August 2025

Weapons (2025) 9.5/10 -

This movie was a fucking romp!! Me and my friends saw it on opening night which is something I don’t think I’ve ever done?? Was an extra strange experience cause I had this haunting feeling that I recognized the guy who played the main kids dad and it was bothering the shit out of me !! Where did recognize him from??? Then I remembered it was fucking Whitmer, who directed the She’s Leaving You video for Jake’s last album. So weird to know someone in a movie from real life. The context of the theater literally made him unrecognizable to me. Anyways…. incredible movie, had a wonderful time with my buddies.

The Thing (1982) - 9.5

It’s a classic for a reason fellas.

Highly influential scifi scary that obviously influences to this day. Someone online somewhere mentioned parts of Sinners from this year pay homage to this’n. The Faculty also references it alot, which is one of my faves <3

Epic performances, epic to watch with my lil friends, only downside is that they gotta kill some puppies that get infected in the movie (none actually harmed obvi) but that is just so brutal to watch to meeeee

Nosferatu (2024) 5/10 -

gorgeous but boring. 10/10 costuming though. I watched it on a plane which didn’t help cause I hate planes so so much. I need to watch the Herzog one, I think I’d like that one a lot better.

Exotica (1994) - 6/10

Free to watch on youtube here which is cooL!

Centered around a strip club with stories of its patrons and employees all intertwining

Entertaining but not life changing

The Fall in the House of Usher (2023) - 7/10

The last of the Mike Flanagan shows I was catching up on.

I thought this one was fine! Story of a shitty and cursed rich ass family. Felt a lil preachy at times which took me out of ‘er a bit.

Definitely entertaining but not life changing.

My official Flanagan ranking is:

1. Hill House

2. Midnight Mass

3. Usher

4. Bly Manor

America’s Team (2025) - 8/10

I’m not a sports person in general, it’s really hard to get me identifying with a team, even the Carolina Panthers or the Hornets. I wish I could though cause it is such a deep and instant way to bond with other sports people.

I DO however heavily fuck with the storytelling in the context of sports documentaries like “The Last Dance” and “America’s Team”. So emotional !!!!!! Drama !!! Hunger for power and victory !!!! Goofy ass characters <3

It’s about the Dallas Cowboys in the 90’s, which was my Poppop’s team hence the line in his namesake song Cliff: 'and my Dad picked a Dallas Cowboys urn to put your ashes in”. I thought of him a lot while watching this.

The Pitt (2025) - 8.5/10

I’m not really a medical drama person but I fucked w this.

It was reallly realllly good to watch while churning out a ton of handmade Wednesday shirts for a certain upcoming Rat related flea market hint hint

SO fucking intense and SO much going on but they still manage to flesh out a shit ton of characters. Idk how they pulled this thing off tbh that’s most of what I’m amazed at.

Apparently it’s pretty accurate to the experience of an actual ER. Another preachy-ish show, they really try to fit in EVERY relevant social issue… but I think most of their takes were good.

Apparently one of the actors is from Greensboro too… which …. yay!

Little Lazarus by: Michael Bible (2025)

Another entry into the Bibleverse that i adore! More winding and tender storytelling from the GOAT of Statesville, North Carolina. The way the pieces interlock is super satisfying.

If you like thinking about what exotic animals the rich could be hiding in the skyscrapers of NYC this one’s for you.

Novels in Three Lines by: Félix Fénéon (originally published in 1906)

This is a collection of very short (around 1 or two sentence) translated French newspaper stories written by the author and collected by his wife.

The section of the paper he was writing for was supposed to only give quick details and headline like delivery, but Fénéon uses the little space he has to inject poetry, twist a knife, and sometimes squeeze in a joke.

20th century short form content.

The guy seems like a legend in the literary scene that surrounded him at the time… and the mundane and accessible look into humanity so distant feeling is so neat.

So many people died in the street!!

Some of my favorites are:

“ “I could have done worse!” exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. ”

and

“Schoolboys in Vibraye, Sarthe, attempted to circumcise a a child. He was rescued, although dangerously lacerated.”

and

“Louis Lamarre had neither job nor home, but he did possess a few coins. At a grocery store in Saint-Denis he bought a liter of kerosene and drank it.”

and

“Napoleon Gallieni, a stone cutter, broke his neck falling down the stairs. He may have been pushed. Either way he as taken to the morgue.”

Hour of the Star by: Clarice Lispector (1977)

Was not into this book for the first 40 pages or so… which is a lot for a book that’s under 200. Super dense and confusing start to this story, glad I stuck with it though cause once it got rolling I quite liked it! Once the book came to be more simply about the main character Macabea and her thoughts of her very simple life I had a much better/easier time reading it.

I’ve been trying to get into Clarice Lispector for a while cause I think she’s coool asf. Hour of the Star is the last novel she worked on before dying of ovarian cancer in the 70s. She is a huuuuuge influence on Brazilian literature, and her works are all in translation if they’re being read in English.

Death: The High Cost of Living by : Neil Gaiman (1993)

This was my first Neil Gaiman read. I thought it was just okay!

No spectacular takeaways from this particular story, and the main character was giving manic pixie in a very “90’s goth girl” way ! So it was a little hard for me to get out of that vantage point.

July 2025 Movies/TV/Books/Games

Okay I watched like a bajillion things this month. Did a lot of sewing and that’s usually when I do that shiii.

Girlfriends (1978) - 7/10

Watched this after Lena Dunham suggested it in her criterion closet picks! She says it’s like her show Girls but made decades earlier, but I actually argue it’s basically a 70’s version of Frances Ha.

It’s a sweet movie, the characters are a joy to watch. The pacing is a little funny but it’s worth it to see such cutie moments and Christopher Guest and Bob Balaban as very young chaps.

The Long Goodbye (1973) - 7.5/10

Interesting character study, honestly I never have seen a movie with someone quite like private detective Marlowe …

The man loves talkin to himself, bein a smart ass and his cat.

I really like Robert Altman’s film Nashville, so I wanted to try anotha! I thought this one didn’t quite measure up but it was a fun watch!

There’s no twist really that surprises you as you might think with a crime thriller… the point is just letting Marlowe smoke a damn cigarette.

I rewatched Easy Rider (1969) with a friend. A romp as always. I love Jack Nicholson in this.

I covet the sunglasses that Peter Fonda wears in this movie….. I wonder if I can find a similar pair

Bully (2001) - 3/10

Not a huge Larry Clark fan… I thought KIDS was fine enough but I thought I’d try another one of his movies just because!

I came away thinking that guy is a fucking creep…. !

The story is compelling… the acting is mostly great considering how young all the actors are and I think the way teens behaved after murdering someone is definitely accurate. Immediately freaking out, returning to the scene of the crime multiple times, and bragging about it to like 50 people is so likely.

Larry Clark makes some pretty disturbing decisions though based on the age of the actors in this movie…. and that seems to be the general consensus online too.

Cure - 1997 - 10/10 visuals 7/10 overall

this seems to be a theme this month

I love a mystery, I love a psycho killer, I love J-horror from this time over all!

I don’t however love when I have to google what a movie is suppposed to imply by it’s ending… and the answer is that it’s alllll subjective

like gimme a lil somethin to gratify the mystery!!

Idk… maybe I’ll come around more to that

GORGEOUS movie though visually…. quite possibly the most gorgeous

6/10 - Saw this in theaters with some buddies. Thought it was entertaining but I think the moments they were going for something emotional fell pretty short. In a movie covered in death it’s hard to feel much when there is another death that is supposed to weigh heavier than the rest for some reason.

The best part of the movie is when the soldier is showing the young boy photos of his girlfriend on his phone.

I also really hate when a movie is secretly a bait and switch for a sequel…. just like…. tell a complete story ??? Idk maybe the follow ups will be good but like, in the moment I just felt betrayed.

Crumb (1994) - 9/10

I loved this documentary. I love a slice of life, especially one that focuses on a misunderstood artist and his wacky family (see: American Movie)

R. Crumb is a cartoonist and obviously a total bastard. I loved learning more about his life and career.

Point Break (1991) - 6/10

Goofy ass movie…. I love when hyper macho shit is gay as hell.

First 30 minutes were fun but after that I was like… I get the idea… dunno if I need to b seein much more of this.

Part of my journey to try to love Swayze… still not convinced.

The Fisher King - 1991 - 7/10

This is such a random ass movie. Jeff Bridges is a radio host who kinda fuels a hate crime… then befriends a homeless guy who is Robin Williams…. some other stuff?

I highly dislike the way Bridges character treats his GF who wears cheetah print pants and is wayyy too fuckin good for him.

Some good bits of dialogue and generally poetic shit happening throughout.

Robin Williams is a joy to watch even though this movie is so goofy and weird. He’s got his ding-a-ling out in Central Park in this movie.

Random Tom Waits cameo.

Heavenly Creatures - 1994 - 7/10

Some really iconic early CGI and practical effects!

Melanie Lynsky and Kate Winslet’s acting debut!

lil gay movie about girls who are obsessed with an opera singer and writing a novel together.

They kill somebody??

I’m really obsessed with Meg fr though… Like Lena I think she’s a freakin genius.

I’ve watched this segment of her on Colbert like 4 times.

Too Much (2025) - 7/10

We have a song in episode 2 of this show! Weeeee!!!

I love Megan Stalter so much, I think she is such a star.

“Too Much” is no Girls, I think it would be hard for Lena Dunham to recreate that particular lightning in a bottle… but it was a fun lil show :)

Midnight Mass (2021) - 8.5/10

I’m catching up on all the Mike Flanagan shows. I LOVED hill house and I thought Midnight Mass was pretty damn good!

Like Flanagans other shows tho the dialogue can get a bit…. hm…. like unrealistically deep. The monologues…. there needs to be about 50% less of em.

His shows are super trilling though and I’ve really enjoyed them so far!

I love that he reuses actors across different shows too, makes for fun little moments of like “yoooo I know that guy!”

Many Deaths of Laila Starr - Ram V and Filipe Andrade - 5/10

Got a big haul of graphic novels from Thriftbooks this month. This is one of em!

The death god is sent to Earth to kill the man who put her out of a job.

Didn’t totally blow my mind story/dialogue wise but the illustrations are gorgeous

Porcelain - Maria Llovet 4/10 story 10/10 illustrations

A pretty basic Alice in Wonderland inspired graphic novel! But gdddddd the illustrations are incredible.

Some of the fits in this story go sooo hard.

If you want something stylish and short to read in an evening this is the one!

The Lottery and Other Stories - Shirley Jackson - 7/10

Most of these stories are not what I’d call horror, which is what I kinda look for/prefer when I sit down to read Shirley Jackson.

These stories are mostly slice of life, often where the crux is some sort of misstep in polite decorum of the time (1940s/50s). I think they would’ve maybe been considered horror at the time??
If they are technically horror its a very quiet and subtle version of it.

The title story “The Lottery” is deeply iconic and so good!!! I highly suggest everyone reads it at least once and especially thinks on how innovative it would’ve been for a woman of the time to have written it.

As for the rest, unless you really love historical fiction and being kinda immersed in the banal of the mid 20th century, you might not get a ton out of this?

I enjoyed reading it but it wasn’t blowing my mind.

Still a Shirley Jackson stan for lyfe tho.

Ancient Hours - Michael Bible - 9/10

I didn’t want this to be over !!!!!! The second book of Michael Bible’s that I have read (wrote about Empire of Light last month) and I completely adored it.

Already have another of his books on the docket to read.

Soooo crazy to read a book that mentions my hometown??? I fucking love NC dudeeeeeee urgh

A crime/slice of life/small town history told in a way I have never experienced.

Ya’ll will like this one I guarantee

Teenager - Bud Smith - 6/10

Read his short stories collection last month and it was immediately added to my faves of all time. This novel was a really fun read but I couldn’t help but compare it to “Double Bird” which I loveddddd so much.

This is a road novel about two teenagers (hence the name). They go to Graceland, they kill some people, they live up high in a tree for a bit.

Really fun if you need something to tear through.

Beacon Pines - 2022 - 8/10

This game has some deeply adorable characters and a really innovative way of story telling I’ve never seen before!! It’s kinda just been a joy to play!

Story driven point and clicky mystery type thing: my fave genre of game since I was a kid :)

You’ll like this if you like Night in The Woods! Which is one of my fave games.

Minus a full point for how much I dislike the narrators voice…. eeeek!!! I love the sounds the animals make when they talk to each other in this game though.

Tell Me Why - 2020 - 5/10

I’m a “Life is Strange” lover, and this is by the same studio.

This is the story of two twins in Alaska that are delving into their shared memories to solve a mystery? Kinda?

It’s kind of a discombobulated mess…. none of the emotional moments really hit as they seem to be trying to. It kinda just wanders along til it’s over.

The setting is quite cool though!

I’m beginning to think it might be impossible for this studio to recapture what they got in Life is Strange and it’s prequel…. was just a perfect time capsule.

Someone on here suggested Lost Records though and I’ll give that one a try before I totally give up!

June 2025 Movies/TV/Books

Lots of movies this month mostly…. Too much fuckin time on my hands tbh!! Ready to play shows hehe

4/10 - Ginger Snaps - 2000 -

I looooove a campy creature feature. This one’s werewolf centric. Usually they’re very easy for me to love but I struggled with this’n.

I feel like the Harold and Maude influence was a bit heavy handed…

It’s really hard for me to enjoy a movie when the character’s motivations dont really make sense…. and that was the main downfall of this movie and it’s characters for me. There was never a great explanation of why these girls were so obsessed with death in the first place? Could’ve been subtextual but I never found it even hinted at…. hmmm…

Style wise I definitely fucked with this though. I’m a sucker for anything that looks even slightly like Buffy. I also love a menstruation/puberty metaphor and that was kinda the whole bit here. Overall… meh.

6/10 - Nowhere - 1997

Another month, another attempt to enjoy a Gregg Araki movie.

Damnnnn I for real wish i saw these in highschool….. I would’ve eaten them UPPPPPP.

But watching these as a 28 year old i can’t escape the feeling that they’re tryin so so hard to be edgy. And the visuals are so cool but I’d rather experience them in a music video possibly?

Definitely an entertaining watch but I think Araki films are just difficult for me to enjoy cause they make me think of the cringier times of my high school years, where I wanted my very normal suburban ass life to feel dangerous.

Definitely feel like it captures the apocalyptic feeling of being handed a world that’s a literal immolating trash fire.

I loved how sprawling the cast was and there are some majorly enjoyable lines of valley dialogue throughout.

8/10 - Pee-Wee As Himself - 2025

Bitch I love Pee-Wee. I watched the TV show as a kid, had a Pee-Wee and Chair-y doll. Lawrence Fishburn was Cowboy Curtis to me long before he was Morpheus.

I didn’t realized how interesting and subversive Paul Reuben’s early days were… I never put much thought to how his weirdo ass got himself his own TV show… but this doc does a really good job at laying it all out.

Under-rated genius, just the type of person that should have a documentary made about them. Plus at two hours, it took up just the right amount of space.

4/10 - Sirens - 2025

Meh.

I thought the main character was a lil too on the nose as far as like “burn-out older sister who lost her youth taking care of her younger sister” character goes.

I feel like this was a less interesting version of what “May December” Julianne Moore gave us.

I get the metaphor: womens alluring and intoxicating power over men… but idk, wasn’t that moved.

As far as a critique of extreme wealth goes… I was also not that moved cause there is just sooooo much media around that theme coming out, I feel like u really gotta forge a path and have something very specific to say.

Was fun seeing the guy from Always Sunny be a lil bitch boy though.

8/10 - Empire of Light - Michael Bible

An NC writer suggested to me by my friend Ashleigh.

I tore through this book. Really accessible and emotional writing.
Tells the story of a prank which turns into a murder which turns into the high school football star abandoning his post as a pillar of the community. All of which is sandwiched between a fantasy story of horses, princesses and a big ass war.

Definitely gonna read more of his books!

Still in Progress - Swamp Thing

Samuel loaned me this collection of early Swamp Thing comics.

Definitely the most traditional “superhero” type comic I’ve ever read

Been reading before bed and at the pool, gonna bring it to the beach for Alan’s birthday also <3 I think it’s perfect for that kinda setting but ultimately it’s not totally blowing my mind.

It’s a really nostalgic one for my best childhood friend though, so if reading it helps me connect with his inner child i’m so down.

Apparently this character is revisited later in a darker kinda way in a different, more recent series, I’m excited to check that out.

Cool to brush up on a classic tho! I love how bright and neon-y the artwork is in these older comics.

8/10 - A Woman Under the Influence - 1974 - Classic Cassevetes film with an all timer Gena Rowlands performance. Difficult ass watch. Drops you into the home of a woman struggling with her mental health, trying her best to throw dinner parties for her husband and his friends, and taking care of her children.

Completely un-glamorized approach to this particular struggle, unlike say, Girl Interrupted or Prozac Nation (both of which I also like) but where “unstable women” still come of as sexy in some ways.

AWUtI depicts it’s characters in all their hideousness. Both, Gena Rowlands character, who is struggling to pass as a “normal” house wife, and her husband and family who are reacting to her attempt.

Truly heartbreaking, probably never need to watch it again but glad I saw it once.

8/10 - Talented Mr. Ripley - 1999

I’ve never thought that Matt Damon was all that hot but DAMN … in a cast of gorgeous ass people he really goes above in beyond in this one. The classic 1950’s look reallllly suits him.

This movie was a wild fucking ride …. I don’t wanna spoil anything cause I watched this knowing basically nothing and it was awesome.

Recommend if you want the sexiness and beautiful scenery of “Call Me By Your Name” combined with the genre bending twistiness of “Anora” combined with idk… American Psycho??

7.5/10 - Slumber Party Massacre - 1982

Iconic ass erotic slasher!!!!!!

Bro I looooove when you can tell when a horror movie is made by women a la Jennifer’s Body. This movie walked so that movie and Scream could run IMO.

This movie is ultimately for the gurls!!!! Such a romp.

infintity/10 - Rap World - 2025

Free on Youtube

i <3 u connor omalley and also the boys from Joy Tactics

8.5/10 - Hacks - 2021 -

The first three seasons were genuinely some of the best comedic television I have seen in a long ass time. Fourth kinda felt like it was retreading old ground… reverting characters to older versions of themselves that I thought we had earned never seeing again.

But forreal, first three seasons had some incredible and surprising storytelling, and impecccable writing. Which is definitely necessary for a show that is about comedy writing.

Lot’s of fun bisexual antics storylines which is fuckin a breath of fresh air.

Kayla played by Megan Stalter is the most originally funny characters I’ve seen on modern television.

Only rivaled by Maria Sofia from the recent seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

10/10 - I Can Be Myself When Everyone I Know Is Dead - Kamila Mlynarczk

My mom got me a copy of Kamila’s book as a lil celebratory gesture! Kamila is doing all the album artwork and some merch art (to be seen hehe) for the Bleeds album.

I think she’s a fucking genius and really taps into the way I remember my childhood and the kinda dark but funny way my memories speak to me. I connected with her work very deeply and immediately because of this.

This book shows a lot of insight into her journey as a person, mother, and artist and I lovvvve how it ties in so so so so much of her artwork into the telling that story.

It’s organized by different themes she returns to in her work like: trash children, hair, motherhood, spirit guides, snails, vaginas, literal shit, scary sesame street, and more.

I love Kamila’s art so much I’m so glad to be working with her for this album cycle.

Still in progress - Black Postcards by Dean Wareham

This one was recommended to me by my boy Owen Ashworth of Orindal/Advance Base fame

The guy from Galaxie 500…. gd I love that band as well as the listening bar in Kyoto named after it

I’m still at the beginnings of this one, Dean is Post-Harvard, mid- Galaxie 500, pre-Luna.

I actually don’t know much about his other band Luna, but I’m excited to read about it and listen to the music simultaneous like.

May Movies/TV/Books

The Faculty (1998) - 10/10 - late 90’s/early 2000’s gemmmmm of a monster of the week type movie. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it . Fucking alllll star cast including lesbo QUEEN Clea DuVall, Jon Stewart, Frodo and Usher so randomly??? If you like Buffy (like I do<3) this will be a home run for you.

Sinners (2025) - 9/10 - holding one point hostage for recency bias, and the fact that the mixing in the theater made it so I just straight up couldn’t hear 25% of the dialogue but FUCK this movie was good. Me and some friends saw it in the Paris Theatre in Manhattan when I was visiting NYC this month, and they had the air conditioning dialed up to 10000000000000% it was freezing freezing cold. I saw Sofia Coppola in the lobby though which starstruck me to helllllll.

This movie was my favorite thing I’ve seen in theaters in YEARS despite the fact that I saw it in a refrigerator. I honestly can’t believe all that it managed to do…. it made me care deeply for like 15 different characters in the space of like 40 minutes. It was devastating, it was funny, it was horny, it was scary, it was moving and it was fucking heartfelt. It just achieved this unbelievable balance on so many fronts.

If you’ve been wishy washy on seeing it forreal pull the trigger and goooooooo. The less you know the better the experience I think!!!!

Barfly (1987) - 5/10 - My mom suggested I watch this after we filmed the Elderberry Wine music video cause it has a similar vibe.

I thought the movie was fine enough, but since it was based on Bukowski and he wrote the script it gave me visceral flashblacks to my Bukowski phase which is not the most pleasant part of my reading journey to go back to. Plus when I heard obvious lines from Bukowski poems in casual conversational context it made me cringeeeee for whatever reason. Just makes me think of what like overly poetic lit major philosophy minor edge lord boys would say to me at parties in college.

Legend (1985) - 1/10

This movie pissed me offffff!!!!!!!!!

The most beautiful set, practical effects and makeup completely wasted on a discombobulated mess of a story.

The worst I have ever seen Tom Cruise act. He’s literally a nightmare to watch in this.

It’s so gorgeous I’ll probably play it with the sound off on my TV but damn….. don’t try to follow the story in this fuckin shit!!!! No one’s motivations even slightly make sense…..

9/10 - Still reading this but so far really really enjoying it!!! Short story format is just so great for reading before bed.

This particular collection would be good for someone whose tastes lie at the intersection of Harry Crews and George Saunders (I’m the exact target audience)

Bud Smith is a Jersey boy tho instead of a Southern boy. It’s been refreshing to read accessible, funny/sad stories with a “southern sensibility” that are kinda from a different part of the country tho.

some of the cast from The Faculty^

Red Rocket - 5/10 - I’m starting to think I’m just not a huge Sean Baker fan outside of the Florida Project?

I thought the characterization in this movie was great, I particularly loved the story beats that the bastard main character shared with his unlucky neighbor who befriends him and drives him around town. Overall the story was good, and the main guy was a great actor…. but idk…. just left a bad taste in my mouth.

And to be clear it wasn’t cause I couldn’t handle the depiction of a shitty dude being shitty, it is something else. Do ya’ll have this issue with Sean Baker films??

I don’t think it’s even that I have trouble with the (kinda) exploitative nature of only making movies about sex workers and poor people… cause I’m glad movies are being made about people in these lifestyles and situations.

I think it’s just that when I watch a Sean Baker movie I can always feel his presence as a director orchestrating the whole thing maybe? Like I never feel fully immersed cause I’m just like “dang, this really feels like a movie about these people, not a true slice of life” idk

Pieces of April - 2003 - 1/10 - this movie was genuinely terrible. Saw a picture of Katie Holmes in the outfit she wears in this movie and I was like…. okay slayyyy. But literally other than that one aspect this movie sucks hehe.

Terrible dialogue, unfunny, and just weird.

The letterboxed reviews of this are all really positive so maybe i’m missing something….

There are much better movies about mother/daughter conflict

I’m No Longer Here (Ya no Estoy Aqui) (2019) - 7/10

This one was suggested to me by one of ya’ll!! Thank u!!!

This is a movie about the cumbia music/dance scene in Mexico and a slice of life of a Mexican immigrant in America. The movie takes place 50/50 in both countries.

One of the most beautifully shot movies i’ve ever seen….. there’s multiple jaw dropping shots…. especially the aerial shot towards the end of the movie.

Iconic mp3 player is a major character.

I’m realizing I really don’t know much at all about Mexican culture or experience. I’m so excited to tour there someday and hopefully learn more.

This movie was a great start into becoming more curious.

8/10 -

Was questioning whether to post about this one or not lol.

It’s nonfiction and highly researched written by two iconic ass women. A very informative look into a subculture (BDSM/kink etc) that I really didn’t know much about other than the pop culture representations that I’ve been told time and time again are highly inaccurate.

Mostly about the care and discussions that are crucial to have if you are to enter into a BDSM experience/friendship/relationship with someone.

There is a community for every fuckin thing ur into. Honestly therapeutic to read about freaky people being into freaky shit!

April Movies/TV/Books

I watched the new season of “Love on the Spectrum”. Such a sweet and uplifting show<33333 I love Georgie <3

I was averse to this show at first cause I thought it would be mad exploitative but they do this shit with so much fucking care… If you’re thinking about it I suggest giving it a try. Great for putting on in the background while you fold laundry and stuffs.

Also picked up Mary Miller’s book, who I met for the first time at the festival. I’m not quite finished with it yet but so far it’s many collected slice of life stories about various ex boyfriends in her life. I like the description she has of a roof outside of her kitchen window that is inaccessible and thus becomes a repository for random trash and bottles. I love taking pictures of random alcoves like that where trash gets collected.

If you would like to read about one of the ladiez from that show “Girls” but instead of NYC she’s dating in Mississippi you’d probably like this!

ummmm… what did I watch this month….

OH YEAH I FINALLY WATCHED THE CROW (1994) MOTHERFUCKERS

10/10…. gotta add it to my all time faves……. epic fucking movie. The hair/makeup/clothes plus the goth ass setting…… FUCK. Perfect and just what I motherfucking needed. Epic soundtrack featuring one of my favorite bands Medicine!! Brandon Lee unbearably hot mode

I watched this movie “Elsewhere” with my friend who loves Anna Kendrick cause it was a dollar at the thrift… it was one of her first movies. It was so bad. 1/10 so boring do not bother fr. The cover makes it look better than it is. Such a frustrating watch.

Reread my friends Ashleigh’s book of short stories after seeing her read at the Southwest Review festival I played in Dallas this month. I forgot how fucking good it is literally 10/10, not just cause shes a buddy of mine either.

Easy to read but characters that explode your heart. Plus if you see her read you can imagine the whole book in her strong north carolina accent (rarer and rarer to hear these days)!

If you love Harry Crews (like I do!) but would love a less misogynist approach ya oughta pick this up.

March Movies/Books/TV

9/10 - Love, Liza

It’s hard not to love Phillip Seymour Hoffman… this was his first lead role in a film. He plays a gas sniffin’ widow. Kathy Bates in this movie too… and idk if this is a thing already but I’m joining her fan club which I am calling: the Kath-ter Baters.

Jim O’Rourke soundtrack…. I mean

It is very fucking good. Denny is one of my favorite supporting characters I’ve encountered in a really long time.

I’m starting to wonder how many movies PSH has with burning houses playing a character.

8/10 - First Reformed

Ethan Hawke is my MAN… he is my comfort actor. I will watch pretty much anything he’s in. I really loved First Reformed.

It does the religion —> suspense thing with a subtly that is missing from a lot of recent religious horror movies. I feel like a lot of christian imagery is pretty heavy handed recently… maybe i’m thinking of that new movie Heretic, although I haven’t seen it.

I called someone I knew who had also watched First Reformed to discuss it with them as soon as I finished it. I wanted to hear what they thought of the ending but I also needed to be pulled out of the reverie… cause this movie sucked me into it’s world.

I love the idea of a guy who works at a tourist trap church. And they delved into that character without a slightest hint of camp which I actually really appreciated. Nothing I love more than a slice of life.

7/10 - Blazing Saddles

This is our pedal steel player Xandy’s fave Mel Brooks movie and I had yet to see it so I thought I’d finally watch it since I found it on DVD.

Obviously the writing is incredible, the jokes definitely had me googling pop culture references constantly. I do enjoy watching a movie about two guys becoming buddies <3 Blazing Saddles trotting so Broke Back Mountain could gallop? Who’s to say?

The image that stuck with me the most is when they show that both the guy and the horse he rode in on have nooses around their necks at the public hanging.

Gene Wilder, another comfort actor of mine is always like seeing an old friend. I love Madalyn Kahn but I like her much more in “What’s Up Doc"?”, one of my favorite movies of all time.

I think Space Balls is still my favorite Mel Brooks…… I watched it 800 times as a kid and it left a forever impression.

1/10 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

I picked this up in a DVD haul I wrote about in January thinking it was the original… it was not. It was not good and I didn’t finish it. None of the actors were convincing Texans. Should I try the original or the 2013 next?

One redeeming thing though is that it had this guy Eric Balfour who I love from Six Feet Under and Buffy:

7/10 - Anora

Finally saw Anora! I watched it on a plane so my viewing experience wasn’t the best per se…. but idk I was just not that connected to it. I thought Mikey Madison was so good and a joy to watch as Anni the movie overall hm… wasnt my cup of tea for whatever reason. Maybe it’s cause I hated Vanya so fuckin much and didn’t connect with many of the other characters that dominated so much of the screen time.

I really wanna love this movie though so I’ll probably be rewatching it soon.

Anotha month of lotsa reading! One book I will not share because it kinda reveals too much about what I’ve been working on recently:)))))) But, here’s everything else I read this month. Lotsa graphic novels and comics this time

I read the first 3 issues of “Hyde Street”…. and I’m definitely gonna keep reading as they come out. It follows a group of poor souls who drag bastards to hell. All of the characters are given really compelling backstories, many unlike anything I’ve ever seen described in other stories. I always appreciate anything that innovates in a reliable format. I think the afterlife is a subject explored many places in media… but this approach is unlike any i’ve ever read. Really excited to keep following these characters.

My favorite thing I read this month was the first collection of “Harrow County” comics. Set in North Carolina (any wonder that I like it so much?) in the 1930’s it follows a young girl who is the reincarnation of a famous evil witch. The art is exactly the haunting griminess that I relate to and captures the disturbing feeling i’m always trying to describe.

I’ve been reading “Priestdaddy” and loooving it. Her internal monologue brings a similar comfort to me as Mary Karr’s does: clever, funny, zooming in on tiny moments that bear huge emotional significance. My favorite kind of memoir to read: an intimate look at a neurotic but loveable family.

Had someone in the comments recommend me “Squee!” a comic by Jhonen Vasquez so I picked up a collection! Jhonen also wrote Invader Zim and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. I loved reading it soooo much and this is such a nostalgic kind of early internet influenced humor for me to revisit. There is also a really sweet and unfiltered way that both Jhonen and Roman Dirge (who wrote Lenore) talk to their readers in the prefaces of these books. I really appreciate their unpolished approaches… as a creator it is really comforting. The titular character Squee is Courage the Cowardly Dog if he was a little kid. A deeply troubled soul. The ending of his story is very cinematic I can’t believe he pulled it off in comic form.

9/10 - Somebody Somewhere

This is one of the sweetest shows I’ve ever seen… and somehow also one of the funniest. Ultimate comfort watch even though it deals with a lot of real ass shit. It’s set in Manhattan, Kansas and follows a group of friends and family who live there and take care of each other. Fred Rococo is the most precious man on TV.

I also watched Succession finally…. it was incredible and flawless. It took me forever to sit down and watch it. I did it. That’s all ya need to know. I love cousin Greg OBVIOUSLY.

That’s all for March!!! Bye <3

Movies/Books/Media February 2025

I have had so much more mental space for books this month!!! Feels good to get back in the saddle w that.

I’ve been doing research for some writing of my own and reading like 6 or 7 books at once.

“The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion has been my fave. It is a memoir about the aftermath of her life after her husband dies at the kitchen table, while their daughter is in a medically induced coma. Straight forward writing that I really appreciate. I love a book that is easy to read but that packs in lots and lots and lots of emotion. Joan and her husband are “intellectuals” for sure and some of their habits make me roll my eyes, but like I said the writing is just ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ I’d give it an 8/10

I’ve also loved “Florida” by Lauren Groff and “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City” by Nick Flynn. I’m not as far into these yet so can’t say an overall review but love both of their writing. Florida is more about the dark and absurd shit that passes for mundane life in Florida. The Nick Flynn novel is a memoir about a guy who works in a homeless shelter, and who’s absent father ends up staying there. I’m also reading “Gig” which is a collections of interviews where people just talk about their jobs. I mainly like the really absurd ones but even the “normal” jobs have plenty of absurd aspects.

I’m not sure how it took me 28 years to find the Lenore comics by Roman Dirge…. but they tap into a viewpoint and tone I have always related to. Gives me the similar “seen” feeling I got from reading “Cruddy” by: Lynda Barry

The crazy part is that Roman Dirge just release his first Lenore comic in 6 years this week…. I had no idea that was happening when I ordered his first four collections of comics a few weeks ago. I feel like when that shit happens it means you’ve tapped in at just the right moment you needed to.

So far I have the collections “Noogies” “Wedgies” “Cooties” and “Swirlies”. Excited to dig into the new stuff.

Movies

“Afterlife” by: Hirokazu Koreeda - 6/10

Milking Jake’s Criterion Collection subscription which I am still logged into :))))

In this movie, people in purgatory have to pick one memory from their life before passing on. I love the lady who collects the acorns and leaves.

Very calming but didn’t make me feel any strong emotion considering it’s subject matter.

It’s kinda nice how mundane they make the whole thing though, maybe death is just really like anything else.

I talk a little more about “Athens, GA Inside Out” in the “Podcasts” Section

“Drifter’s Sympathy” podcast - 10/10 -

listening through this for the second time. I think it is my favorite podcast of all time.

Emil Amos tells his personal history, which is especially visceral for me as a fellow North Carolinian who went to college in Asheville as he did.

Some of the most insane, dark, and entertain stories I have ever heard, all contained within one life.

Through Drifter’s Sympathy I heard about this documentary about the music scene in Athens, GA in the 80s. Here’s a link I found t stream it for free.

It’s most definitely one of my favorite rock docs I’ve ever seen. The filming style and format it gorgeous and the bands are so cool. Flat Duo Jets are from Chapel Hill, NC which is sick.

I loved this band Bar-B-Q Killers I found in this doc:

I played a lot of the hit indie card game Balatro to kill my brain

I also played Detention. It is an atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan

I watched (and adored) the 2018 limited series “Haunting of Hill House” based loosely off of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel which I read (and adored) a few months ago

The show started a little wobbly but once I got invested it was such a slay. The scares were good, acting was good, writing was god although I think they used metaphors like…. a little heavily. Especially in the childhood flashbacks.

It made me cry a few times. Both happy and sad tears.

It’s 10 episodes and then it has an end…. more shows like that plsssssss

9.5/10

I’ve been rewatching Buffy with a friend and you know thats a 10/10 for me every time yall

I’ve also gottan into a reality TV show for the first time in years. It’s called “Naked Attraction”. My friends Samuel and March insisted I watch season 2 episode 5 and from that episode I was addicted. The premise is that 1 guy/girl/theythemian gets to pick a date from 6 gradually revealed naked bodies……. and they show the full hog. It’s on HBO. Its addicting.

7/10

Thats all folks…. bye!!

Movies/TV January 2025

Its been hard to read recently… my brain feels fuzzy. Mostly been reading manga.

I finished the first three volumes of Berserk by Kentaro Miura… they call it they best for a reason.

Of course some of the weird shit to be expected with anime/manga too ofc

I got the first 3 of the really big collections of this series for my birthday and Christmas… they r expensive as hell so I will probably wait til I can ask for them as gifts again to get he next volumes.

I also read a collection of the first three issues of Dragonball too which I got in the airport in Tokyo…. that series is very cute and funny but also jus a smidge too fucked up as far as it’s treatment of the young women in the story…. especially Bulma Jesus christ

As far as movies/TV I watched I’ll just do a very quick overview

Eyes Wide Shut dir Kubrick - 3/10 - Nicole Kidman hot af, movie looks GORGEOUS, underwhelmed by the story, HATE Mr. Cruise OBVIOUSLY

Possession dir Andrzej Zulawski - 8/10 - incredible acting, confusing as fuck, very blue looking, sampled in the next Wednesday album??????

The Audition - Takashi Miike - 10/10 - horrifying in all the right ways and for the right reasons. The office scenes are my favorite, they look so GOOD

Phantom Thread dir PT Anderson - 5/10 - Honestly not my fave of his…. but I love The Master and Magnolia a lot a lot. Clothes were gorgeous. Acting was great obviously… I mean it was what’s his name … he’s basically the goat of all time.

The Doom Generation dir. Gregg Araki - 3/10 - Honestly made me cringe quite a bit. Very edge lord stuff. I see why its iconic for sure though. Also points cause I realized that’s what Ben Kweller wrote “Wasted & Ready” about.

I watched that show BEEF a million years late - 5/10 - …. I thought it was fine, was entertaining for sure! The ending was extremely unsatisfying but all the acting was great

I guess I didn't watch much TV this month….