the yakuza — knew exactly what sort of movie they were making. And so they went all out for the poster artwork, which depicts our two heroes battling yakuza toughs whilst cruising down the street on the hood of a cherry red convertible. Similarly, the trashtastic posters that IFD Films produced for Godfrey Ho’s ninja movies are appropriately absurd and incomprehensible, and I want every single one of them framed and mounted on my walls.

That brings us to 1987’s Strike Commando, a “Namsploitation” flick from Italian director Bruno Mattei that stars Reb Brown, best known for his performance as Dave Ryder (aka, Blast Hardcheese) in the MST3K classic Space Mutiny. Much like Space Mutiny, Strike Commando finds Brown running around, punching and shooting bad guys, and yelling. A lot. Only this time, his character is Sergeant Michael Ransom, a Rambo-esque commando who’s battling both the Viet Cong and Russian soldiers who tortured and killed his friends as well as the Army brass who betrayed his unit. It’s terrible and unintentionally hilarious in almost every possible way, and I’m pretty sure that twelve-year-old Jason would’ve loved every single minute of it.

He also would’ve loved the movie’s poster, and thus, so do I. Strike Commando’s poster feels like several Platonic ideals of cinematic cheese colliding together to form a kaleidoscope of awful awesomeness. How else to explain Ransom’s mis-proportioned M-16, which sports not one, not two, but seven(!) barrels, all of which are spouting hot lead? Or the bad-ass cobra tattoo on his bulging, vein-riddled bicep? Meanwhile, the other side of the poster features a rogues’ gallery of all of the bad guys who Ransom will inevitably punch, stab, shoot, and/or blow up in his quest for vengeance, along with a flight of helicopters that would make Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore green with envy.

But the pièce de résistance absolutely has to be Ransom’s blood-soaked and sweat-covered face, which is twisted in fury as he yells in defiance. Which is quite apropos, since Ransom spends approximately one-third of Strike Commando simply yelling, sometimes at bad guys (“Jaaaaakooooodaaaaa!!!”) and sometimes simply into thin air. (Interestingly, the Norwegian VHS release of Strike Commando features the same basic artwork, only with a much younger Ransom who’s considerably calmer, and even looks to be a wee bit stricken by all of the violence he’s unleashing.)

Strike Commando’s poster is so ridiculous and over-the-top — indeed, Ransom’s grotesquely rendered M-16 looks so surreal the longer you look at it that it feels like it must be a metaphor for something — that it’s tempting to dismiss it altogether. Likewise, it’s tempting to dismiss the poster’s artist — whose name, alas, has faded away into the mists of “B” movie history — as a hack. And yet, the work they created is a dozen times more interesting, more dynamic, and more accurate a representation of the movie that it’s promoting than the vast majority of Hollywood posters you see today.

Movie posters have become a dying art-form that’s prone to recycled visual tropes and rehashed clichés. But then along comes Strike Commando to stick a seven-barreled machine gun in your face while screaming at the top of its lungs and remind you that movie posters can, in fact, be ridiculous and terrible and original and awful and awesome all at the same time.

In order to better track my various cultural experiences (e.g., movies, TV shows, books, restaurants), I’ve created the Cultural Diet. Think of it as my own personal Goodreads, Letterboxd, and Yelp, all rolled into one (more info here). Every month, I recap everything that I watched, read, etc., in the previous month.

I’m bummed that I didn’t hear Satantango’s — aka, Valentina Ottoboni and Gianmarco Soldi — debut self-titled album when it was released last December. If I had, then I’m fairly certain that “Strada Provinciale 6” would’ve figured prominently in my 2025 year-end mix.

The duo employs the sort of My Bloody Valentine-esque squall that speaks right to my soul, with warbling, Kevin Shields-style “glider” guitars bursting out of the speakers from the very get-go alongside their wispy, yearning vocals. And for most shoegazers, that’d be more than enough. However, Ottoboni and Soldi introduce other dynamics, peeling back the thick walls of noise to reveal delicately picked guitar melodies that serve as a gentle calm before the maelstrom comes sweeping back in.

Satantango — who take their name from Béla Tarr’s acclaimed seven-hour 1994 epic — use that approach throughout the album’s eight songs. Which means that while it’s all very easily filed under “shoegaze,” it’s also never a mere genre exercise. Ottoboni and Soldi are never content to simply retread the same musical tropes as countless other ‘gazers have done before them, which makes Satantango one of the more interesting shoegaze releases — and one of the more promising debuts — that I’ve heard in quite some time.

Satantango is currently available via Dischi Sotterranei.

As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the new titles. Every month, I compile a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies and TV shows to add to your streaming queues.

If you’d like to receive my streaming recommendations even sooner, become an Opus subscriber today.

Jump to a Streaming Service

• Amazon Prime Video
• The Criterion Channel
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Amazon Prime Video

Blade Runner 2049 (Oct 1)

Over the years, news of a Blade Runner sequel has always been met with trepidation and skepticism. However, Blade Runner 2049 was about as perfect a sequel as fans could’ve hoped for. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 may not reach the original’s mythic-ness, but it’s certainly of a piece thanks to its contemplative pacing, gorgeous effects and world-building, and a storyline that builds on the original’s themes.

Casino Royale (Oct 1)

Daniel Craig started off his tenure as James Bond with a bang in this reboot of the venerable spy movie franchise. As a newly minted “00” agent, Bond is assigned to track down a wealth financier who has been helping terrorists. Throw in a femme fatale or two, some excellent tailoring, and a slew of clever gadgets — not to mention Craig’s icy-yet-sympathetic portrayal of Bond — and you have a 007 film par excellence (read my review).

GoldenEye (Oct 1)

Of all the James Bond movies, I have a special fondness for 1995’s GoldenEye, which was Pierce Brosnan’s first outing as 007. Brosnan’s 007 is the perfect blend of charm, élan, menace, and edge, all of which are put to good use as Bond tries to stop a deadly Russian satellite from falling into the wrong hands. GoldenEye has everything you could want in a Bond film: gadgets, femme fatales, thrilling action sequences (like the tank chase through downtown St. Petersburg), and a couple of twists and betrayals. (The fact that Goldeneye also inspired one of the greatest video games of all time doesn’t hurt, either.)

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Oct 1)

More than forty years after its release, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark remains one of the greatest action/adventure movies of all time, and introduced one of cinema’s most iconic heroes: Indiana Jones, globe-trotting Nazi-punching archaeologist extraordinaire. Heavily inspired by the serials of the ’40s and ’50s, Indy’s movie debut finds him traversing the globe to find the titular biblical artifact before Hitler’s forces do. Raiders of the Lost Ark is filled with thrilling action set pieces and culminates in a truly unforgettable showdown between the forces of good and evil (read my review).

John Wick (Oct 1)

On paper, John Wick’s premise is pretty silly: a retired assassin returns to a life of violence to avenge his dead puppy in spectacularly bloody fashion. But of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the film boasts some of the best action filmmaking of the last ten years and a sense of style that’s only enhanced by Keanu Reeve’s dedication and intensity. John Wick spawned three sequels, each more outrageous than the last, and a truly fascinating mythology.

Kung Fu Panda (Oct 1)

The casting of Jack Black as the voice of Po, a panda who dreams of being a martial arts legend, was clearly a stroke of genius. Set in an version of medieval China populated with anthropomorphized animals, Kung Fu Panda is a thoroughly entertaining action/comedy for the whole family that also packs some delightful depth beneath the martial arts hijinks. (And for what it’s worth, I contend that Tai Lung’s prison escape is one of the great cinematic action scenes of all time.)

Lone Wolf McQuade (Oct 1)

Chuck Norris is J.J. McQuade, a former Marine and Texas Ranger who walks softly and carries a really big gun — which will come in handy when he has to square off against an arms dealer (David Carradine). One of Norris’ most iconic and successful films, especially for its “buried alive” scene, Lone Wolf Mcquade would eventually serve as the inspiration for Walker, Texas Ranger a decade later (read my review).

Mystery Men (Oct 1)

Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pretty cool and all. But does it feature a hero who’s really good at shoveling? When it was originally released in 1999, Mystery Men was something of a box office bomb, which is a shame. Its sendup of superhero tropes, as a team of misfit and wannabe superheroes try to take on their city’s arch-supervillain, is hilariously over-the-top. And it doesn’t hurt that the film boasts a truly awesome cast that includes the likes of Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, and Janeane Garofalo.

Here’s everything arriving on Amazon Prime Video in October 2026.

The Criterion Channel

Bright Future (Oct 1)

Tadanobu Asano and Joe Odagiri — two of Japan’s biggest actors — star in this Kiyoshi Kurosawa-directed drama about a pair of factory workers who really want to strike back at their boss. But that just scratches the surface of this drama. Bright Future doesn’t take a very direct route in its storytelling, but it offers up some poignant images about the need for beauty and transcendence in the midst of modern apathy and lost, directionless youth.

The Others (Oct 1)

In this chilling ghost story set during World War II, Nicole Kidman plays a mother who lives in a remote house with her young children. But when otherworldly phenomena begin to occur, she must face the possibility that their house is haunted, and their souls in danger. Alejandro Amenábar knows how to build a sense of atmosphere and dread, and he uses it effectively. The Others is proof that you make generate solid scares without resorting to gore or crazy special effects.

The Social Network (Oct 1)

Based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires, David Fincher’s The Social Network explores the founding of Facebook, from Mark Zuckerberg’s early days at Harvard University to the site’s meteoric rise in popularity and the resulting legal tribulations and broken friendships. Though it has been criticized for playing fast and loose with historical accuracy, The Social Network is regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s, thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning script and Jesse Eisenberg’s lead performance as Zuckerberg.

Terror in Resonance (Oct 1)

When Japan is rocked by an apparent terrorist attack by a mysterious group calling itself “Sphinx,” a demoted Tokyo detective is pulled back into service, only to discover an even bigger conspiracy than he could have possible imagined. Created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, best known for Cowboy Bebop, Terror in Resonance is a slick modern thriller that also boasts a stellar Yoko Kanno soundtrack. Fun trivia note: In 2015, the Chinese government banned 38 anime titles, including Terror in Resonance, claiming that they contained “scenes of violence, pornography, terrorism, and crimes against public morality” that could influence minors to commit similar acts.

The Wraith (Oct 1)

A mysterious stranger in a sleek, ominous sports car suddenly appears in the Arizona desert, and begins killing members of a gang of car thieves. At the same time, a new kid arrives in town on a motorcycle and starts causing trouble. Could the two events be related? Do you even need to ask? The Wraith is classic ’80s action/horror, and stars Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, Sherilyn Fenn, and Clint Howard.

Here’s everything arriving on The Criterion Channel in October 2026.

Disney+

VisionQuest, Season One (Oct 14)

Following the events of 2021’s WandaVision, the resurrected android Vision lives in isolation in order to figure out who or what he is. To help his journey of discovery, he consults the various AIs located in his programming, which includes the villainous Ultron. Meanwhile, he encounters a young man who might just be his reincarnated son. Paul Bettany and James Spader reprise their MCU roles of Vision and Ultron, respectively. VisionQuest was created by Terry Matalas, who previously worked on Star Trek: Picard and 12 Monkeys.

Here’s everything arriving on Disney+ in October 2026.

HBO Max

Coraline (Oct 1)

Neil Gaiman’s darkly fantastical storytelling and Henry Selick’s stop-motion animation are a match made in movie heaven. Coraline’s titular heroine dreams of a nicer, more magical home — which is exactly what she gets when she discovers a portal to another world. Of course, given that this is Neil Gaiman we’re talking about, things soon get dark and weird, and Selick’s clever visuals are a perfect tool for conveying that (read my review).

Corpse Bride (Oct 1)

Starring the voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emily Watson, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is a fanciful fairy tale about a young man who accidentally finds himself married to, well, a corpse. It’s certainly macabre and spooky, but what else would you expect from a Tim Burton film?

Ocean’s Eleven (Oct 1)

Ocean’s Eleven is about as slick as heist movies come, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney at his most charming) assembles a team to knock over three Las Vegas casinos in one night. Directed with all assurance by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven is just a joy to watch, as the twists keep coming and the stakes keep getting higher (read my review).

The Royal Tenenbaums (Oct 1)

Arguably my favorite Wes Anderson film, The Royal Tenenbaums is a dark, drier-than-dry — and at times, quite poignant — comedy about a trio of genius siblings who must confront their deadbeat dad when he announces that he’s dying. The film stars the usual Anderson players, along with Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, and Gene Hackman as the conniving-yet-lovable father, Royal, who seeks to redeem himself after causing his family years of grief.

The Shining (Oct 1)

When Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker for a remote hotel, he looks forward to writing his new book. But malevolent forces in the hotel have other plans, and soon, Jack begins sliding into a madness that threatens the lives of his wife and son. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the 1977 Stephen King novel contains some of the creepiest and most indelible images in all of film history.

Here’s everything arriving on HBO Max in October 2026.

Hulu

Die Hard (Oct 1)

One of the greatest action movies of all time, period (read my review). Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a sardonic detective from New York who’s visiting his estranged wife in Los Angeles for a Christmas party at her office. And then, wouldn’t you know it, a bunch of terrorists break up the party and hold everyone hostage. It’s up to McClane to take on the terrorists — who are led by Alan Rickman at his most suave — armed with little more than some one-liners. Suffice to say, the terrorists don’t stand a chance.

Ghostbusters (Oct 1)

In this supernatural comedy classic from 1984, Bill Murray leads a group of intrepid paranormal investigators who quickly find themselves in over their heads when an ancient god of destruction threatens New York with eternal doom. Ghostbusters also stars Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis.

True Lies (Oct 1)

By all appearances, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mild-mannered computer salesman. In reality, though, he’s a secret agent living a double life. But a terrorist organization’s latest activities threaten to reveal Harry’s secrets, putting his loved ones in danger. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, and Bill Paxton (RIP), and directed by James Cameron, True Lies is peak ’90s action comedy.

Jamie Foxx: Take Care of Yourself (Oct 7)

Jamie Foxx returns with another standup special following the success of 2024’s excellent What Had Happened Was…. The special will also feature Foxx’s daughter Anelise as a musical guest.

Here’s everything arriving on Hulu in October 2026.

Netflix

The Bourne Identity (Oct 1)

Matt Damon stars in this thriller based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel about a man who awakens with no memory but soon finds himself the target of the American intelligence community. Luckily, he possesses a set of deadly skills that will come in very handy. Also starring Run Lola Run’s Franka Potente, The Bourne Identity helped kick off the Bourne franchise, which delivered some of the best action/thriller films of the 2000s.

Psycho (Oct 1)

One of the greatest suspense films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is iconic, no doubt about it. After a young woman on the run disappears, her sister and a private investigator pick up the trail, which leads them to a remote motel in the middle of nowhere — and the creepy house overlooking it. From the famous shower scene to the final twists, Psycho is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time.

The Sixth Sense (Oct 1)

With its story about a young boy who can see dead people, The Sixth Sense is the movie that put writer/director M. Night Shyamalan on the map. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the movie features Haley Joel Osment in one of the best child actor performances of all time, and a solid supporting cast that includes Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, and Olivia Williams. And of course, one heckuva twist ending that blew audiences’ minds back in 1999 — and is still pretty effective even after multiple viewings (read my review).

Cocaine Bear (Oct 13)

You don’t get a more accurate movie title than Cocaine Bear. Based on a true story from 1985, Elizabeth Banks’ film is about a bear that ingests a large amount of cocaine, and decides to go on a rampage. The horror comedy stars Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, and Ray Liotta in one of his final film appearances.

Sacrifice (Oct 16)

A movie star trying to salvage his image and career appears at an environmental fundraising gala, only to be kidnapped by a cult seeking three sacrificial victims to toss into a nearby volcano in order to prevent humanity’s extinction. Directed by Romain Gavras, Sacrifice stars Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek, Charli XCX, and John Malkovich.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 (Oct 20)

The first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was a rollicking and highly stylized cyberpunk action series (read my review). The second series is a completely new story set within the sordid streets of Night City, and a new set of characters seeking after revenge and redemption.

Lupin, Part Four (Oct 23)

Netflix’s gentleman thief returns, only this time he’s behind bars, where he’s just serving out his sentence until he can be reunited with his family. But when a series of heists are pulled off by someone claiming to be Lupin, all of the evidences points back to him. So now he must escape prison in order to clear his name and save his family. To date, Lupin has been one of Netflix’s most popular non-English titles, and for good reason: it’s filled with plenty of twists and turns, not to mention lead actor Omar Sy’s boundless charisma.

The One About Matthew Perry (Oct 27)

This three-part documentary series celebrates the life and career of actor Matthew Perry, best known for his performance as Chandler Bing in Friends. Perry died in 2023 from an accidental overdose, and the series, which includes contributions from the actor’s family, explores his struggles with addiction as well as his comedy legacy.

SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of (Oct 30)

Everyone’s heard of Saturday Night Live. But in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Canada’s SCTV delivered its own brand of sketch comedy, and in the process, gave us such beloved actors and comedians as John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Harold Ramis. This documentary, which includes footage from a 2018 cast reunion, reflects on SCTV’s production and comedy legacy.

Here’s everything arriving on Netflix in October 2026.

Tubi

28 Days Later (Oct 1)

A man wakes up in a hospital after a zombie plague has decimated England. Together with a ragtag group of survivors, he must find a way to safety even as they discover that human beings can be worse than zombies. On paper, 28 Days Later’s story doesn’t deviate too much from zombie movie tropes, but the vibrancy and immediacy of director Danny Boyle’s visuals elevate the material — and having Godspeed You Black Emperor! on the soundtrack doesn’t hurt either.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Oct 1)

This Steven Spielberg movie about a group of people whose chance encounters with extraterrestrials cause them to leave their lives behind for some unknown quest is a sci-fi classic, if ever there was one. And it still holds up after more than 40 years, thanks to its sense of awe and wonder, which culminates in an iconic scene where the aliens and humans finally learn to communicate with each other.

Commando (Oct 1)

If you’re looking for the ultimate over-the-top ’80s action flick, then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than Commando. Directed by Mark L. Lester, Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his musclebound ’80s-est as Colonel John Matrix, a retired Green Beret who’s forced back into action after mercenaries kidnap his young daughter (Alyssa Milano). Commando is utterly ridiculous as Matrix tears through wave after mercenary wave with machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and gardening tools.

The Foreigner (Oct 1)

In this suspenseful thriller set in London and Belfast, Jackie Chan plays a seemingly nondescript man seeking justice for his daughter after she dies in a terrorist bombing. Unfortunately for the bombers, he was a special forces soldier during the Vietnam War, and he’s not afraid to put his deadly skills to use in order to get vengeance. Grim and gritty, The Foreigner is a far cry from Chan’s usual action/comedy blend, but it’s also something of a revelation, and proof that Chan can carry purely dramatic fare.

Forrest Gump (Oct 1)

Tom Hanks won a “Best Actor” Oscar in 1995 for his portayal of the titular character, a simple man with low intelligence whose various life experiences end up shaping American culture without him ever realizing it. Utilizing cutting edge (at the time) visual effects, Forrest Gump places the character in the Vietnam War, on stage with John Lennon, and in the Oval Office with Nixon. The film also stars Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, and a young Haley Joel Osment.

The Goonies (Oct 1)

Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies is about as good as a classic kids adventure film can get. When a group of social misfits on the verge of being kicked out of their homes discover a pirate treasure map, they see it as the perfect solution to their problems — if they can survive the elaborate booby traps and vicious criminals on their tail.

The Social Network (Oct 1)

Based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires, David Fincher’s The Social Network explores the founding of Facebook, from Mark Zuckerberg’s early days at Harvard University to the site’s meteoric rise in popularity and the resulting legal tribulations and broken friendships. Though it has been criticized for playing fast and loose with historical accuracy, The Social Network is regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s, thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning script and Jesse Eisenberg’s lead performance as Zuckerberg.

Spaceballs (Oct 1)

I still remember the first time I saw Spaceballs. I was in junior high at the time, and I had no idea what the movie was, but the moment I saw the “We brake for nobody” bumper sticker on Spaceball One, I knew my life would never be the same. One of the most quotable movies of all time — e.g., “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.” — Spaceballs is a true comedy classic.

Here’s everything arriving on Tubi in October 2026.

Lincoln’s very own Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center has announced its 2026 Fright Fest for the month of October. As with previous festivals, this year’s lineup features an eclectic blend of new and old horror films that run the gamut from zombie and vampire movies to ghost stories and murder mysteries.

View the complete lineup below, along with links for more info and tickets.

In addition to the Fright Fest, The Ross is also celebrating the 45th anniversary of Friends of The Ross with a selection of films from 1981, including Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits and Michael Mann’s Thief.

There’s a little something for everyone on Club 8’s latest album, the more-than-aptly titled Weeks of Golden Beats. There’s some New Order-underscored synth-pop (“Echoes of Our Time,” “Birthday”), a sprightly acoustic number (“Honestly”), and even some shoegaze shimmer (“Don’t Cry Baby, It’s Only a Film”). And of course, this being Club 8 we’re talking about, the album’s production is burnished to a glossy sheen while Karolina Komstedt’s vocals are as dreamy as ever.

As such, it’s hard to pick one standout song, but I’m going to go with “The Sweetness of Honey,” which blends the duo’s effortless Swedish pop sensibilities with some funk and soul. It’s packed with the sort of eclecticism we’ve come to expect from Komstedt and bandmate Johan Angergård, but no matter how much I hear it, it feels just as fresh and vibrant as ever.

Weeks of Golden Beats is currently available.

When people think of martial arts cinema icons who’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, the first names that come to mind are probably Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Meanwhile, genre fans might mention Chang Cheh, Norman Chu, Cheng Pei-pei, Jimmy Wang Yu, Lau Kar-leung, Corey Yuen, and so on. Odds are, the recently deceased Richard Harrison — who died at the age of 90 earlier this month — probably won’t make such a list for most people, and understandably so.

Unlike Lee, Norris, et al., Harrison didn’t come from the world of martial arts. Rather, he got his start in body-building, which led to roles in Italian sword-and-sandal movies like 1961’s The Invincible Gladiator and 1963’s Medusa Against the Son of Hercules. He worked steadily in Europe throughout the ’60s and ’70s, and starred in everything from spy thrillers and war films to spaghetti westerns. (Fun fact: Harrison was the one who told Sergio Leone to hire a young unknown named Clint Eastwood for a little film called A Fistful of Dollars. Harrison would later joke that that was his biggest contribution to cinema.)

By the ’80s, though, Harrison had grown frustrated with the Italian film industry, and moved to Asia. There, perhaps unwittingly and much to his chagrin, he began his career as a Z-grade action movie icon. Working for the Silver Star Film Company in the Philippines, Harrison starred in stuff like Blood Debts, a riff on Death Wish that’s so disjointed, nonsensical, and poorly made that “low budget” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

However, it wasn’t until he arrived in Hong Kong and met director Godfrey Ho that Richard Harrison truly began carving out a unique niche in martial arts cinema — though he didn’t necessarily have a say in the matter.

I’ve written before about Ho’s (in)famous “cut and paste” approach to filmmaking. After shooting original footage with his own cast and crew, Ho would then splice it with footage from other films that his studio (IFD Films) owned the rights to, which allowed him to churn out lots of new films on the cheap. Needless to say, Ho’s films — many of which center around ninjas doing mystical ninja things — are coherent only in the loosest sense of the word, and yet that very quality imbues them with a bizarre-ness that some (including yours truly) find endlessly fascinating.

Harrison was one of Ho’s biggest stars, and appeared in such fantastically titled films as Ninja Terminator, Ninja the Protector, Golden Ninja Warrior, Ninja Operation: Licensed to Terminate, and Diamond Ninja Force. He typically played a secret ninja master who would just sort of amble through the film — thanks to Ho’s nonsensical editing — until the final act, where he’d then summon his mystical ninja powers to defeat the bad guy.

To Harrison’s credit, it’s clear, even with Ho’s slice n’ dice editing, that he was a professional doing his best, regardless of whether he was talking on a Garfield phone, receiving ninja threats from a toy robot, or wearing a bandana with the word “Ninja” emblazoned on it. Unfortunately, the films that Harrison is arguably best known for were a source of great embarrassment for him.

Speaking with Nanarland, Harrison revealed that he was essentially forced by producer Joseph Lai to keep working with Ho in order to pay off taxes resulting from a fraudulent contract. Furthermore, he had no idea at the time just how many films were being created with the footage he’d shot. Working with Ho and IFD left him feeling used and betrayed, and so Harrison returned to the States in 1986. (Not surprisingly, Ho kept using footage of Harrison for his films for several more years, as evidenced by 1988’s Ninja Strike Force and Ninja Powerforce.)

Harrison’s final films included Angel Eyes, a 1993 softcore thriller starring Erik Estrada (aka, Ponch from CHIPs), John Phillip Law, and former Penthouse Pet Monique Gabrielle, and 2000’s Jerks. In addition to acting, Harrison also directed several films, including 1980’s Challenge of the Tiger, which starred Bruce Le (one of the many imitators who capitalized on Bruce Lee’s death) and 1986’s Terror Force Commando, which he also co-wrote. (I have no interest in seeing Angel Eyes and Jerks, but you better believe I added Challenge of the Tiger to my Tubi queue.)

I don’t know that I can fully explain why I find Richard Harrison’s filmography so fascinating. I think it’s because Harrison, along with the other non-Asian actors who appeared in Godfrey Ho’s films (e.g., Kent Wills, Mike Abbott), represents a curious alternative to the more well-known martial arts worlds of Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers.

Obviously, no one would ever mistake Ninja Terminator and Diamond Ninja Force for good films, or Godfrey Ho for a good (or even ethical) filmmaker. And yet, those films are so bizarre that they seem like artifacts from a parallel dimension. And yet, for all of their considerable awfulness, I appreciate the glimpse they provide because it’s truly unlike anything else. They’re certainly not for everyone, but for fans of cult cinema, it really doesn’t get much cult-ier than Richard Harrison as a mustachioed and eyeliner-wearing ninja.

I certainly don’t want to downplay or dismiss Richard Harrison’s embarrassment and frustration at how his film career turned out thanks to his association with Godfrey Ho, Joseph Lai, and IFD Films. At the same time, though, there’s no denying that he was an instrumental part of a truly unique part of film history. As Mike Haberfelner wrote in his extensive Harrison biography, “it’s fair to say that [Harrison] wasn’t even too great an actor, but without him and his 100+ films output, the history of unusual, trashy and insane movies would be a whole lot poorer.”

My time for gaming is pretty limited these days, so I can only allow myself to get excited about a handful of times every year. For 2026, those titles included Halo: Campaign Evolved, a satisfying enough remake of the original Halo game, and Control Resonant, a sequel to 2019’s acclaimed Control.‘

I didn’t play Control until several years after its release, and immediately fell in love with almost everything about it. As I wrote in my review, the game’s mix of brutalist architecture, liminal space imagery, Cold War relics, and creepypasta hit a real sweet spot for me, and I couldn’t wait for a sequel.

Revealed last year, Control Resonant returns us to the world of the Federal Bureau of Control, the secretive government organization tasked with protecting humanity from paranatural threats. However, the otherworldly Hiss have escaped the confines of the Oldest House, and have begun remaking and rewriting Manhattan. It’s up Dylan Faden — brother of Jesse, the first game’s protagonist — to take on the Hiss with his own paranatural abilities, and undo their damage.

Everything I’ve seen of Control Resonant to date looks amazing, and I’m eagerly searching for some time in which to play it. In the meantime, critics have begun weighing in. So how well does Control Resonant stack up to its acclaimed predecessor? Is it worth the seven-year wait? Read on for a selection of critical reactions to Remedy Entertainment’s latest.

👍 David Burdette, ​“Ascends to new heights” 

Comfort zones don’t exist at Remedy Entertainment. The team has always been adamant about pushing their limits and expanding their horizons, whether it works or doesn’t. This has resulted in one of the most creative companies of our era, and even though that is welcome, it’s a scary conviction to hold in regard to Control Resonant. Here is a sequel to a game that was a critical darling, but that steps away from the original protagonist and genre to make something new. It’s a risky bet, and while Resonant has its issues, it pays off in ways I couldn’t have expected.

👍 Tay Garcia, ​“Not your typical sequel” 

Control Resonant is yet another piece of evidence that we need to protect Remedy Entertainment at all costs. The studio understands and openly embraces its identity, one that smells of coffee and creative weirdness, and this sequel proves they know how to reinvent themselves without losing an ounce of their soul.

👍 Michael Higham, ​“Dares to be bold where it counts” 

Where Control Resonant really shines is in the mind-bending, gravity-defying world Remedy built for it. You’re not going to find your local bodega in the Lower East Side or the 4-train to Harlem in this version of Manhattan. However, the way the design language of The Oldest House has spilled into the streets gives it a personality that’s so distinctly Control. The environment seamlessly guides you on what’s what and where to go, so even in the absence of a more detailed map, I was rarely ever lost as long as I paid attention to my surroundings. This strikes a delicate balance, letting the world itself take the lead rather than waypointing every little thing.

👍 Brent Koepp, ​“A mind-dending action masterpiece” 

When Control Resonant was first revealed in 2025, I was unsure how Remedy Entertainment would take on the action RPG genre. After spending nearly 60 hours with the sequel, I can thankfully say it’s not only one of the best action games this year, but it also has some of the best level design I’ve ever experienced in any game. Control Resonant might be Remedy’s most groundbreaking and genre-bending project to date.

👍 Cole Kronman, ​“Refreshingly original” 

Control Resonant can thus be taken as a pivotal moment for the studio, the first time its signature formal ambitions have been married with a design this rigorous and uncompromising (for player and developer alike). I’m very happy to report that they’ve stuck the landing: this is, without a doubt, the most demanding, most video-game-per-square-inch video game Remedy has ever made. Imperfect, but relentlessly, characteristically interesting.

👎 Michael Leri, ​“A terrible waste of Remedy’s talents” 

Whereas that 2019 title was a splendid synthesis of Remedy’s signature strengths, Control Resonant‘s many failures make it seem as though it came from a different studio altogether. Its melee combat is bafflingly hollow, relentlessly repetitive, and poorly balanced across the board… By failing to engage the fingers or brain, Resonant is not just a disappointing sequel; it betrays the very notion of what it means to be a Remedy game.

👎 Willa Rowe, ​“Misses the mark in nearly every way” 

Resonant may be a more technically perfect game than its third-person shooter predecessor — combat is sharper, the story is given more depth, and the expanded world has been designed with a perfectionist’s eye — but missing is that all-important Remedy magic that makes its games so compelling. Without it, Control Resonant completely falls apart.

👍 Chris Tapsell, ​“How video games should be done” 

There are parts of the demo I played that I don’t think would have made it into other triple-A games; creative decisions that would’ve either not been made or, maybe more likely, have been gradually whittled down and eroded over time. The result is something a little more rugged than even the first Control, that may not even always come together perfectly in the playing. But also something kind of fascinating.

👍 Paul Tassi, ​“Enjoyable and addictive, but sometimes roadblocked by frustrating design choices” 

It’s an interesting idea to switch genres to expand the world of Control with a radically different genre. It works, most of the time, though there are aspects that could use more polish and rethinking given that this is Remedy’s first stab at a large-scale brawler. For what it lacks in fleshed-out systems, it makes up in universe building and art direction. I do recommend you play Control first, as some have asked, and I do think that’s a clearly better game, but I imagine Resonant will find an audience as well. As for me, there’s still plenty more to do and see and smash with comically large paranatural hammers.

👍 Alan Wen, ​“Ambitious and visually unique” 

With a new protagonist and an expanded setting, Control Resonant morphs into a different, more ambitious beast of a game than its predecessor, all while building on its uniquely New Weird aesthetic. I’ve seen my share of apocalyptic virtual cities, but the unsettling sight of dead floating bodies, streets suddenly shifting upwards, or skyscrapers refracting into nothing is quite unlike anything else, while an even stranger phenomenon called ‘patterning’ might be the logical conclusion of genAI hallucinating a form into multiple uncanny versions of itself.

Control Resonant is currently available. Watch the trailer below:

Prior to forming Faith and the Muse in 1993, Monica Richards and William Faith were already veterans of the goth and post-punk scenes; Richards was formerly the lead singer of Washington D.C.’s Strange Boutique while Faith had performed with Shadow Project, Christian Death, and Mephisto Walz. But when Faith and the Muse released their debut album, Elyria, in 1994 on Tess Records, its blend of searing post-punk, traditional folk, and stirring neoclassical arrangements established them as goth rock icons in their own right.

“Sparks” is the album’s finest post-punk moment, but Joy Division this most certainly is not — not with Richards’ dramatic vocals and Faith’s roiling guitars. And definitely not with lyrics like “How carelessly the bound daylight caresses/Oblivious to wandering eyes extinguished” or “Fears that creep about my flame/Evanesce until the dawn calls them home again/Bearing thoughts of you.” It’s swirling and angst-ridden and melodramatic in all the best ways, and I have no doubt that it sent many a goth kid swaying to and fro out there on the smoke-enshrouded dance floor back in the day.

Elyria has been reissued several times since 1994, including a 2022 limited edition vinyl release by Greece’s Circle Music. But earlier this year, Faith remastered the album while Richards contributed new artwork. The 2026 Elyria remaster/reissue will be released on October 9, 2026 by Metropolis Records as a CD digipak only. It will not released digitally. Faith and the Muse have also announced similar reissues of their second and third albums — 1995’s Anwyn, Beneath The Waves and 1999’s Evidence of Heaven — for early 2027.

Earlier this year, Vini Reilly released Renascent, the first new Durutti Column album in almost sixteen years. Given Reilly’s poor health and struggles with both poverty and mental illness, the album’s existence feels like something of a miracle, and even more so considering just how lovely it all sounds. Renascent is filled with Reilly’s trademark guitar-playing, which remains just as elegant and evocative as ever.

To mark the occasion, this month’s playlist, titled “For the Love of Durutti,” dives deep into Vini Reilly’s extensive and eclectic discography, and highlights just a few of the sonic gems that can be found therein.

Accompanying the playlist is the latest episode of my “Playlist Breakdown” podcast, in which I spotlight one of the playlist’s songs and why it’s so special, interesting, and/or meaningful. This month’s episode focuses on “Sketch for Summer,” an exceedingly pretty song that opens The Durutti Column’s 1980 debut, The Return of the Durutti Column.

Both of these are little bonuses for subscribers who support Opus financially. If you’d like to get access to them (and more), subscribe to Opus for just $5.00/month or $50/year. (You can also subscribe for free and get my weekend newsletter.)

If you’ve read my political posts, then you’ve probably seen me bring up “cultural hermeneutics” at least once or twice before. Hermeneutics is usually related to the realms of theology and Biblical studies, where it refers to the study of how best to interpret and understand a particular text. Thus, “cultural hermeneutics” — as I use the term — refers to the study of how best to interpret and understand a particular cultural artifact, be it a movie, a song, or even a meme.

We all engage in cultural hermeneutics every day, whether we realize it or not, and we do so with varying degrees of success and interest. But it’s something that Trump, MAGA, and many Republican officials are particularly terrible at. They appropriate beloved fictional characters, misunderstand popular songs and card games, and reference memes without comprehending them, and they do so with an almost gleeful cluelessness.

Earlier this month, Trump posted an AI-generated design for the “next generation” of U.S. Space Force uniforms, which he claimed were “inspired by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform.” Now, anyone with even the slightest hint of cultural awareness would immediately peg those uniforms as something that should only be worn by sci-fi villains. Which was entirely the point of Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film.

The Hollywood Reporter asked [Verhoeven] what he thought of Trump and his team taking inspiration from Starship Troopers. “It’s an honor, isn’t it?” he said, laughing, before adding: “When [the Trump administration] talks about Starship Troopers, they should be aware that it’s based on the style of Leni Riefenstahl,” the filmmaker who glorified the Nazi movement in propaganda, most famously in 1935’s Triumph of the Will. “I don’t know if this president is aware that the movie says these [characters] are fascists without knowing that they’re fascists. That’s the point.”

Now, to be fair to Trump, a lot of people misunderstood Verhoeven’s film, including even its cast as they were making it. But Trump’s misunderstanding is worsened by (A) his love of cruelty and violence, as evidenced by social media posts in which he leads an army of ominous robots and rains destruction down on the Earth and (B) his love for authoritarian power, as seen by his social media posts as well as his real world admiration of autocrats and despots like Kim Jong-un, Viktor Orbán, and of course, Vladimir Putin.

It requires no stretch of the imagination to believe that Trump likes these uniforms precisely because their stark design communicates strength, toughness, and even brutality — all qualities that he, along with “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth, have tried to inculcate in the American military. And by extension, they make him look strong and powerful as Space Force’s leader (which stands in stark contrast to the reality of his actual military service, or lack thereof). Because in the end, as has always been the case, nothing matters to Trump so much as his own image, and it matters not if that image is obviously fascist.

At this point, I hold little hope that Trump and his MAGA sycophants will develop any sort of decent cultural hermeneutic, never mind any sense of shame or propriety. They’re too busy having fun trolling the rest of us with a stream of AI-generated images that are both incredibly stupid and deeply alarming. Incredibly stupid because the AI slop is so poor, even by AI slop standards, and the images themselves are so patently ridiculous (e.g., Pope Trump). And deeply alarming because these images, ridiculous as they seem, might actually represent the world they wish to bring about, and all for the glory of someone like Donald Trump.

After a late summer heat wave, it’s finally begun cooling down here in Lincoln, to the point where I’ve actually felt the need to don a pullover before stepping outside. As an added bonus, it’s been grey, overcast, and rainy all week long. In other words, it’s now the perfect time to break out some Hood and enjoy their chilly, pastoral take on post-rock.

Wetherby’s finest weren’t always so pastorally minded, though. Their earliest releases, like 1996’s Silent ’88, were scrappy, lo-fi affairs that were heavily indebted to Sonic Youth’s cacophony, with only a few hints at the atmospherics that would come to haunt their later albums. Said atmospherics didn’t really manifest themselves until the Matt Elliott-produced Rustic Houses, Forlorn Valleys, which Domino released in 1998.

Indeed, listen no further than opening track “S.E. Rain Patterns,” a nearly ten-minute piece that’s all pensive brooding and slow burn, and perfectly captures the mood of the album’s title (which would be dreadfully on the nose for most bands). The song’s first half is comprised mostly of vaguely ominous drones and a stark scattering of piano that presage both the coming autumn chill and falling leaves tossed about by the wind. Other instruments slowly make their presence known: tentative guitars, a plodding bass line, brushed drums, and even a mournful woodwind for good measure.

Finally, at the halfway point, the vocals come in. But in the Hood tradition, they’re almost an afterthought, these cryptic and awkward mumblings about “sympathetic skies,” “forgotten worlds,” and “lost and windy autumn afternoons.” The song picks up the pace during its mopey chorus (“Forget the dreams you had/The times that you felt lost”) in a manner that recalls Hood’s earlier recordings. But even then, some aspect of the song still feels like it’s not completely, fully there.

Hood’s music, ever since I first heard 1999’s The Cycle of Days and Seasons, has always possessed this ambiguity for me, as if some vital part of the music remains stuck in some other place. Like the band, even as they holed up in the studio, were daydreaming about meandering walks under endless grey skies, long walks that took them through autumn-browned meadows and past ivy-covered hamlets, and that yearning was somehow psychically captured onto the tape.

Whatever the explanation, the resulting music is always beguiling, and it speaks to me on a deep, perhaps even genetic level whenever the mercury starts to dip, the skies begin to darken, and the air grows crisp and brittle.

I love the World Cup for the same reason I love the Olympics: I believe both give us a foretaste, however slight, of what awaits us at the end of days, when all the world’s nations shall gather to bring their “glory and honor” into the New Jerusalem. Of course, the World Cup, like the Olympics, is never without issue (e.g., President Trump’s involvement in the Folarin Balogun red card controversy, and FIFA’s sketchy ticketing practices). And yet, when I reflect on this year’s tournament, I can’t help but think that “the beautiful game” will, indeed, be part of that assembled glory and honor.

Looking back at this year’s tournament, here are some of the more notable moments that brought me no small amount of joy over the last few weeks.

Experiencing America

At every World Cup, there’s bound to be some culture shock as tens of thousands of fans arrive in the host nation and discover what it has to offer. Which explains why social media was filled with videos of visitors from other countries wandering, wide-eyed, through Costco and Walmart or experiencing the wonder of free refills, American portion sizes, and institutions like Buc-ees and Waffle House.

On the one hand, it’s easy to be cynical about such videos. (Are big-box stores, crass consumerism, and excessive calories really all that America has to share with the world?) On the other hand, these videos can also be a reminder — the next time I look at the wall of cereal options in my local grocery store, for instance — that many Americans really do enjoy an abundance, and to be thankful for that. And as for non-Americans glimpsing America’s natural beauty for the first time, well, who can be cynical about that?

Cross-Cultural Celebrations

American sports fans received a lesson in what it really means to support your team as kilts-clad Scots marched through Boston with their bagpipes at full volume, Spain’s fans celebrated in New York City’s streets, and the Netherlands’ Oranje Army took over Kansas City. It got even better when support and celebrations crossed borders, like the Boston cops who helped celebrate Cape Verde, the Kansans who embraced the Algerian team, or the Dutch fans who hoisted their Japanese counterpart aloft.

Occasionally, I’ll see someone post something on social media to the effect of, “If it weren’t for the politicians, we’d all get along just fine.” Such a sentiment might be a bit naïve and simplistic, but watching World Cup fans gleefully break down barriers and cross borders, I can’t help but think there might be some truth in it.

The Vikings Are Coming

Speaking of celebrations, the most iconic celebration to emerge from the 2026 World Cup was Norway’s “Viking Row,” during which the team led their fans in a stadium-shaking chant as they all pulled together. Norway was one of my favorite teams in the tournament, and this — along with Erling Haaland’s style of play and scoring prowess — exemplified the joy and style that they brought to the pitch. (It didn’t hurt that they knocked out the legendary Brazilian team during the Round of 16.) That same joy awaited them back in Norway, where thousands of fans rowed to welcome the team home.

Cape Verde’s Victory in Defeat

When FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup would expand to include 48 teams instead of the usual 32, there was some criticism that the expansion was political in nature and would ultimately dilute and reduce the quality of the matches. But one of the beneficiaries of FIFA’s expansion was the tiny island nation of Cape Verde, located just off Africa’s West Coast, and I don’t think that anyone would ever dare accuse the Blue Sharks of diluting the World Cup.

Led by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, Cape Verde held their own against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, surprising everyone by playing each of those teams to a draw. They then gave an all-time World Cup performance in the Round of 32 as they squared off against Argentina. The Blue Sharks went toe-to-toe against the defending champions, and even though they eventually lost in extra time, Cape Verde’s plucky, never-say-die performance endeared them to the entire world and earned them a hero’s welcome back home.

Japan Cleans Up

Heading into this year’s World Cup, there was growing buzz around Japan’s national team, with some speculating that they could go all the way to the finals. Sadly, after a solid showing in the group stage, the Samurai Blue were eliminated in the Round of 32 by Brazil. But through it all, the Japanese blessed the World Cup in a very real and tangible way, by cleaning up after themselves.

Win or lose, Japanese fans take the time to clean up the stadiums where their team plays, and you can only imagine how dirty a post-game stadium can get. What’s more, the Japanese team cleans up their changing room, as well. This has actually been a tradition since 1998, when Japan played in their very first World Cup, and ever since, they’ve been offering the world a master class in leaving a place — even a global soccer tournament — better than when you found it.

I’ll admit to feeling a bit of a void in my life now that the World Cup is over, similar to the comedown I experience after the Olympic flame is extinguished. Of course, there’s still plenty of soccer going on; the Premier League kicks off its new season in less than a month, for starters, while Apple kindly reminded me that MLS soccer is ongoing.

As exciting as those matches might be, however, it just won’t be the same now that everyone’s gone back home. The whole world coming together, with so many countries giving their best and learning to appreciate the best qualities of others, proved even more beautiful than the beautiful game itself.

This was originally published on Christ and Pop Culture on July 24, 2026.

After releasing several acclaimed albums of lush dream pop, Love Spirals Downwards called it quits following 1998’s Flux. Shortly thereafter, producer/instrumentalist Ryan Lum began releasing music under the Lovespirals moniker with singer Anji Bee. As for Suzanne Perry, the other half of Love Spirals Downwards, she joined a new band called Melodyguild that released a single EP in 2008.

Perry also contributed vocals to albums by Falling You and Sleepthief, but by and large, she’s been absent from the music scene. Last month, however, Projekt Records released There’ll Be No More Promises, a three-song EP that features one new song by Perry and multi-instrumentalist Cris Miller (Silver Screen). The title song picks up right where those Love Spirals Downwards albums from the ’90s left off, with Perry’s honeyed voice gliding effortlessly over Miller’s endlessly chiming guitars.

The EP’s other two tracks are a re-recording of “Ladonna Dissima,” which first appeared on Love Spirals Downwards’ Idylls, and a cover of “Sally’s Song” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, which Perry originally covered with Melodyguild for one of Projekt’s Christmas releases. In all three songs, Perry absolutely shines; the passage of time has done nothing to diminish her dreamy voice, which sounds just as ethereal now as it did 30 years ago.

There’ll Be No More Promises is currently available via Projekt, which has also hinted at more new music from Perry and Miller in the future.

Stavesacre recently announced that their sophomore album, 1997’s Absolutes, will be reissued on vinyl. As a little teaser, the post-hardcore outfit, which boasts members of The Crucified, Neon Horse, CHATTERbOx, Focused, and Scaterd Few, released a cover of U2’s “Acrobat.” With its roiling guitars and impassioned vocals, the penultimate track from 1991’s Achtung Baby is a perfect fit for Mark Salomon and his bandmates.

On a related note, this isn’t the only cover in Stavesacre’s repertoire: the band has previously covered The Cure’s “Fascination Street” (on 1999’s Speakeasy), X’s “The Hungry Wolf” (on 2001’s Collective compilation), and The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” (on the 2025 reissue of (stāvz’ā’kər)).

Preorders for the vinyl reissue of Absolutes will begin on September 21, 2026 via UnoriginalVinyl.

After the one-two punch of “The Best of Both Worlds” in seasons three and four, the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation had a problem: They had done too good a job of making the Borg a terrifying, galactic-level menace and didn’t really know what to do with the cybernetic collective. At the same time, they couldn’t just forget about the Borg; as an existential threat to the values of the Federation, they were simply too good of an enemy. So screenwriter René Echevarria did the only obvious thing: he made the Borg the good guys.

Or at least one of them.

The following contains spoilers for “I, Borg.”

The Enterprise is exploring an uncharted star system when they detect a possible distress call. They discover a crash site, and to their dismay, it’s a Borg scout ship. Fearing detection, Picard’s first inclination is to flee the scene, except one of the Borg crew has survived. Crusher, being the good doctor that she is, insists on beaming the Borg up to the Enterprise so she can treat it, and surprisingly, Picard agrees.

As the Borg is being treated/repaired, Picard asks La Forge if he can modify some of its cybernetic implants to introduce a virus that will strike at the root commands used by all Borg, thus affecting the entire Collective. Working with Data, La Forge comes up with a clever solution: a seemingly innocuous geometric image that, when processed by the Borg’s implants, will create an invasive program that slowly spreads and cripples the rest of the Collective.

Crusher is horrified by this plan, and compares it to genocide. What follows is one of those classic Star Trek moral debates, except this time, it’s the usually noble Picard who seems to be taking the low road, insisting that the Borg have forced the Federation into an impossible situation and they have no other choice.

The good doctor isn’t the only one with reservations, though. La Forge’s initial interactions with the Borg, which calls itself “Third of Five,” are chilly at best as it continually insists, as Borg are wont to do, that the Enterprise will be assimilated and resistance is futile. But as La Forge spends more time with Third of Five — now named Hugh — the Borg no longer seems like a mindless automaton. Indeed, as La Forge and Hugh interact, Hugh begins to question the Collective’s drive to assimilate, and even goes so far as to suggest that he and La Forge are now friends.

La Forge expresses his growing doubts to Picard but the captain is unmoved, and coldly suggests that La Forge “unattach” himself from the Borg in order to complete the mission. But Picard’s resolve finally starts to waver when none other than Guinan voices her own reservations.

Earlier in the episode, Guinan, whose race was all but exterminated by the Borg, visits Hugh and disdainfully mocks him. But when he finds some similarities between their situations — both of them, having been cut off from their respective peoples, are lonely — Guinan is left speechless. She heads to Picard’s quarters, where she tells Picard that if he’s hellbent on using Hugh to destroy the Borg, then he ought to have the decency to look Hugh in the face first.

And so Picard has Hugh beamed to his ready room, where Hugh recognizes him as Locutus, the Borg identity forced upon Picard in “The Best of Both Worlds.” Picard begins interrogating Hugh as Locutus, insisting that the Enterprise will be assimilated. Hugh pushes back, claiming that the Enterprise, including his new friend Geordi, would rather die than become Borg. Picard doubles down and orders Hugh to help with the assimilation, only to be taken aback when Hugh refuses to comply, and even more shockingly, refers to himself in the singular.

And that’s that. Hugh, La Forge, and the rest of the Enterprise live happily ever after together. Of course, that’s not what really happens. And to be honest, it’d make for a bad episode if it did. Instead, “I, Borg” wisely decides to pile on the complications.

In light of Hugh’s development, Picard decides to change the plan. Rather than using him to infect the Borg with a virus, they’ll send Hugh back as is, in the hope that his newfound sense of individuality will be what infects the Collective and brings them down. That sounds far more humane and civilized, until Crusher points out a fatal flaw in this new plan: What if Hugh doesn’t want to go back to the Collective?

Picard decides to let Hugh choose his fate, and grants the former Borg an offer of amnesty. Hugh is initially excited by the prospect, but ultimately declines Picard’s offer. If the Borg know he’s still alive, they’ll never stop looking for him, which would place the Enterprise in danger. Hugh therefore decides to return to the crash site and await retrieval. La Forge beams down with Hugh, and the two share a brief farewell before the Borg arrive and re-assimilate him.

Hugh seems to be a mindless drone once more. But in the episode’s final scene, he shares a brief-but-meaningful look with La Forge just as he’s beamed away, leaving La Forge alone to ponder the events.

“I, Borg” could have easily been a preachy, “tell, don’t show” episode that beats you over the head with the point it’s trying to make. And indeed, the dialog, be it the crew’s debate about genocide or Hugh’s growing individuality, is pretty on-the-nose throughout the episode. But “I, Borg” is ultimately a testament to The Next Generation’s cast. Everyone with prominent screen-time — namely, Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh — is at the top of their game here.

Stewart makes Picard’s sense of violation at the hands of the Borg a plausible explanation as to why the redoubtable captain might be amenable to genocide and war crimes. Burton ably reveals LaForge’s growing uncertainty and sense of guilt. McFadden’s compassionate Crusher stands out as the lone voice of reason and morality. Goldberg pulls off Guinan’s own moral journey, which starts off aligned with Picard in accusing the Borg before transitioning into doubt after realizing that she might have something in common with her worst enemy. But perhaps the greatest kudos go to Del Arco, who plays Hugh with a sense of childlike innocence and naïveté that proves quite affecting even under all of the makeup and prosthetics.

Some other thoughts and observations from “I, Borg”:

• What was going through the minds of the security personnel as they watched La Forge, Crusher, et al., interact with Hugh? If I’d been one of them, I might begin to worry that the bridge crew was getting a little too chummy with one of the Federation’s worst enemies, and wonder if I should report it or not.
• On a related note, why was Guinan — a civilian — allowed to talk to a prisoner in the brig? Does she basically have free rein of the Enterprise on account of her friendship with Picard? Or did she use her charms to talk her way into the brig?
• I understand why the script would have Hugh decide to leave the Enterprise and return to the Borg; as a sacrificial act, it represents the culmination of his growth as a moral individual, and it stands in stark contrast to Picard’s own behavior. But would the Borg, who are obsessed with efficiency, really have expended the resources necessary to track down and reclaim one single drone? That seems rather un-Borg-like. (This is the same species, after all, that tends to ignore boarding parties on their own ships.)
• In order to escape detection from the Borg vessel that’s coming to reclaim Hugh, the Enterprise hides in the nearby star’s chromosphere. Picard reveals this plan to Hugh in the transporter room just before he beams down to be reclaimed by the Borg — who would presumably learn Picard’s plan upon re-assimilating Hugh. Which honestly seems like a bit of a tactical error.
• Picard has some great moments in this episode as the ostensible villain. (Because, y’know, he’s asking his crew to commit genocide.) But one of my favorite moments occurs in the aforementioned transporter room when Hugh says that he doesn’t want to forget who he’s become. Picard gives him a slight smile, and then, after Hugh is gone, reveals a much more conflicted expression. I imagine that’s the sort of expression a Starfleet captain has after he’s knowingly sent crew members to their doom.
• As I mentioned before, Del Arco’s performance as Hugh serves as the episode’s heart and soul. And all the more so once you know his performance was inspired by his partner, who died from AIDS shortly before Del Arco’s audition. From a 2020 interview: “I opened the script and I heard his voice. As it turns out, the voice was the voice of my previous partner who had died of AIDS and had dementia. I don’t know why, but that was the voice I heard. It was the innocence. It was the wonder.”
• One of the episode’s most impactful moments occurs when Hugh announces “I am Hugh” to a stunned Picard, revealing his newfound individualism. However, Hugh actually refers to himself in the singular earlier in the episode, when he receives his new name. Unfortunately, by the time Echevarria realized that error in his script, the scene had already been shot.
• “I, Borg” is one of the few TNG episodes that has repercussions later in the series. (One other such episode is “Yesterday’s Enterprise” from season three.) Hugh returned in the two-part episode “Descent” in seasons six and seven, where he led a group of Borg rebelling against Data’s brother Lore, who was attempting to take over the Borg Collective. He also appeared in Star Trek: Picard’s first season as an advocate and caretaker of “xBs,” individuals who were former members of the Borg Collective.

“I, Borg” was the 23rd episode of The Next Generation’s fifth season. The show was operating like a warp drive at peak efficiency by then, and that season contains several classic TNG episodes, including “Darmok,” “Disaster,” the “Unification” two-parter with Spock, “Cause and Effect,” “The Next Phase,” and “The Inner Light” (widely considered one of all-time best TNG episodes, if not the best). “I, Borg” easily ranks up there among them, adding some nuance to the series’ biggest, baddest villain while also interrogating our beloved characters, and revealing that even the noblest and most enlightened Starfleet officer is still capable of bigotry and prejudice.

According to the bio on his Bandcamp page, Oscar Robertson (aka, Sholto) grew up with “a love for jazz, soul, krautrock and 60s & 70s soundtracks.” That all certainly bears out on his latest album, The Sirens. Its twelve tracks are all lush affairs filled with swoon-inducing string and flute arrangements, rich production, and deep grooves that recall trip-hop’s ’90s heyday.

As befitting its title, The Sirens is an intoxicating affair from start to finish, an absolute must-hear for fans of orchestral pop composers like Sven Wunder. It all flows together so well, it might be hard to pick a highlight, but “Tied to the Mast” — an instrumental inspired by the tale of Odysseus resisting the sirens’ otherworldly call — always grabs my attention as soon as the beat kicks in. Sholto’s nod-worthy rhythms bolster Clementine Brown and Sebrina Lambert Rose’s swirling strings and Rachel Kitchlew’s shimmering harp notes, with the result being one siren call you don’t want to resist, but rather, give yourself over to completely.

The Sirens is currently available via DeepMatter Records.

This past weekend, a Spirit of Talk Talk concert event gathered together a group of musicians to pay tribute to the seminal post-rock group and celebrate the 40th anniversary of their third album, The Colour of Spring.

Stereogum’s Margaret Farrell posted a full rundown of the event — which featured the likes of Ed Harcourt, Sophie Barker (Zero 7), and Mark Gardener (Ride) alongside former Talk Talk members Simon Brenner, Phil Ramocon, and Ian Curnow — as well as several videos, including the one above of Gardener taking on “Living in Another World” with harmonica in hand.

It’s always great to see a band like Talk Talk be appreciated and receive the tributes they so richly deserve; see also Seal’s stirring performance of “Life’s What You Make It” from this past July.

Takashi Yamazaki is pulling out all of the stops for Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to 2023’s acclaimed Godzilla Minus One. First off, the latest Godzilla title is filmed in IMAX, making it the very first Japanese movie to use that format. But more importantly, this latest trailer — in which post-WW2 Japan is still reeling from the Big G’s wrath — teases the one and only King Ghidorah as the movie’s big bad.

If you’re not up on your Godzilla lore, the three-headed King Ghidorah has been Godzilla’s arch-enemy ever since it first appeared in 1964’s Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. True, we don’t actually see Ghidorah in the trailer, but I’m pretty sure those are its gravity beams at the 1:02 mark, and who else makes that sound at the 1:10 mark? Also, the trailer suggests that Godzilla Minus Zero pulls a few plot points from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, though presumably it won’t feature any aliens from Venus.

I guess we’ll find out for sure, though, when Godzilla Minus Zero arrives in theaters on November 6, 2026.

When Gene Roddenberry and his team set out to revive Star Trek two decades after the original series’ run, arguably one of their biggest challenges concerned their biggest star: the U.S.S. Enterprise herself. The Next Generation was set almost a century after the original Star Trek series, so how would Roddenberry et al. create an even more advanced version of the iconic starship that had traveled to the furthest reaches of the galaxy and beyond? And just as importantly, how might this new Enterprise reflect real-world technological developments, particularly in the area of computers?

The answer to those questions was the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, and suffice to say, the efforts of Roddenberry and his team of artists and designers, which included Andrew Probert, Rick Sternbach, and Michael Okuda, were a complete success. To this day, the Enterprise-D remains one of the most beautiful and striking spaceships in all of sci-fi, as well as Starfleet’s crown jewel. Yes, even more so than the original Enterprise crewed by Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the TOS crew.

That will no doubt be blasphemous for many Star Trek fans. So just to be clear, the original Enterprise form factor will forever remain iconic, both its first incarnation by Matt Jefferies as well as the Enterprise-A revealed at the end of Star Trek IV. But when I look at the Enterprise-D, there’s an undeniable sense of purpose and intentionality that gives it more than just verisimilitude; it looks and feels exactly like what a futuristic version of the already futuristic Enterprise should look and feel like.

The sleek, graceful lines communicate advanced engineering and material capabilities, as you’d expect in the late 24th century. The forward-leaning pylons, which are connected to the back of the warp nacelles, suggest speed, as if the ship is forever yearning to jump to warp. The many curves — the shape of the nacelles, the “hood” that connects the saucer and engineering sections, the saucer section itself — possess an organic-ness that feels perfect for a ship that is more than just utilitarian or military. For a ship that doesn’t just carry a crew, but is home to families and communities.

Put simply, the Enterprise-D remains faithful to that classic form factor while updating and evolving it in very distinct ways that make sense for the setting and communicate the ship’s 24th-century capabilities.

That extends the ship’s interior, as well. Which, yes, is pretty beige. (Not even the 24th century could escape the ’90s, it seems.) But there’s something purposeful about that, an acknowledgement that the Enterprise’s many crew members and passengers might need something a bit more calming and comfortable while out on deep space missions.

Funnily enough, Jefferies was less than pleased with this aspect of the Enterprise-D, complaining that Roddenberry “had taken the bridge of my ship and turned it into the lobby of the Hilton” — no doubt referring to the open space, plush seating, and Worf’s tactical control station. Granted, that last feature does look a little like something out of a hotel lobby thanks to its expensive-looking wooden façade, but that also injects some warmth into the bridge. Meanwhile, the graceful wings curving around the command chairs communicate a sense of defense and protection as befitting a stalwart Klingon security chief.

But even if the beige decor might look a little dated, one aspect of the Enterprise’s interior that still feels futuristic is its computer interfaces. These days, touch screens are all over the place, from our phones to our cars and refrigerators. But when The Next Generation premiered in 1987, the touchscreens that the Enterprise crew used to navigate the ship, conduct experiments, communicate, and fire weapons didn’t just seem cutting edge; they seemed like the very ideal of how you’d use an advanced computer system.

Much of that’s due to Michael Okuda, who designed the graphical interfaces for the Enterprise’s LCARS operating system. One of the key principles of these interfaces, often called “Okudagrams” in honor of their creator, was that they were adaptable to each user’s needs. As noted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (yes, I still have my copy that I got back in high school), some of this was intended to communicate advanced computing functionality, while some of it helped with the realities of TV production:

We incorporated the concept of software-definable, task-specific panel layout into our controls because Mike thought it a logical way of simplifying designs that would otherwise have been nightmarishly complex. The basic idea is that the panels automatically reconfigure themselves to suit the specific task at hand. A side benefit we discovered is this gave our actors much more freedom in hitting controls to accomplish various tasks. (Even though our cast tries to get things right, there are numerous occasions when a particular shot will require an actor to hit a button on a specific area of a panel, which may not reflect our original design for that panel.) Variable-layout control panels mean that the button that fires phasers this week is not necessarily the same button that fires them next week.

Thanks to Okuda’s detailed designs, the Enterprise-D’s computer UI still feels futuristic even now, when touchscreens and adaptable interfaces are quite commonplace. More importantly, it’s a tangible UI that feels useful and usable, like something that might actually be practicable even in the 24th century. Contrast that with the holographic interfaces featured in newer Trek series like Picard, which basically consist of people gesturing wildly in the air while bright lights dance around in front of them. Once you get past their “gee whiz” factor, such gestural interfaces quickly reveal themselves to be silly, impractical, and decidedly un-Star Trek. (To my mind, one of the few series to feature gestural interfaces that make sense is The Expanse.)

The Enterprise-D is beautiful, both inside and out. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to last. After its destruction at the end of 1994’s Star Trek Generations, Picard and his crew were given the Enterprise-E, which still looked pretty cool while reverting back to some aspects of the original Enterprise design (e.g., the warp nacelles and their back-swept pylons). The Enterprise-D made a triumphant, albeit brief, return in Star Trek: Picard’s third and final season, only to return to the Starfleet Museum and make way for the Enterprise-G. Whereas the Enterprise-D wasn’t afraid to wholly evolve the ship’s form factor, the Enterprise-G’s design sticks far more closely to the original with a few updates sprinkled here and there, resulting in an awkward and ungainly mashup of old and new.

Of course, Star Trek doesn’t just take place in the 25th century now. Thanks to Discovery and Starfleet Academy, the franchise also now exists in the 32nd century. Which raises the question of whether or not the Enterprise is still traveling the galaxy, and if so, what it looks like.

There’s been some conjecture that Starfleet Academy’s second and final season represents a perfect opportunity to reveal an even more futuristic incarnation of Starfleet’s most well-known starship. If and when that happens, one thing’s for certain: The Enterprise-D set such a high bar, and was so successful at updating and refreshing one of sci-fi’s most beloved spaceships, that whoever is tasked with conceiving and designing the next Enterprise will certainly have their work cut out for them.

I could’ve sworn I already posted something about Ladytron’s recent KEXP performance, but I couldn’t find anything in the archives, so allow me to address that oversight now. To mark the release of their latest album Paradises, the band ventured into the vaunted KEXP studios back in June to perform several of their latest songs. But they capped things off with a performance of “Destroy Everything You Touch” from 2005’s Witching Hour, which is arguably their signature song (even more so than “Seventeen”). And even after more than two decades, “Destroy” still slaps harder than most songs even half its age.