Below find reviews of all the best movies, shows, books, games, and more according to Cosmic Circus contributors and writers.
The story of Lyra that began in The Golden Compass (Northern Lights outside the US) continues and expands in Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife. At the end of The Golden Compass, Lyra leaves her world and enters an entirely new universe and that is where we start in The Subtle Knife. For a quick recap of the first entry in Pullman’s
Read MoreThe Golden Compass (Northern Lights outside the US) by Philip Pullman has been a favorite book of mine for literally twenty-seven years. I bought my copy from a book order in the third grade and I have read it… more than twenty-seven times! Something about this fantasy world where people have daemons and polar bears can talk caught my eight-year-old imagination
Read MoreEven though there are so many Pokémon games already, the franchise remains as popular as ever. The latest generation, called Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, was just released on November 18, 2022 and has already sold more than 10 million copies. The biggest console exclusive launch ever, Generation IX has set an absolute record for Pokémon, the Nintendo Switch, and gaming in general. So
Read MoreMagic and mystery, trust and betrayal, Empire of Exiles has it all. Set in the walled city of Semilla, Erin M. Evans spins an intriguing tale of murder and secrets that are forced into the light in the devastating aftermath of a seemingly unexplainable attack. Quill, an apprentice scribe, must decide who he can trust as he investigates further into the
Read MoreIn the 1960s, two shows with similar premises came out around the same time, mashing family-friendly with scary and bizarre. The Munsters, which followed a family of classic monsters, and The Addams Family, a creepily macabre but equally hilarious family, both ran for two seasons. They began within a week of each other, so it only seems right that both reboots
Read MoreNever in my wildest dreams did I think that at 30 years old, I would be talking about a sequel series to a film that came out during my childhood. The Santa Clause came out in 1994, which was almost three decades ago, and already has two sequels in the franchise. When The Santa Clauses 3: The Escape Clause came out
Read MoreHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a video game that is rather nostalgic for me and other gamers around the world, with some still playing it even now, 20 years later. How does the video game Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, one of the biggest games from my childhood, hold up today? For this “retro review,” I’m
Read MoreThere’s a lot that to be said about how the Andor series has been excellent in its writing, cinematography, production design, soundscape, and themes. Audiences have been drawn to the stakes, to the realism, to the fear and the hope. There’s action, there’s mystery, there’s betrayal, there’s humanity, and there are twists. It’s a complex, enjoyable series and assuredly well-crafted. Not
Read MoreMost fantasy books tend to be set in a medieval or, at best, Renaissance, time period. Or they take place in some alternate world that mimics our notions of these times. With The Last Raven by Steve McHugh, we’re offered a rare fantasy novel that is set in both modern times and the real world. I mean, the FBI is a huge
Read MoreGod of War is a series of games about the god slayer Kratos. There have been seven games in the God Of War’s first era, telling the story of the Ghost of Sparta as he sought revenge against the Greek Gods. Beginning with PS2, this Greek Gods era of Krato’s story all began prior to the soft reboot, God of War
Read MoreWeird: The Al Yankovic Story is a very weird film like Al Yankovic himself. Before you watch it, don’t expect a 1:1 recount of Yankovic’s life, even if it’s “based on true events.” Rather Weird is a fun, crazy, and in some ways revolutionary story. Keep in mind also that (as far as we know) many of the things shown in
Read MoreDavid Annandale takes us back to Arkham, the center of horror, in his mystery-thriller In the Coils of the Labyrinth. This time Professor Miranda Ventham is caught at the center of an occult conspiracy. Luckily her best friend is Agatha Crane, a parapsychologist who has devoted her life to uncovering and fighting the evil at the center of Arkham. Together they
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