February 13, 2023

Title: LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

EMIT LIGHT (17A: Give off photons)

ITEM COLLECTION (35A: Object-oriented video game goal)

I MET SOMEONE (56A: "There's a new romance in my life...")

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer is an anagram of TIME.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: i wish i could've used the first image in this tweet with a fill-in-the-blank for 51a

Things I learned:

• ELBA (40A: "Luther" actor Idris) Luther: The Fallen Sun is a crime thriller movie scheduled for release later this month. The movie is a continuation of the British TV series, Luther, that aired from 2010-2019. Idris ELBA plays the title character, Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, in both the TV series and the upcoming movie.
• SWT (13D: Honorific that follows "Allah") SWT is an abbreviation for subhānahū wa-ta 'ālā, which means "praised or exalted." Muslims often say or write the phrase after using the name of Allah as a way to praise and honor God.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ITEM COLLECTION (35A: Object-oriented video game goal) In video game terminology, an ITEM refers to an object that can be picked up or collected by the player. Often these ITEMs are useful later in the game. 
• CLAW (48A: Retractable part of a cat) It's always a good thing when a cat remembers to retract its CLAWs before putting its paws on you. Here's a picture of Willow perching on my shoulder, presumably pretending I am a pirate and she is a parrot.

  

  Willow with CLAWs retracted

• NPR (49A: "Morning Edition" broadcaster) NPR's Morning Edition is the most listened-to radio news program in the U.S. The show runs for two hours each day from Monday through Friday. The show's counterpart, Weekend Edition, airs on Saturday and Sunday.
• COSTAR (51A: Kaluuya to Palmer in "Nope") In the 2022 movie, Nope, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer COSTAR as siblings trying to capture evidence of a UFO. Nope was directed by Jordan Peele. I learned this information from the October 8, 2022 puzzle. 
• TWO (42D: Number of consonants in this clue's answer) I am a fan of self-referential clues and answers, and this one is quite fun. It's interesting that this clue could also be used for "one."
• CRIMES (46D: "___ of Passion" (1980 Pat Benatar album)) Pat Benatar's 1980 album, CRIMES of Passion, includes the song, "Hit Me with Your Best Shot." The album won a 1981 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance, an award Pat Benatar also won in 1982, for "Fire and Ice," in 1983 for "Shadows of the Night," and in 1984 for "Love is a Battlefield."

Geography review:

• SAO (28D: ___ Paulo, Brazil) SÃO Paulo is located in southeastern Brazil, approximately 40 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
• CROATIA (37D: Slovenia's neighbor to the south) In addition to Slovenia, CROATIA also borders Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, and has coastline along the Adriatic Sea. The capital of CROATIA is Zagreb.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN is a 2016 TV movie that is a tribute to and remake of the 1975 movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Today the movie's subtitle serves nicely as a title of this anagram puzzle. In addition to the theme, I enjoyed MEME ACCOUNT, ANY PRONOUNS, and SIDE BANGS. Thank you, Brooke, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Monday.

One more thing: I constructed today's Lil AVC X,  an 11x11 midi titled, "Pass the Gas Station." If you don't have an AVCX subscription, I recommend it. The subscription is a good deal for the number and variety of high quality puzzles it gets you.