Media log

What is it with Anne Hathaway and movies about older people in the fashion industry and weird male partners. What's up with that? This was pretty okay, it was a nice way to spend the time with my family. I will never understand cheating plots.

I walked in on my brother watching this the other day (I've seen it before with a friend but it was a while ago) and later he told me it was so scary he couldn't sleep that night, which made me smile a little because I was super scared by it too! On the second watch it was a bit less scary but the shots of the people hiding in the dark, like the bit with the person in the corner of the ceiling or the grandmother in the dark studio got me. And also, just a really gorgeous-looking movie overall. I AM YOUR MOTHER!

I watched this over the last month or so with my friend Bon. I'd been meaning to for a while, but anyone who knows me knows I am reeeaaally bad at watching TV shows so I never actually got around to it. Anyway, this series was so wonderfully done in every way and I think it perfectly conveyed the gravity and the horror of the events it was covering. I appreciated how 'slow' it was and that it really took the time to let everything sink in. One of my favourite scenes was at the end of I think episode 3 or 4 where you see this forest with all the trees blowing in the wind and the camera slowly pans down to show a dead deer and it gave me full-body chills because of everything it was implying. I just thought it was veryvery good and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

I liked this book, but I had some problems with it, namely its portrayal of its non-white characters. I'm not really sure how to phrase this and I feel silly because of that; I think that racism is important to depict in "frontier" fiction because it was and remains an inescapable and deeply-rooted element in the milieu, especially in the time period "Train Dreams" covers. I think to *not* depict it would be disingenuous *at best*. "Train Dreams" includes racism in a very run-of-the mill way and again, I don't have the right words for it, but it feels as if the treatment these background characters receive is not given importance because the story does not find them important and instead considers them natural and unremarkable. I'm torn on this because I think it well-establishes the simplicty of the main character but in general I think that it was poorly-done and hindered what I thought was otherwise a very sturdy, sentimental story.

This movie had the same problem all Conjuring movies have where the set up is fantastic and creepy and fun, and then halfway through it gets turned into an action movie. Sometimes I don't mind this (see: movies 1 and 2) but it was AWFUL here, especially because I thought the dozen or so minutes we got with the movie's family at the start were pretty good. I really liked the scene with the glass vomit and this other one where the mother goes downstairs and sees a man standing in the shadows—it was great, it was really fun and atmospheric! My favourite scene was probably the one where one of the family's girls watches a home video to try and see who blew out her cake candles and it just shows her rewinding and rewinding over and over until this moon-like face appears in the dark behind her recorded self. Other than that, the movie was completely horrible and even Ed and Lorrain's charm wasn't enough to rescue it. There were some fun camera tricks and that's really all I have to say that's good after the first, like, 15 minutes. They seriously defeat the evil demon with the power of family like I don't know what to say.

This movie was dumb but it was fun to watch with my mom :-) it did a good job of maintaining tension because there was not one single moment of peace in the entire runtime.

I really do not have the words to describe how this book made me feel. I cried a lot at the end. The most beautfully written novel I've read in a while.

I'm not sure if I liked this season more or less than the last one. Probably I like them both about the same. S2 got into the meat of Shane and Rick's relationship in a way I really, really enjoyed, like it was made in a factory for me (THE LONE WALKER SCENE? HELLO!) I was a bit annoyed at first by how long they were taking at the farm until I realized that they were going to spend the whole season there and then I was able to stop being annoyed and get into it properly. Justice for Andrea free my girl...

ABSOLUTE CINEMA!!!!

Started watching this with my sister as Our Show and I was surprised by how much I like it... I think the character writing is really good, like, it surprised me how good it was... They're all so charming in different ways. It has its goofy moments but I think that adds to the whole thing instead of taking away from it.

I genuinely tried to go into this show with a no-judgement open-heart kind of thing because everyone on Tumblr was talking about it and usually when this is the case the show is not very good. And neither was this show. But I guess that's on me for watching something that got big on Tumblr! This show has way more flaws than it does any good points, and the biggest thing is that the two romantic leads are completely unconvincing. Like, the last episode felt like a completely different show because they were finally actually talking? That was the only point where I felt they actually liked each other. Maybe there's something I'm not seeing but this show was just really stupidly written and I did not like it. Truly it felt like it graduated from the Marvel School for Filmmaking. But to each their own!

First installment in my movie club! I liked this movie lots. It had a very strong aesthetic sensibility/visual identity and it didn't do that thing a lot of conspiracy-ish movies do where they make their scope too big and then can't deliver on their premises. I think 'They Cloned Tyrone' really understood itself and was ambitious and delivered on every point. It was very satisfying and well-written! The character and dialogue writing was excellent.

My second Morrison :-) I liked this less than I did 'Song of Solomon', but it was still gorgeously written and gave me lots to think about.

Really fantastic book. It's meticulously researched and extremely in-depth, and I think it gives you a lot of the language and historical precedent you need if you want to be conscious of the interlinkings of race and crime in society. Invaluable.

This album... The gentle lulls and repetitions create a whole little world that the album luxuriates in, but there's a resolute tension at the edges that keeps you from relaxing. Deeply haunting and also kind of sad—makes you feel like you're dreaming while awake. Really good at drawing you allll the way in. My favourite tracks were probably 'remnants of a dream' and 'long walk home (you exist in my frozen memories forever)', but the entire album is an experience and I don't suggest you edit the track order.

Perfectly adequate in every way. Nothing more and nothing less. I went into this expecting a more inquisitorial exploration of the ethics behind head transplants and was disappointed that it was just a glorified biography. Schillace does not go half as deep as she suggests she will in earlier chapters. I got this book from a Jacob Geller essay about head transplants that is infinitely more interesting and covers all the ground this book does, so I would recommend you just watch that instead of wasting your time on this.

Lovely album, and it's from my city too! The music has a way of envelopping you and I enjoyed the visualizers that went with some of the songs. Overall a very atmospheric and beautiful work of art that I really recommend! Put it on and read something as you listen. It has an amazing presence and I'm excited to listen to future albums by this same artist.

Ok I will say it: I have never seen Twilight before. Or had never, because I've seen it now! A lot of people poke fun at the colour grading but I thought it was really nice and nailed the PNW atmosphere. Also, all the costumes and hair were SOOO good, I have never been so charmed! That being said, I thought this movie was very stupid and I was giggling at multiple points I don't think I was supposed to giggle at, but I think that by this point Twilight has accepted its place at being a little unserious in the broader cultural zeitgeist so I am sure it will survive. Also I watched it with my friend so that was fun :).

This is one of my favourite albums of alllll time. There's not a single skip on it. It felt very appropriate to the weather, so I listened to the whole thing through (again).

Everyone said this movie was good, only I have a problem where if everyone says something's good, I don't watch it. Anyway, I watched this with my sister the other day after months of people talking about it and was peeved when it was, in fact, SO good. My favourite scene was the same scene everyone loved (you know the one, if you've seen it). Just an awesome movie overall. It made my sister SAD!

Picked this up on a whim at the library and was pleasantly surprised when it totally surpassed every expectation I had. It's a fairly grounded fantasy and takes its time in exploring the world, which I appreciated, and all the characters are super likeable. I thought it was really sweet and fun and I can't wait to read the next one!

I don't read romance often, but when I do, it's almost always romance manga that catches my eye. "Scene 14" is, of course, what first put this on my radar, and I saw it at the library today so of course I had to check it out! "Veil" is very sweet. It made me smile :-) I enjoyed the scene format and how focused the 'story' is on just the two of them.

I got this and "Sweet Tooth" on the same library run because I'd just read "Minor Arcana" by Lemire and liked it a lot. I enjoyed "Descender" more than I did "Sweet Tooth"—Lemire writes comics that have fairly generic plots but that are executed well (usually), and that, paired with the beauty of the accompanying art, makes me forgive their shortcomings in ways I wouldn't if these were novels. I liked this comic for those exact reasons and I thought that the robot plot was great. I really liked how he approached the notion of robot emotions.

I didn't like "Sweet Tooth" as much as I thought I would :-( it ticks a lot of my boxes re:tropes and plot staples I enjoy, and I liked the art style (contrary to what a lot of other people felt) but all in all, it fell flat for me. It wasn't *as* interesting as I thought it would be. It was *fine*. I don't think I'll continue unless I'm really, really bored.

I had to watch this doc for my Environmental History class. It was very touching and sweet—the women it profiled were profoundly interesting individuals and the filmmakers did a great job of putting the emphasis of this story on them. It doesn't exaggerate or seek to shock or exploit; it was very quiet and thoughtful.

"Quite simply, people die from anguish."

Phenomenal, phenomenal book, and beyond heartbreaking. After each story I would say, "Okay, that one's my favourite, the next one won't be better." And then the next one would be even better. There's so much to think about; it's going to stay with me forever.

I think that I read this book at the wrong time. The prose was so gentle and meandering and it takes place in November, too; I thought it was beautifully written but far too slow for me. I might read the second book in the series when I'm more in the mood for something meditative.

I liked this book sooo much and I absolutely wasn't expecting to. I'm still chewing on it and I want to reread it in a year or so... in any other book I would have thought the plot twist was stupid and overwrought, but I think it fit in perfectly here. The story's about gender and the self and the membranes that exist between us and other people as well as concepts... it's crazy... crazy stuff...

The ridiculousness of the events chronicled in this doc make it seem the stuff of fiction. It starts off slowly, but by the time the *Baroness* shows up, you're having too good a time to care. Without giving too much away, it follows a group of Europeans screwing around and finding out. There's love problems, a murder, and a whole lot of little animals... what's not to love?

I started this show because one of my friends really loves it and also because I want to watch more TV shows (I am very bad at watching TV shows). It took me, like, 2 months, but I finally finished the first season and liked it sooo much. My favourite episodes were 'Red Dress', 'Home Alone 4', and 'Funeral'!

I'm sure I've said this before, but the first two times I tried to read 'Annihilation,' I didn't really like it. I picked it back up on a total whim last year and found I couldn't put it down, which is, I guess, a testament to how tastes change. Anyway, I was sure this book couldn't possibly be *as* good as it, and then it was somehow even better. My good friend Control... Vandermeer has such an interesting cadence and I think that the unconventional chapters/chapter breaks really added to the whole thing. Can't wait to read the next one!!!

I have a hard time enjoying comics. I've never read them very avidly, so it's probably just an issue of not having found what's best for me—and I think this book *was* what's best for me! The story was simple but captivating and I loved the main character (I love failwomen forever...) I've seen other comics by the same author before and I took a few out because I liked this one so much! I like his artstyle a lot.

Reading this book was what I would call a uniquely infuriating experience, not because of the author's incompetence (which he definitely wasn't, as an aside) but because the subject matter being covered is so anger-inducing. Every few pages I'd have to look up and sort of glower at the floor of the bus. It's about the philosophy of Silicon Valley's AI crusaders, so I'm sure you can understand why. That being said, I highly recommend it—I learned a lot!

I'm about to say something deeply controversial: I thought the first 45 minutes or so of the FNAF movie were pretty good. Like, I elbowed my sister and went, Hey, if this is the FNAF movie, why's it so good so far? Anyway, this is not an opinion I maintained as the minutes progressed, but I did think it once and still do. Curious!

This movie was so unbelievably moronic but it is a great time *if* you watch it with someone who's going to throw peanuts at it with you. The plot twist is so ridiculous that you just have to laugh. However. In its favour. You can tell that James Wan was having a lot of fun with the camerawork and general cinematography, so good for him!

I liked this book soooo much. It's the perfect blend of comic and tragic and it spoke to me very deeply... it's *very* funny. I also wrote a longer, more serious review of it on my book reports page if you want to check that out!

Did not like this one. The art was really nice and I liked all the backgrounds and characters in it, but the story was stupid and overdone and didn't hold my attention at all. Also, I hate the main character so much. He's so lame.

Again, I watched Jerma play this (with J!) while I knit. I chose the stream because I'd seen this game around so I though it would be fun to watch him play something more recent, though I didn't think I would like it because I'm a horrible snob. I would up thinking it was pretty neat, though, and I might buy it if it ever goes on sale for cheap. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, and that was nice.

Technically I didn't play this—I watched Jerma play it. However, it's 2025 and I feel like, as a society, we're past "does watching a streamer play a game count" discourse. I like how this game looks and sounds though I think I'd be very frustrated playing it, which is why it's a good thing my good friend Jerma985 played it in my stead.

I'm working on a page where I'll read and review and compile every popular creepypasta I can find and in the process of making it, I realized I've never read "Ted the Caver". I can see how it became such a cornerstone of online horror fiction and it's cool that it holds up so well today. I think a big part of that is how the original Angelfire site is still fully operational and so markedly of its time. It's a good, solid story, and I liked reading it!

I realized that, despite really liking the song "You Always Hurt the One You Love", I'd never listened to anything else by the Mills Brothers. Naturally, I had to rectify this at once. My favourites off this were the aforementioned, as well as "Basin Street Blues" and "Till Then".

This album isn't in the wheelhouse of what I normally listen to so it was very refreshing and I enjoyed it! My favourite songs were "Pájaro de fuego" and "La dueña ".

This movie is beyond incredible I love it sooo much. Absolutely wonderful dialogue and performances all along. 7 days of John... bear's can't climb trees... we had a truce... so good. Beyond good. Do yourself a solid and re/watch Cocaine Bear NOW!

This was such a bore. I do not understand why people like it. I hated all the characters and the horror part was lame, which is not something you want people to say about your *horror* movie, though I guess my opinion is irrelevant since this is one of the most well-known flicks of all time.

Watched this with my friend. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be because I know it as a cultural touchstone and was expecting more, but it was pretty good and I had a fun time watching it. I didn't know about the twist ending going in and I predicted it early on, but it was still fun watching it unfold.

Really good by webfiction standards and pretty good by others. The writing was definitely a bit cheesy at times and there were pacing issues throughout but I really liked the ending!

Alice made for a really interesting POV character though I think her roommate was a nonsense and superfluous plot device. I think, given the way the story ends, there was definitely a way to write it that cut him out, though I guess it’s possible the author didn’t know how the story would end when it started. I love characters who are manipulated by forces outside of their understanding but the revelation that that force in Alice’s case was herself but evolved into this inhuman thing with power over the road and driven by a need to know more was VERY exciting for me personality. The way that was revealed was subtle and I appreciated that, too!

I loved this movie and the funny thing is, I totally wasn't expecting to. I was thinking it'd be a sort of lame generic sci-fi slopfest and instead I got the most incredible 2-hour-long music video anyone has ever made. It has anything you could ever want: awesome CGI, light motorcycle and jet battles, evil clones, Michael Sheen being delightful, knock-off Mako and Raleigh of PacRim fame, and the most WONDEFUL soundtrack you've ever heard in your life. WHO GATEKEPT THIS FROM ME!

I watched this movie twice, once with one friend and once with another, and both of them were brought to tears by the sheer magic of Ice Cube's riveting, moving performance, the tense, high-stakes plot, and the gorgeous sound design and film editing. If you're going to die in an hour and a half, please watch 'War of the Worlds' so you can die knowing you watched the best art humanity is capable of producing.

I find this movie absolutely hysterical despite the fact that Fahad Mustafa's everything pisses me off. It has such a silly premise... it charms me! Consider me charmed! It is unfortunately very funny but only so long as you skip all the parts that are unfunny.

This movie is so dumb and so obscenely long, and for what? For what reason? We as a society have progressed past the need for stupid movies about giant sharks.

I've seen this movie a few different times and honestly consider it something of a comfort flick. It's not a very *good* movie but it charms me endlessly and I think Ed and Lorraine are very very cute. Obviously it doesn't scare me anymore but in my first watch the scene that scared me the most was probably the one where Lorraine dreams herself being stalked by the Nun in the study. Really, I think all the scenes at the Warren home are done really well, they all have a very particular atmosphere and I wish that the rest of the movie could've drawn on that so it could have been a good movie instead of just a fun one—but I guess we can't always get what we want now can we!!!

I liked this book SO much. I'm working on a longer review for my book reports page but I had a great time with it—it's such a clear portrait into an extraordinary life. I love the format Brandt used where he largely allows Sheeran's own words to speak for themselves and only intervenes to give them additional context. It makes for a very unique and immerssive read and I highly recommend it! + It's very funny.

I love absolutely everything Grant Green has ever played, and this album is one of my new favourites by him! It's fairly short but such a good time and such a treat to listen to :-) I've listened to it a few times over tonight, it's veryveryvery excellent! Plus the cover is very pretty.

This is a little cheating because I didn't see this play, but we did read it aloud in my playwriting class so I'm choosing to count it. I think I'd have liked it better if I saw a proper production of it—like this I thought it was alright, definitely a bit overwrought. I think most of its novelty and originality comes from the way it's performed, with the audience participation and whatnot, which I think is neat and I wish I could've seen it that way.

Decided to bite the bullet and finally read this in the interest of continuing my Magnificent Atwood Journey and I'm so glad I did. I felt queasy about every 5 pages so I consider this book a rousing success.

On a more serious note, I feel like this deserves a more serious review - one that shows more consideration on my part - but I don't really have anything to say because I feel like everthing I want to say is already right there in the book.

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Listened to the audiobook while at work! The wonders of 1.5x speed...

This book is an overview of the moon landing through the lens of how people felt about it/what it meant to the world when it happened vs. today. I liked it -- I used to be really obsessed with space but it was more in the sense of facts so it was neat to get this more sociological (?) perspective. I thought it was funny that he brought up conspiracy theories because it feels like such a fringe idea to be like "oh the moon landings were fake", but apparently a lot more people believe in that than I thought o_o

He also discusses how astronauts are like modern-day knights in that they're so instantly recognizable and fuel jingoistic national pride and rhetoric which I'd never really thought about. All-American boys everywhere... I'd never thought about it that way before so I really appreciated the insight because now I can see that that's totally true.

Of course this isn't my first time listening to this album but I listened to the whole thing several times this week so I thought it would be good to add here. It's so quintessentially G&tH...

There's only 6 songs on this album and I like them all soooo much but my favourites are probably "Avalanche! Oh, Avalanche", "In Fact", and "Fin Song 8". Something about "Isabelle" makes me really sad...

I'd never listened to any Cocteau Twins before this for a very silly reason (my friend whose music taste I dislike on principle likes them). But then I sat down and listened to the whole album with them and UNFORTUNATELY. I really really liked it... -___-

My favourite songs off the top of my head are "Evangeline" and "Summerhead" but I'd have to relisten because I know there were more I liked that I can't remember right now. Whatever. Who knew that if you try new things you might like them.

The longer I think about this book the stupider I feel it was. Its premise was vaguely fun (what if there were wormhomes in pseudo-Ikea) but it's sooo heavy-handed with its nebulous theme of Capitalism Bad that it honestly felt like I was choking on it at times. The characters are insufferable partly because I think the author assumed you'd like them off the bat because they're Bravely Diverse and Tortured or whatever and they all use gratuitous therapy speech.

The whole thing pissed me off. I have a problem where right after I read a book I want to be nice to it and then my opinion of it plummets in the following days (if I disliked it) and then we wind up with reviews like this. READ SOMETHING ELSE!

This is going to be an extremely biased review because I have never seen an episode of Demon Slayer and I went to see this to make my siblings happy.

(Speaking of, we went to a theatre we'd never been to before and I liked it a lot...)

The guy sitting next to my brother was sooo stressed for the characters the entire time. At one point he actually started clutching his head which I thought was very funny because I could hardly understand the significance of whatever was going on. A guy in this gets his head chopped off like 12 times. The music was pretty good though :-) + I'm following this lawyer on Instagram whose current marketing tactic is making ads about this movie. Incredible sentence. Women love me btw.