#I really wanted to make this into a tighter essay or something but I'd rather have done than perfect at the moment

[devoursbears]

So I go to a gay church in my area because I like the community and it is honestly incredible to see old queers every week. But I've been thinking recently about this particular dynamic in the bible study group.

in the group there is this gay catholic and and a nonbinary communist who are both retirement age and butt heads on every topic, with the Catholic very adamant in his positions and being sure of his being right about How To Christianity. Then the Communist who has studied other religions and is much more concerned with the Divinity found in humanity than some invisible Patriarch making all the rules. and it as me thinking about the Uber Right Wing politics of a buncha christians, and how 'traditional christianity' really does make sense with their political views (and lets be honest, it was designed that way)

because like, the Catholic. He means well, but basically always falls back to "Yeah God is easy. He is perfect and mysterious and we can't understand him but we have to follow his rules and those rules are the Bible and the Catholic Doctrine." Which. Every time I hear him talk I cant help but hear right wing rhetoric about not questioning established authority and how those in power got there in the first place.

For example, there was a discussion about Sin. and the Catholic goes on the expected spiel of "Sin is these actions as defined by bible and to be rid of sin you have to do the 3 step plan that the church made up which goes like admit guilt, apologize, then repent by not doing the thing again and also pray about it. Bam Done. Easy Peasy."

He kept repeating this line of reasoning even when this other guy, a New guy who specifically doesn't like Christianity because of people who prescribe how to think and act, as it is a trigger for New guy. But the Catholic couldn't tell that. His Catholic Programming wasn't able to compute any other way of a Correct Relationship with Religion. It felt incredibly reminiscent of something along the lines of "oh its easy to not get arrested, just don't to a crime sweaty :))))" type rhetoric.

and I don't have the writing skills to make extensive conclusions and tie all the strings together but I just wanted to share this pattern I see. where right wing Evangelical Christians have their view on life baked in in every aspect of their beliefs. and its frustrating!!! because religion even including Christianity can be a helpful tool for spirituality/hope in the world/ community for people but just like any system of power, it is important to question the structure, and who is in power and why. And like most power structures that want to maintain that structure, Christianity and Right Wing rhetoric often go hand in hand in their ability to drive any questioning out.

Anyhow, shoutout to Alien the 70ish year old nonbinary racing champ with an intersex cat they are my hero and I love them for having the energy to push back against the Catholic and his rigid power structures.

[excusethequality]

31 Days of Spooky Movies 2023: Week 2

Every October I make it my mission to watch at least 1 spooky movie every day (without rewatching anything watched in a previous October).

In case anyone is looking for some ideas on what to watch this month, here's what I've watched so far, in the order I watched them.

Week 1

22. Prey (2022)

In 1917 a Comanche woman sets out on a trial to prove her worth as a warrior by hunting something that's hunting her. But she is soon to discover that her prey is far more dangerous than she could have ever guessed.

This movie was done so dirty. Not only did they not allow them to film the whole thing in Comanche, but they didn't even give it a theatrical release. And it's so good! Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers are phenomenal.

I was so glad they at least gave it a physical release. Thanks to that I was able to put on my own theatrical showing (with the Comanche dub) and it is such a fun theater movie.

23. The Demon (1963)

In a small Italian village a woman is treated as an outcast and believed to be a witch. But if you're already being mistreated for being a witch, what's to stop you from trying witchcraft?

Lots of interesting things happening both in front of and behind the camera here. File this under movies I respect, but aren't really my thing.

24. Sea Fever (2019)

An Irish fishing boat becomes stranded at sea when their ship encounters a strange creature.

I generally enjoy Irish horror, and this one is no exception! It's quiet and haunting and rather beautiful. It could stand to be tighter, but I appreciated a quarantine horror film that tries to do its own thing.

25. Maximum Overdrive (1986)

When machines start trying to kill people a group of survivors find themselves trapped in gas station by a pack of killer semi trucks.

Was this based on a Stephen King story? Yes.

Was it directed by Stephen King as well? Yes.

Was this made during King's cocaine years? Oh, most definitely.

Not only does this movie rarely make sense, but it somehow manages to be boring? To its credit, the very beginning is a wild ride (the pop machine is my favorite scene).

26. Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)

In 1976 a young native girl fights to survive against a troubled home life, a government that wants to lock her in a residential school, and a past that continues to haunt her.

I love this movie, but the trauma in it is palpable. It wears its grief on its sleeve in a way I've never seen before. Devery Jacobs is especially great as the lead.

27. The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976)

An alcoholic woman's trauma from her childhood drives her to act out in increasingly wild and deadly ways.

I honestly don't even have words to describe this movie. It is out there in its own world and I'd need a whole essay to try and break it down. People will probably either love it or hate it.

28. I Married a Witch (1942)

A witch and her father are released from their ancient imprisonment and seek to wreck havoc on the world. But things get tricky when a spell goes awry and she falls in love with a human.

I am not a fan of this one. But I can see that there was a really fun movie in this somewhere. It's like Veronica Lake and Cecil Kellaway were given the script to a really fun rom-com and everyone else had the script to a really unromantic drama or something.

29. The Monster Club (1981)

A horror author saves a starving vampire and is invited back to his favorite club as a gesture of gratitude.

I want to love horror anthology movies so badly, but they are notoriously bad. The one nice thing I'll say is that Vincent Price is delightful as always and I wish he was in it more. The shorts are far from great and the as are the random musical segments.

30. Intruder (1989)

Things go from bad to worse when the overnight crew at the local supermarket finds themselves trapped inside with a murderer.

An 80s slasher from a friend of the Raimis. So not only is Sam Raimi in it, so is Ted Raimi, and even Bruce Campbell makes an appearance. Maybe it's just because I've worked in a grocery store, but this one is a lot of fun. There's attempts at creativity here that I rarely see in slashers.

31. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)

A Mel Brooks spoof of the story of Dracula.

I usually like Mel Brooks, but this one just feels a bit lackluster to me. It lacks the usual satire of his other films. It felt less like a spoof and more of just a slightly comedic retelling of Dracula.

32. I Was a Teenage Wereskunk (2016)

An homage to the drive-in horror movies of the 50s about a boy who is bitten by a skunk and starts turning into a murderous wereskunk whenever he gets aroused.

It has its moments, but it never manages to hold on to its momentum. More often than not it is busying itself by driving a bad joke into the ground.

33. The Devil's Backbone (2001)

In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, a young orphan is left at an orphanage that's hanging on by a thread. But he soon learns that evil doesn't just lurk outside the walls when he a discovers a ghostly presence that haunts the halls.

Early Guillermo del Toro for the win. It's got all the signature del Toro favorites: evil lurking behind a smiling face, magical realism, a big middle finger to facism, and more!

34. Spirit Halloween: The Movie (2022)

A group of kids decides to spend Halloween night in the scariest place they can think of: a Spirit Halloween store!

Shocking no one, this movie is not very good. It's like a disney-original Halloween movie...but without the camp and charm. Rachael Leigh Cook playing the mom made me feel really old. On a side note: that woman does not seem to age.

35. Arachnophobia (1990)

A rare and deadly spider winds up in a small American town where it proceeds to turn all the spiders in town into its minions. The local doctor better get over his fear of spiders fast if he's going to be able to save anyone.

I've never been the biggest fan of this one. But its use of practical effects, real spiders, and John Goodman are too good to ignore.

36. Tales From the Hood (1990)

A mysterious funeral director tells 4 spooky tales to the group of drug dealers that visit him one night.

One of the best horror anthology movies I've ever seen! It's so good! The stories are both spooky and actually centered around a common theme. The worst thing I can say about it is that I wished they had laid off the strobe light in story #4. I've been thinking about this movie a lot since I watched it.

37. Shivers (1975)

A wild parasite is infecting the residents of a fancy high-rise building, turning them into wild sex-crazed madmen.

I had hoped I wouldn't have to watch this again, but it was part of a horror marathon I went to, so what can I do. I've never been a big Cronenberg fan, but I know a lot of people love him. I don't understand this one. If it's arguing for the sexual liberation ideas of the 70s then its rampant pedophilia, rape, and only young women being sexualized are wildly problematic. But if it's against sexual liberation then its demonizing of homosexuality and group sex is also bizarre.

I don't know. Maybe you have to be an allosexual to make sense of this.

38. Carnival of Souls (1962)

As the sole survivor of a car wreck a young woman tries to put the incident behind her and move on, but the past continues to follow her.

Seeing this on 35mm was a treat. There's a lot of interesting things happening in this movie. The main character is clearly ace too.