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february 2025 media round-up
total movies watched: 12
9 new, 3 rewatch
matilda is a classic! I watched it for community service, in which we do movie forums with children and so watching with that in mind, it was kinda crazy to me how plainly they addressed ms. honey's dad's murder/suicide dilemma T-T but looking back on it I never clocked it as a child so I guess it's not as noticeable to the less developed frontal lobe? lol. either way I really enjoyed watching this again as an adult and actually, watching it now made me realize how the mom signing the adoption papers in the end was actually the greatest act of love and the best way in which she could show matilda how much she truly cared for her. it was an act born of love and nobody can change my mind about it!! anyway the children were rowdy asf that day so we didn't really have much meaningful conversation around this movie, they were unfortunately just unmanageable that day T-T
we had another forum about pay it forward and well, it was definitely a movie made in the 2000s. and also a movie meant to educate. the ending knocked a whole half point off for me, it was so unnecessary and the children agreed!! there was shared trauma to be had in that auditorium. other than that it really had nothing special going on for it and the kids didn't especially love it but we did have some good conversations around and about it. it went better than matilda but you could tell the movie was so bad they mostly didn't give a fuck lol
then in my own time I watched shakespeare in love and was it oscar bait? yes. did I still like it anyway? of course. it has wonderful comedy, truly ingenious scriptwriting, like I could barely box it in the syd field structure because it followed a five act structure are you kidding me!!!! every single person in this cast served acting, served metafiction, served comedic timing and slayed line delivery. why was ben affleck so good in this?! maybe he should be a little diva and a little bit mean in every single one of his roles… it had beautiful costumes and beautiful scenography too. this is the tragicomedy shakespeare himself would've wanted!!! I get why people dislike it but you can't deny the genius of it all
as for juror #2 the credits rolled and I was like of course this was written by a man. it was simply very man in it's emotional content. either way it was good! didn't blow me away but since the reveal happened so early on my liking of it greatly hinged on the ending which was just fine. overall it was a compelling story and quite well told even if I wish there had been more tension? like I said this was written by a man so I can't really expect much in the department of urgency but either way clint eastwood did a good job with making a bit more out of a script I suspect would've otherwise been a little stale.
then I took a brief reading break (more on that later) so I read the tinkerbell book about princess clarion and then and watched the secret of the wings after I finished. it felt like a nice little epilogue. every yearning glance between clarion and milori had me clutching my chest and biting my lip. it really cemented the fact that they were all fucking dramatic for no reason like they really could've just met at the border damn? anyway I still loved giggling and kicking my feet and remembering my childhood
I watched in the mood for love for valentine's day and truly they don't do visual language like this anymore!!! it's genuinely insane how with minimal dialogue and just the most beautiful and well constructed shots ever wong kar wai absolutely destroys you in a fucking hour and a half. I have no words for how beautiful and would destroying this movie was and it became an instant favorite
after that I got really sick and randomly decided to watch lord of the rings for the first time. maybe because last year I got similarly sick while I was watching the hobbit trilogy for class? I hated that one so maybe it was a bit of stockholm syndrome but I watched them regardless and they're good!!! I was so pleasantly surprised after how bad the hobbit was but the entire time I was just thinking this is fantasy!!! this is what happens when people who truly love and care about the genre work to make movies a magical experience!!! I know the exact same people made the hobbit movies but they were so dragged out and boring that the beauty of the filmmaking was a bit lost on me.
on the other hand everyone who loves and wants to write/create fantasy should study the fellowship of the ring imo. perfect film. it was definitely my favorite mostly because of the quest/party aspect and although the two towers was really good too I just missed that a bit too much to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed fotr. I also accidentally downloaded the extended versions but they came with detailed subtitles for all the different tolkien languages so I definitely enjoyed nerding out a bit with those. I'm definitely glad I watched the hobbit first as well even if I disliked it so I could get all the easter eggs and references they make to those in these films. hopefully I'll be able to watch all four and a half hours of the last movies this month to complete my journey. so far it's been fun though!
as for the oscars roll-out I couldn't watch as many of the films as I hoped but I think I watched the most important ones. anora left me so gagged by the end of it I had no words. it was all so crazy but so good and so despairing at the same time. I loved that they didn't leave the twist for the third act and instead made it the point of no return because the contrast between the first and the second half of the movie was so needed and it drove the characters forward so much. I loved the cast!!! everyone ate sooo bad?? and the editing which I was also shocked to see sean baker edited the film himself girl that's crazy..he did a good job though (appropriately recognized by his award lol) and the musical background and everything it really set a mood especially during the very last scene.the movie really had a way of having you completely immersed in the plot and the characters and the subtlety of how the script exposes their past without dumping it on you or even outright telling you was such a key part that made no character feel empty. overall crazy insane storytelling and I get why it won the oscar and critics and the pga for best movie. well deserved and sean baker did really well too!! good on him for his award for best director as well even if he wasn't my first choice
Then we watched flow and I don't know what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't a post apocalyptic found family reflection on love and loss and the incidence between loneliness and connection??? it was really gorgeous and poignant and somewhat straightforward in its message despite not having any dialogue which I appreciated greatly and just found really compelling and beautiful. would I watch it again? probably only for analysis but it still left a deep impression on me and honestly also quite a bit of trauma
then I closed out my pre-oscars watching with I'm still here and wow... this is everything emilia pérez wishes it could be... from the superb acting to the storytelling to the cinematography I mean the shots with the super 8 camera??? it was fucking crazy. I cried at least ten times in the theater and this is not an exaggeration I left with mascara running down my cheeks but this was just so beautiful and really hit so close to home. this is the real representation of forced disappearances in latin america!! and you can truly tell that the force behind the making of this movie resonated with the story so deeply and it just made every scene and every detail so much more deep and moving. this was a legit masterpiece and I'm so glad that it won best international film over emilia pérez at the oscars regardless of circumstance or reasoning because truly this is the story that deserves to be praised, seen and heard
I hope I can watch a few of the movies I still have pending this month because I know I missed some good ones whew
total shows watched: 0
after watching SIX tv shows in january I was a bit more jobfull this month and ended up watching 0... hoping to correct this soon...
total books: 2
english by sanaz toossi ★★★★★ ♡
I saw a clip of this on instagram reels of all places and I knew I needed it in my life immediately T-T unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on a recording but I found the text and god do I wish I could see it live. the premise of the play seems so simple and it could feel like it gets lost in the comedic elements and the simplicity of the dialogue (especially the cut off or incomplete bits due to the fact that they're learning) but it's really such a profound reflection. each character is so rich and sanaz toossi manages to pack so much of their story, their complexity and their journey in less than 80 pages, it's crazy!!! truly every single character felt so real and flawed and it made me so emotional to see and learn how learning a new language made each of them feel flawed, alien and foreign but also sometimes free and different in a positive light. the way the play grapples with self-perception and identity and belonging is truly beautiful. read it if you can!!! I do think some of the jokes are very dependent on timing so they're not that well translated to reading (I had to read them a few times to get them personally lol) but it's not a huge loss with how truly beautiful and engaging the story is
wings of starlight by allison saft★★★¼☆
tinkerbell and the disney fairies movies were literally my childhood. I couldn't not read this, so as soon as I saw it trending on twitter I spent TWO DAYS looking for a way to pirate it. and then I proceeded to completely lose my mind for three days straight while reading this. it was crazy. all three of these whole stars are for the romance and the sheer TENSION between clarion and lord milori. I was completely gagged every time they started bantering, the chemistry!!!! he was so whipped it had me kicking my legs and giggling like a little girl every time they saw each other. the ¼ /.25 is for the plot because um well. it was held together by a thread and a dream. I know the romance was the main focus and all but they really let it die with how boring and flimsy it was. it even took a little off the ending for me since, after all they went through, it seemed even a little silly and juvenile for them to never see each other again or whatever. either way the romance more than made up for it and their moments together were all absolutely divine. maybe straight couples can sometimes have rights and they're definitely one of them !! I'm not even a fan of forbidden romance and I do wish the author would've leaned more into that aspect and just made the stakes with elvina a little higher and the story a little darker but I get it it's a children's book whatever at least it made me happy
I also started reading around the world in 80 days because I have a physical copy and I wanted to try my hand at a classic. it's been a slow progress but we're getting there..
526 scrobbles, 18 daily avg
57 artists | 104 albums | 249 tracks
TOP ARTISTS:
1. zb1 (84)
2. doechii (64)
3. ive (44)
4. fall out boy (39)
5. jennie (35)
6. coldplay (25)
1. zb1 (84)
2. doechii (64)
3. ive (44)
4. fall out boy (39)
5. jennie (35)
6. coldplay (25)
TOP ALBUMS:
1. blue paradise by zb1 (81)
2. alligator bites never heal by doechii (64)
3. ive empathy by ive (44)
4. winter heptagon by got7 (24)
5. extraL by jennie ft. doechii (19)
6. the rise and fall of a midwest princess by chappell roan (18)
1. blue paradise by zb1 (81)
2. alligator bites never heal by doechii (64)
3. ive empathy by ive (44)
4. winter heptagon by got7 (24)
5. extraL by jennie ft. doechii (19)
6. the rise and fall of a midwest princess by chappell roan (18)
TOP TRACKS:
1. out of love by zb1 (21)
2. extraL by jennie ft. doechii (19)
3. blue by zb1 (18)
4. love hangover by jennie ft. dominic fike (16)
5. flu by ive (13)
6. attitude by ive (12)
1. out of love by zb1 (21)
2. extraL by jennie ft. doechii (19)
3. blue by zb1 (18)
4. love hangover by jennie ft. dominic fike (16)
5. flu by ive (13)
6. attitude by ive (12)
zb1 you have done it again... I almost forgot how good and perfect their music is and then they released blue paradise... a masterpiece once again... I'm still in awe at how a survival show brought about such a cohesive and talented group but not a drop of it is wasted!! besides the mixing and the layering in each track in this album is soooo delicious I really have the time of my life every time I listen only to discover another hidden harmony or ad lib like wow they really did that..
my fav track out of the album is out of love primarily because it reminds me of the start over they did on kstar next door interview when they debuted,, it's my roman empire fr and this track evokes so much of that vocal brightness that's still so rich and uplifting ugh.. also zhang hao!!! every time his part comes up I feel like that gif of winnie pooh's soul living his body. his vocals are just that fucking good!!! blue also slayed as usual and aside from that there's really not a single track I can say I hate on this album and listening to the whole thing on loop was one of the best parts of this month for me lol
clearly I also loves ive's album. the girls have done it again!!! their last release didn't particularly capture me even though it was objectively really good but something about the energy this comeback sucked me right back in. they've improved so much in their vocals and like always sound design and production in the album are impeccable. flu truly had me in a chokehold like why does a track about an illness bang this hard??? I will never know but ive makes it work!!! overall ive empathy is great to listen through as well
loved doechii and jennie this month too.. queens.. I already liked doechii and her mixtape just solidified how much I admire her creativity and her work and especially her vocal color like this woman has it ALLLL. and then she released extraL with jennie and I was completely obsessed. her rap part in the song was absolutely killer and they complimented each other's flow and tone soooo well it's probably one of my favorite collabs of the past few months. and ms. jennie!! I did not expect it but based only on her singles her music is probably my favorite out of all the blackpink girlies solos.. she's just so creative and so good, she makes each style and genre she tries her own and her collabs have just been phenomenal there's not a single bad thing that comes to mind about her music rn.. just perfection. can't wait to listen to her full album <3
I didn't happen through february, february happened to me. it was a lot. I think I was a little too well-adjusted in january and I let it get to my head because february was definitely a reality check..
first I got sick and then unexpectedly busy and (thankfully) had a bit of freelance work it was just all very time consuming and the guy I was/am working with (because I'm done with my share and he still ISN'T) is just so incompetent and has made it all 10x harder and more annoying than it should be in the first place. I've had to take several deep breaths throughout the process.
goals-wise I think it wasn't so bad tho:
☑ continue looking for an internship
and that I did! no results yet but the search continues.. I did have an interview where they tried to assign me to a different position than what I applied for/what was in the listing so that was definitely something T-T
☐ watch all the oscar-nominated movies
I certainly tried but aside from being sick and busy nothing fucking premieres here until AFTER the oscars and not a lot of the movies are available on streaming? or at least way less than last year. I'm not that torn up about it (anymore lol), especially because I feel like the movies aren't as insane as last year's run. they're very much quality cinema just not as an insane batch as last year's. I think those years where everything is well and truly insane are few and far in between and while everything this year that was crazy good was CRAZY FUCKING GOOD we have some just okay cinema and fucking emilia pérez so.. anyway
☑ start reading again
baby read 2 books! and started a 3rd.. now I just need to keep the streak going lol
☑ continue writing
also did! it wasn't that hard just daunting? I guess because I'm writing fpf for the first time in my life lol.. I even finished writing a very short sakuatsu fic. it still needs a lot of editing but it's something! almost thought about adding a section just for writing but I might include it when I finally post the aforementioned fic to ao3
☐ exercise even if it's just a couple of times
girl I didn't even make an attempt.. but to be fair I was sick 2/4 weeks of the month and the other two were spent losing my mind over work.. I'll try harder this month..
final thoughts: this wasn't the month I imagined it would be but I'll take my wins where I can.. this month I'm starting my last semester of uni so I'll really do my best to try to have an enjoyable last semester.. if only to stave off the post graduation crisis a little longer lol