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IDLE SCREEN MEDIA
Covering all things geekdom and pop culture. Reviews, anecdotes and introspection from the world's okayest writer.
HELLO THERE
What is Idle Screen?
As a lifelong nerd I started Idle Screen Media with the goal of offering readers a glimpse into my thoughts and experiences. What started out as a biweekly podcast, has evolved into a network of streaming, blog posts, reviews and videos packed with information about various topics that are near and dear to me, from video games to movies and comics. Take some time to explore the blog and see for yourself what makes you curious and eager. Read on and enjoy!
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That Time I Went to AnimeNYC and Became Disenfranchised by Conventions Altogether~ AnimeNYC 2026
AnimeNYC is suffering from success...is it's size to blame for the lack of identity and poor use of space? Or is it something else entirely
Ani Von Ford
Aug 3112 min read
I attended GenCon 2026, here’s how it went
A review of Gencon 2026!
Ani Von Ford
Aug 179 min read
The Progress Paradox and Perseverance of Failures: An Analysis of Fallout
This essay serves as an analysis on the Fallout franchise and uses in game lore, design mechanics and philosophy to dive into the true meaning of the series.
Ani Von Ford
Feb 624 min read
SCREAM VI and The Art of the Franchise
Earlier this month Scream VI was released to the pleasure of many fans, and while someone could easily give a traditional review or lament about how it’s “nothing like the original” the long short of it is, Scream VI just works. And that’s all it ever has had to do. *There are minor spoilers in this post. No big reveals just hints at one or two scenes! Sorry, but at least you had time to see it ;) * Reboot sequels are a hit and miss in today’s film environment, and the team b
Ani Von Ford
Mar 21, 20237 min read
Showing Viewers That Healing Trauma Takes a Village ( Creed III Review and Breakdown)
Creed III is an emotional send-off to the spinoff based on the Rocky mythos. The film rides the line of "just okay" and is a phenomenal movie experience in many ways. The film stars Michael B. Jordan (in his directorial debut), Tessa Thompson, as well as Johnathan Majors. This lineup was enough to make me eager to see the film opening weekend, like many others. If you're a more casual moviegoer and you're just interested in watching it for thirst traps, look no further. The
Ani Von Ford
Mar 6, 20233 min read
NOPE and the Curse of The Spectacle (Analysis and Review)
(there will obviously be heavy spoilers here. The movie released JULY 22, 2022. So if you haven’t seen it yet, get on it! Even if you aren’t a fan of traditional alien films, or horror) Ellen Ripley, Close Encounters, Men in Black , and even X-Files are all works that come to mind when many people think of media portrayals of aliens. In real life, viewers might think of Area-51 (and naruto running) or the occasional crop circle. What doesn’t come to mind is alien exploitat
Ani Von Ford
Jul 29, 202212 min read
Was Resident Evil (2022) Really that bad, or are gamers just miserable?
*This review will be mostly spoiler free! Read at your own discretion, but I will mainly be covering “key” plot points without revealing too many major twists (Maybe one, but here's a warning ) . Zombies, infected, mutants, and zeroes, whatever you call them no series has left an imprint in fans' minds or the gaming industry the way Resident Evil has. A pioneer of the survival horror genre, the franchise had a slight dip in the mid-2000s but with a movie franchise under its
Ani Von Ford
Jul 18, 20228 min read
Stranger Things: Retro Trope Revivals and the end of Reboot Fatigue?
Neon lights, hair metal, grainy VHS tapes, and scrunchies all are what come to mind when a lot of people think about the 80s. People who grew up during that time might not romanticize it as much, film geeks view the era with reverence, and the Duffer brothers are no exception. The Netflix original Stranger Things had what some may consider a slow burn when it was released in July of 2016, but six short years later and the show may be one of the only things keeping the stream
Ani Von Ford
Jul 6, 20226 min read
"What if Miles Morales was Thor" and how the Comic industry has never changed.
When a modern comic book fan thinks of heroes, what comes to mind is more than likely the heavy hitters; Spider-Man, Superman, Batman,...
Chantel Von Ford
Jun 19, 20228 min read
Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers (2022) : High risk, and even higher reward
**TW: Drug mention, violence (non-explicit) Boasting an 81% and Certified Fresh on Rotten tomatoes, can a family-friendly film be...
Chantel Stafford
Jun 6, 20225 min read
Artistry in The Cabinet
What makes horror scary? This is a question that varies from one movie viewer to another, and holds even greater contrasts from culture to culture. One movement that started almost all of horror in the film world, was German Expressionism, at at the forefront of it was filmmaker Robert Wiene. The creator would go on to create a film so grand in its horror elements, that it has significance in trends we see today. Robert Wiene’s use of unmoving camera angles, uniquely framed l
Ani Von Ford
Jun 3, 20227 min read
The Renaissance of Renaissance Faires
“Comeback kid of the century” In 1937 J. R. R. Tolkien started to write “The Hobbit” it was the first in his decades long series of modern-renaissance fantasy themed novels that would be completely published in 1955, the Lord of The Rings. Nearly 20 years later, in 1974, Dungeons and Dragons blessed basements across America for the first time. 20 years after that? George R. R. Martin published “A Song of Ice and Fire” in 1996, and nearly 25 years later, fans are still waitin
Ani Von Ford
Apr 30, 20205 min read
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