Month: December 2018

Enlarge / Christmas Eve turns violent for young Thomas as Santa goes on a murderous rampage in Dial Code: Santa Claus. (credit: American Genre Film Archive)

One year before young Macauley Culkin gleefully terrorized would-be burglars in the 1990 Christmas classic Home Alone, a Rambo-obsessed little boy named Thomas battled a murderous intruder in the 1989 French film Dial Code: Santa Claus. It's dark and violent, like all the best fairy tales, and deserves a place in the growing pantheon of alternative holiday movies for those who prefer more of an edge to their Christmas fare.

(Mild spoilers below.)

Ten-year-old Thomas comes from a long line of toy manufacturers, so naturally he has all the latest toys and gadgets to play with, plus an adorable dog named J.R. His house is an imaginative kid's dream: a large isolated manor with tons of secret rooms and passageways that his father showed him before he died. Thomas himself (sporting a rad '80s mullet) is a bit of a genius, good with computers and cobbling together elaborate contraptions out of toys and electronic parts.

Warning: This story discusses a handful of specific moments from TV in 2018. Though we’ve strived to avoid spoiling anything too major, please note this list includes specific references to The Good Place, Star Trek: Discovery, Westworld, Bojack Horseman, Preacher, The Americans, Killing Eve, and The Haunting of Hill House, among others.

We are in the era of "peak TV," and between the major networks, cable channels, premium services, and streaming platforms, the TV landscape has never been more richly varied. This year's crop of our favorite small screen moments reflects that diversity, from network sitcoms and prestige dramas to adult animated series and sci-fi favorites—and pretty much everything in between. In no particular order, here are the shows that engaged our heads and hearts this year.

The Good Place on time in the afterlife

There is nothing quite like The Good Place. A half-hour sitcom that explores the philosophical roots of ethical behavior in a bizarro version of the afterlife? Which tripping network executive greenlit that? We're very glad someone did, because the show has been a sheer delight since it premiered in September 2016.

Each year when I write these year-end recaps, I start with something along the lines of "You thought last year was crazy? Well, this year was even crazier." Dear reader, I think I can dispense with that introduction—our world's ever-growing craziness has to be a given at this point in time. So without further ado, here are your 20 most-commented stories on Ars Technica in 2018.

20. Mass shooting at Florida Madden tournament leaves multiple casualties

A photo of the outside of GLHF Game Bar. (credit: GLHF Game Bar)

2018 was an especially bad year for gun violence in the US, with mass shootings in schools, bars, synagogues, and offices. This year, one of those tragedies took place at a Madden tournament in Florida. A lone gunman shot 11 people at the GLHF Game Bar in downtown Jacksonville. The shooter, a 24-year-old man from Baltimore, opened fire during a qualifying event that was being live-streamed on Twitch. The gunman took his own life.

The comments were heated, with the topic quickly turning to the practice of offering "thoughts and prayers" after mass shootings, with no changes in public policy that might prevent future outbreaks of violence.

Enlarge (credit: Aurich)

Before we get on to the list, don't miss this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes. You can win part of nearly $5,000 in prizes, including limited-edition gaming collectibles, all while helping out a good cause. Entries are due by January 7, 2019. Thanks in advance for your entry!

Running through this year's list of video games that made the most impact on the Ars staff, I'm struck by the sheer variety. Sure, there's the usual selection of open world adventures and slick action games. But there are also a handful of fresh takes on the puzzle game genre, a few promising virtual reality games, a relatively wide variety of 2D platformers, racing games that run the gamut from realistic to campy, a couple of fighting games, and even a rhythm game! (Editor's note: We promise you haven't time-traveled back to 2008.)

So no matter what kind of video game you like, 2018 had some excellent titles to check out. Without further ado, our favorite games of 2018 are...

20. Forza Horizon 4

(credit: Microsoft)

Playground Games; Xbox One, Windows