My February Wrapup: Depression and Waiting Things Out.
This Month I managed to trim my quince bush and so hopefully it will be bright eyed and bushy tailed moving forward. It was horrendously overgrown and too be honest I'm waiting till it blooms further so I know what to prune. I am about 90% convinvced that there is another tree or trees growing within the bush so its been a process.
I also have been having some mental health issues. I kinda realized I've been depressed and I always hate that it sneaks up on me like that. So I'm trying to take the next couple days to just breath and allow myself some mental health activities. It will be easier moving forward but its been emotional differcult as of recent.
You may have noticed that I have been publishing a bit more and thats mostly because I've been getting PR emails from Breaking Glass. I always try my best to respond to those because what is blogging if not selling yourself out for profit! That of course was a joke. I don't get paid for any of the articles I write but I do try to follow up on those types of Emails. It may sound silly but it makes me feel like a professional journalist when I'm actually on one of those mailing list. Also hey any other publishers/distributers folks reading this. Let me know I'm always happy to do a review. I did recieved an email from some sort of puppet that heads a metal band so I might have a fun review for you a bit later.
Speaking of content creation I finally finished the scripting process of another video essay, this ones is 20 pages debunking the groomer narrative so it will be interesting. I'm taking a break from all of my projects for a bit but that will be on my Youtube, hopefully sometime this month. Also on Youtube will be a new episode of WCTPA. The podcast I host with my best friend. I think I might have a teaser here somewhere. Let me See.
I am very proud of that even through right now I don't feel good about anything. Damn I need to get more fresh air just have all the demons sucked out into a pine tree. Ugh Taking Care of my mental health gross. Well guess whats up slutbags, me typing this is self care because what I really want to talk about is
THE GOOD STUFF
My Reference Watchlist
What I actually Watched something relevant to this discussion. Thats right trollops I watched the Beautiful and Sexy Film...
Thelma And Louise (1991) Dir. Ridley Scott
Referenced: Alice Isn't Dead
So when I first mentioned this film I was trying to find another example of a road trip film while discussing Alice Isn't Dead and I am kicking myself for not watching this sooner.
At some point in the last couple months I realized how I really have started to become a film person and I am trying my hardest to fully lean into it. I've tried to be a lot of things online. Wiki Editor, Food Blogger, Resturant Critic, Social Media Influencer, so movie critic seems to be a pretty natural escalation of my insuffrable need to tell people my thoughts. Its something that I'm trying to do with more intention. Who knows maybe one of these days I can make money off of this sort of thing.
""Thelma and louise is a modern western, a surreal road trip, a bisexual odyssey and i am gagging for it." - A Text I may have sent my bestie at 2 AM in the Morning."
I stand by every single word of that above quote. T&L, is a modern classic that manages to hit multiple genres smoothly and flit in a beautful transcenedant way through all of them. Its two Gal Pals, (who I personally read as deeply queer), who go on a little road trip while being on the run from the law. It has all of these layers to it. From the cinematography to the set locations, to the fucking costuming. Its most likely one of the best films I've seen this year and/or ever. This is essential viewing. This is non negotable. I truly loved this film and it reminds me why I watch movies.
Rating: We're Watching This Right Now
Finding The First Gay Kiss
I've slowed down a little bit this month but I am going to try my best to get back on that queer horse as as soon as I can. By which I mean Wednesday. I'm just going to do nothing productive for the rest of the month. Yes I know that is less then 36 hours shut your whore mouth. So here is a short list of the Gay Ass Films I watched this month.
📽️ Dracula's Daughter (1936)
📽️ Queen Christina (1933)
📽️ Orpheus (1950)
📽️ I Was a Male War Bride (1949)
📽️ Testament of Orpheus (1960)
📽️ Olivia (1951)
Its unfortunetly not as many as I would like to have seen but hey I'm putting this on my self I still have three months to watch about 50 films thats somewhat doable. anyway
Podcast
To be honest I haven't really been listening to that many podcasts as of late. Theres only one that I've been trying to finish and thats Attack of the Queer Wolf. Which Apparently has 71 episodes I've listened to like 68 of them. AQW is a movie podcast featuring the only queers from Blumhouse. I like to have the charitable impression that these are in fact just four of the numerous queer people that are employed by one of the biggest names in horror but I also wouldn't put it past the powers that be to have such a homogenous workforce. I also should mentioned that AQW was acquired by Fangoria and is no longer assosciated with Blumhouse, I have no idea if that hosts are still employed there and to be honest I really don't care. I don't listen to the show to hear that Truth or Dare (2018) is getting a sequel, (if it is feel free not to tell me), I listen for the banter. The Show is technically about watching a queer horror film, (there tends to be a focus on 80s and 90s slashers and thrillers), and discussing it, but it tends to be a running joke on the podcast that they forget about the topic. Which I honestly don't have an issue with. As the show goes on "Tea Time", (a discussion of what they've watched that week), tends to get longer and the discussion about the movie at hand tends to be a lot more insuler and light. This is not a movie podcast that attempts to recreate the movie for you its four friends hanging out and chatting sometimes about the movie at hand.
It is a really fun cast and if your looking for something that light and fun its great for that. They also tend to have some really great guests for the movies they discuss. If you want a good place to jump in the episodes they did on Rebecca (1940) and Dressed to Kill (1980) are fantastic.
Games
I have been trying to make a consistant effort of playing through my game list so I have actually managed to play quite a few games this month.
I Love You Colonel Sanders
If you can say anything about KFC is that they have some interesting marketing. ILYCS is exactly what it sounds like. A dating sim where you fuck an hot anime version of Colonal Sanders. I'm sorry I mean you and your husbando, who is a yassified version of a long dead southern man, open up a business of chicken shops together. This game is 1. A shitpost and 2. Honestly a fantastic marketing stunt. They know what Gen Z wants, and thats to call people daddy ironically. Its brillant its weird buty'know what its iconic. Also Colonel Sanders would literally fund B-Movies so that he could cameo with a bucket of chicken so I feel like he would get a laugh out of this shit. Also I just love stupid Fast Foods Tie ins. Give me the F21 Taco Bell Cropped Hoodie, Give me the Meat Sweats Sweatpants Arbys, Give me mean Wendys Twitter. Its so dumb but I revel in it in this twee post modernest way because I am 1. a hipster and 2. an asshole.
Oh I should probably tell you if this game is good. Ummmm no? Like its basically a 3 hour parody of a dating sim where you Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma your classmates who also are somehow vague anime characters who all have a completly different art style. Like its funny but like in that fake meta irony way that people do. Like there will be these moments where there like oh lets make Mashed Potatoes and Gravy for are final... wait I can by this at my local Kentucky Fried Chicken thats coconuts. Its literally a three hour ad set in a universe where people make tongue in cheek anime references and honestly I appreciate it for being so self-aware and dumb cause it was a silly experience and it was effective marketing. BUT It really shouldn't be considered a game. Its a glorified visual novel with no real narrative choices and also I don't get to see colonal sanders finger licking good penis. So um design flaw right there.
Scribblenauts Unlimited
This was more of an actually finishing the back half of a game moment. I first played scribblenauts on DS and I've had this game for at least the last 5 years. Its like the rest of the games but bigger and Its fun pure and simple. If you haven't played Scribblenauts this is ultimately the best version of the game and Its a wholesome time. I will say I do wish that they had a sandbox mode especially when I was trying to finish getting all the starlite shards but besides that its great. I would definetly recommend if you want something casual and wholesome for a rainy day.
Earthworms
This was a christmas present for myself I believe. It was alright I guess. You are this detective with mystical powers that are very obtuse and honestly not very helpful. This game doesn't necessarily have the easiest logic to its puzzles and the story itself is kinda vague. Let me just say that I didn't like it enough to replay it to get the good ending.
Dear Esther
Oh this was lovely.
If you don't know Dear Esther is one of the earliest walking sims released in 2008. Its essentially the progenator for things like Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, (both of which I also truly enjoyed). This is an art game pure and simple you slowly walk through these emotional, sonal, and desolate landscapes as we have a abstract story of loss and grief narrated to you. This game is something you really have to experience and it is a visceral one.
If this gives you any indication, I listened to the entire directors commentary just so I could play it again. Absolulely worth your time. High Art.
TV Shows
Yeah so I really haven't watched that much television just not what I'm doing this year, (at least not at this moment in time).
What I have started a few shows but the only one I've seen more then a couple episodes of is *takes deep breath*,
"Junjo Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre"
And its.... not great. I've managed to watch about 60% of the way through and I feel that I have a good sense of it by now.
First the curration is truly disappointing. When people think of Junjo Ito they think of Uzamaki, Tomie, Gyo, The Enigma of Amigara Fault. and I can understand why they might shy away from these to choose other smaller favorites for instance perhaps Town without Streets, Army of One, or Blood Berries.
This show starts with The Strange Hirazuri Siblings, oh whats that, your also not famalier with that one. Me neither. Oh how about Ice Cream Bus? No. Coconuts thats wacky. Its a bad sign that the first 2 episodes began with stories that are not only obscure in his ouvre but also not even known by western audiences. Which if this was meant as a Japanese language original then my apoligies to japan.
In fareness there are some recognizable stories in here, the Hanging Balloons, Library Vision, Layers of Terror, and The Thing that Drifted Ashore, though this is only after we get through a few more obscure short stories, (like seriously how about Slug Girl its like there not even trying), and the dreadred Soichi.
I fucking hate that twerp, every one of these junjo itos shows are like 1. Lets not put any money into the animation and 2. Lets put in this asshole and not even do his good stories.
For those that don't know Soichi is kind of this trickster god character who basically just pulls pranks on people and then sometime in the future gets married to a demon and enslaves his entire family to be props in a haunted house where he feeds his bastard child corpses. What that sounds super badass, you want to see that part with the cannible babies and his weirdly tall wife and how he spits tacks as a defense mechanism. Well fuck you. Fuck you hard and dry. Your getting his backstory from that other book he did, thats right your getting little brother sitcom antics because Soichi is Junjo Itos butt monkey and its like the one time this master of horror uses his sense of humor. I mean you did watch a collection of one of the most well known horror mangaka, an iconic modern master of fear, to see his Funny B-sides right? Right????
As also been hinted at, the animation to this show is honestly very mid. I honestly would like to apoligize to CR Junjo Ito Collection because while they failed misreable. They at least tried. People need to start putting a lot more money into these projects because Junjo Ito is a notoriasly differcult mangaka to adapt but I don't thats ever going to happen.
Overall this is a mixed bag just bye a Junjo Ito tankoban and it will be a lot more worth it.
Movies
I have watched a lot of movies this month. Lets just list them out real quick.
I watched most of the works of Emile Reynaud, he was an early animator who did Kinectoscopes???? Its like a Zoetrope but not somehow. There very pretty and completes another aspect of my watching of the birth of cinema.
I also consumed a few Bruce Bellis Films, he was a softcore director from the 60s who made Peep Show Loops, which I don't think I've discussed on the blog, basically they were like penny movie skin flicks, you would pay to watch a 12 minute nudie movie in a booth and it was one of the main markets for adult cinema before the rise of Home Video. He works in this visual sexual space that seems completly removed from the other kinds of smut that were used to and as someone who is interested in both the history of erotica and queer art it is deeply fascinating. Some of his stuff is on vimeo if your into that kind of thing check it out.
Speaking of which I also finished watching all of the Stag Films of LB, those being the other kind of smut film in the pre-70s market, along with Scopo (1966) which is an early Peter De Rome short.
I also saw some Absolute Kino stuff lets see, Battleship Potemkin (1925), Africa Addio (1966), and some short experimental films courtesty of Le Cinema Club.
Rounded out by watching a lot of horror movies sequels Lets see all of REC, CUBE, Prom Night, and Ginger Snaps. Most of them kinda suck but it was nice to have something to binge during my depression moments.
And yeah besides some horror trash that was pretty much everything I watched this month.
Anyway folks we'll see how this next month goes. Hopefully well. Through Feel Free to Buy Me A Coffee.
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