February 9, 2023
Grave Encounters
Your home for the spooky, the supernatural, and things that just ain’t right.
This Valentine’s Day, shoot your shot with a ghost.
Oh My Ghost This Korean rom-com series, about a confident ghost who possesses a meek chef to pursue her haughty celebrity boss, is prime “watch-with-a-friend” material. With limited time left to resolve her life’s unfinished business, ghost Shin Soon-ae decides that, having died a virgin, she must need to lose her virginity in order to move on to the afterlife. She finds a host in Na Bong-sun, an assistant chef at celebrity chef Kang Sun-woo’s restaurant. When Bong-sun’s personality takes a turn for the confident, Sun-woo begins to take notice … not realizing that this is not the Bong-sun he knew. Can Bong-sun free herself from Soon-ae’s grasp? Will Sun-woo ever find true love? And will Soon-ae uncover the truth behind her death? I have yet to find a more binge-worthy show. Available on Amazon Prime. 
Speed Dating for Ghosts This is an indie game with a simple premise: You, a ghost, are at a speed-dating event for other spirits, some of them nice, some of them … not so nice. Well, to the living, anyway. Here, they’re just searching for love.Each round introduces you to three ghosts, each of whom the player can chat with to learn a bit more about them. They might reveal their dreams, tragic backstories, loves, hates … just like normal speed-dating, really, but with more ectoplasm. And fewer duds. If you play your cards right, you might even find yourself leaving with a certain spooky someone at the end of the night.The writing is kind and nuanced to the point that sometimes, choosing between these ghosts is a hard decision. And each round is randomized, so you can’t just go back and replay a round to see all of the different outcomes. This, however, makes for perfectly snack-sized play sessions, with no overarching plot to keep you hooked but fulfilling mini arcs that will sate you every time. Available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and the Apple app store.
—Kana Coonce, Horror Editor
Dumb-Dumbs & Dragons is a podcast hosted by Tom McGee who is also the dungeon master of the game. McGee takes three improvisers (Tyler Hewitt, Laura Hamstra, and Ryan LaPlante) who have never roleplayed before through a wild adventure. Although the humor may be cheesy, it never fails to make me smile or to blurt out a laugh. You never know where the roleplay story will go and how the improvisers will react to each situation, keeping you hooked in order to find out what happens next.
Critical Role is a podcast hosted by Matthew Mercer (the dungeon master or DM) who leads a team of fellow voice actors through fantastical D&D roleplay campaigns. The players draw you in with the unique and talented voices they give their characters. Each player has their backstory and why they are all united together in the first place..The characters (and the players) also have great chemistry and know how to work well together. Although the story can be a bit confusing as you watch because there are six players, it is still fascinating to see the individual stories unfold within the bigger plot of the campaign. The DM knows how to spin fascinating and compelling campaigns keeping you engaged through each episode. There are three different campaigns that are out at the moment, each one having their own unique set of characters and stories. Each campaign gets more and more chaotic and has the added bonus of an increase in the production value, such as microphone quality and sound effects. The podcast is free to listen to on Spotify or to watch on YouTube or live on Twitch as the third campaign is still ongoing.
Everyone has that one ex. Things were great; then they weren’t. You wish you could get all the time and energy you spent on them back and forget them entirely. When Joel Barish discovers that his girlfriend has gone through a revolutionary procedure to do just that and purge any memories of him from her life, he decides to do the same. But as Joel feels all his greatest experiences slipping through his fingers, he instead fights to remember his past. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet with appearances from Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo, this cult classic asks: If we refuse to learn from heartbreak, will we ever stop getting hurt? I found the film alternatively heartwarming and bittersweet, feeling like a story of everyday people despite the very out-there premise. Is your interest piqued? You can stream it for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or rent it elsewhere. 
When explaining romantic conflict to wannabe romance authors, a lot of writing instructors will fall back on the “one is a firefighter, and the other is an arsonist” example. The screenwriters of Out of Sight took that example to heart, but in this romantic-suspense drama—helmed by Steven Soderbergh of Ocean’s 11 and Magic Mike fame—she’s a federal agent, and he’s a wanted criminal. 
Nonagon Infinity is the album that really put King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on the map. The Australian-based psychedelic rock group had always defined themselves by making the music they wanted to make, bending and breaking norms to create a catalog of music that only they could, perfectly showcased in 2017’s Nonagon Infinity. A concept album, for those who don’t know, is an album that’s driven by a core idea whose influence can be heard throughout. The “secret” to Nonagon Infinity is hinted at in its name; the album itself is composed of nine tracks, each song transitioning into the next and the last song looping back to the start. It truly is an album that never ends. Musically, the album is active and intense, never lingering in one spot and always keeping things moving. The band had seven members when this was recorded, and as such, there is a lot going on in the soundscape. Motifs and melodies get repeated in new and interesting ways, keeping everything together. Despite the cohesiveness of the album, each song still feels unique and stands out on its own. It’s clear that the band took a lot of time in nearly every aspect of the album, and as a whole is definitely one of King Gizzard’s most defining albums and an album that you should listen to at least twice.
Whether you have a busy schedule or time to spare, there are those free moments in between your tasks. The album, The Slow Rush (2020) by Tame Impala is the type of music that can fill those moments with an opportunity to recharge. Like a breath of fresh air, this psychedelic rock album is filled with synth waves that include energetic songs such as “Breathe Deeper,” and “Is It True.” This 57-minute album blends genres such as electronic, dream pop, and soft rock to provide an overall sound that is perfect for creating the motivation to get through a task. The different moods within this album make it possible to feel both tranquility and inspiration. I recommend listening to this album on the drive home, with friends, or while cleaning.
The submission windows for the Spring 2023 editions of 
“You can fall in love: someone will catch you.” —The Love Hypothesis
“By the side of the everlasting why, there is a yes.” —A Room with a View
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else by the other.” —The Song of Achilles