#this is how it feels reading reviews/listening to podcast episodes of the film

[mister-girl]

You’re recoiling in horror at longlegs’ face I’m kissing him tenderly on the lips we are not the same

[copperbadge]

hey sam! i was just ruminating that it's a fantastic time for authors to do dvd commentaries, and other 'ask the author' memes. it's additional material and feedback all in one package! (after we explain what a dvd extra is)

I suppose I'm of two minds about it. My immediate thought was that authors have always done Q&As, but it's true that they used to be less accessible both to readers and to the authors if they weren't big names, because they required travel (and in the reader's case, knowing the author would be traveling, plus having to go out to wherever they were doing the reading). Authors still do book tours and signings for that kind of purpose, but being able to do that kind of thing online as well now makes it easier and cheaper. Although I wonder whether there's less sense of connection because it's not face-to-face. But yeah, I would imagine it's pretty great for gauging what the overall readership is interested in. Certainly in dialogue with readers when I put my books up for review, I always learn a lot.

The idea of a DVD commentary is kind of interesting because I was like "How would that work with a book, though?" and I guess you could annotate an ebook -- like, offer a version with little widgets where if you clicked them you'd get the author adding notes about the book. I've never been a fan of actual DVD commentaries -- I don't like filmed interviews because they take so fucking long to actually say anything, and with a DVD commentary you've now got the addition of "talking over the story". But I could see how if you loved a book you might like having a version where you've got extra notes.

I struggle with the idea of "additional material" somewhat. I suppose that's ironic given how much I discuss outside-of-book on this blog, but that's just....I don't know, it's answering questions, it's not like "building the canon outside of the canon", and if I think something is good enough, it always goes into the books. The whole "They speak English with a Welsh accent" thing was amusing, but then I was like "Yeah let's actually put that in the text, why should it live on Tumblr alone?"

There's so much media now where it feels like if you aren't spending every waking moment interacting with every aspect of it, you just don't get to...be a fan, in an active sense. There are podcasts I follow where if you want to do anything other than listen to the episodes, even if you just want to attend a live show or buy merchandise, you have to dedicate significant time weekly to following them on all the social media and actively read their Patreon. And I just can't. I really like that creators can put that kind of thing out there, I think overall that's to the good, but it feels like something I'm blocked from participating in.

So, I keep all my shit here. I've had it suggested that I'd benefit as a writer from having a newsletter, which I actually agree with, and it seems like it could be entertaining to do. But I get caught up in this dichotomy of "Well, won't people be mad that they have to go subscribe to this thing instead of just reading my tumblr?" and/or "Won't subscribers be aware they can just find all this on my tumblr?" and I get real in my head about it. Because I'd struggle with having to go two separate places for stuff like that.

Uh, to circle back to your actual ask, however, because all that was just like...IDK, weird anxiety digression, I do think it's a great era for extra-canonical material, and while it does mean creators have to be much better at boundary-setting than they used to be, I like that they can adjust their level of interaction as they see fit.

Oh and uh. It's felt awkward to actually talk about it, but if you guys do want more material I do have a sideblog, @shivadh, which is where I stash everything I want to make note of for the books -- research, imagery, stuff I've talked about here that hasn't got a place to go in googledocs yet, that kind of thing. It's not extra material per se, it's just me shoving shit into a filing cabinet, and I don't do image IDs like I do here because it's more for me, plus I do delete posts once I've made use of them. But folks are welcome to follow if they want to.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: June 2023

Summer months here we go! Just wrapped up my time with Zelda so I foresee more reading and tv in my future again. In the meantime, here’s how I spent June!

……….FILM……….

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Saw it twice and the first time was very nearly too much to take in. The second viewing was far less overwhelming and still a joy. While it didn’t feel like a complete story following Miles, at least there’s some satisfying conclusion with Gwen. I’m glad part 2 comes out in less than a year. 

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (2016) Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood or maybe going with one of her older specials wasn’t the right call but I wasn’t really feeling it. I can see hints of overlapping themes that pop up in BEEF (which I loved and why I wanted to watch one of her specials) but that was more interesting than it was funny. Still gonna check out her other specials.

Goldeneye (1995) I have more memories playing the game than watching the movie but still a big fan of this flick. Really great characters and locales and I forgot just how comedic it is. So many one-liners! Always feels a little long at the end but worth it to see Boris’ death scene.

Encanto (2021) Late to seeing this and really great! Beautiful and personal and peak musical songs where characters basically ONLY share their personality through song.

……….TELEVISION……….

Ted Lasso (Episode 3.11 to 3.12) I was really dragging my feet about finishing the series as I found season 3 wasn’t as consistently enjoyable to watch. But those last two eps really stuck the landing. Some beats were expected, some were welcome surprises, and there were so many callbacks that were naturally woven in that I was really impressed. Some of the best from the season (and on par with the rest of the series) and I’m really glad I finished it.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Do "gun buybacks" work? by Vox A really succinct breakdown of how the US can do better, and an honest look at why this needs to be a part of a more complex plan. VIDEO

Agnostic TTRPG Prep Method by Map Crow Really fun way to use all the books that you’re not currently using! Watch the vid and then if you like the process you can pick up the bundle HERE (not affiliated, just a fan). VIDEO

The Station Toronto Needs by RMTransit Hey I’m a big fan of trains and I just found this channel. This was my first introduction to them but I’m keen to watch more. More trains! VIDEO

How Editing Creates Comedies That Make You Cry... by The Editing Podcast Another channel I recently came across and I’m keen to watch more. I know very little about editing but am keen to learn more.  VIDEO

……….READING……….

Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber (Page 7 of 285) Clearly I’ve only just started this (thanks to me dragging my feet on The Righteous Mind) but really excited to dig deeper. The prologue is the original essay that inspired the book and that alone already has so much in it! A really great primer and I wasn’t expecting it to lay a lot of the blame at capitalism’s feet so I think it’s gonna be a great read. 

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt (Complete) The first time I read this (at a time when the COVID-19 vaccine was just coming out and folks were choosing not to get it) the book really helped me understand the reasoning behind other people’s choices. For that it was really helpful. This time around, with more time and more political moves behind us, I find it glaringly obvious just how out of touch (or conservative-leaning) this book is. There’s a whole section about how the free market and capitalism is good for healthcare. Wild stuff. If you want more in-depth reviews explaining why this didn’t sit right with me this time around, I found Storygraph had a lot of great write-ups (also Storygraph is great if you want an alternative to the amazon-owned Goodreads).

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 12 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Listen I sing this series’ praises every time I read a volume and this is no different. Somehow the story, setting, and characters grow while still remaining connected to the main theme of “what if we ate the monsters we fought in an RPG?” It’s truly top-tier and I can’t stress enough that if you like charming, funny, expertly-illustrated comics, you should try out this series.

The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Dismang (Complete) Really fun read. Old Hollywood murder mystery with a lot of really nuanced characters. The resolution felt a little abrupt and unsatisfying, but without giving anything away I think it was appropriate. I’m also not sure if it was a stylistic choice but all of the women have different shadows than the men. It feels like they’re living in two different worlds but maybe that’s intentional? Still really great.

……….AUDIO……….

PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation by King Gizzard (2023) Loved King Giz’s first foray into metal and this continues that trend. I may not love everything that they do, but I love that they do everything that they do.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday Crew is currently up against a young dragon (Dragonette) plaguing a mine (recap HERE) while the Mof1 Crew is divided across Munchkin District and each dealing with their own small crisis. They say never split the party but I think the trouble gets way more interesting when you do.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo) Finally moving on from this after countless hours spent in this world and it’s all bittersweet. Loved the familiar stuff, loved the new stuff, and loved the overall arc of the game. Hopefully the next game in the series goes back to something smaller and focused.

And that’s it. See you in July!

[wizardysseus]

lent 2023: what i read, watched, and listened to

i gave up reading fiction for lent, which freed up... um... a lot of time.

read:

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes DuMez [audiobook]

The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances Fitzgerald [audiobook]

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr [audiobook]

The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler*

Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans with John Chu [audiobook; this was posthumously finished and narrated by her friends, so it can be a lot.]

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans [audiobook; this is almost the only book on the list that i rated under 4 stars, only because i found it less cohesive and compelling than the previous two books of hers i had just read. my extremely general opinion on rhe is that i dislike her writing voice in a lot of inconsequential ways, but appreciate her thoughts on a much deeper and more important level.]

watched:

Same God (2018, documentary) [i was a student at wheaton college when this happened. watching it happen again felt about 10 years long.]

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye (2018) [this film is in no way a wholesale rejection of purity culture, but it was interesting to me, especially followed by the podcast episodes I Kissed Christianity Goodbye and Reflections on Christian Celebrity. if you're interested in what happened in josh harris' church before all of this, this is a great article. tw for sexual and spiritual abuse, including but not limited to csa.]

other nonfiction read, though not for my lenten study:

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures by ND Stevenson

Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver [this is the other book that i rated under 4 stars; it resulted in such mixed feelings that i wrote a goodreads review, which i hate doing.]

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn*

*still reading

[jenishaswriting]

John Green's podcast Anthropocene Reviewed has an episode where he talks about the depression he experienced as a young man. It was the kind of depression that blew up his whole life. I use the podcast as a sleeping aid, and lately to make work hours pass quicker, because it's the sort of project that's made to be lightly amused by and quite impressed with. Maybe also the life time of using Crash Course for classes has made me fond of John Green's nasally voice and pleasant cadence.

This particular episode wasn't so pleasant. He describes what it was like to seek the treatment he needed and the hours of therapy and the prescribed drugs. All the while his bystander self believed that none of it would help.

 I felt certain it wouldn’t work, because I didn’t think the problem was chemical. I thought the problem was that at my core I was worthless, useless, helpless. I was less and less each day.

That was how he put it. Opinions of Green's books have swung and swayed through the years, especially on Tumblr the home of that infamous post. Still, John Green is a well-practiced wordsmith. Hearing his thoughts from back then, I became stranded from the person at her work desk, only seeing myself in his words. 

There are just some experiences you feel are yours and yours alone, nobody has ever felt the way you've felt. It wraps itself around you so wholely, it's so within you, it is you. And nobody else is you. Except some glimmer of clarity crashes in while reading a book, or watching a film, or listening to the right lyrics. Turns out that most happiness is the same sort of happiness. Most sadness is the same sort of sadness. Most depression is the same sort of emptiness.

It's strange now to think that I ever really felt the way he did. I am worth my life and more. I don't  need a use. I have agency in my life and some agency in the world. But 10 years ago, I would have rather bit off my tongue than withstand the shame of what would have felt like lying. Depression isn't a sadness or a lack of energy, though those characteristics are a part of it. Depression is a total alienation from yourself. It's forgetting your interests and needs. It's becoming a foreigner in your own country. Where once you could navigate, the footpaths are lost and signs become unreadable. 

The thing to recite over and over again into the full maturity of night is that there is rapturous joy in learning the language again and going where you need to go. I'm glad he found his way back and I'm glad I found my way back.

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 5 Out Now!

The latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is now available! As ever I take a seat alongside 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt and Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen to review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion.

For our May review episode, the five albums discussed are:

The Love Invention by Alison Goldfrapp

My Soft Machine by Arlo Parks

The Last Rotation of Earth by BC Camplight (Poll winner, thanks for voting!)

Everything Harmony by The Lemon Twigs

Lullabies From The Lightning Tree by Sad Boys Club

If you want to listen to the latest episode simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the May 2023 episode here

Learn more about the Album of the Month podcast in my interview with Left Lion here

Album & EP Recommendations

But Here We Are by Foo Fighters

I’ll be honest, aside from The Colour and the Shape and their underappreciated double album In Your Honor, Foo Fighters have always been more of a singles band for me. However, with this eleventh studio album arriving in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ tragic passing, as well as that of Dave Grohl’s mother who also sadly passed away in 2022, I must admit I was intrigued to hear the start of this new chapter for the band. I’m glad I checked in too, as But Here We Are is easily the best Foo Fighters record for decades.

With Grohl back behind the drum kit as well alongside his usual roles of singing, writing and playing guitar, it is a record that understandably walks the fine line between rage and sorrow as he channels his grief into this neatly crafted batch of ten songs. Recent single Rescued opens proceedings, with Grohl emptying his raw emotions following Taylor’s death onto the page and into the music. As his anguished vocals growl over the wall of guitars, it’s hard not to be moved. Under You will then have you even more choked up, as Grohl sings “Pictures of us sharing songs and cigarettes, this is how I’ll always picture you.” And even though the gut-punch lyrics are masked within some upbeat melodic punk, it still hits hard.

That emotional punch is ultimately what makes this album much more impactful than the last few by-the-numbers Foo Fighters records, however the songcraft is also to be commended here. Hearing Voices is an instant standout, with hypnotic, swirling guitars eventually fading away into black during the final 30 seconds, leaving just Grohl’s pained vocals singing “Speak to me, my love” atop an acoustic guitar. It’s a goosebump-inducing moment, with Nothing At All then bringing the rock power Foo Fighters are known for back into the mix with its anthemic chorus and amped-up guitars. Some of the best moments on the record are then saved for the final stretch, with Grohl’s heartfelt collaboration with his daughter Violet on Show Me How a definite highlight, as well as the album’s 10-minute long, fury-filled centrepiece, The Teacher.

Having read a few reviews, it’s easy to see now why this album is receiving so much acclaim. Fuelled by tragedy and the pain of loss, it is Grohl at his rawest and most sincere, making for one of the most engaging records Foo Fighters have ever released. But Here We Are comes across as a therapeutic exercise for the grieving rock giant and you can’t help but feel the sharp tug on the heartstrings throughout, what with Taylor having been such a well-known and well-loved figure in music over the last 20 or so years. As an emotional farewell to a friend and the dawning of a new sunrise for the band, Foo Fighters have done themselves justice with this record.

Listen here

The Answer Is Always Yes by Alex Lahey

It’s crazy to think that even now several years later we are still seeing pandemic projects come to light, but that is indeed the case for this fantastic third album from Aussie singer-songwriter, Alex Lahey. Having been in the middle of touring her impressive sophomore effort The Best of Luck Club, lockdown suddenly threw Alex back into the studio where she would write over 100 new songs. Collaborating with Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson as well as heavyweight producer Jacknife Lee, this mountain of new music was eventually whittled down to the 10 songs found on The Answer Is Always Yes.

The emergence from lockdown is put front and centre on opener Good Time, where Lahey describes the hedonistic scenes witnessed during those first few months of the world opening back up. Buzzy guitars reverberate throughout as she opens the record with “Everyone’s a bit fucked up, but they think they’re okay”, proving that some lockdown sentiments still carry relevance now. Congratulations then takes the record in a grungier direction, with Lahey sarcastically congratulating an ex on getting engaged for what is another darkly enjoyable track.

The next two tracks are then two early favourites, with You’ll Never Get Your Money Back a sharply written anthem about failed relationships, whilst The Sky Is Melting basks in the regretful melancholia of a disappointing trip during a visit to the Joshua Tree National Park. The rest of the tracklist is then littered with other great moments, such as shameless love song Makes Me Sick, the acoustic-tinged tale of returning home found on Permanent and the jaw-dropping climax of the title track, which sees Lahey belting out the refrain “I don’t want it all to be, the way it was before it changed” over some soaring guitars.

For me Alex Lahey just gets better with each record and although this one was never planned, I’m glad she ended up back in the studio to piece this together. Her best collection to date and I already can’t wait to hear the next one.

Listen here

Roach by Miya Folick

Elsewhere, American singer-songwriter Miya Folick recently made the difficult second album look easy with her impressive new album - ROACH. Essentially an extension of her previously released 2007 EP, ROACH further builds out the narrative with a deeper dive into her relationship with God, her mother and her own self-esteem. Featuring some of the best songs of her young career, early highlights include the hedonistic indie-pop of Bad Thing, brutal break-up anthem Get Out of My House and the tussle with adulthood on the falsetto-kissed 2007.

That said, make sure you stick around for the second half of the album as that’s where Miya Folick’s exceptional songwriting really starts to shine for me. Tetherball is a real stop-you-in-your-tracks moment, with some wonderful ambient electronics backing Folick’s soft vocals to create a gorgeous sound reminiscent of Natasha Khan of Bats For Lashes. These synths then shift into the uplifting pop of So Clear, before Shortstop offers an utterly stunning piano-led finale that you’ll just want to hear again and again. A fantastic second album that I can only see myself playing more in the coming months.

Listen here

Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

Arguably no album has proved more divisive over the last couple of weeks than this third album from mysterious British metalcore outfit, Sleep Token. From outstanding praise to frowning disgust and much-memed hate to them selling out Wembley Arena in 10 minutes, it seems you will either love or hate what Sleep Token attempt to do on this record with their music. For me personally, I oddly landed somewhere in the middle.

Whilst not completely blown away, I did find Sleep Token’s blend of metal, rock, pop, R&B, electronica, gospel - and just about everything else - to be a fascinating way to spend an hour of my time. It hits a peak around the midway point, with Ascensionism beginning with gentle pianos and a trap-style beat, before incredibly transforming into punishing guitars and brutal screams in the second half. Are You Really Okay then sees glistening guitars soundtrack this powerful rock ballad, whilst DYWTYLM is an intriguing auto-tune-soaked pop groove.

As I say this won’t be for everyone, but it’s definitely an interesting blend of genres unlike anything else I’ve heard so far this year. So give it a try and see on which side of the coin you land.

Listen here

Life Is Dub by Foals

Summer is officially here and one of the highlights of last year’s hotter months was Life Is Yours, the sun-kissed seventh studio album from Oxford rockers Foals. Having just recently received a Dub makeover from producer extraordinaire Dan Carey as part of Record Store Day 2023, it means an even more summer-ready version of the album is now available, with Life Is Dub amplifying the electronics for a ravier, more radiant take on Foals’ sound.

Listen here

More Truth EP by Daniel Avery

Sticking with electronic releases, DJ and producer Dan Avery also recently released a companion EP to his acclaimed 2022 album, Ultra Truth. Featuring seven excellent new tracks that didn’t quite make the final cut originally, including trippy Georgia collaboration Going So Low and the accurately titled Bliss, it’s another absorbing collection from the Bournemouth musician who seems incapable of putting a foot wrong.

Listen here

My Eyes, Brother! EP By Opus Kink

And finally on the albums and EPs front, you may (or likely may not) remember that Brighton outfit Opus Kink blew me away with their debut release last year, even ending up as my favourite EP of 2022 in my year-end countdown. Now whilst their latest release hasn’t quite knocked me for six like that dazzling first effort, it’s still a wonderfully theatrical collection of ska-punk that boasts fun, erratic standouts like Chains, Children and Malarkey.

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Council Skies by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds,DARKFIGHTER by Rival Sons,My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely by Lola Young,Gag Order by Kesha, More Photographs (A Continuum) by Kevin Morby

Tracks of the Week

The Narcissist by Blur

Well, this came out of nowhere didn’t it?!

Whilst tickets for Blur’s reunion tour sold like hot cakes as soon as it was announced, I don’t think many fans were expecting news of a new album – their first in eight years no less - to follow as well. Titled The Ballad of Darren, the highly anticipated release arrives on the 21st July and if the rest is anything like this first single The Narcissist, we could be in for something really special. As someone whose admittedly never been overly fussed about Blur’s output, this is a brilliant song that has me instantly hyped to hear more.

Listen here

Walking Backwards by Ben Howard

Another album I also can’t wait to hear, singer-songwriter and experimental guitarist Ben Howard has his new album dropping in mid-June and this second single has been on heavy rotation ever since it dropped the other week. Folky yet psychedelic with a luminous dash of cheerful horns and sunlit electronics, this could well be the surprise summer record of 2023.

Listen here

Sunshine Baby by The Japanese House

Four years after her debut, indie-pop sensation Amber Bain is finally ready to release her sophomore effort at the end of June, titled In The End It Always Does. Of all the tracks released so far Sunshine Baby is the clear standout, offering up a blissful, summery slice of dream-pop, with none other than George and Matty from The 1975 assisting with production and backing vocal duties.

Listen here

Say Yes To Heaven / Lost At Sea by Lana Del Rey

She may have already released one of the best albums of 2023 so far, but Miss Lizzie Grant has still been treating fans with more new music over the last few weeks. First came the gorgeously bluesy Say Yes To Heaven, an acoustic ballad that’s rumoured to be a lost cut from her Ultraviolence era. Then this past week came Lost At Sea, a beautifully orchestrated collaboration with her father Rob Grant, who has his own debut album (also titled Lost At Sea) coming out this Friday. Both songs, well worth your time!

Listen to Say Yes to Heaven here

Listen to Lost At Sea here

Cry To Heaven by Creeper

Dramatic goth-rockers Creeper also marked their return this week, with third studio album Sanguivore slated for an October release. First single Cry To Heaven is as always tremendous fun from the Southampton outfit, boasting a welcome glam-rock shimmer, an earworm chorus, an exhilarating guitar solo and a touch of eerie Stranger Things-inspired vibes.

Listen here

Keep It Rolling by Bloc Party & KennyHoopla

This was a very welcome surprise – two artists I love teaming up for a new collaborative single. On Keep It Rolling, Indie legends Bloc Party enlist pop-punk newcomer KennyHoopla for this belter of a track, which is highlighted by Kenny’s passionate vocals and Russell Lissack’s signature guitar licks.

Listen here

Haunted by Spanish Love Songs

Having only gotten into emo-rockers Spanish Love Songs off the back of their excellent 2020 album Brave Faces Everyone, I’ve been looking forward to the follow-up ever since then. Finally, it is due to arrive over the August Bank Holiday and if lead single Haunted is anything to go by, it could be even better than its predecessor. With flourishes of synths, heartfelt vocals and an instantly gratifying chorus, it’s absolutely fantastic.

Listen here

Sometimes (Orchestral Version) by James

The biggest disappointment of May was having the Nottingham leg of James’ highly acclaimed orchestral tour postponed due to Tim Booth losing his voice, meaning I had to wait a little longer to see the Mancuninan legends once again with this specially arranged set up. However, the blow will be softened when the band’s orchestral album Be Opened By The Wonderful finally drops later this week, featuring beautifully reworked versions of their classics, including this deeply moving new take on Sometimes. Just when you thought this song couldn’t get even better, they release this – utterly stunning.

Listen here

Wicked Game by Tenacious D

Then in a bit of an unexpected twist, Jack Black and Kyle Gass have followed up last month’s playful single Video Games with this quite spectacular - albeit far too short - cover of Chris Isaak’s classic single, Wicked Game. Best experienced alongside the music video, which sees them hilariously slow motion running into the sea.

Watch the video here

The Grind by Bored Marsh

And finally this week, up-and-coming Nottingham outfit Bored Marsh recently released their quite incredible debut single, The Grind. Clocking in at just shy of six minutes, it is a dark, moody guitar-driven track that channels the palpable energy of early-Interpol. If they keep this exceptional standard up, I’ll be expecting big things going forward!

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Stumbling Still by Nation of Language, AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM by Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar,Venera by George FitzGerald,Last Time Every Time Forever by Grian Chatten, Weirdo by Tom A. Smith, nice 2 me by piri & tommy

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

[hindisoup]

15-week Hindi learning review

Here's what I've been up to in the past months:

Reading (11 out of 15 weeks) In November when I did the vocabulary challenge, I read a crap load of blogs, articles and Wikipedia pages hoarding so many words that I'm still updating my Anki to this day. Prose-wise I'm making some but slow progress with Nirmala. It's interesting to read because I have no idea about the plot or the story, so I have to make an extra effort to try and make sense of it so I don't lose track of anything important. I've also eyed some news headlines on Twitter and read that one whole BBC article I linked here before.

Speaking (11 out of 15 weeks) I had three iTalki lessons and a WhatsApp call with a native speaker. That's probably less than optimal for efficient practice - but I've noticed that speaking and thinking in Hindi regularly on my own has paid off. I have completely random thoughts in Hindi now - like if I see a lizard on TV, my brain goes "ah yes, छिपकली" before I even begin to think of the context of what I'm viewing. Sometimes I really miss having a Hindi-speaking friend in my daily life, it would be so much fun to practice in everyday situations (and I've been wondering if ChatGPT speaks Hindi and if I could use that somehow as a practice tool - no I'm not avoiding human contact, what made you think that?).

Listening (10 out of 15 weeks) Okay, I'm really pleased about this one. All these ten weeks I've listened to something else than just music in Hindi - an audiobook, podcasts, and YouTube videos (on how to wear a dupatta and other important topics, like a 90-minute long press conference on the release of Pathaan). The music challenge in January was also a lot of fun - listening to music is still a great way of learning new words and having those precious 'aha!' moments when things just click in your brain.

Writing (10 out of 15 weeks) I'm still writing scripts - slowly, and textbook exercises etc. I feel it has become easier to compose text in Hindi. Like the sentence structure has started making sense and I don't make as many mistakes anymore. But definitely still need a lot more practice.

Watching (9 out of 15 weeks) I watched four Hindi films (two I hadn't seen before) during these weeks, and in total 6 episodes of two different series, plus three stand-up comedy shows which were more or less in Hinglish. I think I'm reaching a level where I could quite comfortably watch a scripted series or a film without subtitles and grasp at least the majority of the dialogue. Maybe I should try this next.

Grammar (6 out of 15 weeks) I blame my endless Anki-update project I've taken on since the November challenge - I just can't make myself study or revise grammar properly when there are hundreds of words waiting to be uploaded into cards and edited to include all the synonyms I've now encountered. Yea I can be rigid in my thinking that way. I've made good progress with it though so I assume I'd be back to my usual grammar etc. routine by the end of May.

[moondrvnk]

( eva noblezada, demi woman, she/they ) here lies the story of ANGELA WEBER, the TWENTY-SEVEN year old HUMAN. if you’ve seen them around forks for the past TWENTY-THREE YEARS don’t be alarmed, they’re only here because FORKS IS HOME. they’ve gathered quite the reputation for being PERCEPTIVE and RESERVED. that’s probably due to them being a MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST.

☾ — general tag. aesthetics. musings. vanity. threads. starters. tasks. events. connections. spotify. pinterest.

i. statistics

☾ — general

full name . angela weber nickname . ang, angie age & dob . 27 & march 12th 1997 ( pisces ) gender & pronouns . demi woman + she/they species . human affiliation . unaware / neutral orientation . biromantic & demisexual hometown . forks, washington, usa current residence . forks, washington, usa occupation . multimedia journalist for the local news station education . ba in journalism from washington state languages . english ( fluent ), spanish ( fluent ), & tagalog ( fluent ) pets . an irritable, rescue turned house cat named zephyr themes . un millón by the marías, fragile by laufey, & art class by beabadoobee aesthetics . undeveloped rolls of camera film tucked away in an old shoebox, never missing an episode of jeopardy, the inherent strength of kindness, countless candid photos of your loved ones, the small — yet sturdy — shoulders of an older sister, beams of sunlight breaking through storm clouds, nightly diary debriefs, & the mundanity of humanity

☾ — personality

positive traits . perceptive, empathetic, dependable, adroit, & conscientious negative traits . reserved, diffident, anxious, captious, & taciturn tropes & labels . the wallflower, the dutiful older sister, & the curious mbti . infp ( the mediator ) moral alignment . neutral good hobbies . film photography, crocheting, reading, journaling / scrapbooking / crafting, annotating books, collecting records, & thrifting likes . true crime podcasts, rainy nights listening to her record player, cryptid conspiracy blogs, decaf coffee, stocking up on enough autumn-scented candles to last her the entire year, houseplants, leaving online book reviews, mobile scrabble games, audiobooks, matcha lattes, knit sweaters, & reruns of gilmore girls dislikes . long car rides ( gets motion sickness very easily ), feeling cold, misplacing her glasses, waking up late ( it throws off the entire rhythm of her day ), script revisions, casual cruelty, riding bikes, crowded rooms, driving at night, moments when she's unsure of what to say, overthinking, anything black licorice flavored, & finicky sd cards quirks . angela has been a vegetarian since she was seven, she enjoys naming her various houseplants ( while she doesn't actually believe it to be conducive to their ability to thrive, she can't deny they just look a little happier in the end when they're given a name ), angie is very particular about her stationary + has a specific brand off ballpoint bens she gravitates towards, & she religiously uses her notes app ( especially when she's in the field ) pet peeves . a messy desk space, poorly maintained camera equipment, unvetted sources, smudges on the lenses of her glasses, & being spoken over fears . heights ( more accurately the fear of falling ), letting her little brothers down, being unheard, bee stings, & forgetting the faces of her loved ones aspirations . angela wants to become a television anchor; but, until she gathers the courage experience, angie is content working behind the camera at the local news station.

☾ — physical

faceclaim . eva noblezada height . 5'3" build . slight eye color . dark brown hair color & style . dark brown, almost black, cut into a wavy bob with blunt bangs piercings . three in each lobe tattoos . none at the moment scars . faint, childhood scars on her knees from a disastrous attempt at learning how to ride a bike & a healed nose piercing angela got in an uncharacteristic moment of teenage rebellion ( which she immediately took out ) distinguishing features . gentle eyes, a warm smile, & a birthmark on her left shoulder blade

☾ — relationships

parents. tomas weber ( father ) & ximena weber ( mother ) siblings. joshua weber & isaac weber ( younger twin brothers ) children. none extended family. none atm, but open to cousins, aunts, uncles, & the like! could be biologically related or adopted into the family! romantic status. single

☾ — misc

vices . envy & delicacy virtues . kindness & wisdom habits . is an early bird, always watches the evening news while she's making dinner, & can not fall asleep to silence diagnosis . mild asthma, extremely poor eyesight ( wears both glasses & contacts, but prefers the former ), & a severe allergy to bees dominant hand . left

ii. biography

tw: brief mentions of religion / growing up religious & compulsory heterosexuality.

while i'm mostly sticking with angela's canon ( which you can find here ), you will find the few changes / alterations i will be making below!

[animenostalgia]

The Anime Nostalgia Podcast - ep 130: ReView: Dragon Ball Z Movie #12 - Fusion Reborn!

This episode is sponsored in part by Tokyo Treat! To get $5 your first box of delicious snacks & treats delivered from Japan straight to your door, AND to help support my little podcast, use code "NOSTALGIA" at my link here!

This month’s episode is another short ReView! What is a “ReView” episode, you might ask? Well, it’s my highly-clever (ok not really) name for episodes where I go back and revisit an older title I haven’t seen in a long time, and see if what I remember (and what my opinions on it) are still the same now that some time’s gone by. And with this April ringing in the 35th Anniversary of Dragon Ball Z's premiere in Japan, what better time to revisit one of my favorite movies from the franchise--movie #12, "Fusion Reborn!". Will this film still come out victorious as one of my top faves, or will I realize I made a mistake and it's a ridiculous mess? Let's find out!

Stream the episode above or [Direct Download] Subscribe on apple podcasts | Spotify

Relevant links:

Buy the Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn! / Wrath of the Dragon double-feature blu-ray with my affiliate links on Amazon or The Crunchyroll Store!

Stream the movie on Crunchyroll

Read about how Akira Toriyama created Vegetto in response to Gogeta at Kanzenshuu here!

Buy the Dr Slump Movie Collection at The Crunchyroll Store!

My theme song music was done by Kerobit! You can find more about them on their website!

Support the work I do on this podcast by leaving me a tip on Ko-fi! Want to have your name read in the special thanks segment on the next episode? All you need to do is buy me 2 or more “coffees” on Ko-fi!

As always, feel free to leave me your thoughts on this episode or ideas for future episodes here—or email me directly at AnimeNostalgiaPodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening!

[kitsmits]

“The Haunting of Borley Manor” - a movie review.

I watched this movie tonight with my husband - admittedly, I missed the first 5 minutes or so because I was listening to a podcast, but once I started watching…I couldn’t look away. It was just so bad. I was so moved by the viewing experience that I simply must share the review I left on Amazon with y’all. (This is what I do instead of writing my own freakin’ stories.)

Ahem.

Taglines: Haunting…Atmospheric…Cerebral…

Well, I guess one could call a lobotomy “cerebral.” I’ll give it this: It certainly made me think of plenty of ways to tell the story better. The writing was just…UGH. (There. Looks like the vocab center of my brain was lobotomized.) Maybe I’ve been watching too many courtroom trials lately, because I found myself wanting to yell “Objection - no foundation!” SO many times. Like…it’s fine to let the audience form questions, but more often than not, the questions raised were of the frustrating “what the ****” variety.

Borley Manor is an actual place with actual lore to it - the podcast “Lore” has a whole episode on it, and plenty of books and movies have been inspired by it. I’d heard the story through that podcast before, and I’d seen another movie about the manor - though I’ll admit, I don’t remember much of either, and my husband had to remind me of both. Once he did, a few aspects of this movie suddenly made more sense: There were gaping holes in the plot and dialogue that, in hindsight, seem to exist in part because the writer(s) are assuming the audience has some knowledge going in. Or, maybe they were so close to their own project, so completely immersed in the story they were trying to tell, that they forgot to establish most of the pertinent facts and circumstances. You know how sometimes, when you work on, say, an essay for WAY too long, you stop seeing your own typos and inconsistencies? Your brain auto-corrects them for you, because YOU know what you meant to say and how you meant to say its? Perhaps that’s what happened here: the writers’ minds automatically filled the yawning caverns in the script.

Or maybe they just REALLY needed to write a second draft.

The main character, whose name I do not recall, is the most American American who ever American’d in England. Honestly, he kinda makes the film feel like a self-insert fanfiction about the Borley Manor. He’s young, handsome, he’s the best at what he does (we’re told), he’s got a Tragic Backstory(TM) and Psychological Trauma, and he’s the Chosen One to uncover this ghostly mystery.

He’s been sent to a tiny village in the English countryside by the Allied Forces to try and listen in on the Germans (oh yeah, this is during WW2, btw). We do see him plenty of times in his little rented cabin with radio equipment and headphones throughout the film. His background prior to the war, we are told through a pointless side character, is in “languages and science.” Yes, you read that right: Science. Just…science. He sciences. You know what? I think I’ll just call him John Johnson who does Job at Place (and if you understand that reference, we are now best friends). Oh, and he’s also apparently a total whiz with languages, but that winds up mattering about as much as establishing what Science he sciences in. He insists to several characters that what he’s doing is classified, covert, super top secret he can’t tell you anything - oh, wait, you asked him about it a second time? Okay, sure, he can tell you what he’s doing. He’s not supposed to have civilians in his cabin either apparently, as he quite loudly states later on after he’s allowed several civilians into the place at various times.

Anyway. American military dude with a war injury, stationed in the English countryside to try and pick up on German transmissions…there’s a burned-down rectory nearby, a war going on, he has PTSD…plenty of great opportunities for creepy stuff. Heck, this would’ve been an excellent setup for a psychological thriller: How much of this is actually happening, and how much is in his head? Maybe have some undeniably real things happen around him - some randomly butchered animals, a villager found murdered (especially one who we’ve been introduced to), for example. Something to suggest that there are actual stakes, that uncovering the mystery of the supposed haunting is important. You might even think the radio will play a role.

(I mean…there IS a scene where he hears a creepy whisper over the radio reciting a prayer about “those who follow worthless idols,” but that’s about it.)

Nope. None of that. We are TOLD the villagers find the manor scary - oh, and John Johnson’s cabin, too, for who-the-heck-knows what reason. We are TOLD the most surface-level history of the place, how it burned down a little before the war, but the fire itself doesn’t seem to be the source or even an effect of the haunting. Creepy Ghost Nun just…happened to be there? Watching? Because ghosts are drawn to misery? Oh, and C. G. Nun also made a “shhh” gesture at Female Romantic Interest(But Not Really), but…that makes no sense when you get to the resolution of the film. (That actually JUST occurred to me now.)

Anyway, our American self-insert, John Johnson, goes for a walk, has a random PTSD flashback to when he was injured in the war (complete with over-exposed grayscale and possibly actual historical stock footage that does not fit in with the style of the rest of the film), and suddenly, he’s waking up at Borley Manor - the titular, burned-down rectory. How’d we get here? Dunno. (There’s a good chance I’m conflating this scene with one of a literal dozen others, to be honest - because they all play out the same way: JJ has PTSD flashback, or JJ has weird dream involving a screaming woman at the manor, followed immediately by JJ waking up in a usually random place. It. Happens. A. Lot.)

So JJ kinda looks around the grounds a bit, and then, when he walks off-screen…Ghost Nun rises like a undead prairie dog from the overgrown weeds. Dun dun DUN!

That pretty much sets the tone for the whole movie. It’s trying WAY too hard to be creepy, but it blew its load by showing the nun in her entirety right near the beginning. It tries to build atmosphere, but between the way-too-consistently-sunny-for-England weather and the high saturation of colors it just looks too bright to be eerie. The quick, often nonsensical cuts between shots were vertigo-inducing; I had to look away from the screen several times because of it. Never felt the need to look away when creepy stuff was happening, though, because it was extremely obvious to the point of being silly whenever it did happen. The plot had more holes than a honey comb. Oh, and don’t get me started on the stilted, unnatural, Turing-test-failing dialogue, or we’ll be here all year.

(Okay - a small, only somewhat paraphrased sample. Scene: Unnecessarily Creepy Neighbor (Whom I Was Half-Convinced Was, In Fact, A Bug Man In Disguise) shows up inside JJ’s cabin. JJ was, once again, randomly asleep, and wakes to find UCN(WIWHCWIFABMID) poking at his radio equipment.)

JJ: “You can’t be here!”

UCN: “Says who?”

JJ: “Will you help me?”

UCN: “No.”

JJ: “Then find me this man.”

I’m only paraphrasing a little. That really was the gist of the scene.)

The best part of the movie, though? The end credits. I’m not even being facetious here; the credits were actually kinda hilarious, and made the whole experience worthwhile. I recommend watching the movie just for those. The movie itself was also rather fun to critique, though I suggest watching with another person so that when you start yelling at the screen your neighbors won’t assume you’re having a psychotic break.

[c-mccormick-svad-2022-2025]

99u Podcast & Project #1 - Music Festival Design Systems

Folk Music, National Parks, and great vibes? Sign me up! These were some of my first thoughts in approaching Project #1 for my Typography II course, in which students are asked to come up with ideas for a music festival design system. In the required readings for this week, titled "Graphic Fest - Identities for Festivals and Fairs," the author mentioned how the game has changed in terms of creating unique and interesting designs for music and film festivals. The author states "Events like these are valuable opportunities and excellent platforms for designers to realize their creative concepts and aesthetics." Throughout the text, the author reiterates this statement as they conduct interviews with multiple design studios that have experience in creating unique brand identities for various festivals ranging from music to film. In reflecting on the text and on the Project #1 briefing, I instantly became excited and overwhelmed to take on such a fun project! Branding identity is an important aspect of any company or brand looking to market itself in a competitive space, and the same idea applies to music festivals.

The purpose of Project #1 is to develop a design system that can be used in branding materials for a fictional music festival. The primary focus of the project is on typography, original imagery/graphics, and grid structure to organize design elements in a shared space. This week was mainly dedicated to brainstorming and researching ideas to create a mood board. The mood board will then be reviewed and discussed in small groups during next week's class.

In referring to my beginning statement, many thoughts ran through my head as I attempted to generate ideas for a potential music festival that I wished to be a reality. In endlessly searching the internet to find inspiration, I decided to browse my Spotify playlists to see which music groups or vocalists I wished to see performing live together at a music festival. In conducting my research, I quickly learned that many of these artists shared similarities in terms of the types of music they created and their brand's aesthetic. Folk, indie, and acoustic seemed to be the most common denominators in my search, so I began thinking about potential local and out-of-state venues where I would want the music festival to be located. In thinking about the vibes associated with folk and indie music, I began to think about national parks and how those places tend to share similar feelings associated with that type of music. Plus, this music festival would be a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of national parks through informative brand marketing and be a great way to raise money for keeping the grounds protected and clean. I looked at Congaree National Park in Columbia, SC as a potential location. I then searched Pinterest for visual inspiration on how I wanted the festival to look and feel. I collected the images and created an 11'' x 17'' moldboard that I will present to my classmates for feedback.

During my research, I stumbled upon the 99U Podcast, where the host discusses the challenges associated with creativity and how creatives often experience negative emotions that can lead to burnout. The episode I listened to was titled "Jad Abumrad: Embrace the "Gut Churn" of the Creative Process," where Radiolab creator Jad Abumrad talks about how his podcast came to be and how creative ideas arise from struggling through the creative process. Personally, I have gone through similar experiences related to "gut churn," especially during my first semester as a GD + I student. I felt fear and anxiety when creating work for my first typography professor. There were times when I felt myself shutting down and doubting the work I created. Questions like "Will they like my work?" or "Am I good enough to be here?" often crossed my mind. Although these feelings are often associated with imposter syndrome, I also felt anxious about creating something new and submitting it to a professor who could potentially give me a poor grade. I wish I could say that I have moved past these feelings, but I still experience a sense of uncertainty and anxiety when creating something new for a class. Since my initial design classes, I have learned to manage these feelings better and recognize the signs of creative burnout or "gut-churning" feelings that come with creating something new. Acknowledging these emotions is important for both mental and physical well-being, and it is a mindset that I must carry into my future design projects. As Milton Erickson, the renowned psychologist, once said, "You can take the worst feeling in the world and reframe it, and suddenly that feeling becomes the solution."

[bobbyinthegarden]

2023 Reading Challenge. Audiobook: The X Files: Cold Cases by Joe Harris, Chris Carter and Dirk Maggs

You guys all know I love The X Files, you just have to scroll on my blog for less than a minute and you’ll see something there. I’m also an occasional enjoy-er of radio dramas, so I thought this would be the perfect pick for me for the audiobook category of my reading challenge.

This is not an audiobook in the traditional sense, but a dramatization, which features many of the actors from the classic series, including Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, returning as Mulder and Scully. One pretty fun aspect of this production is that it acts as something of a revival to the original series, but follows a different canon to the actual TV revival, despite having been released AFTER season 10. This is because this audio drama is actually an adaptation of The X Files Season 10 comic book (don’t be confused by the fact that they have the same name, they are different).

If you haven’t watched The X Files, be aware that I am going to be talking about some of the events of the series in this review, so if you don’t want spoilers, proceed with caution.

The X Files: Cold Cases picks up after the events of the series (I’m not entirely sure where The X Files: I Want to Believe fits into the canon of this comic book, but to be honest, I try not to think about that film very much, so…), Mulder and Scully are living in Virginia under aliases, and are roped back into the X Files, after an unknown person hacks into the FBI databases, looking for information about the X Files in particular.

The story, or rather stories, are pretty fun, we get a mix of myth arc and monster of the week segments (I personally would have preferred more monster of the week segments, but that’s a gripe that I have with the series just in general), some deceased characters, like CSM and Alex Krycek return in ways that are actually quite clever, and much better than the way CSM returned in the TV revival, and we get to see the return of the classic Flukeman. The stories aren’t great, they wouldn’t rank as high as some of the best episodes of the original series, but they’re good, for the most part.

One thing though that was kind of frustrating for me is how they didn’t use the audio format to their advantage. The X Files has the potential to use audio drama in a really interesting way, and I’ll use two well known examples of other audio drama productions to illustrate this: the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale and the absolutely iconic, classic 1938 radio drama of The War of the Worlds, narrated by the late, great Orson Welles. Both of these use audio and narration in incredibly fascinating and clever ways, with Welcome to Night Vale being presented as a local radio show in the fictional town of Night Vale, a desert town somewhere in the southwestern United States. The host, Cecil, remarks on local goings-on, including bizarre paranormal and supernatural events, which he treats as mundane. The War of the Worlds does something similar, beginning as a simulation of a normal radio program, featuring a weather report and music, before breaking news interruptions regarding an alien invasion interrupt the broadcast. I think that The X Files could have done something similar, almost like the season 7 episode X-Cops, which used the format of a normal episode of the reality show Cops to tell a story about a werewolf (which, incidentally, is one of my favourite episodes). In my opinion, The X Files shines the most when it’s being experimental, and here they play it extremely safe, not to mention that some of the dialogue just feels very unnatural, as the characters are having to over explain their actions to make up for the lack of visuals, which is a shame.

Overall, it’s worth a listen, if you’re a fan of the show and want more X Files content, but it’s not as good as X Files can be.

[cailinrogersfinearts]

interesting articles, artists, discussions etc I've found helpful to my practice/discussion

Amalia Ulmans instagram hoax/performance art:

https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/39375/1/amalia-ulman-2014-instagram-hoax-predicted-the-way-we-use-social-media

https://www.ft.com/content/d2cb7650-279b-11ea-9a4f-963f0ec7e134

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/amalia-ulman-instagram-excellences-perfections/index.html

discussion and feminist film debate around the 2022 release of ‘Blonde’ and this years release of ‘The Idol’, both of which I found to be extremely disappointing, poor executions of female trauma. interesting and relevant discussion about violence against women in film in a historical and contemporary context, the male gaze, men telling women trauma stories and the obsession with ‘dead girls’

https://www.thecollegeview.com/2022/10/12/blonde-review-the-film-that-fails-feminism/

dead girls: essays on surviving an american obsession, book by Alice Colin

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/dont-worry-darling-blonde-feminist-films-debate-nina-menkes-1234773458/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/the-idol-review-the-weeknd-lily-rose-depp-1.6865652

https://theplaylist.net/the-idol-review-sam-levinsons-crude-provocation-with-the-weeknd-lily-rose-depp-is-gross-sexist-cannes-20230523/

https://whynow.co.uk/read/the-bad-feminism-of-sam-levinson

podcasts I’ve found to be extremely telling and interesting in regard to ‘popular feminism’ and ‘white feminism’ particularly when listened to in conjunction with each other. almost shocking when listening to ‘Chloe cherry’ speak on sex work in comparison to Eileen Kelly's episode of “Sex Trade Abolition with Ex-Prostitute Esperanza”

(plus a few other relevant/interesting listens)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MlqjBFo2u4gqoLHYqZHY5

https://open.spotify.com/episode/62TklN8ewrURvkr7K9jWGz.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/13IUZecisFJVqMQLnVeIy5

^ these three perspective from 3 different sex workers, extremely telling about contemporary understandings and discourse around sex work and how the term ‘empowerment’ feels so exclusionary to privilege 

Emily radakowski’s response to her episode with Chloe cherry:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w3ZjZeQpd7miutEp03axP

(a few other relevant/interesting listens)

“taking pop culture seriously” : https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kqb0AJoNyAxIIKPwn0gbc

“ethical porn with director Erika lust” :https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FH2YaRuKobCrsb6W4IitT

“women of trans experience” https://open.spotify.com/episode/3F6QKUATKlcjyzoYZOz46u

“neoliberal feminism, AKA the girl boss apocalypse” https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PDkMfVdYz4pqrUvfML4oc

[junithys]

Passing Thoughts 1

This blog is pretty much an op-ed piece where I talk about random things that I have thought and/or written about in my diary — may make a PART 2 in the future if I decide to talk about miscellaneous topics again. Mostly involving anime, because as most of you know — I'm a really big nerd. Though I am less into review-writing as I used to be, partially due to the fact that I have dabbled in art and animation, so it is harder for me to be impartially critical when I know how difficult the work is.

I heard an episode of the Anime World Order podcast a long time ago, where Mr. Surat said that if you love anime enough, you'll eventually want to contribute creatively in some way or make your own. I fought against this idea for many years, I kept telling myself that I would just be satisfied with just writing a novel and that would be the extent of my narrative-making skills, that I would dedicate the rest of my time to music.

But then, I picked up the pen (stylus) again and started drawing again, and then I starting imagining my stories in visual novel format, as I once did when I first discovered them as a teenager (as a choose-your-own-adventure game). I then realized that I could not escape the impulse to want to create something with an anime art style. It was like the figurative Mephistopheles clawing cloyingly at my back.

Detective Conan

It is hard to get other people into Detective Conan, there's a common misconception in my native country — if there is a main character that looks like a kid, then the show is for children. In the case of Detective Conan, this simply isn't true; there are elements of it that seem written in to appeal to younger people, like the word game (shiratori) riddles in the films, but the series is actually very cerebral and something that I would mostly suggest to teens and adults.

The murder mysteries are so well thought-out that they are hard for me to predict at times, and they are often very elaborate… there are some episodes that will leave you thinking, how would you even think to kill someone in that way? The characters are very lovable and wholesome, like you would expect in a family film, but the narrative devices are employed in a very complex way.

Thoughts on Fanservice in Anime

I was thinking about this after listening to the recent Otaku Spirit podcast episode called "Is Anime Problematic?" where the hosts vent their worries about the growing concern of censorship in anime, and they discuss the moral dilemma of "if an anime is problematic, should it be erased?" Obviously, I don't think so — I think aspects of media that are troublesome can often reinforce a sense of right and wrong in people.

I know that there are, of course, mentally ill people out there but the complication with writing to avoid stimulating a psychopath is that if someone is sick, I think censorship will only make the person feel more oppressed and radicalize them even further? I. am sure that someone so unhinged would see secret messages in a show about a baby wallaby, the course of action for creators is often hard to take when there are so many expectations and culpability on how it will affect the public. 

I used to wonder why more fictional series didn't push the envelope to explore untapped subjects more openly, but as I've grown older — it makes more sense, although I can't say that I like it. Media-enforced morality is a difficult subject to broach, but I have never been a strong proponent of any kind of censorship, particularly in literature and comics. 

I do not think it should be up to the government or people in power to decide what us common-folk read — I know there are dangerous ideas, certainly, but if you spoon-feed the population then critical thinking will become raw and premature as a result. If the public blindly follows whatever is told through the news and publications without thinking things through, history has shown that that kind of mindless thinking can lead to many tragedies and terrors.

Note: I do believe in trigger warnings and content filters though, people should be allowed to put up boundaries with what they intake. Particularly those with traumatic pasts.

This circles back around to my view on fanservice (ecchi) in anime. There has always been arguments about whether fanservice with younger-looking characters should be allowed, and I personally do not see a problem with it as long as it is tasteful and does not become pornographic. In school shows, there's an innocence and element of comic mischief to it, it feels like reliving your youth in a sense because it encapsulates the feeling of hanging out with old friends or falling in love for the first time. There's a feeling of purity with most ecchi and moe series, though I do admit that some can be excessively dirty, too.

A lot of people from my generation originally fell in love with anime as a medium because the animation and art is not only top-notch, but the ideas are fresh and for the most part, it is unrestrained. Anime felt like an expression of freedom that sees its viewship as competent and not infantile, there was a lot of experimentation and intellectualism in the writing. I think that anime creators should try their hardest to retain that sense of artistic integrity.

Vtubing VS Blogging

Sometimes I don't write blogs as often because I talk about a lot of my opinions on stream or the blurbs about anime become verbal, and then I am too tired to repeat them via text… it feels like blogging is kind archiving my opinions or setting them in stone, and sometimes the thought of that can be daunting. Especially when I have changed a lot over the years, I guess it is still good to have a record of who I used to be — like a journal entry.

Unconditional Love

It's a given that pets, for the most part, express their unconditional love to you. Of course they do, you feed them — clean their litter — give them a warm place to sleep during the winter, but I realized recently how grateful I was for that. With our cats, while they love both of us, Kenma is closer to me and Karna is the closest to SakihataLily. I realized how grateful I was for that innocent intimacy recently, I have been waking up with Kenma curled up to me every morning! I am so happy that we decided to adopt cats!

Saber Route

So — Saber is my favorite heroine in the original Fate/stay night story, ufotable has announced that they will adapt Artoria's route. Though the date remains unannounced, I am still eagerly awaiting that version of the narrative!

Note: I was reminded of this because yesterday, ufotable uploaded all of the Réalta Nua OPs to their YouTube account and Twitter, and there were a lot of Saber fans asking for the adaptation. I can't blame them, Saber is wildly popular for a reason!

Tumblr: Then VS Now

The last time that I used Tumblr before now was in 2015. I eventually switched to Twitter because back then, Tumblr seemed pointless — there was a sub-sect of active artists, but most of the blogs that I saw were a collection of reposted fan art from Pixiv and quirky GIFs. I am okay with people posting official art, but when people repost fan art, I do not like it — the dignified part of myself thinks that it should be up to the artist themselves to share their art on whichever sites they want to. 

It feels pointless because the reason why I share pretty fan works to begin with is to directly support the artist in some way, but if I am reblogging reposted art, it does not feel like I'm directly showing support to the artist and thus, feels like a waste of time. Tumblr seems to be much better with that now, but since I am older, if I don't want to see an art-reposting blog, I just block them. 

That may sound rude, but it saves me the confusion of having to figure out whether they are the actual artist or not, and since I am working on my own projects — I do not have time for that. I like some of the newer features of Tumblr, like the option of hiding followers, it makes it feel more cozy and less competitive. Overall, I am glad that I made Tumblr a secondary blog, I have never used blogging sights like Blog Spot, other than to lurk on pages of musicians that I used to like back in the day, but if I need to… I feel more comfortable with the idea of branching out now.

As an aside — if you are an artist in any medium (illustration, prose, game dev, musician, animation, etc.) or Vtuber, please hit me up — I like to support other artists and network whenever I am able to!

[crowdvscritic]

round up // SEPTEMBER 22

My September was filled with hidden gems, wartime epics, yummy recipes, and lots of processing of the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Keep reading to fill your October with new discoveries, inspiring stories, delicious dinners, and insight into where culture is going.

September Crowd-Pleasers

1. Gilmore Girls: The Official Cookbook by Elena P. Craig and Kristen Mulrooney (2022)

Kyla and I took a break from our regular podcast programming to review this delicious and fun cookbook. Which recipes are easy enough for Lorelai, and which are perfect for those with Sookie’s level of expertise? Which taste like Santa Burgers and which taste like Sookie’s incredible peach sauce? (Spoiler alert: They’re all pretty yummy!) Listen to the full review of the book in ep. 128 of SO IT’S A SHOW.

2. The Woman King (2022)

Another version of this film could have been a capital-G Great Awards Season Contender, but the smartest thing about The Woman King is it taps into the thrill audiences felt in Wonder Woman and in Black Panther when female warriors led the charge. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

3. Feeling Design Lab: Playlists, art prints, newsletters, and more!

Jenna O’Brien and her Feeling Design Lab add joy to my earbuds, Instagram, inbox, and home decor. If love playlists with moody vibes, art prints built around beautiful color palettes, or newsletters that tap into your nostalgia of growing up on Disney Channel, she will also add joy to your life. I just bought this Harry Styles-inspired print, and I’ve been feeling my feelings with this collection of tunes about growing up:

4. See How They Run (2022)

Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, and Harris Dickinson as Richard Attenborough are riffing on Agatha Christie, and what a charming little whodunnit it is! Read my review for ZekeFilm, and check out this Hollywood Reporter article after you’ve seen the movie for comparisons with real life. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10 

5. The Negotiator (1998)

Samuel L. Jackson negotiates with kidnappers and terrorists for a living—who can save the day when he’s the one taking hostages? When Jackson becomes convinced extreme measures are necessary to root out corruption in his police precinct, it’s Kevin Spacey’s job to talk him down, and F. Gary Gray’s action thriller turns up the excitement to 11. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

September Critic Picks

1. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

In ep. 129 of SO IT’S A SHOW?, special guest/Meryl Streep correspondent Maddie Brophy joined me for a chat about the ‘90s romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County. We discuss another instance of Streep and her whole accent thing, movies about cheating, and a Gilmore Girls episode that reminded Maddie of her 14th birthday. What bridges does Rory need to cross with her grandparents, and where does the episode “Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting” rank among Gilmore fans? Grab your umbrellas because Clint Eastwood is staring you down in the rain waiting for an answer! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

2. On Golden Pond (1981)

I saw a glimpse of my future in the first 20 minutes—my goal is to be Katharine Hepburn shouting at loons in 40 years! Henry Fonda and Hepburn both won Oscars  for this film, but they weren’t just legacy awards. More movies about old people like this, please! You can find this on my Letterboxd list of every film I remember making me cry. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9.5/10

3. Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

Many war films feel indulgent in tragedy, obsessed with unsettling the audience to the point of provocation. The Russian feature Ballad of a Soldier, however, finds moments of joy and humanity while still acknowledging the injustice that surrounds Alyosha as he heads home on leave to visit his mother during World War II. Also on my Letterboxd list of tear-jerkers! Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 9/10

4. WE ARE by Jon Batiste (2021)

Jon Batiste won an Oscar for his music in Soul, which was my favorite film of 2020. Earlier this year he won Album of the Year at the Grammys, and I’m co-signing this, too. Flash back to your childhood in “BOY HOOD” or get inspired by “FREEDOM”—either way, you’ll be glad you spent time with this album.

5. Good Reads

A short stack of good reads I’ve spent time with lately, including… 

In memoriam pieces for Queen Elizabeth:

“Requiem for a Queen — A Humble American's Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,” MandyManley.com (2022)

"Queen Elizabeth: A Visual Dictionary,” NYTimes.com (2022)

Thoughts on writing from a film critic, a film writer, a songwriter who often references films:

“How to Write a Book,” wilkinson.substack.com (2022)

“The Nora Ephron We Forget,” NewYorker.com (2022)

“Taylor Swift Reveals Her Writing Process in Nashville Songwriter Awards Speech,” HollywoodReporter.com (2022)

Attempts to understand what the hey is happening at Warner Bros. right now: 

“Why HBO Max Removed 6 Streaming-Exclusive Movies, with More to Come,” IndieWire.com (2022)

“DC Films “Reset” Adds More Confusion for Warner Bros.’ Slate,” HollywoodReporter.com (2022)

“Warner Bros. 'Cut Its Losses' by Axing $90 Million Batgirl Movie: Lawyer,” newsweek.com (2022)

“Warner Bros. Discovery Is Rebuilding the DC Universe. What Can They Learn From Their Biggest Rivals?” TheRinger.com (2022)

Permission to give ourselves rest and go small: 

“I Don’t Need My Life to Be Remarkable,” NYTimes.com (2022)

“Hidden Signs You’re Heading for Burnout - and How to Stop It,” AestheticsOfJoy.com (2022)

Excitement for the new season of SNL:

“Mary Ellen Matthews's Hot Shots,” emmys.com (2022)

"Lorne Michaels Discusses the ‘Year of Reinvention’ Coming to SNL,” NYTimes.com (2022)

Inspiration and influence of costume design:

“All the Details on Brad Pitt’s Workwear-Inspired Bullet Train Look,” HollywoodReporter.com (2022)

“The Euphoria Effect Is Turning Costume Designers Into the Next Influencers,” WWD.com (2022)

Celebrations of Albert Pujols hitting his 700th home run

“A New Bat, Old Friends, and Timeless Magic as Cardinals’ Albert Pujols Soars to 700,” STLToday.com (2022)

“On Danny Mac, Albert Pujols’ 700th Homer and the Power of KMOX,” STLToday.com (2022)

Miscellaneous movie rankings:

“The 33 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time,” VanityFair.com (2018)

“A Ranking of Matt Damon’s Best Cameos,” TheRinger.com (2022)

Miscellaneous cultural observations: 

“The Long Lines for Women’s Bathrooms Could Be Eliminated. Why Haven’t They Been?” TheAtlantic.com (2019)

“Is Old Music Killing New Music?” TedGioia.substack.com (2022)

“I Can’t Stop Thinking About This,” NewYorker.com (2022)

“The Antihero’s Last Gasp,” NYTimes.com (2022)

6. A New Leaf (1971)

A hidden gem! Henry (Walter Matthau) is broke. The solution? Marry a rich gal fast so she can pay off his debts. But when he sets his sights on the absent-minded professor Henrietta (Elaine May), he gets more than he bargained for. He’s a grouch and she’s one of the biggest schlemiels in cinematic history—what could go wrong? Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

7. Elizabeth Holmes + So Many Thoughts

If the pieces I shared above only whetted your appetite for Royal content, let me introduce you to Elizabeth Holmes. I started following her on Instagram a few months ago per recommendation of a fellow Royals-enthusiast, and her thoughtful coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s passing has made me a new email subscriber. These channels showcase her expertise on European Royal families, including how their fashion choices add to (or confuse) their official messaging, and she’s an insightful writer who also knows how to explain unfamiliar historical context. I never skip her Instagram stories—high praise in 2022!

8. Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Another hidden gem! It’s a lesser known WWII espionage thriller set in Northern Africa (at least compared to Casablanca), but you won’t be let down with Billy Wilder writing and directing. Imagine a film this good being one of your forgotten works! Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

Photo credits: Cookbook, Feeling Design Lab, Jon Batiste, Good Reads, Elizabeth Holmes. All others IMDb.com.

[pie-shenanigans]

Other works from the cast of TMA

The magnus archives cast is filled to the brim with talented creatives with over pieces of work and more people should know about them.

First the obvious: rusty quill makes amazing stuff! MAG is magnificent but more people should get to know their other stuff. Im slowly getting through rusty quill gaming and its delightful. If you want to hear Lydia Nicholas (Melanie king) be a stabby knife woman again, listen to Ben Meredith's (Elias) soothing voice without having to simp over a literal murderer and Alex (Martin, director, big boss man) being chaotic this is just the place. I also cant recommend ehough listening to one-shots special episodes, my favourite one is when Sasha (Georgie) gms Helen (Laverne, Melanies therapist), Lydia (Melanie) and Lowrie (editor) as they play a very cheotic and quite horny rpg about being stuck on a cruise ship to Bermuda. The game is by Macguffin and co, Jonny's and Sasha's game company that i will talk about in depth further in the post.

Stella firma is another rusty quill podcast. It is made and stared by the Meredith brothers. I have yet to listen to alot of it but it includes tons of gender fuckery and chaos.

I haven't listened to any of outlanders yet, but i believe it shall be great like everything RQ makes.

RQ also has "Rusty quill streams" that streams in twitch and you can also find on YouTube. It is hosted and stars Mike leBeau (the iconic tim stoker) Nico ( vocal editor, gabe us the kiss). The streams are hilarious and make me want to get into gaming, it is also a great way to support RQ and also get to see content from other of their creators. Last week featured Anil helping Mike playing through dream daddy and it was glorious.

I would be surprised if any of the hardcore TMA fans haven't at least heard of the mechanisms. But just in case:

The mechanisms were a steampunk-cabaret-neo folk band that were active in 2010-2020. The premis of the band is that each of its members plays a mechanism, an immortal cyborg and they all travel together through the universe, singing and telling stories about the tragedies they encounter. Non other than the beloved Jonny Simms was there lead singer, Jonny de'vil, a space cowboy from new Texas. other familier people were band mates aswell, Frank Voss (Basira) is Ashes O'Riley, an arsonists with a bass guitar, Jessica law (nikola orsinov) as the toy soldier who sings and plays the mandolin, ukulele and a variety of other instruments. Tim ledsam (jorden the extinguisher) plays gunpowder tim, the allmother of gender envy that plays the guitar. The Band has four concept albums that tell full tales:

"once upon a time in space" that is a reiteration of classic fairy tales but with lesbians in space.

"Ulysses dies at dawn" that is based in greek mythology and is bluesy and jazzy and wonderful

"High noon over Camelot" which is rooted in the tales of king Arthur and the round table, but as a wild west spaghetti movie of sorts in space. It has a main trans character and i lovely poly relationship that i have yet to see better represented in other media.

And "the bifrost incident", based on Norse mythology in a "murderer on the Orient express" setting, lesbians in space and a non binary main character.

Other then that they have two albums that are made out of short stories, many of them a backstory for fhe characters named "tales to be told" and "tales to be told II". They also have a standalone song about frankinstein and a live recording of there final show,that includes a few new songs, lovely banter and a revision if some ot their older works.

I cannot recommend listening to them enough.

Macguffin and co is Jonny and Sasha's game company. They design micro settings for RPG that some are free and some are patreon exclusive. I have yet to play any of the games myself but read through all the ones available online and listened to the acctual play podcast episodes of them ("dusk hollow pd" on MAG and "not far to Bermuda" on rqg). The settings are thought out so well and the attention for details is amazing. Jonny and sasha also stream on twitch regularly and the streams are a delight.

Sasha also has a podcast with the one and only Jessica law called "Jane austentations" in which they watch together all the film adaptations of Jane Austen novels and review them. Sasha knows an awful lot about Jane Austen, Jessica doesn't, but she has a surprising amount of knowledge about period accurate plants. The podcast itself is hilarious and Sasha's and Jessica's dynamic is great. Sasha also runs a blog under the same name were you can find other reviews.

Speaking of Jessica law, she is a great musician and i love her music so much. All of her work is available on Spotify and on bandcamp, she has a concept album called "lovers and fighters" which is a masterpiece in my opinion and five other albums. Her storytelling abilities blow my mind every time and her voice is beautiful.

Fay Roberts, the voice behind daisy is a poet and spoken word artist. Their work is so good! I cant explain how wonderful it is. They made " the selkie: a song if many waters" that is a poetry collection/ story that they wrote and preformed on bandcamp, and its one of my favourite works if litreture ever, it is heartbreaking and mystical and beautiful and makes me sob very easily. They also have quite a bit of spoken word poetry published online, both on bandcamp and on YouTube and i can't recommend enough for you to go listening to it.

Please go check out these works! They are all a delight and you should go and support the wonderful people behind them!

Also, feel free to add to this post and also tell me if I missed anything.