#and i still havent imported the previous existing wrap ups from like before march

[du04]

May Wrap-Up

Films

Started the month by rewatching The Passenger (2023), my favourite film of the year if not of my life for years to come? It was definitely even better on the second watch. I then later in the month re-rewatched it (so twice this May), and on the third watch I started to feel like I know this film so intimately, and that because I've engaged with it so much it's like I have a version of it in my mind that is different from what people might get from it? I've never been THAT enthralled by a film like that before, but I suppose it's just because I'm a fan, fan, that I feel this way.

Afterwards, because my mind at that time could think of little else, and I wanted to ride that wave of obsession, I purposefully watched films that I knew I would not Love.

The Blair Witch Project (1999). I first saw the remake when I was in middle school with my friends at the cinema on Halloween, and I remember being so scared (in a good way), back then I never watched horror films, but I remember having had a good time? So it was only time I watch the original. It was alright. I get the hype, especially in regards to its context, but I was personally a little bored and got little out of it. Still glad I watched it.

Louder Than Bombs (2015). I love Joachim Trier, actually the first and probably only proper review of consequent length I've ever written was for Oslo, August 31st (2011), back in 2019. Later on The Worst Person In The World became one of my favourite films ever, and I've been awaiting the right time for a rewatch. Anyway, Louder Than Bombs was... underwhelming. I love Jesse Eisenberg, he's one of my favourite actors, but this film is still weird. I feel like it kind of says nothing? The topic of war/journalist photography resonated with me for personal reasons, but I feel like that theme wasn't developed properly. My favourite part of the film was definitely the "Word monologue", I loved the montage (linked below). Also, that character, Conor, reminds me so much of one of my college buddies, physically and psychically it's scary!

Saw III (2006), .... It served the purpose of me wanting to watch a horror film, I guess. It was boooring, the editing feels like it's trying to make up for everything it's lacking. I really am looking forward to the films getting better.

Dead Ringers (1988), Cronenberg's Eastern Promises (2007) is one of my fave films, and I also loved A History of Violence (2005). Crimes of the Future (2022) also kind of changed me. So overall, it seems I'm a bit more of a normie and like his recent stuff more, but nonetheless I still vibed with Dead Ringers, it has an interesting premise for sure. I did not expect the opioid addiction plot lol. It was fine overall. I had been wanting to watch it since I first came across this:

And I finished the month with Bottoms (2023). It disappointed me, I love early 2000's deadbeat/bro comedies, which it was pitched to me as, and Bottoms did get a couple chuckles out of me, but oh my god does it try SO HARD, it really took me out of it. Overall, kinda dull and all-over-the-place.

Music

I generated the receipt one week into June so it's biased, but whatever.

Books

I technically finished Killers of a Certain Age this May, but because I was basically done, I had already written my review for it the previous month so... yes. Go read April's wrap-up there if you like.

I then read In Memoriam, and I really enjoyed reading it. It's not the best book ever and maybe not even that memorable 🤓, but I was engaged and read basically all of it in one go. I did not enjoy the 'romance', which I believe heavily made up the first 15 or so %, but once the main characters leave for the front, things got interesting, and I got hooked. I enjoyed the author's descriptions and the directions she took. This made me want to read more WWI books, and I'm surprised I haven't before, since I do have an interest for this era. I actually read In Memoriam because another similar book (gay WWI) I wanted to read wasn't available, called Dry Land by B. Pladek. The next WWI book I will read will definitely be All Quiet on the Western Front that my coworker recommended to me.

Games

I started playing Pentiment (details later).

Podcasts

Started listening to the audio drama The White Vault, and really enjoyed the first two seasons. However the third was absolutely awful, the voice actors were terrible it was unlistenable, but I push through and am looking forward to learn the resolution.

Museums

Visited for the second time a museum in my city, of which I had only seen the first floor with Egyptian and Greek archaeological pieces (which I loved), this time to see the permanent exhibition of paintings, most notably Bruegel's, I especially liked his Tower of Babel. And I also liked this painting called "A Chamber of Curiosities" by Frans II. Francken.

Visited my city's museum, it was fun and really well-made with lots of interactive stuff, and I loved the exhibitions regarding life here in this day and age.

Buys

I bought my first skateboard :) I've been slooowly trying to get comfortable with it. My goal being the skill of fluidly cruising on it. I also bought a really cool spatula (lol), and a poster of my fave film 😏.

Live shows

I went to see Nils Frahm. I haven't been to that many live shows in my life (#growingupinthemiddleofnowhere), but this was really the worst one I've ever been to, I considered leaving after 30 minutes :( I guess I was not that familiar with his oeuvre, which wasn't really smart of me. And since it's quiet music, you could hear every single creaking of chairs, and people kept coughing too 😭. I was, overall, not very focused, and very distracted during it all. Lessons were learned!

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Hope your month was fine and bearable, and that you watched or read cool stuff.

xx.