Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1476751
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 AUGUST 2022 10 ALMANAC My essentials KARL BARTOLO 24, Musical Theatre Performer I am a PhD student at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Malta who also frequently enjoys dabbling in musical theatre and pantomimes. 1 4 5 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet/TV 4. Music 5. Place A R C A N E / W A N D A V I - SION/FLEABAG – Can I have a three-way tie between these TV shows? How can I decide between one of the absolute best animated vid- eo-game series of all time, a show containing a stunning and visceral portrayal of one of my favourite Marvel Cin- ematic Universe characters, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's perfect mix of grief, trauma and comedy? ШУМ/BABYLON – What I particularly love music-wise is when different genres of music mesh together to create some- thing absolutely spectacular. Two particular examples of such a successful interaction of genres I would like to mention are ШУМ by Go_A and Bab- ylon from Lady Gaga's album Chromatica. I could honestly never tire from endlessly lis- tening to these particular two. AUSTRIA – I remember a few years back, prior to the pan- demic, I had taken a trip to Austria with my family, and we had stayed in a lodge with a view of grassy plains in be- tween two hilled forests. If the temperature and humid- ity are just right, you could see dense clouds of fog rolling through the trees and the hills á la Silent Hill. It was eerie but I found it to be extremely serene. I would like to experi- ence that one more time. HOMESTUCK. It's less a book and more a very long webcom- ic which happens to have por- tions of it in print. The plot is essentially about four kids playing a world-ending video game which goes off the rails, surprisingly beyond ending the world. In my opinion, one of the most absolute timeless pieces of literature ever writ- ten, and one which changed my life back when I was still a closeted teenager coming to terms with myself. 'DEATH Becomes Her'. It is so unbelievably stupid in so many ways it makes for a very timeless dark comedy film and, seeing as I am a fan of un- believable stupidity and dark comedy, is one of the movies I thoroughly enjoy watching. In particular what sticks out to me is Meryl Streep send- ing Goldie Hawn flying into a fountain with a shotgun blast, purely because of how silly and stupid it is. 2 3