In the Features archive, find a wide array of articles, interviews, reviews, podcast discussions, and posts from Cosmic Circus writers and contributors.
Refer to the Stellar Picks archive to find some of our top-rated movies, shows, books, games, and more!
The original animated series of Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered one of the greatest fantasy television shows ever created. This is not only because of its world-building and action but also because of the emotional depth hidden beneath its seemingly simple premise. The first season of Netflix’s adaptation managed to attract a large audience yet was also not what the fans
Read MoreSupergirl is a movie with a preset of internet haters ready to cast vitriol against the film regardless of the outcome. For most of those naysayers, they probably don’t know why they are eager to cast a dark cloud on the property, except for a “girl in hero costume bad” mentality. The anger towards this specific movie is even more questionable
Read MoreHalfling Pansy Underburrow has been struggling to find herself and fit in within her small town despite her strong culinary talents. Some might say she takes a little too much after her late grandmother and has too much of a mind of her own. Pansy decides to strike out on her own and starts with moving to the cottage in the
Read MoreI’ve always tended to gravitate towards wholesome and cozy games, but with the abundance of games from those categories, it’s getting more difficult to find the ones right for me. From special events hosted on Steam showcasing a swath of games to publishers and organizations doing the same thing by having “Directs” on Twitch and YouTube, it’s a lot. One of
Read MoreCreated by comedy mastermind Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation) with visionary director Hiro Murai (Atlanta), Widow’s Bay is best described as “funny Stephen King.” The show honors 1980s horror with 2020s humor through standout work both in front and behind the camera, and the result is an instant, strong recommendation for almost any audience. Dippold’s comedy writing balances perfectly with Murai’s
Read MoreJohn and Vin are back talking about the films Obsession and The Furious, both of which John was able to see at the Dallas International Film Festival earlier this year. Vin also chats about films he saw at the Timeless Film Festival Warsaw. Lastly, they talk briefly about revisiting the Back to the Future films after a movie marathon. The Timeless
Read MoreI know, another Toy Story sequel? Are they ever going to stop making these? This is a valid question, given how many agree that Toy Story 3 ended the franchise perfectly and offered thoughtful conclusions for the toys many of us grew up repeatedly watching on VHS until the tape wore out. Toy Story 4, while enjoyable, existed only to print money, and many
Read MoreThe Death of Robin Hood is a difficult pill to swallow. For most of us, the idea of Robin Hood evokes spectacle and adventure. He is the archery equivalent of King Arthur, supplying action, adventure, and a sense of nobleism. With a filmmaker like Michael Sarnoski, the director of Pig, one of the most sincere films about empathy, one might expect
Read MoreLeviticus resides in a fascinating place when viewing it from its genre roots. It’s able to weave both a compelling queer story and progressively brutal horror while changing enough elements to remain just distinctive enough from its inspirations. You’ll hear many comparisons to genre flicks like It Follows and Smile, but director Adrian Chiarella clearly understands that within his feature debut.
Read MoreGooseworx‘s The Amazing Digital Circus follows young people trapped in a virtual realm. Characters embark on various quests, similar to Pendleton Ward‘s Adventure Time or Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy‘s Westworld. Jester-like protagonist Pomni (voiced by Lizzie Freeman) befriends other “avatars” stuck in the circus. Together, they face non-playable characters (NPCs), explore a haunted manor, run a fast food joint, and
Read MoreI Am Frankelda is a brand new dark fantasy musical, and Mexico’s very first stopmotion feature film. Directed and written by brothers Arturo & Roy Ambriz, the movie is the ideal introduction to their growing Frankelda universe of dark fantasy stories. The project originally began as a YouTube pilot in 2019. That short grew into Frankelda’s Book of Spooks (2021), a
Read MoreSeveral months ago, as I was browsing the upcoming indie game releases on Steam, I discovered the demo for Echo Isle. Just from looking at the screenshots and reading the page’s listing, I had all of these memories from my childhood flooding back into my mind as it reminded me of games of my past. I thought to myself, “I need
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