To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Ice Keeps… But How Well?

The Ice Keeps reframes Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition with an all-female cast and a stronger focus on empathy and community. Its performances hold firm, but the survival drama still needs fuller scenic design to make the frozen environment come alive.

The Ice KeepsAlthough Josh Gates told the story better on Tales from the Explorers Club, the sheer melodrama and hell the crew of the Endurance faced while attempting the first land crossing of Antarctica are something to behold when retold on stage. Melissa Taylor’s adaptation, The Ice Keeps, offers a different take that generally works.

What’s presented during the Victoria Fringe Festival is clearly more of a work in progress than a finished show. Another producer and more funding could elevate the visual elements and make this interim version feel fuller. Taylor mentioned future plans, so her take may yet be explored further. I’ll gladly return to see the updated version, should it set sail, because I want to experience a full-on recreation of the environment rather than the drama alone.

Continue reading “To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Ice Keeps… But How Well?”

Heart of the Beast Pairs Brad Pitt With Man’s Best Friend

Brad Pitt and a determined working dog battle the Alaskan wilderness in Heart of the Beast. The first trailer hints at a survival drama built on the bond between man and canine companion.

The Heart of the BeastRelease Date: Sept 25, 2026

Some of Hollywood’s most memorableffff partnerships have come on four legs and an actor. In Heart of the Beast, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) is joined by Uber as Odin, a working dog who appears to be a cross between a German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois. Canine enthusiasts will undoubtedly have their own opinions, and this is simply my best guess based on the promotional material released so far.

Together, they must survive the harsh Alaskan wilderness following a devastating plane crash. That premise alone is enough to get me curious. No, this is no Balto, but I suspect this tale will explore the relationship between handler and companion, and why certain dogs are trusted when survival depends on their instincts.

Continue reading “Heart of the Beast Pairs Brad Pitt With Man’s Best Friend”

Will RailGods of Hysterra Be Fired Up and Ready for Travel in April?

Hopefully, the developers corrected the issues I found in the demo release for RailGods of Hysterra’s Early Access.

Railgods of Hysterra Video Game PosterEarly Access Will Be Available on April 10, 2025

Troglobytes Games’ RailGods of Hysterra is a survival game which needs an accessibility option if I’m going to keep playing. That’s because the text was incredibly tiny! Even on a 45 inch screen, I had trouble reading and there were no in-game controls to adjust contrast. I spent a week with the demo before deciding to get my eyes checked. They’re good, but even when I revisited it, I struggled with reading.

When there’s a game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s fantasy world known as the Dreamlands. I’m certainly excited. Although it doesn’t borrow from any of ths stories, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time to find tie-in material. For now, this game is about surviving this world. When this version mixes up resource management, item builds and land exploration, I better be careful about what’s ’round the corner.

Continue reading “Will RailGods of Hysterra Be Fired Up and Ready for Travel in April?”

To Die Alone is a Fear Much Worse Then Facing an Unknown Future

When the future of humanity is uncertain, to Die Alone is much worse since that thought must have crossed the minds of many during the COVID-19 pandemic. When humans are social animals, we can’t just simply isolate ourselves from the world at large.

Die Alone Movie PosterLowell Dean is really knocking it out of the park with two releases this year. His latest, Die Alone, concerns how to go on with life when that soulmate goes missing. In what Dark Match (movie review) offered was a look at trust amongst teammates in a literal fight against one another to the death in order to summon a demon. Both movies play on what’s most important, relationships, and add in the terror later.

Ultimately, it’s more of a survival drama seen through Ethan (Douglas Smith)’s eyes. He doesn’t know what’s going on because, during part of the narrative, he’s questioning why he can’t leave the farm. As a person who has moments of memory loss, that can be dangerous. He wants to be reunited with his wife, Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray), but Mae (Carrie-Anne Moss) is keeping him close, and he’s not comfortable with that.

Continue reading “To Die Alone is a Fear Much Worse Then Facing an Unknown Future”

Is Gareth Edwards’ Search for The Creator More Like A Quest for A New Savior?

The digital work put behind the making of The Creator deserves heaps of praise, and I can’t wait to see who the nominees are come award season.

The Creator Movie PosterSpoiler Alert

Although Gareth Edwards hasn’t made a lot of movies, his world-building is second to none. In where it slips is with his latest, titled The Creator. It doesn’t quite have the soul needed when considering how he tries to tackle an age old subject: do androids dream of electric sheep? That is, just when do they become human, and do they deserve to be segregated? Also, I’m wondering why the spirituality that defines many different South Asian beliefs matters? In this film, I wondered why the robot monks we see in meditation are important.

When the narrative in this latest film doesn’t concern distilling why theosophy matters, I sense something got edited out between story to screenplay during production.

Continue reading “Is Gareth Edwards’ Search for The Creator More Like A Quest for A New Savior?”

Survival Fountain of Youth Early Access in Review and Quick Tips. How How Long Can You Last?

Even at launch, players have written up guides on Steam to help newcomers going through Survival Fountain of Youth not as tough.

Survival Fountain of Youth Title CardOdinsoft’s Survival Fountain of Youth (Steam link) has everything I want in a video game of resource management, archeological exploration, and survival on an uncharted island. When it’s set somewhere in the Yucatán Peninsula and concerns Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth, I couldn’t wait to start exploring!

Here, my avatar is part of this Conquistador’s expedition. After a storm has wrecked the boat, anyone able to survive is not lost at sea, but winds up somewhere else on the many tiny islands located near Bimini. What this game offers are challenges of day to day living in the age of discovery, and a mystery regarding the location of the archaeological treasure. For now, it isn’t finished and this Early Access product has only whetted my appetite.

Continue reading “Survival Fountain of Youth Early Access in Review and Quick Tips. How How Long Can You Last?”