When the stars still whisper—"The Making of EVE Online"

I wasn’t even aware this documentary existed. It came out long after I’d hung up my pod and left New Eden behind. I found it on YouTube purely by chance while cleaning up the blog and archiving my most-read EVE posts (I was looking to replace broken links to videos from old posts). 

And just like that, I was back. "Watching The Making of EVE Online" felt like stepping into an old corp hangar and finding the ships that carried me (and many of you) through wars, scams, and sleepless mining ops that blurred into dawn. Well, more of the latter in my case!

So, what keeps a 2003 MMO still relevant twenty-something years later? Simple: EVE Online was never built to simply entertain—it was built by design to endure. This documentary, produced by The Escapist and featuring CCP Games longstanding CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, as well as veteran CCP devs, captures that impossible dream—a tiny Icelandic team daring to create a single universe where every action, alliance, and betrayal mattered.

It all started with an audacious vision: one single-shard world where everyone played together. No realms. Just a single server. Just Tranquility. A place where loss had meaning—ships destroyed didn’t respawn, and every wreck told a story. That idea turned EVE into something more than a game—it became a living record of human ambition, greed, and ingenuity. The film revisits early sparks: infamous heists, decade-long wars, and legends like Katya Sae’s journey across all of New Eden.

Cause that’s the heart of it all, the players. The players ARE the content.

Monday night spotlight: The Lost Tower — A quiet, haunting gem of Blender sci-fi

I’m kicking off a new Monday night spotlight series. Think of it as a weekly dive into animated (and occasionally not-animated) short films that punch way above their runtime. Little cinematic gems. World slices. Those “wait, why isn’t this a full movie yet?” moments we all love. I have a bunch of old ones I'll need to dig from my archives of liked videos. 

And for the very first entry, I had to start with something that recently grabbed me instantly.

That something is The Lost Tower, a Blender short by concept artist Florent Lebrun.

A pilot, a plane, and an ocean full of ancient secrets

The premise is almost meditative, a lone pilot gliding above uncharted waters, searching for one of the fabled Lost Towers. No narration. No lore dump. Just atmosphere thick enough to bottle.

Lebrun’s painterly touch is everywhere: soft haze, massive structures half-buried in mist, and that beautiful tension between loneliness and discovery. It feels like a keyframe from a forgotten French sci-fi graphic novel… the kind you’d find wedged between Moebius collections and some obscure out-of-print RPG manual.

It’s not action-packed; it’s evocative. And that’s exactly why it works.

ASTRA ARCANUM — First look at a solar-system RPG with some serious grit

 I'm launching a new series for the upcoming TTRPG from Metis Media / Creative

Every once in a while, a TTRPG trailer drops and you just feel your brain whisper, “Yeah… we’re gonna need to talk about this.” That’s exactly what happened when ASTRA ARCANUM rolled onto my radar.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the Release Trailer that kicked off my whole descent into the Solar Reach. 

Go ahead, I’ll wait...

…Right? I know.

Reflections on "Dune: Part Two The Photography"

Latest addition to my Dune collection: Dune: Part Two – The Photography.

I first saw David Lynch’s Dune in the late ’80s, long before I truly understood what spice, prophecy, or politics meant. It was strange and mesmerizing, more bizarre dream than story. Later, in college, I devoured Frank Herbert’s novels, and that’s when his universe truly came alive in my imagination — a vast and fragile ecosystem of power, where politics, mercantilism, and religion intertwined with prophecy and war. It was a story of humanity stretched to its limits: empires built on faith and fear, knowledge traded like spice, and intelligence evolving into something both divine and dangerous.

But for decades, every adaptation felt slightly out of phase with what I’d imagined — like trying to hold onto a dream that dissolves the moment you wake. Lynch’s film had its merits, flashes of brilliance even, but it never quite captured the spirit of Herbert’s universe I had imagined. The later television miniseries, though ambitious, was almost unbearable to watch. Over time, I began to accept that no cinematic version would ever align with the mental landscape I’d built through years — decades — where the map of that universe improved in my mind with every reread.

Then Denis Villeneuve came along.

Rebuilding the Star Wars prequels | From myth to consequence

Like many lifelong Star Wars fans, I wanted to love the prequels. And in a way, I did, really, for their ambition, their worldbuilding, their intent to tell a grand political tragedy. But even back then, something always felt hollow. They were visually dazzling but emotionally distant. Beneath the endless CGI, the high-concept politics, and the (over-the-top) lightsaber choreography, I couldn’t feel the humanity that made the original trilogy timeless. Never mind the dialogues that fell flat.

To me, the prequels were shallow not because of their story, but because of how little truth they allowed to surface. They wanted myth, but they forgot consequence. They wanted destiny, but abandoned choice. It all felt too sanitized:  a story of corruption and collapse told without dirt, sweat, or moral weight.

So now, years later, I've decided to revisit them — not to “fix” Star Wars, but to rediscover what made it real to me in the first place. What if the fall of the Republic felt like something we could believe — a slow, procedural death of democracy and faith, rather than a fireworks show of villains and chosen ones? What if the Jedi weren’t superheroes but weary monks, spies, and diplomats caught between faith and bureaucracy? What if Anakin’s fall wasn’t inevitable, but painfully human?

That’s the heart of this project — a rewrite of Episodes I–III that reimagines them through the grounded realism of Rogue One and the moral gravity of Andor. The spectacle fades. The consequence remains.

The prequels didn’t fail because of what they tried to say — they failed because of how they said it. Beneath all the gloss were the bones of a masterpiece: the death of democracy, the corruption of faith, the rise of tyranny. 

Those bones were strong — they just needed to breathe.

Here's how I imagine things...

Why Blue Eye Samurai cut so deep & why I can’t wait for season 2

Every once in a while, a show slices through the noise and reminds you why you fell in love with animation in the first place. Blue Eye Samurai did that for me.

From the very first frame, that painterly Edo-era Japan bathed in blood and moonlight, I knew this wasn’t just another revenge story. It’s an emotional blade honed to perfection: sharp, purposeful, and heartbreakingly human. Mizu isn’t a hero; she’s an instrument of fury shaped by a world that refuses to see her as whole. And yet, beneath every duel and dismemberment, there’s this quiet ache, the question of what’s left when vengeance burns everything else away.

It’s Kurosawa meets Kill Bill, but with the moral complexity of Andor and the tragic beauty of Princess Mononoke. The choreography is poetry. The dialogue cuts like truth. And the craftsmanship (the light, the pacing, the music, etc.) it all screams that animation can be cinematic, adult, and profound without needing to apologize for it.

Season 2 can’t come soon enough. Not just to see where Mizu’s path leads, but to watch this creative team keep redefining what “animated storytelling” can be. 

If Season 1 was the strike, Season 2 feels like it'll be a reckoning.

Anyone else feel like this show reignited their faith in what animation can say?

The Wind Princess (A Nausicaä tribute worth your time)

Seven years. A small team of friends. And a shared love for Hayao Miyazaki’s art.

“Nausicaä – The Wind Princess” isn’t a Studio Ghibli production, it’s a Brazilian-made, self-funded labor of love. Every frame was crafted as a heartfelt tribute to Miyazaki’s world of wind, courage, and compassion.

It’s a reminder of what happens when passion becomes purpose.

🎬 Watch it. 

Feel it.

And if Ghibli shaped your imagination too, this one’s going to hit you right in the heart.

Enjoy!

When your teenagers become your fellow geeks

I never thought this would happen or planned for it.

Back when I was a teenager, way back, buried in dog-eared paperbacks of Asimov, Herbert, and Tolkien, dice scattered across the dining room table, I figured by the time I hit middle age I’d be expected to “grow out of it.” You know, leave the fantasy novels and sci-fi shows behind for mortgages and lawn care. At the time (the 80's), parents just didn't play the way we did as kid. Video games, roleplaying games, weren't their thing.

Will "The Astronaut" crash or soar? Trailer thoughts

So this trailer for The Astronaut just dropped.

Kate Mara crash-landing back to Earth, Laurence Fishburne running the quarantine, and some weird extraterrestrial presence maybe tagging along for the ride? Yeah, I’m intrigued. It feels like a mix of grounded sci-fi and slow-burn horror, and I kinda dig that vibe.

I don’t know if it’s going to be brilliant or just another “alien hitchhiker” story, but there’s enough here to make me curious. I might actually go see this one in theatres when it lands October 17. Having said that, I’m a little apprehensive about the ending though, since a few (okay, a bunch of them,... okay okay, most of the) critics mentioned it starts strong but stumbles in the final act, so I’m keeping my expectations in check. 

At the very least, it’s giving me a reason to keep an eye on Jess Varley as a director, and my options open.

Anyone else planning to check it out?

Additional information:

• Wikipedia – The Astronaut (2025 film)
• Cosmic Book News – The Astronaut Trailer Release Date, Cast
• The Guardian – The Astronaut review: Kate Mara sci-fi is an underpowered dud
• The Hollywood Reporter – ‘The Astronaut’ Review: Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne in Sci-Fi Thriller
• People – SXSW 2025: Kate Mara Teases ‘The Astronaut’ (First Look)
• FilmHounds – A Promising Outing Ruined by a Ludicrous Conclusion: The Astronaut Film Review
• Rotten Tomatoes – The Astronaut (2025)
• Letterboxd – The Astronaut (2025)

Where are the women in Asimov's Foundation?

After finishing season 3 of AppleTV+’s Foundation, I felt the itch to go back to the source material. It’s been years since I’d read Isaac Asimov’s original trilogy, and I wanted to revisit that sprawling galactic history that had so fascinated me the first time.

Revisiting Apple TV+'s Foundation, with new eyes…

Isaac Asimov was THE author who introduced me to science fiction. I devoured Foundation, the Robot novels, and pretty much everything he ever wrote. So, when Apple TV+ launched their Foundation series, I was very excited… and quickly disappointed.

The show took wild liberties with the source material and at first I struggled with that.

But recently, I went back. Rewatched the end of Season 1. Picked up Season 2. And somewhere along the way, I let go of what it wasn’t… and started appreciating what it is.

It’s not my Foundation. It’s a new interpretation. And when I stopped comparing, I started enjoying the story they’re telling—on its own terms.

If you're a fan of Asimov and walked away like I did… maybe give it another shot. 

You might be surprised.

City-Building Done Right: Learning Foundation with City Planner Plays

I’ve been a fan of city-building games for years, drawn to the blend of strategy, creativity, and the satisfying rhythm of watching a settlement grow. From meticulously planning road layouts in Cities: Skylines to managing survival in Frostpunk, I love the challenge of building something from the ground up. 

But Polymorph Game's Foundation feels different.

After finally diving in over the weekend—despite having picked it up in Early Access in 2023—I found myself completely losing track of time. Somehow, four hours vanished out of thin air. The way villages grow organically, without a rigid grid, gives the game a unique feel, and balancing resources and villager needs is incredibly rewarding. Add in its gorgeous visuals, and I can already tell this is a city-builder I’ll be spending a lot more time with.

Of course, learning a new game like Foundation can be a challenge, and that’s where great content creators make all the difference. I’ve followed City Planner Plays (@cityplannerplays.bsky.social) for years—first for his Cities: Skylines content and later for his deep-dive How-To guides in other games. His approach is what makes him stand out: clear, structured instructions, useful background context, and a willingness to show his own mistakes when they serve as valuable lessons.

This post is as much a learning tool for myself as it is a guide for anyone new to the game. 

Below, I’ve broken down City Planner Plays’ step-by-step instructions for starting a village, prioritizing buildings, and setting up a successful economy. 

If you’re diving into the game for the first time (or coming back like me), this should help you get started—and I highly recommend checking out his full video (below) for even more insights.

How to Start Your Village in Foundation | by City Planner Plays

A step-by-step guide based on City Planner Plays' gameplay.

Diving back into Severance feels just as chilling and addictive as ever!

I watched the first two episodes of Severance Season 2 last night, and it instantly pulled me right back in. It’s just as addictive, weird, and unnerving as ever, maybe even more so. That creeping sense of unease, the little details that make you question everything, the way it slowly tightens its grip without you even realizing; yeah, it’s all still there. 

I have no idea where this season is going, but I’m fully along for the ride.

Below is the a helpful recap of Season 1, courtesy of 

The not-so-hidden link between Dune and Star Wars—and why one is the more grown-up sci-fi epic

Frank Herbert’s Dune and George Lucas’ Star Wars share a striking number of similarities, from their world-building to their overarching themes. While Star Wars is a sprawling space opera and Dune is a more intricate exploration of power, politics, and destiny, both stories revolve around desert planets, mystical abilities, and intergalactic conflicts. 

The similarities run so deep that it’s hard to ignore Dune’s influence on Lucas’s work.

Let's dive into their similarities and differences!

The rise and fall of Alien (or: How Ridley Scott lost the Alien plot)

When Alien burst onto the screen in 1979, it was the kind of film that crawled under your skin and stayed there. A masterclass in psychological horror, it didn’t just scare the bejesus out of us—it haunted us. The Xenomorph wasn’t just a monster; it was pure, unrelenting terror, an evolutionary nightmare with acid for blood and a life cycle straight out of a Lovecraftian fever dream. And then there was the mystery—so many questions. Where did this perfect killing machine come from? Who was the Space Jockey, that eerie, fossilized giant slumped over in his derelict ship? What the hell had he been carrying, and why was he crash-landed on that barren, hostile rock?

Then came James Cameron, who took one look at Ridley Scott’s slow-burn horror masterpiece and said, Hold my beer. With Aliens (1986), he flipped the script, swapping dread for adrenaline. It was no longer about one crew being hunted in the shadows—it was war. Cameron turned Ellen Ripley from a survivor into an absolute badass, threw in a squad of space marines, and cranked the action up to eleven. It worked. Instead of diminishing the terror, it made the Xenomorphs even more frightening—because now there were hundreds of them, and they were organized.

Then… things got weird.

Alien 3 stumbled in like a confused drunk at a house party, unsure of what it was supposed to be. David Fincher (who, to be fair, was tormented by studio meddling) tried to recapture the original’s claustrophobic horror but ended up with a bleak, unsatisfying mess. Worse, it killed off Newt and Hicks in the first five minutes (WTF!)—a gut punch that felt more like a slap in the face to fans who had grown attached to them. 

But the real tragedy? 

The what could have been. 

William Gibson, the cyberpunk god himself, had written an early script draft that would have taken the franchise in a wildly different direction—Cold War paranoia, genetic experimentation, Weyland-Yutani versus the UPP (basically Soviet space marines), and a new breed of Xenomorphs. But nah, Fox scrapped that and gave us… a single dog-alien on a prison planet.

By this point, the Alien series had lost its sense of direction. The magic of the first two films—the mystery, the fear, the sheer brilliance—had been watered down by confused storytelling and studio interference. (And no, I haven't forgotten about Alien Resurrection (1997)—I’m just choosing to pretend it never happened. That bizarre, campy mess deserves to be locked in a vault and yeeted into a black hole. A clone-Ripley with alien DNA? A Xenomorph with puppy dog eyes? No thanks. Some things are best left unacknowledged.). 

And then, decades later, Ridley Scott returned. He promised to answer those burning questions we’d had since Alien. He promised us something epic, something profound.

Instead, we got Prometheus and Alien: Covenant—films that thought they were profound, but mostly just left us shaking our heads, wondering how some of the dumbest people in the universe got sent on space missions.

Let’s talk about the prequels.

Why does the Academy snub sci-Fi? A look at iconic science fiction films that went unrewarded

At last evening's 97th Academy Awards, Dune: Part Two secured two Oscars: Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. While these awards recognize the film's technical excellence, they also highlight the Academy's historical tendency to limit recognition of science fiction (sci-fi) films to technical categories, often overlooking them in major awards such as Best Picture, Best Director, and acting categories.​

Historically, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has shown reluctance in honoring sci-fi films in major categories. Notable sci-fi classics like Blade Runner (1982) & Blade Runner 2049 (2018), The Matrix (1999), and Inception (2010) received acclaim for their groundbreaking visuals and storytelling but were largely confined to technical awards. For instance, The Matrix won four Oscars, all in technical categories, without nominations for Best Picture or Best Director. ​2018's Blade Runner 2049 won for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography, but wasn't even nominated for Best Picture, nor Best Director.

The joy of simple, no-fuss gaming: why I miss games like Dungeon Siege

Somewhere along the way, video games became homework.

I don’t mean that in a bad way—there’s something deeply rewarding about mastering complex systems, experimenting with intricate builds, and deep-diving into mechanics. But sometimes, I just want to sit down, boot up a game, and have fun without watching YouTube guides, reading skill trees, or learning optimal button rotations.

That’s why I miss games like Dungeon Siege.

Finally diving back into Arcane: Season 2 Begins!

Finally got the chance to start Arcane Season 2 last night. Back when Season 1 first dropped, the kids and I watched it together—and, like most viewers, we were completely blown away by the storytelling, art style, and everything in between.

This time, it’s just my daughter and me diving into Season 2. 

We’ve only made it through two episodes so far, but once we're done, I’ll share my thoughts!

SOLSTICE - 5: Forgotten Archives – A haunting reflection on progress and power

 Some stories entertain, some inform, and then there are the rare few that leave you staring at the screen, deep in thought long after they end. SOLSTICE - 5: Forgotten Archives is one of those.

This short film is a stunning blend of immersive storytelling, world-building, and a sobering look at what happens when technology and ambition spiral out of control. 

THE STORY: The discovery of the planet "Solstice 5" sets off a high-stakes power struggle between two superpowers: the Continental Alliance and the Coalition. Their relentless race to control the planet quickly turns into a technological arms race, where automation becomes the key to expansion. But in their rush to outpace each other, they unleash forces they can no longer rein in.

Right from the start, the video pulls us into a future that feels disturbingly real.

The music.

The industrial space opera feel to it.

Reigniting the flame: reviving the blog, one post at a time

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might recall my countless attempts to revive it over the past decade (here, here, here, here and most recently here). There were a few bursts of enthusiasm, but never the consistency I was hoping for. So if you’re still here reading this—thank you! Life has a knack for tossing us in unexpected directions, whether it’s work, family, new games, or that latest sci-fi obsession. Somewhere in that cosmic mix, the blog ended up on the back burner.

But here I am again, feeling that familiar urge to write, to geek out, and to reconnect with all of you. I’m brushing off the space dust and bringing CrazyKinux’s Musings back to life. With the 20-year milestone coming up in about a month and a half, I’m more motivated than ever—two decades of rambling, community-building (the first decade if I’m being honest), and shared passion is definitely worth celebrating!