the lonesome lows don't quite go away overnight

I've had a bit of a tough time determining that I have anything to say lately, I've been trying to keep my head down and live, basically. As this is a public post, I'll keep the personal out of it and focus on some media. 

Books
I've started reading the 20th anniversary version of Heir to the Empire, inspired by Delusions of Grandeur podcast. As represented there, it holds up well, and reading the author's commentary is really engaging, especially regarding what Zahn was and wasn't allowed to do. It is slow going because I'm out of practice for fiction, but enjoyable. 

Movies
Finally (after over a year of obsessing over it) rented We're All Going to the World's Fair from the library. Not sure I would have gotten the trans dialogue without reading interviews and commentary, but the movie is richer with it. Even without it, what a FEAST. The lead actress (on screen for almost the entire runtime) is beyond incredible. It as so much to say about the experience of coming of age online, and while I was never a YouTube person, I felt myself acutely represented. It is also very much a first narrative feature, but I'm incredibly hopeful that Shoenbrun's next film works out some of the kinks. I'm absolutely ready to make I Saw the TV Glow my entire personality in a way that I haven't felt about media in awhile. 

After browsing a few services I also followed a whim to watch The Nightingale (The Babadook director's sophomore feature) despite previously deciding that I wouldn't do so. It turns out that past me was by far the wiser. The film is exponentially worse than I had expected, even with fast forwarding through the three (THREE) prolonged rape scenes. There's a narrative racism that I don't think Kent even has any idea that she's perpetrating that really made me sick. DNF, but read up on the ending, and it goes exactly where it telegraphs it is going to. Is there some art here? Maybe? But it feels so much rougher than The Babadook, and makes clear that the psychological broad strokes there are more or less endemic to Kent's filmmaking. 

Television
Our Flag Means Death season 2 was ultimately so disappointing. Ashoka wasn't very good. But Deadloch, DEADLOCH was excellent. I'll take it. 

Podcasts
I'm very much mourning the end of "Baby Geniuses," but have found a few nice shows to pad out my listening profile, including "A Colossal Waste of Time," a Homestuck recap podcast from a 2024 perspective, "The Popcast" with Knox and Jamie, and "Text Me Back!" with Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays. 

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It has been a nice uplift to make plans. So far, I've secured a babysitter (and tickets, mostly) for Love Lies Bleeding opening weekend, I Saw the TV Glow opening night, Chappell Roan's solo tour stop in St. Louis, and a family trip to Table Rock Lake. 

TV Seasons (3/10)
Our Flag Means Death, season 1. I loved like 95.555% of this show. 

Movies (8/15)
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. The emotional core of this film is my everything. The rest made it such a great "first movie in theaters in two years" night. I laughed, I sobbed, I shouted "OH NO." 

Books (4/10)
*ahem* The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Andrew Lencioni. I guess this like, needed to be a fable for people to understand? I could have done with just a list of the four things. It's not that hard. 

Sales (8/5)
Still way under where total $ needs to be, but if there's an award for FUCKING GOING FOR IT, I need to be given it.

New Recipes (7/12)
Grape Tomato Spaghetti. Super simple but SO GOOD. I had about four servings. All the kids ate it?!

goreswap has been revealed! I wrote a pinch hit and had a blast. 

I should have taken my own advice (Yellowjackets, Van & Lottie, TW for cannibalism, and canon facial wounds. Spoilers for season 1.)

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We started watching Our Flag Means Death, because sometimes it doesn't suck to just ride an internet fad, and I VERY LOVE SOME OF THESE LIL BUDDIES. Is anyone else watching American Song Contest? It is very bad but filling the lead up to Eurovision nicely.