Seven

With summer movie season already in full-swing, thanks to “The Fall Guy,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” bringing big-screen spectacle to theaters, it’s also a time to look back on the best films from the first half of the year and catch up with some of the titles that you may have missed.

If you’ve spent any time on social media or video game-centric corners of the internet, you’ve likely come across the proclamation that video games “have gone downhill,” or that games “aren’t fun anymore.” The statement is often accompanied by a depressing video clip of someone browsing their library of games before giving up and resorting to everyone’s favorite 21st-century activity – mindlessly scrolling their smartphone.

Forthcoming title Sonic Dream Team was announced Nov. 1, showcasing vibrant new levels and the return of multiple playable characters in a 3D Sonic game – while that might not sound significant, it’s been surprisingly rare for even a portion of the series’ ensemble cast to be fully playable since 2007.

GameStop executive chairman Ryan Cohen stirred up controversy earlier this month when he took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to state that “disc drives should be required on consoles.” Given two current-gen systems exist without a physical media slot – the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – this is a pointed proclamation.

There are two ways to look at performing after Yo-Yo Ma opened the season last week with the Spokane Symphony.

Few sitcoms from the 1960s resonate today. Such hits from yesteryear as “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Munsters” are dated and predictable. The Addams Family, a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams, is an exception.

There’s a school of thought that drugs and alcohol fuel creativity. Comic Dusty Slay is not in that camp. Slay, who will perform Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Comedy Club, used to drink. Slay, however, discovered that booze never enhanced his personal life or his comedy. He’s been sober since 2012.

At the start of a recent interview I reminded Natalie Merchant it’s been 36 years since our last conversation. I’ll never forget the diminutive lead vocalist of 10,000 Maniacs grabbing my hand and leading us to a corner of a West Philadelphia hotel lobby to discuss her band’s breakthrough album, “In My Tribe.”

“We Just Disagree,” Dave Mason’s solo hit from 1977, couldn’t be more relevant in the United States.

Not long after “Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen’s exceptional memoir that was published in 2016, the rock icon was lauded for revealing that he has suffered from depression his entire life.

“You hear Georgia when I open my mouth,” is what Charlie Starr sings when the vocalist-guitarist belts out the aptly named “You Hear Georgia,” the title track from Blackberry Smoke’s latest album.

It’s been at least 30 years since The Hooters played Spokane. It’s not as if the pop-rock band has ignored the Lilac City in favor of Seattle or Portland. The Philadelphia-based band hasn’t toured the West since 1992.

News broke on Labor Day weekend that SAG-AFTRA’s National Board is unanimously seeking permission from union members to strike against several AAA video game publishers before negotiations are set to resume later this month. The authorization would not launch a strike right away, but give the union permission to declare one if negotiations break down.

Kevin Nealon was walking the picket line in Hollywood and stages around the country delivering stand-up until he had knee replacement surgery a month ago.

It’s hard to figure out who had more fun the last time Peter Rivera performed his Motown hits with a full symphony: the original singer/drummer for Rare Earth or all of the student musicians from Whitworth and Gonzaga.