Ranged Touch

May 2025 Newsletter

Added 2025-05-15 03:02:22 +0000 UTC

The summer winds are on their way, and blew this newsletter a little late into the month, but that doesn't mean it's too late to learn about all the stuff we did in April. To get things started right, MICHAEL ON MICHAEL returned for an episode on the sentimental blockbuster PEARL HARBOR, the first real misfire in Bay's catalogue. Meanwhile, CMRN and Danni took a trip to Adepticon and produced a report from the floor as part of the ongoing YEAR OF TTRPGS, chased with an interview CMRN conducted with miniature painter totally_not_panicking, which is free to listen to!

GAME STUDIES STUDY BUDDIES, meanwhile, forsook the tabletop for the screen, diving into Kristine Jorgensen's GAMEWORLD INTERFACES, a compelling and original look at what videogames are and how they work that both CMRN and Michael enjoyed quite a bit. Next month, we'll be taking a look at the application of poststructuralist theory to videogames with David Gunkel's GAMING THE SYSTEM, available through our Bookshop page.

Over on JUST KING THINGS, Steve decided to go back to the old him with a new Bachman book, BLAZE, a weepy crime drama about the most pitiful man in the world kidnapping a baby. There's no film adaptation, so this month the guys ran backward and picked up the 2022 FIRESTARTER remake starring Zac Efron, which is interesting if not great. May will see the release of an ep on DUMA KEY and a bonus ep on the BAG OF BONES TV miniseries.

At SHELVED BY GENRE, Austin Walker and the rest of us finished off the William Gibson unit by discussing the conclusion of MONA LISA OVERDRIVE and the astonishing cyberhorror Hallmark movie VIRTUAL OBESSION, which you should absolutely watch right now even if you're not a SBG listener, and then also you should listen to our episode on it. There was also a bonus ep on the not-quite-cyberpunk techno-caper film SNEAKERS, which everyone had a great time with. Next month will see (has already seen?) the start of our new unit on postapocalyptic fiction, and you can grab the necessary volumes on our Bookshop.

That's it from me, the newsletter gecko, for now! As always, thanks to Jordan Mallory, our beloved producer, who helps us keep this ship going, and thanks so much to YOU for supporting Ranged Touch, so there's even a ship to begin with!