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[amandachuynh]

the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars (1972)

recently, I’ve been trying to listen to albums front to back, in the order they were meant to be listened to.

this album got me from the first song.

I don’t think I have enough of a vocabulary to really talk about what’s happening in this album, but I just really vibed with it.

moonage daydream is probably the song I’ve listened to the most on this album and it just made so much sense to hear it after soul love. and then into starman? wow.

actually, this may be more simple than I thought. it really plays like the rise and fall of a hero in a movie. 

[amandachuynh]

watching the detectives (2007)

Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu...? HELLO?

How did I not know this movie existed before? What a combo and honestly it was so weird. I have no idea who made this movie and why they made it, but it was interesting. I watched this purely for the fact that the main leads were Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu and was surprised at what I found. 

I don’t know if I can recommend this movie. Honestly Lucy’s character is pretty toxic and Cillian’s character is ridiculously naive, but I enjoyed this, truly. They are so ridiculous yet wonderful. I mean, look at them.

For fans of the mains, definite watch. Non-fans, it’s a nice way to pass the time. They are adorable no matter how toxic.

P.S. The “wanna see something cool” scene was amazing. A useless skill In would love to have.

[amandachuynh]

the liberator season one (2020)

Fantastic.

As a fan of war films, The Liberator has been on my list since it came out last year on Netflix. I had no idea about it, just that it was about a regiment in WWII. I was quite surprised to see the style of film. It made me feel like I was in a video game, making choices for character. However, this was real life.

The way this was filmed was genius, honestly. I’m curious to see the cost difference of filming on location versus creating the graphics in post. Unlike how I would have expected, the the emotions translated well and I thoroughly enjoyed the short series. 

Like many other newer war movies and series, this one really showed that everyone is human. There have been so many demonizing the soldiers fighting in the Axis Powers and portraying all Allied Forces as people who can do no wrong. This is obviously not true and I commend the writers for showing that there are no good guys in a war. Just those with power and those without. 

Bradley James did wonderfully and seeing him stay consistent regardless of rank made me respect Felix Sparks even more. There really isn’t much for me to say. This is a war series through and through and I applaud the cast and crew.

Like they said, courage is a choice.

[amandachuynh]

人不彪悍枉少年 (2018)

I hated the ending. 

But it was so perfect. I’m so conflicted, but the more I think about it...they’re high schoolers that have very real problems, but years later you look back and it all seems so insignificant. It’s such a beautiful time in your life and in the moment it seems like your world is one step away from crashing down into oblivion or flying high and through the clouds.

Though high school wasn’t so long ago that I can’t relate at all, it is far enough where my automatic reaction is “how cute.” Oh how I can relate to these five kids without dreams and it sort of inspires me to follow that path. 

This drama was a complete surprise. It was definitely one I did expect to end up loving. While in high school, these kids experience life, often too early, but react with the “nothing can stop me” attitude you’d expect of teenagers. They do not hesitate to help their friends and, while scared, to fight against their parents and, dare I say, the system. 

This drama makes you feel the nostalgia you may or may not have had. I can’t since the praises of this drama enough. As a  drama about high schoolers it’s quite light-hearted, but touches on some deep topics without dragging down the entire show. 

While I wanted more from the ending (because I’m so used to the fan service ending where you get the “what happens 5 years later” and “they live happily ever after” type ending), I am absolutely satisfied with everything, because it makes sense.

All of these characters were normal kids with good points and flaws. None of them were ridiculously stupid and even smaller characters had personalities and reasons for doing what they did. 

I may be slightly buzzed and emotional from finishing this drama, but even if I was completely sober and thinking straight I’m confident I would think the same way. So please, if you’re ever feeling lost of just in need of some warm fuzzies, watch this drama. You won’t regret it.

(Plus you can see this adorable tiger.)

[amandachuynh]

アーヤと魔女 (2021)

So, I saw the initial reviews of Earwig and the Witch before watching it. 

I tried my hardest not to let these sway my opinion of the film, but I can’t help but agree with many of them (I actually read some afterwards, mostly to validate my opinions, haha). I remember my first though was about the movement of the animation and how smooth it was. Watching Earwig’s mom walk was more satisfying than I had expected. However, as I continued to watch, everything was a bit too smooth. Maybe it was how the “camera” panned or..I’m not sure, but it was not as organic as an 2D Ghibli film. That’s all I’ll say about that since I know nothing about what it takes to create a computer animated film.

What disappointed me in the film was the lack of development with characters. This is purely based on the film as I’ve never heard of the book let alone read it. Earwig sucks. While I understand she grew up thinking she was abandoned and was suddenly taken away from the home she’s known all her life..she still sucks as person. Even if you’re mean due to good cause, you’re still mean. The friendship she so cherished between her and the kid she bosses around was the centerpiece for about ten minutes until he was swept away from her thoughts, save for calling the cat his name. She thought of her most cherished friend as a pet cat.

Then, there was the mystery about the witch and the devil? Obviously they are connected to her mother, but did they know she was her mother’s daughter? Why is the witch scared of Mandrake? What’s their relationship? And on and on and on. There are so many questions, really. The biggest question, though, is how did they even become a “family”? I mean, was it just the montage of Mandrake spoiled Earwig? Was it Earwig being more than rude to Bella Yaga? WHEN DID THEY BECOME CLOSE? I can’t see any reason for Earwig to push her way into their hearts.

At first, I wanted to be sure I wasn’t comparing this to previous Studio Ghibli films. I don’t think that would be fair to this film, especially since it’s in a brand new art style as well. However, that’s hard to do when there are some elements so clearly from Studio Ghibli, like the expressions and movements. The house itself was also an amazing tribute to how Studio Ghibli can create environments and scenes. I would have loved to see more of the house and had it integrated more into the story, especially since the film took place there the majority of the time. Though, this may be due to budget.

Overall, the film was alright. I hope kids watching it don’t get the idea that being an annoying little shit will get you the love you want. Earwig’s song, pretty catchy.

[amandachuynh]

sound of metal (2020)

I can’t imagine not being able to hear.

My entire family has below average hearing. At least that’s what I think. My hearing’s quite good. So good that I’m often bothered by tiny noises others don’t notice. I often get migraines because of weird, high frequency sounds that trigger them. Even then, I can’t imagine living in Ruben’s muffled world. 

I don’t know what it was about this film that had me so engrossed. I tend to watch a ton of stuff, but rarely do I get so engrossed in what I’m watching that the world falls away. That I don’t think of anything. Even in movie theaters, there are times where my thoughts wander, but with this one, my eyes were glued to the screen.

Maybe it was the quiet. The pockets without sound where we were forced to imagine living in a silent world. Or really, transitioning into a silent world. Riz showed just how frustrating it could be for a the average person, let alone metal drummer four years clean. Imagine your entire world comes crashing down and you’ll just feel more shit with drugs. 

While this film was on the long side, I felt like it went at just the right pace. It takes time to transition and this is exactly what was shown.

[amandachuynh]

アクダマドライブ (2019)

Well, what an unexpected jewel.

The first couple episodes didn’t grab me to be honest. I’m not sure what it was, but I guess it didn’t seem like there was a reason for the show. It seemed like a classic villains, but not really..? type of show, which it is. I think was the the third episode on that really caught my attention. I didn’t not the exact part that had me engrossed as it was a while ago and I can’t be bothered to go back and rewatch.

Up until the eleventh episode, I was hooked. After the main crew died off one by one, I had a feeling it would end with the main mains sacrificing themselves. The ending was predicted, yet satisfying all the same. Though, it felt like something was missing. I guess it was weird to have it all end so quickly, but I doubt I would have been happy with it all being dragged out as well. 

I guess, part of me just didn’t get it? I hate to need the show to spell it out for me, but it took a video of a supposedly innocent girl being executed to enact change? What about the massacre that took place earlier that day? Why was that video the straw the broke the camel’s back?

Other than the quick ending in the last episode, it was nice making the connections that the Akudama might not have been the evil ones. I guess...? I mean, they were all kind of crazy and were murderers. I guess the Executioners were shown to be just as bad though. So, moral of the story is all humans are horrible no matter how we label them? Honestly, that seems like an accurate representation of the world today, so props to the writers for reflecting how it feels to be reading the news everyday.

Looping back to my first sentence, while I pointed out some flaws, I was still entertained. Solid show for a snippet of violent anime. Would recommend. 

[amandachuynh]

今際の国のアリス [three]

I actually gasped.

It always hits hard when the music cuts out. Such a build up where my only thoughts were, “they wouldn’t...would they?” They did. They fucking did. Just that much gives major spoilers already, but I just want to talk about it. It’s amazing that every single person gave up what they wanted most in their life. 

I’m still wrapping my head around what this drama is trying to show us. Japanese dramas are often guilty of shoving life lessons down our throats in my experience. I don’t hate it, but it can get cheesy in the end, but that’s what I watch dramas for. Alice in Borderland is still a mystery to me. Let’s see if we find out by the last episode. 

Fuuuuuuuu-- 

[amandachuynh]

ハイキュー!! TO THE TOP season 2 [eleven]

I took a while marinating on this magnificent episode.

I clearly remember reading this part in the manga and when I realized it was coming up I was excited beyond belief and it really did not disappoint. I’m not embarrassed to say I actually teared up both times I watched it.

I’ve constantly wondered what it was about shounen and sports anime that I liked so much. They’re often predictable with similar characters and motifs. The same story with different branding. However, I think that’s exactly what I love about this genre so much. The lead up to episodes like this is what makes everything worth it. Like Rock Lee vs. Gaara, All Might vs. All For One, the Battle of Marineford. No matter how long it is between seasons, these writers are amazing at making us remember where these characters started. Way too good.

With this episode in particular, this climax, it was made more amazing because pressure became almost unbearable up until the last moment. Even Shoyo’s “All Right” (SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL), though a nice breather didn’t completely take away from the tension of the episode. In fact, it just made it crystal clear that whether or not they were able to defeat their competitors, they tried their best. 

I have no idea if any of this is making sense, but I feel like watching this episode I felt like I could do anything, but at the same time, it was totally okay to lose. I think watching this episode will never fail to make me tear up. 

Definitely find myself copying this movement every. single. time.

[amandachuynh]

wonder woman 1984 (2020)

Unfortunately, I’m here to add to the stack of disappointed fans.

Like most of the other DCEU films of this generation, I put much too much faith in the base stories. The sequel to Wonder Woman was one I was so wanted to be good, but it left me confused at so many points.

First, the beginning. While entertaining and a nice glimpse into the past, there didn’t seem much of a point for it. There really was no connection between Diana of the past on 1984 Diana. 

Then, there’s was the incredibly slow build up to the evil villain who is really just a hurt human in the end. Add in the wallflower turned sexy power woman and you have a nice cookie cutter superhero movie. Now, I absolutely love watching these predictable films as long as they’re done right.

However, this film was just too shallow for my taste. I mean, I absolutely love Steve Trevor and honestly think he added the necessary heart to the film, but, come on...did he even need to be there? It’s not like Diana was spiraling and wallowing in her sadness 5 decades after losing the love of her life. In fact, she was doing pretty well for herself. There was really no lesson to be taught. 

Then, there was Barbara who never really got it at the end. It didn’t seem like she really learned anything. Diana never even made a real connection with Barbara other than their cute date in the beginning. Diana instead electrocuted Barbara because she wasn’t able to convince her of the importance of the greater good.

Then, there’s Max Lord who obviously has some issues, but the montage of his crappy childhood and the use of his son. He maybe talked about how much his son meant to him a handful of times. The rest was just “power” and “greatness.” 

The entire film just left me confused. There were too many characters to be built. Too many places to focus. It was too jarring to watch it all. We went from Chris Pine thinking a trash can was art to a pretty useless car chase in Egypt? How did they make that connection?

Really, what was the point of this movie? Not one person in 1984 knew her name, and I doubt any of them will remember her. This film didn’t help her stand on her own. It just helps set her up to be in the background again. 

[amandachuynh]

nineteen-twenty-nine

BY WILLIAM WARING CUNEY

Some folks hollered hard times in nineteen-twenty-nine. In nineteen-twenty-eight say I was way behind. Some folks hollered hard times because hard times were new. Hard times is all I ever had, why should I lie to you? Some folks hollered hard times. What is it all about? Things were bad for me when those hard times started out.

[amandachuynh]

the devil all the time (2020)

At first glance you would think this was a bland film.

I honestly had no idea what this film was about when I first began to watch it. All I saw was Tom Holland and a heavy regional accent. Then, I grew curious. The main story takes place at the beginning of the Vietnam war in the Midwest. The pacing is slow, but the story continued to move forward. I credit a lot of it to the acting which was often mesmerizing. This is especially true when recognizing actors and realizing who they were. It’s difficult to explain without seeing it and knowing the actors, but the cast is amazing.

I really can’t get over the pacing. I mean, it seemed so slow and yet I stayed curious the whole time. I wondered when all of the different plot lines would come together, though it was a bit predictable. In my opinion, predictability isn’t a bad thing. After you watch so many movies and shows it’s only natural to get a feel of where a story is going. It shows more finesse seeing how the story is executed. I think this was executed quite well, though I’m kind of curious how the events of the story have changed the main character. 

Definitely worth a watch if you’re feeling something dark and kind of hopeless. 

[amandachuynh]

boys state (2020)

Boys State was quite the roller coaster, a bit unexpected for a documentary following teenage boys on their quest to out-yell each other.

I have to admit, the creators really painted a wonderful story of the quiet underdog rising through the ranks by thinking of others and standing for what he believed in. Come on, we all saw Steven at the beginning and our first thought was not “that kid is gonna be governor.” I found myself silently egging him on through his speeches, disapproving of the other side’s tactics, only to be disappointed with the outcome.

If this documentary was meant to terrify me, it did its job. While it is easy to sit behind my computer and bash on these boys for taking advantage of their toxic masculinity to forward the ideas that their fathers and father’s fathers, and probably, father’s father’s fathers have, is there a point? It is hard for me to stomach that this is what American politics is. To hear so many bright kids resort to yelling and screaming and personal attacks just because “that’s what politics is.” Why?! I see issue with the fact that it is so easy to rile people up just by saying “fuck the other side!” But hey, boys will be boys, amirite?

Amid the scenes of boys yelling about impeachment and secession, and more seriously gun control and abortion (side note: it baffles me that teenage boys, some who have yet to even have sex, can have such a strong opinion about pregnancy and voice these opinions so casually and openly while not once acknowledging any women in the process) there were some shining spots hope. The one that surprised me the most was Rob. First made out to be a loud and overbearing, one-dimensional gubernatorial candidate, was actually just a kid with a goal, “playing a game.”

Really, throughout the course of this documentary, I had put a little more faith in the American political system and by the end of it, that faith slipped. The idealistic Californian in me wants to call for political reform and a change in the mindset, but I have no idea where we would even start. It is the young that will lead America in the future, but with the age of social media and the constant barrage of information and propaganda from all sides, will the new generation be any different from the old one?

[amandachuynh]

the king: eternal monarch

It is taking me everything to finish this right now...major spoilers ahead.

So, we’re supposed to believe this wild paradox love story how? Oh man, you’re telling me that this girl that has absolutely no trust for this guy from a different dimension is suddenly so in love with him that she’s willing to wait for him, risk her life for him, and the real kicker, needs to be saved by him? 

Okay, let’s go a different route. What in the hell makes this iteration of time different for the male lead? As a child he was saved by himself, leaving behind his lover’s ID card, thus leading him on a quest to find this woman on the ID card, leading him to hop to another dimension and professing his love for this woman that MAY have saved his life. THEN, after falling in love with this woman, he discovers a way to travel back in time to save himself, which is what happened to him earlier, causing an eternal loop in time where he saves himself each time. HOWEVER, for some reason, he does something different, causing the female lead’s MEMORIES TO CHANGE. I get that it could happen, yes, the loop can be broken, but what broke the loop? It honestly seems like everything is happening as it should have. Have I just been watching too much Dark? I don’t think this drama was meant to be this complicated and hard to figure out.

Back to the first point, their love is just not believable and why, just, why? I’m hurting myself just trying to figure this out and what the point of this all is. Like, why is the world ending this iteration? Why did everything change now? What was the catalyst? I’m supposed to believe this badass cop that has survived multiple attacks is falling apart because she can’t see this guy she supposedly loves? And don’t even get me started on the prime minister. What does she even want and where did she even find out about anything? I mean she’s smart, but not as smart as this genius king. 

I know I’m just ranting, but this is a reflection on this drama and the dumb roller coaster of a journey it has brought us on. This drama may have been a complete waste except for Woo Do Hwan, honestly a gem and I wish him luck during his army service. Let’s see if my view changes in the last two episodes, but I doubt it. Only a miracle could make this drama worth it. 

Honestly, I stopped watching with full attention when they “fell in love” if that’s what you can call it, so I’m probably biased and more confused than someone who gave this their full attention. If you are one of those people, kudos to you. 

[amandachuynh]

the morning show season 1

 -slow clap-

That finally was just--I’m honestly speechless. I am truly amazed that I can dislike characters and like them at the same time. I have to say, I definitely did predict a part of the ending, but in no way was I expecting that. It was just phenomenal. Everyone did an amazing job and the entire cast and crew were able to give support while telling the story of the other side. 

Now, watching this show and reading the comments after the fact, reminded me about a concept I learned in philosophy. Behaviorism. Now, “behaviorism was a movement in psychology and philosophy that emphasized the outward behavioral aspects of thought and dismissed the inward experiential aspects.” This seems like a fine and dandy way of thinking about the world, right? I don’t know what you’re thinking, so how can I judge you if not by your actions? This is a common argument heard in retaliation to the MeToo movement and in comments for the show. And that’s fine, it makes sense on the surface. You can’t read anyone’s mind. But that, my friends, is a huge problem with behaviorism. 

Have you ever listened to a lecture, looked directly at the lecturer, taken notes from the slides or the spoken words even, but be thinking about something completely different. Have you ever not been present during a conversation for any reason at all? Well, guess what? Even when you look and act one way, you could be thinking and feeling something completely different. I can’t believe it took a philosophy class and television show to get that through my head clearly...

Amazing show, amazing cast, and just can’t wait to see what’s in store for the Morning Show.

[amandachuynh]

this is us season 4 [seventeen]

That...was unexpected. 

The This is Us writers do it again. Everything is becoming a little bit clearer. They led us to believe that we knew exactly what Randall was going to do, but then he did something different. Once he did it, I just thought, “of course that’s what he would do.” 

No matter how we look at this, Randall is strong. It really is mind-boggling looking at the previous episode and the dislike I felt for Randall’s decision to push his agenda. Then looking at this episode and completely understanding where he’s coming from. If only, we are able to do this instantly in real life. The world would be a utopia. It would also be pretty boring, not gonna lie.

Amid the current state of the world, we really need more of this feeling. This exact feeling that we get from this episode. A feeling of understanding and bittersweetness of having to put your life on pause for the sake of others. Because, that’s what you would want if you were in their shoes. I mean, this entire situation could be a tiny blip in the course of your life. On the other hand, it could be a huge traumatic experience or even the end of another. 

I’m definitely not justifying Randall’s decision to push Rebecca on this. I just want to say, I get it and it’s hard. 

Wash your hands, stay inside, and don’t condemn others for the decisions they make. Of course, some decisions are better for the social good, but we don’t and can’t know each others lives and inner turmoil. Maybe, there’s a reason, maybe there isn’t, but we can only control ourselves. 

[amandachuynh]

birds of prey and the fantabulous emancipation of one harley quinn (2020)

Now, I’m a woman of color. Just hold on, this isn’t going to be political, I promise. So, I’m a woman of color and I never really thought much about everyone that makes a movie what it is. Yes, especially with the Oscars and what’s happening in the world, woman have been moving up in the world. But lately, it feels like a lot of tv and film has been made for women, by women. Which is great, don’t get me wrong. But, it all just feels a little forced sometimes. Now, Birds of Prey definitely showed woman power. However, it didn’t seem like a “girl’s movie” to me. But, I mean, it was definitely a girl’s movie. I don’t know, at the end of it I just wanted to go and beat up some douchebags, like woah. That was a tangent, but basically, I didn’t realize how used to seeing male director and producer names in the credits until I saw Cathy Yan and Margot Robbie pop up on the screen. I daresay I was surprised and delighted. I wanted to watch this movie because it looked cool as a movie, not because it was directed and produced by women and starred women. It was just great in and of itself.

I gotta say when I saw the first trailer for this film, I didn’t think I would like it. I mean, Harley is a lot, but really seeing her grow in the film made me like her even more. Even though she is a psychopath...but hey, it’s a movie. 

It’s always difficult making a live-action film from cartoons or comic books. How ridiculous do you make everything without looking tacky or seeming too fake? I think this film struck an amazing balance between ridiculous and real. 

Oh, and the fact that Harley was the star of the show, but the namesake of the movie was Birds of Prey? A group Harley isn’t even part of? It was pretty adorable that Harley was telling this origin story of the Birds of Prey like she was a proud mom. So freaking cute. 

On another note, I gotta get me one of Sal’s egg sandwiches...