Stuff Suggests: your weekly entertainment fix (15/04/2020)
The essential books, films, telly, games, music and podcasts to get you through the week
We’re beset by choice in media these days, and just picking out something to play, listen to, read or watch on any particular evening can turn into a Herculean task.
That’s why we’ve started Stuff Suggests, a new weekly article that aims to open your eyes to films, games, books, albums and more that you might have otherwise missed. With the current circumstances confining most of us to our homes for the foreseeable future, we’re all in need of ways to escape boredom — and our immediate surroundings! We think these suggestions will be just the ticket.
Remember to check back each week for a whole new raft of recent releases, hidden gems, and must-experience classics.
TV: Tales from the Loop
Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop and Things from the Flood are gorgeous narrative art books. They document an alternate Sweden where massive experimental particle accelerator The Loop gave rise to fantastical technological achievements. Stompy robots and rusting structures litter the landscape.
These surreal paintings didn’t seem ideal fodder for television, but Tales from the Loop uses them as a framework for standalone episodes of thoughtful sci-fi/fantasy. Its unhurried tales echo the books’ paintings, inviting you to breathe everything in. And unlike Black Mirror’s tendency towards shock and cynicism, Tales from the Loop even in its bleaker moments manages to be introspective, captivating, and very human.
Watch Tales from the Loop on Prime Video (30 days free, then £7.99 per month)
Book: Masters of British Comic Art
Comics are wildly diverse — something often obscured by the dominance of American superheroes. Having in recent years gobbled up most of British comics history, Rebellion with its Treasury of British Comics line has decided to explore closer to home, revealing the huge impact of creators from the UK.
Written by acclaimed artist and author David Roach, Masters of British Comic Art tracks British comic art from the turn of the century to the modern day. It’s a gorgeous coffee table volume that features a who’s who of top talent.
Fancy some actual comics also infused with nostalgia? The Treasury imprint has also unleashed a 48-page Cor!! Buster Easter Special to tickle your funny bones just like in the good old days.
Buy Masters of British Comic Art (£19.99 digital/£34.99 hardback)
Podcast: The Bunker
Having taken a decidedly zero-BS approach to Brexit, the Remainiacs cast now tackles the wider political climate in The Bunker. Every week, Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith, Dorian Lynskey, Alex Andreou and guests take on the big issues facing the UK — and beyond.
Political shows are often dry and dull, but The Bunker keeps you engaged with its trademark mix of incisive knowledge, humour, and Ian Dunt’s terrifying culinary thinking. And unlike most political coverage, it’s peppered with positivity, giving you ideas for keeping your spirits up in these trying times.
Music: NIN: Ghosts V–VI
Much of the Nine Inch Nails back catalogue comprises ear-smashing noise terror: compositions from a place where rock, electronics, industrial, and a very loud, shouty person combine. It’s great, but not ideal if you’re already on edge.
Ghosts V: Together, though, draws from the rarer delicate end of the NIN spectrum. There are seven contemplative, mostly relaxing instrumentals (if you ignore the ear-piercing whine during Hope We Can Again) prior to a beat-laden and slightly ominous finale.
Disarmed by the tranquility? Don’t worry: there’s also Ghosts VI: Locusts, Together’s unsettling and dark twisted twin.
A message from the Stuff team…
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