Max Coombes
@maxcoombes.bsky.social
phd @ uoa: phenomenology and videogames
maxwcoombes.neocities.org
https://rateyourmusic.com/~nostalghia
https://letterboxd.com/sisterlisa666/
maxwcoombes.neocities.org
https://rateyourmusic.com/~nostalghia
https://letterboxd.com/sisterlisa666/
Pinned
Less a redo of 'A Woman Under the Influence' (as people are saying), more 'Antichrist' by way of John Prine
A ★★★★ review of Die My Love (2025)
Die My Love introduces itself to us as a film at once fussy and overwrought, and for the first fifteen minutes I wondered whether it would amount to one of those exploitative disasters nobody knows wh...
letterboxd.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Less a redo of 'A Woman Under the Influence' (as people are saying), more 'Antichrist' by way of John Prine
Reposted by Max Coombes
Alright! Let's actually talk about this waterfall thing. It is an amazing showcase of many things that I adore from late 90s/early 2000s graphics.
I am replicating this in Blender through mere observation, so some things might not be fully accurate to the mind-boggling effects of the PS1.
I am replicating this in Blender through mere observation, so some things might not be fully accurate to the mind-boggling effects of the PS1.
November 22, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Alright! Let's actually talk about this waterfall thing. It is an amazing showcase of many things that I adore from late 90s/early 2000s graphics.
I am replicating this in Blender through mere observation, so some things might not be fully accurate to the mind-boggling effects of the PS1.
I am replicating this in Blender through mere observation, so some things might not be fully accurate to the mind-boggling effects of the PS1.
Reposted by Max Coombes
this closeup, casually deforming space-time, in the swimmer (1968)
November 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
this closeup, casually deforming space-time, in the swimmer (1968)
Reposted by Max Coombes
that geese album from this year is no good at all. like if matt bellamy and x ambassadors got together to make a krautrock album
November 5, 2025 at 9:01 PM
that geese album from this year is no good at all. like if matt bellamy and x ambassadors got together to make a krautrock album
watching the living dead at manchester morgue (1974), saw a sign reading "Climbers Hikers Served in Passage →," and thought about m john harrison's climbers (1989)
letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
November 3, 2025 at 1:52 AM
watching the living dead at manchester morgue (1974), saw a sign reading "Climbers Hikers Served in Passage →," and thought about m john harrison's climbers (1989)
letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
Reposted by Max Coombes
I'm immediately wondering what implications this will have for preserving play and the contemporary archaeology of video games
And the genAI models that will be potentially trained on these upscaled videos
And the genAI models that will be potentially trained on these upscaled videos
Youtube has announced that all low-res videos (i.e. older ones) are to be automatically AI upscaled to HD.
Creators can opt-out on a per video basis (but the channel may be long abandoned).
When researching props or behind the scenes, old videos are useful, but not if upscaling produces artefacts.
Creators can opt-out on a per video basis (but the channel may be long abandoned).
When researching props or behind the scenes, old videos are useful, but not if upscaling produces artefacts.
October 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I'm immediately wondering what implications this will have for preserving play and the contemporary archaeology of video games
And the genAI models that will be potentially trained on these upscaled videos
And the genAI models that will be potentially trained on these upscaled videos
Hands in Susan Te Kahurangi King Untitled 1974-79; 1975-79. Her work both makes you want to draw, and wonder why anybody ever tried to draw since
October 10, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Hands in Susan Te Kahurangi King Untitled 1974-79; 1975-79. Her work both makes you want to draw, and wonder why anybody ever tried to draw since
Reposted by Max Coombes
Insane sequence in The Spiral Staircase (1946) - we see Helen ascend the staircase, we realise it's a reflection, Helen sees her mirror image, in her reflection Helen remembers she cannot speak
October 4, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Insane sequence in The Spiral Staircase (1946) - we see Helen ascend the staircase, we realise it's a reflection, Helen sees her mirror image, in her reflection Helen remembers she cannot speak
Antigone, desire, and the stain of death in A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973)
maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
maxwcoombes.neocities.org
October 3, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Antigone, desire, and the stain of death in A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973)
maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
most listened to in september
September 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM
most listened to in september
Reposted by Max Coombes
fuzzy lo-fi images from Lav Diaz’s first film, Burger Boys, which seems to only exist in a vhs rip online
September 25, 2025 at 4:53 PM
fuzzy lo-fi images from Lav Diaz’s first film, Burger Boys, which seems to only exist in a vhs rip online
Reposted by Max Coombes
a new favorite
JPS Experience - Modus Vivendi
YouTube video by justarkadia
youtu.be
September 23, 2025 at 12:28 AM
a new favorite
some writing on songs: ohia's the lioness (2000) maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
Songs: Ohia's The Lioness
maxwcoombes.neocities.org
September 12, 2025 at 1:57 AM
some writing on songs: ohia's the lioness (2000) maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
Silent Hill 2 (2024), remakes, and bad infinity maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
September 4, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Silent Hill 2 (2024), remakes, and bad infinity maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
Reposted by Max Coombes
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT! @mahliann.bsky.social, @marcuscarter.com, and myself have combined our collective brains and written a wide-reaching introduction to the complex and interdisciplinary field of Game Studies in this forthcoming book for Polity. www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
September 4, 2025 at 4:59 AM
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT! @mahliann.bsky.social, @marcuscarter.com, and myself have combined our collective brains and written a wide-reaching introduction to the complex and interdisciplinary field of Game Studies in this forthcoming book for Polity. www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
Reposted by Max Coombes
CORPOREAL has been selected for the SXSW Sydney games showcase, taking place Oct 15-18. If you're in Sydney come try out the new demo and the many other featured games @sxswsydney.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:03 AM
CORPOREAL has been selected for the SXSW Sydney games showcase, taking place Oct 15-18. If you're in Sydney come try out the new demo and the many other featured games @sxswsydney.com
Notes on Cosmic Osmo (1989) maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
July 31, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Notes on Cosmic Osmo (1989) maxwcoombes.neocities.org/writing-art/...
Birthday+PhD present made by my friend Cindy. It's so precious it kills me ❤️
July 16, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Birthday+PhD present made by my friend Cindy. It's so precious it kills me ❤️
thoughts on cronieboy's new one - conspiracy, grief, and the text that fails to 'overcome' letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
A ★★★★½ review of The Shrouds (2024)
Karsh is on a blind date with Myrna Shovlin — their dentist says their teeth are compatible — and she asks to see the graveyard where his cutting-edge Shroud technology has been put to use. The 'Shovl...
letterboxd.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:55 PM
thoughts on cronieboy's new one - conspiracy, grief, and the text that fails to 'overcome' letterboxd.com/sisterlisa66...
Incredibly proud to have this out with the Journal of Games Criticism - Black Sun in the Land of Shadow: DLCs and Textual Depletion in Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)
gamescriticism.org/2025/04/15/c...
gamescriticism.org/2025/04/15/c...
April 16, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Incredibly proud to have this out with the Journal of Games Criticism - Black Sun in the Land of Shadow: DLCs and Textual Depletion in Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)
gamescriticism.org/2025/04/15/c...
gamescriticism.org/2025/04/15/c...