#and also watch midnight mass and squid game

[occasionallythreeowls]

RULES: list 8 tv shows to get to know me better!

Thank you @americanhooligans and @storytellervan!

Yellowjackets: I mean. Yeah. Pretty obvious I'm into this right now. You give me a story about complicated, kind of awful women, fucked up woods, surreal hallucinations/dreams, body horror, unreliable narrators, and a portrayal of the effects of trauma that isn't glib or exploitative, AND there are lesbians? And you expect me to say no? Come on.

The Twilight Zone (Original Series): I love a good anthology, and who can say no to The Twilight Zone? Even if the premise for an episode is incredibly silly, the earnest execution always makes it a good time. Some favorite episodes: "I Shot an Arrow Into the Air", "The Shelter", "The Masks", "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I watched this between high school and college, and I loved every campy, earnest, silly, surprisingly dark moment (for the most part. Some of the writing choices are, uh. Questionable. But I won't get into that). It makes me miss that kind of campy monster-of-the-week show that we hardly ever get anymore. Also. Faith.

Star Trek The Next Generation: I watched this recently with my sibling and it was my first real exposure to anything Star Trek. I really loved the ensemble cast and the writers' clear love for digging into sci-fi concepts and tropes, however weird and obscure, and avoiding simple answers to complicated questions.

BIGTOP BURGER: This one kind of feels like cheating, because it's not technically a TV show, it's a web series. But it's a quick surreal animated comedy with a stacked cast and some really fun visuals. Ayo Edebiri plays a theater kid who tries to blow up a food truck with a cannon. It's good.

Midnight Mass: I have mixed feelings about this one to be honest. But, it's got great cinematography and acting, some genuinely scary moments, a really compelling portrayal of an isolated, dying community, and a fresh take on vampires. Give it a watch if you don't mind monologuing.

Survivor: ...Okay, look. LOOK. Sometimes you're channel surfing as a kid and you stumble upon a show where a bunch of strangers in the wilderness take part in intricate rituals to determine who is in the in-group and who is expendable and it awakens something in you. This show was a guilty pleasure for me when I was younger, but I stopped watching after it got too gimmicky for my taste. But we'll always have Micronesia.

Bill Nye the Science Guy: Speaking of shows that changed me as a kid: I credit this show with sparking my lifelong love of science and making me deeply curious about the world. I have fond memories of popping in a VHS on momentum or dinosaurs or eyeballs and just being entranced by the power of SCIENCE! Good shit.

Honorable mentions: Derry Girls, The Good Place, Russian Doll, Squid Game, Black Mirror

I'll go ahead and tag some folks if they'd like to do this:

@thunderon

@lilmisssammy

@yourfavouritedoll

@prodigaldaughteralice

Thanks again!

[visenyadarling]

❧ Navigation ❧ Masterlists ❧ Rules

❧ currently watching

- anne with an e (s01) - doctor who revival (s05) - doom patrol 18+ (minors dni) (s01) - his dark materials (s03) - midnight mass (limited series) - supernatural (i forgot which season am i on and am i the only one who doesn't ship destiel) - teen wolf (s03 and no, i ain't gonna watch the movie once i finish this show, it looks cheesy, dylan and arden aren't even in it) - the dropout (limited series) - you 18+ (minors dni) (s04)

❧ finally finished

- alice in borderland 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02) - american horror story 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s09) - black mirror 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s05) - bridgerton 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02) - brooklyn nine-nine (s01-s08) - dynasty 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s04 i also quit from here on) - fleabag 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02 an underrated masterpiece) - friends (s01-s10) - game of thrones 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s08 no matter how much i want to forget it) - gossip girl 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s06 wtf is this ending, dair ftw) - gotham (s01-s05) - hawkeye (limited series) - house of the dragon 18+ (minors dni) (s01) - how i met your mother (s01-s09) - his dark materials (s01-s02) - la casa de papel 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02 i quit, seriously) - loki (s01 fuck this show i abhor it, this is not my loki) - peaky blinders 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s06 rushed finale) - pistol 18+ (minors dni) (limited series meh) - riverdale 18+ (minors dni) (s02 fuck this show) - shadowhunters (s01 i might come back to this... for malec) - shameless 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s11) - squid game 18+ (minors dni) (s01) - stranger things (s01-s04 im sorry but who is s4 mike) - supergirl (s01-s02 istg these cw shows) - the carrie diaries (s01-s02 yes i have not watched sex and the city) - the chilling adventures of sabrina 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02 i quit too) - the crown (ss01-s05) - the flash (s01-s03 i also quit) - the good place (s01-s04) - the great 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02) - the haunting of bly manor 18+ (minors dni) (limited series) - the haunting of hill house 18+ (minors dni) (limited series) - the mandalorian (s01-s02) - the queen's gambit 18+ (minors dni) (limited series) - the umbrella academy (s01-s03) - the witcher 18+ (minors dni) (s01) - wandavision (limited series loooove this until mom happened) - wizards of waverly place (s01-s04) - you 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s03)

❧ planning - i hope i can watch all of these

- bodyguard 18+ (minors dni) (s01) - dark 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s03) - deadly class (s01) - julie and the phantoms (s01) - love, victor (s01-s03) - never have i ever (s01-s03) - normal people (limited series) - sex education 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s03) - succession 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s03) - the boys 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s03) - the falcon and the winter soldier (limited series) - the idol 18+ (minors dni) (upcoming) - the last kingdom 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s05 istg this is filled with ewan mitchell and i love it) - the midnight club (limited series) - the office (s01-s09) - the white lotus 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s02) - the witcher 18+ (minors dni) (s02) - westworld 18+ (minors dni) (s01-s04 sadly i just discovered its recent news)

[lantur]

notes for today,

I am truly living my best life, in a golden age of stories. I'm loving Gideon the Ninth and The Poppy War so much, and I'm almost done with both. I have about 4 hours left to listen to in both books. Derek and I just finished Midnight Mass recently, which landed solidly in the rankings of my favorite horror stories. @wind-on-the-panes and I finished playing and loved The Witch's House and Ib. We're 3 episodes into Squid Game right now, and I am REALLY REALLY into that too. Gideon the Ninth, The Poppy War, and Squid Game all have tropes and characters I enjoy very much.

Season three of You is coming out soon as well, and Derek and I loved the first two seasons of that show. :)

Work at the memory clinic was long and draining yesterday, but way more chill today as I got to work from home. I even had time to meal prep and plan a bit. I made a spicy buffalo broccoli salad, and a curry with potatoes and peas. I have the rest of my cooking for the week planned out too. :) Mac and cheese with bell peppers, mushrooms, and peas tomorrow, and Japanese-style curry later this week.

My goal to eat more vegetables this year has really worked out well. I think a big step for me was learning how to make fun salad dressings from scratch. I've made really nice Greek and Thai-inspired salad dressings, as well as lemony olive oil ones. I've been fascinated to learn that while romaine leaves, spinach, kale, etc. can make good leaf-based salads, I actually prefer broccoli and shaved Brussels sprouts when it comes to side salads to go with my lunch. They're really good with the nice homemade dressings. I also think like, "I like spicy buffalo chicken wings. Let me figure out a way to get spicy buffalo flavoring on my broccoli."

I ran 4.25 miles today - my longest in a while!! Morning exercise has been working out great for me. It helps me feel calmer through the rest of the day. It's convenient because it's getting dark much earlier too, and now I can have the evenings solely reserved for cooking instead of cooking and also exercise. It's nice and cozy :)

[cochinitapibil]

I feel very intrigued by the squid game series but I'm sure it will fuck me up so I'll just avoid it for now

[peppapigstanaccount]

Why did I choose to watch Kastanjemanden, Midnight Mass AND Squid Game this weekend.. when I'm home alone and I can't discuss my theories with anyone. Also I don't want spoilers so I can't Google either

[galvanizedfriend]

Hellooooo!!! For the end of year asks - 4, 5, 7 and 14 x

Hi, Cristy! 😊✨ Thank you for sending me these! 4. What show/book/movie etc. was your comfort and/or escape this year?

I think Ted Lasso was probably the most heart-warming thing I watched this year, after hesitating to start it for a long time. I also very much enjoyed getting caught in some addicting shows. My favorites were Mare of Easttown, Midnight Mass, whatever the hell The White Lotus was. Also, for incredible two days, I was 100% addicted to Squid Game, like everyone else. 🤣 It's kinda predictable and also a Battle Royale sorta rip-off, but it's SO engaging!

Also, if I say The Vampire Diaries wasn't an escape this year I'd be lying. I live and breathe that show just by how much time I spend on tumblr, talking about it and obsessing over a non-canon ship. 🥲 So. Only God can judge me.

5. What creative work are you most proud of (your own or someone else’s)? I am very proud of the fact my birthday generated tons of amazing content! Including a fic by yourself (where's part 2, Cristy? WHERE IS IT? 😭), but I have lost the mastelist (there was a masterlist for my bday 🥲 you guys are insane for not realizing I'm a clown who doesn't deserve that, but I love yall), and it seems to be nowhere on my blog. 😭 It might have been obliterated when Ennie's blog died. 😭😭 Also, the Spookathon had some of my favorite fic reads of 2021, and I was so proud of the event! So many people joined, it was fantastic! On a personal note, I'm proud (or more relieved, maybe) to have completed The Wolf 2 this year. 🥲 It was a journey.

7. Which character did you relate to most this year?

Honestly, Thanos. There were moments when I really wished I had the power to snap my finger and blip half the world (the right - or wrong - half).

14. What do you want to do more of next year?

Leave my apartment. 🥲 I want to travel for pleasure again, go back to planning vacations, which is something that I love. I wanna see my friends more often, which I have only started to do now, after almost two years. I want to get my shit together and read more books, cause my goodreads challenge this year was a joke. If anyone else wants to play, send me a number from this list!

[iamnotawomanimagod]

2021 Year in Review!

I was tagged by the forever-lovely @boomheda (thank you Luce!!) to do our annual year-in-review post. I did this last year (and I think the year before, but I can't find it!) Very happy to keep the tradition going!

Tagging a bunch of people but don't feel obligated!! @dylanobrienisbatman @bombshellsandbluebells @rosealie @laufire @lovelybeautifulpretty @neverwantedsaving @theemptysound @nomattertheoceans @nicoleanell @tolerateit and anyone else who wants to do this!! Please feel free to steal it!!

Under a cut because I've got a lot to say, dammit. I don't expect anyone to read the whole thing, it's mostly for me, haha <3

Top 5 Movies You Watched This Year

I so rarely watch movies, especially since COVID-19 started. So the top 2 of this list are the only "new" ones I watched, and the other three were revisits.

1. Inside (Bo Burnham)

This was such an incredible film experience, one which I think will be remembered as very emblematic of 2020 and 2021. I've kept the music on rotation all year, too.

2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

I never got around to watching this one when it came out in theaters. I finally rewatched the entire movie series this year, and finished it up with the final film. I think it's a decent adaptation!

3. Josie and the Pussycats

My sisters and I loved this movie when we were younger and watched it over and over again. I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten, and how much of it had gone over my head as a kid. It's very fun and campy and super underrated as a satire of musicianship under capitalism. But it's also a sweet and charming Grrl Power movie, which I rediscovered my love for this year, also thanks in part to...

2. The Cheetah Girls

This was another one that was on constant rotation when I was a kid. So I was especially delighted to share that cheetahlicious love with @rosealie in 2021! The music still slaps, and the looks will never be replicated in terms of iconic early 2000s girl fashion.

1. The Emperor's New Groove

I think I could watch this movie a thousand times and never get tired of it.

Top 5 TV Shows You Watched This Year

TV was soooo good this year, honestly. I had a blast with a bunch of different shows.

5. Season 3 of You -

Especially because I got to watch it more or less in tandem with several mutuals, and seeing everyone react in real time was a delight. It was such an insane season. Really great to watch Love and Joe fully embrace who they were and all of the absolutely batshit choices they made as a result. Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti absolutely killed their performances, and really kept the entire season so engaging when it could've been really slow.

I'm still pretty bummed about the ending and not sure if I'll continue on with s4, but s3 was a fun ride!

4. Midnight Mass

I almost gave up on this show, because it really tested even my deep love for long, introspective monologues. And the animal death in the beginning is rough. But once I finished the fifth episode, I was so glad I pushed through. It ends up being one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching, hopeful meditations on the afterlife and faith and love that I've ever watched.

It's not for everyone. It wasn't much like The Haunting Anthology at all. This is a challenging show on a lot of levels, and certainly not one everyone is going to find value in. But I really loved it, and it only confirmed for me how brilliant Mike Flanagan is at telling dark, human stories.

3. Shadow & Bone

I gained like 3.5 OTPs from this show, lmao. It's a really fun setting, great world-building and magic systems, and the story is pretty good. But I think what really pulled me in and kept me going is how drop-dead gorgeous every. single. character. is.

I don't know what it is about this cast, but they are all my type. Inej, Kaz, Alina, Mal, Nina, Mattias, Anya, Zoya, of course Jesper, even the Darkling - hottest people I've ever seen, never leave my screen, let me feast my eyes on you forever.

2. Squid Game

I managed to sneak in riiiight before the hype really kicked off. I'm glad because I was able to go in with fresh eyes and zero spoilers, plus no real expectations of what I was about to see. I don't know if any show could've lived up to the hype levels this one reached, but damn, it comes really, really close.

Brilliantly acted, well-written, full of twists and turns and crazy suspense, plus enough comic relief to break the tension. Gi-Hun is such a funny, silly protagonist at first, so to see him break down as the violence progresses was so compelling. Big kudos to Lee Jung-jae for making him so layered and human. And of course, my heart was stolen by Sae-Byeok just like everyone else's was.

Visually it was one of the most unique settings I've seen in a long time. It was refreshing to get bright, bold colors and big, hard lines and shapes. Plus it added such a lovely contrast to the horrors of the games. I really liked it, and I'm excited to check out more non-English language shows, because I think there are a lot of really cool stories that don't make it to the Western mainstream often enough.

1. Legacies

Ahh, this dumb, fun, stupid show. I talk about it too much for it to not top my list. It's basically my new The 100, although I'll never let myself get that emotionally invested in a show from The CW again, lmao. And the fandom is clearly a dumpster fire, one I want nothing to do with.

But the show really has my heart!! I appreciate that we're finally coming to some of the consequences we've been building towards for so many seasons - Hope becoming a tribrid and flipping her humanity switch; Landon fufilling his "destiny" as Malivore's vessel and then tragically being killed by Hope; Lizzie becoming a heretic; the whole compelling Hope/Lizzie frenemy dynamic; Alaric coming to terms with his sins in limbo; even Josie leaving to go live her own life. It's all stuff that's been hinted at for so long, it's nice to have some closure. And I've loved seeing Cleo's story progress, and Finch finding a home. Even Kaleb turning into a dragon has been a welcome surprise, albeit a weird one.

I'm a bit anxious about where it'll go from here - I think we've hit the peak now and can only go downhill. They're about to invent more villains and more problems, since the original conflict has now been resolved, and that has never gone well in a TVDU show. But they might surprise me!

Top 5 Songs of 2021

Well the first five are all from If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, so I'm putting them, in order, at #1, lol. Just so there's actually some variety. Taken from Spotify Wrapped!

5. "E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY LIFE" by CORPSE, feat Savage Ga$p

4. "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

3. "Save That Shit" by Lil Peep

2. "Serotonin" by girl in red

1. "I am not a woman, I'm a god," "honey," "You asked for this," "Bells in Santa Fe," and "Easier Than Lying" - Halsey

Top 5 Albums You Heard In 2021

5. NEED by 3Oh!3

Top tracks: LAST BREATH, I'M SO SAD, LONELY MACHINES

4. Happier than Ever by Billie Eilish

Top tracks: Happier than Ever, Lost Cause, NDA, Therefore I Am, I Didn't Change My Number, and Billie Bossa Nova.

3. Inside (The Songs) by Bo Burnham

Top tracks: All Eyes on Me, Welcome to the Internet, 30, Don't Wanna Know, Shit, That Funny Feeling, Look Who's Inside Again, and Goodbye.

2. MONTERO by Lil Nas X

Top tracks: MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name,) DEAD RIGHT NOW, LOST IN THE CITADEL, TALES OF DOMINICA, LIFE AFTER SALEM, and ONE OF ME (feat Elton John.)

1. If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power

Top tracks: Easier than Lying, honey, You asked for this, Bells in Santa Fe, Whispers, 1121, Ya'aburnee, Lilith, and I am not a woman, I'm a god.

Top 5 Books You Read in 2021

I really don't read anymore, unfortunately! So I'm going to make my own category. Feel free to do top books, or my suggestion, or your own thing, or whatever!

Instead - Top 5 YouTube Channels in 2021

5. Binging with Babish is fun, informative, and great for learning about slightly more advanced techniques in the kitchen that the average home cook doesn't consider trying. Getting to see different pop culture foods recreated in a tasty way is really neat!

4. Watcher is where you can find the Buzzfeed Unsolved boys now, as well as their former Buzzfeed compatriot Stephen Lim. Ryan and Shane have come up with a lot of funny, interesting, and spooky new shows, and it's been really fun to watch their channel grow this year. I especially love Are You Scared? and Puppet History.

3. Mila Tequila has produced some of my favorite pop culture video essays this year, especially her takes on The Bling Ring scandal of the mid-aughties, as well as as really sensitive but thorough explainer on Amanda Bynes' tumultuous career. Her relaxed setup is refreshing when compared to so many other incredibly polished YouTubers, and I think she's really talented for an unpaid student, which makes her stick out on this list!

2. Trixie & Katya crack me up beyond belief, I'm so glad I discovered them, even if I'm not all that into drag race anymore. They've really transcended their beginnings and now have so much content, it's sometimes hard to keep up. I'm not complaining though! It's been a great year for them both and I'm excited to see what they do next.

1. The Try Guys are pretty much a daily part of my life, and I enjoy almost everything they produce. They're great role models, funny dudes, and really creative at coming up with new content, even almost seven years into their friendship. They are very much so my comfort show, and I'm glad they've gotten to do so much in 2021, even with the pandemic limiting their production style.

5 Positive Things That Happened In 2021

5. I was fortunate that I didn't get COVID-19, and although I do know a few people who had it, no one I know was permanently impacted or killed by it. I feel very lucky about that and I know what a blessing it is to not be grieving someone or something this year.

4. I visited Albuquerque, New Mexico for the first time and got to see some really cool art during their First Friday Art Walk. It was so refreshing to be around people and art again, and because New Mexico has a mask mandate and we were all vaccinated and this was pre-delta-or-omicron, it felt safe enough to really relax and have fun. It'd be a long time since I'd been able to do something like that and it really helped me feel a lot less restless.

3. Halsey released a truly stunning album this year, alongside a beautiful film. I wasn't expecting another album from them for at least a few years, so it was a really awesome surprise. It's one of my favorite albums of all-time and certainly my favorite in their discography.

2. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started taking the right medication. I'm working with a psychiatrist that I trust, for the first time in my life, and I'm feeling better than ever. I still have a long way to go, but I'm moving forward for the first time in a very long time.

1. My husband got a job that he's been working towards for at least five years. He's settling into it and is very happy. We're in a more stable place than ever.

***

Overall this was actually a pretty good year for me, personally!! It could've been a lot worse, and I'm grateful things have mostly been okay for me and the people I love. I have no idea what 2022 holds, or really any expectations for what it should be. These days, I'm just happy to be here. And I'm happy you're along for the ride, if you've read this far, or follow me, or are my mutual!

Happy holidays! <3

[bottoms-movie]

tracking #tusermeg

hi all! my tag has been a little dead lately + i have some new interests so i would love if y'all tag me in your creations !! here is my navigation page. it is not 100% up to date but i will include some of my interests below.

i also have a simple tagging system to if you want to know if i post about something, you should just be able to search it on my blog!

marvel (mainly mcu but also some runaways, daredevil, and comics)

star wars

dceu (mainly birds of prey, the suicide squad, and wonder woman)

tv shows (some of my favs rn are lucifer, squid game, sex education, julie and the phantoms, and shadow and bone - no darklina)

mike flanagan (specifically hill house, bly manor, midnight mass, and some hush)

movies (a lot of romcoms and horror, but i watch a lot of movies in general)

celebrities (some of my favs are olivia rodrigo, lil nas x, harry styles, and florence pugh)

[rogueninja]

whats been on your watchlist so far? anime and non anime shows

as far as anime, my watchlist hasn't changed much since i last answered this question haha. i stopped watching yu yu hakusho for a while because i was a bit annoyed with how the whole arc with the other spirit world detective guy (i cant remember his name rn asdkdjdne) went. like it wasn't horrible but sometimes i get in an anime slump. i still wanna finish yyh i just need to. do it. 😂 this keeps me from starting any other anime too auuugh lol. but once I finish yyh i still plan to at some point watch berserker, revolutionary girl utena, fruits basket, bleach, xxxholic(?! I mean more like read the manga ig?) and yes... someday.... one piece (this one's for u nicole). OH and i did watch horimiya with a friend. it was very cute

non anime i have been watching a lot of lately haha. right now i'm toward the end of a rewatch of bojack horseman which is one of my favorite shows! i've also been watching killing eve but on a break from that. watched fleabag a while back, and midnight mass which was very good. last week i watched invincible with my brother and thought it was great. we're probably gonna watch squid game over christmas together (miraculously i haven't seen it yet haha!). i'd also like to watch she-ra in the future but no set plans. non anime shows i don't plan as much, it just happens when it happens!

[evangeline-noir]

Also why is Netflix so disappointing lately. 

The last thing I saw that was a Netflix created thing that I really enjoyed was Midnight Mass I believe? So it’s been a while. And Squid Game I guess since I watched one after the other. 

Or am I just picky. 

Most Netflix movies are honestly kind of shit and I don’t feel like there is much thought put into majority them tbh. 

Not that I know that much about movies but still. 

[ruanbaijie]

catch-up meme!

tagged by vish @rose-nebulijia (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ thank you!!!! it was nice to read what you’ve been doing recently~

FAV COLOUR: red black white as usual heh

LAST SONG/ALBUM: currently listening (on loop) to this flippin badass remix of PINK SOLDIERS aka that song in squid game that always plays whenever it’s a scene about the workers and for some reason this song reminds me of dark (as in the german netflix show)?? anyway this remix also mashes the “무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다” (lit. the hibiscus has bloomed, refers to red light green light or what’s the time mister wolf - yeah that game) into it and needless to say I’m not getting this jingle out of my head anytime soon

LAST MOVIE: shang chi (if written in proper pinyin: shang qi)

CURRENTLY READING: evil heart (心毒 xīn dú) by chu he! modern day detective genre danmei. the second case was about hate and doxxing and antis on the internet and it reminded me of the events in august

CURRENTLY WATCHING: just finished squid game and midnight mass. not gonna talk much about the first since it’s everywhere recently (you might see me posting some squid game edits in the coming days...) and the second was... good?? but unsettling to watch as an agnostic. gonna be watching train (the korean drama) next I’ve been putting this off for so long lkaskldlk

CURRENTLY CRAVING: travel....... no update here, been this way since march 2020 _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):_

COFFEE OR TEA: tea! I avoid coffee like the plague

tagging (only if you want to!): @yesdramas @kasumi-miwaa @surii @kyaa-a @maikhiwi00​

[lantur]

It's Week 3 of the month, and Week 3 and Week 4 are always an utter shitstorm at work. I had a really stressful Sunday and Monday too, and I think I'm still recovering from that stress. I had a sudden and unexpected flare up of IBS symptoms for the first time in two entire years this week, which was literally very painful and very fatiguing. My mind broke a little last night, and I felt like a computer that was shorting out from being overstimulated, pushed too far, and generally frazzled. I took a hot bath and went to bed early, and that helped.

Things are going to be a mess at work until next Thursday, but I'm determined to carve out some time for myself as I need to for self-care and stress reduction. Hopefully that helps with the other symptoms too.

Today I discovered Focus mode on my phone (blocks all notifications between certain hours that you can pre-set) and it's a game-changer. I declared a small war on my phone in July after I was diagnosed with ADHD. For years, it was incredibly easy for me to fall into bad patterns of using my phone too much and not doing other things I wanted/needed to do for the day. I deleted a bunch of apps in July, and focus mode pairs with the whole phone reduction goal really well.

I finished listening to my audiobooks of The Poppy War and Gideon the Ninth this week, and I've been so impressed by the incredible worldbuilding, the plots, and the compelling characters in both! I started The Dragon Republic (Poppy War, Book #2) yesterday, and I'm excited to start Harrow the Ninth soon.

Also finished watching Midnight Mass and Squid Game, which were both incredible experiences in very different ways, though Squid Game's ending was quite polarizing imo. I feel so lucky to have enjoyed so many amazing stories lately :') between books and shows.

[crosswordgf]

i’ve been watching so many shows i’m watching wwdits reservation dogs ted lasso. and i binged midnight mass and now squid game and i also started kanstanjemannen earlier today. and succession soon??? i could so be a television critic

[violent-optimism]

Some scrambled thoughts on Midnight Mass

Sorry (not sorry) for the insane amount of Midnight Mass spam. But you guys have to understand that I honestly can’t remember the last time I finished a show, and then was compelled to immediately re-watch it from the beginning because of how much I loved it.

I enjoyed Hill House and Bly Manor a LOT, I’ll say that first. But Midnight Mass had a much greater impact on me for whatever reason. It’s been living in my head for the last couple days and so I thought I would just say a few words (or a lot).

And yes, I know I’m a little bit late to the Midnight Mass train. Netflix decided to be a butt and release this and Squid Game at almost the exact same time and I wanted to finish one before starting the other.

Anywho, I digress. I’ll try and make this shorter than my usual reviews and just cut to the chase plain and simple about what I loved so much about this show.

I am convinced by this point that Mike Flanagan is extremely picky about which actors he chooses for his productions. I mean, he has to be. Why else would all his shows consist of some of the finest actors of our time? The ability to memorize an insane amount of dialogue for SUPER long takes is not something that just any actor can do (at least, I don’t think so).

Obviously every single actor in this show does an absolutely phenomenal job, but I cannot write this thing without talking about Hamish Linklater as Father Paul/Monsignor Pruitt. I know the internet is losing their minds about him right now, both for acting reasons and...let’s say more “fangirl” ones. All I know for sure is that he fucking stole the show for me. From his very first scene, all the way until his final moment in the last episode I was captivated and mesmorized by his performance and character. Even when he was doing horrific things I couldn’t help but root for him because he was just so charismatic and likeable.

I am just so glad that the casting directors took a chance on him. Nothing Hamish (or any of the other actors for that matter) says sounds like he’s acting. Every word sounds so organic and real. He knows exactly where to put every stutter and stammer in such a delicate and methodical way. It’s just incredible.

And I also cannot talk about acting without mentioning Samantha Sloyan as Beverly Keane. I know nothing I say is original and it’s been said a hundred times before. She fucking DISAPPEARED into that role. She was just so insufferable and horrible and she played it so well. I really hope both her and Hamish get nominated for something because they both deserve it so much.

I mean you could honestly pick any scene with either of those actors and you would be instantly blown away; the same can be said for the other actors too. So yeah, long story short I just really loved the acting in Midnight Mass.

This show just had everything for me. The soundtrack was beautiful and haunting (I’m listening to it right now in fact). The cinematography was absolutely stunning and I lost track of how many amazing shots there were. The themes of the show: Life, Death, Religion, Redemption, it was all handled so beautifully and with such care. I know this show has offended some people for religious reasons but I think that just kind of proves how powerful the messages are and how much it hits home.

This was Mike Flanagan’s passion project and it shows. It really does. There is just so much attention to detail and passion for authenticity which makes the show even greater. This show had (and still does) such a profound effect on me that I have not felt about a piece of media in a long time. I don’t mean to big it up or anything (actually I do) but if you haven’t seen this show yet you really should because it is just amazing.

Okay that wasn’t really that short but I tried my best lol So there you have it, that’s why I’ve been reblogging about it non-stop, and more will probably be on the way lol

Thanks for reading!

[300mirrors]

Oh boy...

Catching up on everything I watched this past week because there's been so much going on! AHS Red Tide: Just as I had predicted, they set up this great story for the first 6 episodes and then messed up the last one. The writers probably didn't have an ending and panicked and just threw a bunch of nonsense together. Typical AHS. 

 AHS Death Valley: This one started off pretty bad and considering it doesn't have that many episodes I already feel like I'm going to hate it. I was waiting for aliens since Asylum, but...not...like this. The first part was AMAZING, they should've kept it in the 40s with the black and white, then they go to modern day with college students I could care less about. How they managed to get in ALL college student stereotypes is pretty impressive though lol. I'll keep watching for the throwback to the 40s, I don't care what happens in the modern day. 

 Midnight Mass: Like mostly everyone, I didn't even know it existed until Pedro Pascal posted about it and I had to check it out to see if he had horrible taste lol. I enjoyed it and I thought it was so good until maybe the last 3 episodes. They threw in so much unecessary stuff and it kind of lost the plot and went soooooo over the top in comparison to the beginning that I checked out. The first episodes were so powerful with everyone dealing with their religious beliefs and everything they had been through. Episode 2 made me sooo emotional. I almost think the reveal with the vampires actually ruined this show. It was trying to be too many things at once and it didn't deliver. 

 Squid Game: YES! If you're going to watch something, watch this! It's like Saw-Hostel-Hunger Games style. It kept me entertained and I got invested in the characters right away. This was so good, they get really into the plot and don't throw in extra things to distract, it's straight forward and right from the beginning they do really well to flesh out all of their characters that I was devastated when a lot of them died. Episode 6, seriously. I was watching episode 1 and when everyone started getting shot during Red light, Green Light, I was sitting there like :O because I wasn't expecting that. I really hope they make a second part, BUT that they don't let Americans get involved because I can see 100 different ways they can ruin it. If they happen to make an American version, I'm 100% sure it'll be awful too. 

 As The Gods Will: This is the movie everyone was saying Squid Game copied from and I can see what they mean with the kids games and all the death, but I can see where they're super different though. The story here is a litle more exaggerated and it's also a pretty good movie. I enjoyed it and it has some good twists.

[complexhaystack]

Wow... Midnight Mass was pretty well executed! Quite slow moving at times to be sure but there's a lot of symbolism... Yet draws a fine balance in a very interesting look at what faith can mean, when selfless and self-focused. The questions raised were also very intriguing, and it never becomes self righteous in its asking but leaves it open. I'm glad that also actually did explore how self-righteous faith looks like. (spoiler: horrible)

I think it ended very well, which can sometimes be a rare thing for dramas.

One thing I have to say though, is that the baseline horror plot is reaaaallly reminiscent of Shiki, which also has a village setting, similar characters who almost make it to the end, and certainly a very similar dread and the source of horror that plagued the village.

(That was one horror show that was pretty darn haunting - and I would say actually more freaky than MM despite its medium hahaha)

But despite these similarities, I think the layering of the question of faith is still an intriguing one.

Just kinda wish that the more obscure Japanese plots that are somehow echoed in Western shows are recognised too... (and like the recent Korean Squid Game - which was decent but also reaaaallly similar to already long existing survival-game horror series in Japanese manga/anime).

Nonetheless, kudos to all the actors in MM. They all did very well - both the more clear cut heroes and villains, as well as those in between. The last two heroes who kicked the bucket were very much kickass characters.

Now... Should I dare start watching Mike Flanagan's other series? This was considerably mild horror (more psychological in nature) but both the Haunting series... Shall ponder.