originally posted on tumblr, Apr 13th 2026  

Movie-A-Day-Thon #49: Cabaret (1972)

I know, I say to myself, I'll avoid another boring long movie by watching a chill one I've been meaning to watch for a while now! I say, the fool, opening up Cabaret and finding out it's 2 hours long. Well, it certainly won't be boring though, so I think we're in the clear!

The absolute suckiest part of this experience though, is that the subtitles is one of those "[Speaking in X language]" without the translation or even trasncription in the language?? Who started with this shit and how can I kill them for it, this is so INSUFFERABLE! Yeah, no shit they aren't talking in the dubbed language, I want to at least know if I'm INTENDED to understand!! Fuck, leave it with no subtitles then, that sucks less. Like, I can hear the MC going "Und Engel", I can intuit it means "And Engel", you don't need to go [MC speaking in German] THIS WHOLE SONG IS HIM SWITHCING THROUGH THREE LANGUAGES AND YOU PUT SOME OF THE LYRICS IN THE SUBTITLES WHY WOUL-- I need to calm down. It's fine, I'm an adult.

God, Liza Minelli is so delightful as Sally. She reminds me of a friend, actually, with the back and forth on topics and so animated and charming personality, and their stage presence too. And always asking about for cigarettes lmao, it's delightful!

I had quite the cackle over the "English practice party" scene, it was sooooo cringy of Ernst trying so hard to be likeable to Frauline Schneider, while Sally was just so annoyed by it all. I'm usually not one for second hand embarrassment scenes, they put me off so badly, but the comedy in this one softened the blow just enough for me to enjoy.

And the talk between Natalia and Sally was so sweet, they were both so out of their depth but Sally did try despite her discomfort with these more formal trappings of society and love. I wasn't sure about Maximillian at first but then the street scene came and. Yeah, nope. I love to see a proper polycule drama but not with a capitalist baron, fuck that guy.

I was having dinner while watching this and... needless to say, That Song ruined my appetite.

Something about the line "this girl has ruined me, she turned me into an honest man" hits so hard, and that's how you know Ludwig loves Natalia. Poor guy, trying so hard to make a living by lying (which I don't blame him for) and then poof, love. Glad he has a backbone too!

Welp, that ending sure was an ending. Great movie of course, but I think I've seen productions of it with a bit more bite.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 12th 2026  

Movie-A-Day-Thon #48: Rock and Rule (1983)

Listen, I'm not that big of an animation buff. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I haven't watched as many as I would like. So I've looked at animations that weren't by any of the big three (Disney, Don Bluth, Dreamworks) and man, most animated movie had the budget of two lint balls, some bags of crack and a dream. Apparently this one almost never got finished several times for several reasons, so fuck yeah, let's enjoy the fruits of the maker's sacrifices.

The sheer 80s-ness dripping from this movie cannot be overstated, by the way. Just everything about it is so.... mwah! It's kind of on the nose when they rotoscoped some of the character acting, and when they used reference or freehanded instead? But I don't know, I find it charming. Especially the backgrounds, when you can see the airbrushing used? I just like pre-computer animations, they are so cool!

The city from above shot was so juicy, too! I think I rewinded it several times just so I could figure out if it was a matte painting or an actual miniature!

I don't know how to properly explain how much I love how trippy this movie is, or how rad all the light effects are on this. Also Mok's design is wild, so gender ambiguous 80s yet his face reminds me of the ass judge character in the animated bits The Wall. I think it's the lips?

The demon design is fucking GREAT too, the way it shifts and changes and becomes... it's the kind of shit that would traumatize you as a kid. Makes me think of The Wall again, or a hardcore pink elephants segment. It's fucking METAL.

The story itself is a bit all over the place and redundant or drags in certain places. The animation is fun enough to carry it for the majority of of the issues it has, in my opinion. Unfortunately there was no ear worm song (for me) in a rock and roll movie, and that's tragic if you ask me.

If you want a cool ass animation and got an hour or so to burn, definitely check it out!

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 11th 2026  

Movie-A-Day-Thon #47: Vertigo (1958)

There we are, another Hitchcock movie! They show up plenty on my lists, but somehow they keep evading me when I pick them? It's kind of odd. The spirographs are a fun way to background the beginning credits, too!

The exposition does leave some to be desired. "Now we were engaged, weren't we, Midge?" What in the bizarre question?? Either he's being an ass about it, or he's trying to flirt her up - badly. But that No shoulder or back straps brassiere sounds wild, bet it must hurt like hell to wear. Luckily we soon get into the detective plot and things get more interesting.

I do enjoy the museum scene in the stalking montage, they really hammer in the details that you're supposed to take notice of. And the hotel section really was trippy. I do gotta say, something about "the gay old bohemian days of gay old San Francisco" goes so hard. Was there any other time than gay old San Francisco? Sound off in the comments (I do not know much US history, never cared to)!

Yknow I take it back actually, Johnny and Midge have the same sense of flirting finesse, which is none. Girl what were you THINKING with that painting?!

The conclusion at the church museum was well foreshadowed and well managed, but it did so feel a bit too fast. Not in a bad way but in a "wait, just like that?!?" way, you know? I don't know, I never quite liked this older movie's habit of women running away to do whatever the hell whenever they got agitated, and the male lead had to grab them and clutch to them so close and, yes this was sort of a subversion of that expectation but also. Huh??

I've found there are two kinds of movies of 2hrs or more: they either are a chore to get through and you must pay active attention at all times or you will drift off. Or they make supremely good use of their running time and they do not waste your time, energy or investment. GoodFellas for example, was 2 hours long yet I hardly felt those two hours, I was so enraptured by the narrative.

Vertigo is... somewhere in between? I did thoroughly enjoy it, and those 2 hours didn't drag, but there were times where the quiet scenes left my mind wandering more than introspecting and engaging with the movie. And after Madeleine, my interest waned somewhat, reminded me a bit how I felt so derelict after the shower scene in Psycho. Why is the movie still going, why am I still here, what else is left?

Tell you why, another plot explanation and awful case of grief denial I've seen. I know Hitchcock has this thing about telling the audience more than the characters do, so it builds suspense. Well I think in this one instance, we could have done without the reveal at first and then the moment it clicks would have hit like a goddamn truck. We already had the setup for the necklace, the payoff would have been much more potent without the letter interrupting the narrative flow.

And can I say. Bullshit ending. Good movie yeah, but bullshit ending.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 10th 2026  

Movie-A-Day-Thon #46: Crimson Peak (2015)

So I have this thing, probably and ADHD thing, that when I watch a movie I really like, I listen to it on repeat in the background. Mind that I also do that with music, sometimes it sticks for months at a time, I just can't quit. Yet, for all that I love Del Toro, and I love all his movies dearly, this phenomenon has never happened with Del Toro movies. Ever. Which is kind of weird, because I certainly don't mind rewatching them to show someone or just with myself. But I have to watch them, intently, and never just have them in the background. I don't know how to explain why this is exactly, but it does make me ponder sometimes.

Anyway, here is another Del Toro movie.

It's hard to put in words just how wonderful he is as a director when he can dodge Hollywoodian realism. Not to say this movies aren't grounded in their own way, but some of the style he brings to the table reminds me of magical realism, which of course isn't too far from his interests. All this to say, the fade close on the girl's face as she recollects this grim, nebulous ghost visiting her at night, while lit by golden lamps and green ominous ambiance, is fucking superb.

Seeing Hiddleston again in a 2015 movie is like seeing a ghost of the past, rather fitting for the movie in question. Haven't seen him around as much, wonder what he's been up to of late... Okay I googled and seems he's going more for series and theater, good for him. Also he's younger than Gerard Way by four years??? That's wildddd to me, he looks so much older!

Back to the movie, and it was such a quick detail, barely noticeable but I caught it. In the setting shot before the dinner, there is a streetlamp, and in it the flames looks almost green before the hue shifts to the expected orange. It reminded me of color fuckery you can do with some image editing, like gradient maps? Regardless it looked SO FUCKING COOL.

Of course, the costumes slay just in general, but this is Del Toro, are we really surprised?

I LOVE the park scene where the Sharpes stand by the tree, their darkened silhouettes as they conspire framing Edith, sunlit and in white, in the background off focus. You can sniff out how targetted Thomas' attentions were until now, but this scene confirms it and it's so ominous!

Once we reach Cumberland, I felt oddly at home with all the red clay dirt. We have very red dirt here in Brazil, especially here in the southeast states, so seeing it always reminds me of my childhood visiting my grandma's and aunt's places in the countryside. Yeah the sceneary makes it rather clear the dirt was brought in for the set design, but honestly I couldn't care less!

I do love how the movie almost feels like a thriller puzzle game, or a point-and-click mystery. Clues are found, and then Edith must find ways to decipher them as she goes. A chest with a name? That needs a key with the same name! Wax recordings? Wouldn't you know, a gramophone player is in the chest! It's neat and tidy in a really simple but satisfying way, it's fun. And once the plot is set, the storm closes in and now it's a survival gothic horror and IIIII LOVE IT.

And well, talk about the right tool for the job...

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 9th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #45: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2001)

Aaaand here we are, I said I'd do this one right after, and sure enough, a bird of my word! Maybe in this one Dan gets to bone down with someone?

Holy jump in animation quality, Batman! The background art, the framerate, the compositing, the detailing, it's everything and more! And wow, D wasn't that much of a looker in the first one but in this? Wolf whistle!

The aesthetic has changed as well, not so much 70s/80s metal fantasy mish-mash, and closer to 90s dystopia scifi. Less clashing elements all bundled together, and more influences enmeshed into something more cohesive. It's not as whacky fun, but visually enjoyable.

Also helps It's such an iconic movie.

I also deeply appreciate that Leila has waaay more depth than Doris had, and that the cast in this one is way more interesting. Watching a kid wield a gun twice his size is only so much fun, yknow?

The bridge scene is true romance, by the way. If you even care. Now that's juicy.

And the castle?! Oooooh the castle..... good LORD it's gorgeous, what a phenomenal design. The movie has been a great watch, but the entire castle sectiok is a joy to behold in every way.

I don't think there's a single shot or scene in it that doesn't eat and clean the whole plate. I knew there was going to be a twist on there somewhere because of Carmilla, but damn I didn't expect this. Delicious!

I can't stress this enough, if you haven't watched this yet, you definitely should. Just beware the flashing lights, like my god there's so much flashing lights.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 8th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #44: Vampire Hunter D (1985)

I am what one might call an internet oldie, and byt that I mean, my birth year starts with 19. I was there for a lot of the internet wild west days, and I saw a lot of the olden memes come and go. I did in fact, spend considerable time browsing through icanhazcheezburguer.com. Back when it was good anyway.

And one thing I did see, was back when the Vampire AMV came out. Yeah, that one. It was in fact the first taste I had of Vampire Hunter D, and since then I always told myself, oh I need to watch this, the animation looks so juicy! Then I find out, the clips from this is from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, which I will be watching next.

Immediately I am in love with it. The gushing blood, the futurisitic horror beasts, the cybernetic horse, the stone cold classic vampirism, the whole of it! It's so very pulpy PULPY fiction 80s and I LOVE IT!! What, is this medieval, or post-apocalyptic scifi, or high fantasy? No one knows and no one cares!!! This is just plain fun and corny and dumb and I don't careeeee!!

The animation gets a bit wonky here and there, sure, but overall it's more charming than a nuisance, and it does have some really nice moments too. And well, it being so 80s unfortunately means barely dressed women getting assaulted or slobbered on by men. Unfortunate times.

It does have some tropes I really adore, though. Like if there's one thing I love, it's a talking weapon or attatched symbiote that belongs to a quiet loner type. No sir, you will be nagged and interacted with, there's no escape, not like you can just ditch your left hand when it hits too close to home! Oh, and a class of vampires called "nobles"?? Nobility criticism in my vampire media?? Sign me up!

Also damn, Greco ate it just like that, huh? I knew he wouldn't last but wow. It's kind of funny that the lady vampire hates humans so much, she 180s into being a girl's girl and being willing to let Doris leave, so long as she stays far away from her father. Too bad about her true nature though.

Lowkey didn't expect the maybe-Dracula-son lore drop, but in retrospect, it was right in my face huh? Only Dracula's kids have this much drip, and luscious locks.

Anyway this is a cult classic for a reason, good shit!!

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 7th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #43: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Okay I recall seeing a lot about this one when it came out, and a bit more when the sequel came in too. I know some basics of the plot, and the iconic scenes everyone references. I have high hopes for this one, and following up a movie like Eraserhead with Kingsman souns like the perfect kind of whiplash for me!

The falling debris bouncing into the intro credits lettering is the kind of bullshit quirky thing I haven't seen since... what, Spy Kids?? That was so wild.

The camera work is pretty decent for an action movie. Don't get me wrong, the editing and cuts are really well-done, and despite the shakiness, it never gets confusing or hard to follow the action. But jt does get a bit Much. Makes me think fo tiktok edits ngl. The fight choreography is a bit too clean as well but, this is the 2010s, everything was Marvelesque in that way. Also everything was like, cool and exciting and loud brass in the soundtrack and british. Shit in the 2010s just had to be british somehow.

Also fuck you Galahad, you should have fucked up and let Margaret Thatcher get got.

Anyway, the church scene. No wonder it's so iconic, I just wish they didn't rely on the camera shakes to get the energy of it across. Once you ignore the shaking, it's not as fast-paced or energetic, which in itself isn't bad, but the shaking just makes it feel gimmicky. Just the camera movements and coreography would have carried it just fine! But still, phenomenal scene, no further notes.

Actually one note, about the camera work in the movie. I kind of love how snappy it gets, not only in following the action, but also in setting up bits. It's not only Eggsy looking around, it's us. It's not only Arthur's gaze and focus being led away, it's ours. It's cheeky and kind of cute, but also gives the movie a lot of character. makes us feel as in on the joke AND part of the bit. It works great!

Mark Hamill ate that role, he knows exactly the kind of movie he's in haha. Oh and I recognize Gazelle, she was in Atomic Blonde! Guess she got a type cast af the time, Good for her! Wait, is that the father from The Vvitch too?? Damn he cleans up nice.

I had a blast with this one! Typical popcorn action movie, very fun very 2010s, for better or worse. If it's somehow slipped you by so far, I'd consider it for a movie night with the pals! Well, unless you're particularly sensitive to climate doomerism, terminal misantropy and "we gotta cull some of mankind to fix the climate" bullshit. Which I wouldn't blame you, that really put a damper on my enjoyment of the movie whenevr it came up.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 6th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Then #42: Eraserhead (1977)

Yknow, it's just my luck. I know basically nothing about this movie except the title, which is fine, love finding out about a movie as I watch it. But then one of my follows starts dropping, weird creature baby art that is apparently related to this movie?? Needless to say I'm more confused than I thought. Not only that, but I get started on the thing and I go "why does this feel like a David Lynch movie even though I've never watched a David Lynch movie?" Well, the answer is, it's because IT IS a David Lynch movie. and my first one to boot!

We're off to a fantastic start.

Once we are past the space adventure into, I can't help but be reminded of Eyes Without A Face, as we follow Henry through every little minute detail. It's sedate and pensive, but I'll admit it dragged for me somewhat. The walled up window somehow reminded me of Kafka's depressive writings, and the scene with the suckling puppy noises nearly drove me up the wall.

I'm not a misophonic person but the smack of lips and tongue snaps drive me INSANE. It's one of the reasons I can't stand speech in ASMR at all. If I hear your moist fucking tongue make one more sound into my ear, I will commit atrocities to your comment section.

Gross noises aside, I have to be honest, those were some of the most uncomfortable and disturbing 30 minutes of film I've ever experienced, and I've experienced quite a few by now. There are so many little things done so intently to create such an uncanny and upsetting atmosphere. The elevator taking a bit too long, uncomfortable breaks in dialogue, bizarre happenings, it all just builds up so steadily, I was ready to pause the movie and pace by the time the dinner scene ended.

This is not a diss on Mary or anything, but the baby's crying was so soft to me? I honestly expected it be way louder and shrill like actual fussy baby crying. If it was, I probably would have gone mad way before she did, cus good lord is that baby crying for a solid ten continuous minutes there.

It only gets more bizarre after, too, with the hallucinations (or are they?) and weird sperm worms and the lady in the radiator and the fucking infanticide and...

I really don't know how to feel about this one, guys. It's succeeded in being one of the most baffling and upsetting watches of my life so far, if anything. I respect it a lot for its place in film history and as a work of art, but it's not one for me. I didn't hate the time I had watching it, but it was not pleasant or entertaining in the slightest. Watching this wasn't like pulling teeth, but it was like pushing through horrid period cramps on your way home, but you're in an hour long train ride and the AC is cranked to high.

All I can do is sit here and be Affected by what I watched, while finding no resolution for this affect. I think this is right, though. I think it's what Mr. Lynch would have wanted.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 5th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #41: Suspiria (1977)

So how's that for some oomph?? This one is another Big Movie(tm) that scares me off cus having an opinion on it feels so moot and just a drop in the ocean, but god damnit if the looks aren't interesting, I'm so fucking ready.

Right away the color grading makes the reds and yellows pop so fiercely, I have to put on some eye drops, which if you ask me is a wonderful sign. And the shots right away draw you in with the use of the theme leitmotif and constant cuts, and the bounce lights inside the taxi.... I'm in love.

Every set feels so uncanny and dream-like, borderline liminal, and the colors are so stark, it's anxiety inducing. Certainly puts you on edge, wondering if you're in reality or not. Also Pat's murder was so Much, but in a good way? The sound design and mixing really made it so unnerving and upsetting, yet I couldn't look away!

Sometimes the acting is a bit wonky, or a bit unconvincing, but the cinematography and sound carry the tension and unease of the scene far more strongly. It also doesn't help that most of the lines have been dubbed over, and you can tell because the lipsync is so off.

Honestly I could ramble about how yummy the set designs are all day. Not a single location in this movie isn't a wonder to behold, and turns each scene into a spectacle in some way. It's such an unrepentantly colorful movie, and intentional with it as well. The hallways are not, in fact, "just red".

I will say, the portrayal of Daniel, the blind character. grated on me a bit. The casual ableism towards him (and Pavlos too, my god) really hurt to see. And I know it's not exactly feasible to get a properly trained guide dog on set given the demand for them at the best of times, but this dog acts out and is treated so oddly throughout the movie. Anyone with some baseline knowledge of how seeing dogs behave, are treated and perform their duties will know they just slapped a harness on a regular dog with basic training and rolled the tape. Like, who leaves their guide dog tied up outside with no shelter, water or food?? At least let him stay inside where it's safe!!

The movie itself is really good, has some cheesy effects but I forgive it since every shot is such eye candy, but some scenes do tend to drag out a bit much. Like I get it, the girl is panicking, and trying to escape, and anguished, and and and, can we get on with it now? But in the gradn scheme of things, that's such a minor thing I feel a bit dickish even bringing it up.

Definitely give it a try, especially if you wanna explore what colored lighting, sound design and set design can do for a movie!

 

TADC/ Caine's death

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 4th 2026

This is nothing new, everyone understands the tragedy of what happened with Caine. How unfair it is when a character doesn't get his resolution or finishes his arc. How it SUCKS to see a life cut short before his time and especially when it was an accident. How brutal that cut off feels and how much it mirrors real life, when you lose someone to unexpected chance.

But to me what hurts MOST, beyond the grief, beyond the unfairness. Beyond all that, is that narratively speaking, he's probably died to teach the cast a lesson so that Jax can be redeemed.

If you look at the thesis of it all, that "the worst thing you can do is make someone feel like they aren't wanted or loved" is that people forget the last part. "You never know when you're going to lose them." This had been hinted from the start, and we all reasonably thought this meant someone might abstract, that we were going to lose someone in the cast, and we didn't (mostly) think Caine was going to be the one we lose. The fandom made the same mistake of the cast, and focused on the humans and didn't pay attention to the slow emotional decay of Caine.

But we have lost him, and now I think the cast will reconsider how they've been navigating their relationships and connections. They might fear another loss, and they will double down on getting Jax to change before it's too late for him. And in between this reconsidering and rearrangement of priorities and connections, maybe finally Jax snaps or is driven to a point where he either bends or he breaks.

And I... highkey hate this possibility. It only makes the loss sting more, cus now he's once more just a tool for humans. A stepping stone in their progress, and most of all, disposable. An acceptable loss for the furthering of the narrative that once again favors Jax.

As of yet, I still trust Goose to give us a solid, satisfying if bittersweet ending to the series. It will NOT be a happy ending, and to hope for one is delusional, in my opinion. But if Caine's death only leads to the cast's narrative arcs and not much else, not even an emotional resolution to his effective death... I will be severely disappointed.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 4th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #40: The Last Man on Earth (1964)

VINCENT PRICE TIME ONCE MORE AYYYYYY!! So I glimpsed on the summary of this movie and I went, "wait is this I Am Legend??" and sure enough, it is! It's I Am Legend before Will Smith got to it! I'm hoping this movie sticks closer to the novel's plot, since we have a white man heading this one.

I had a chuckle over Price rolling out of bed, going "another day to live through, better get started..." in such a despondent tone, and then him shambling around the place with the veeery dramatic orchestra blasting over it. Like damn, yeah that's what getting started with my day sometimes feel like. Also Price can rock any outfit he wears, but somehow the homely unbuttoned shirt over a tank top and trousers looks particularly amazing on him? Guess it's the homebody chic.

Coming out from A Quiet Earth so fresh in my head, the narration kind of grates on me. Noooo, trust me as the audience to understaaaaand, don't baby meeeeee. It's also quite comical to see a neatly stocked supermarket in what were supposed to be the end times. No looters existed I guess?? Also why isn't he gardening for fresh garlic? I get that he has limited daylight time but c'mon.

I know Morgan has been doing this for a long time now, but seeing him pop open a bottle and play some record while the vampires bang at his barricades is quite the visual. Almost as much as Morgan laughing at a comedy video and it turning into crying. Yeah, three years of solitude would do that.

Having such a long flashback sequence to explain how it all went down is, meh, but I feel like talking down about it even worse. Again, this is a movie from a different time, before these kinds of stories had become mainstream, and it's not that much of a wild direction either. It gives me some reprieve from the narration though, which is a plus.

Pretty okay movie, might look for something with more oomph next.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 3rd 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #39: Atomic Blonde (2017)

See? I listened to myself, I'm such a good bird. Haven't done a good gun-fu movie in a hot second, now's the perfect time! And I love me some Charlize Theron, let's fucking go!

The janky ass car toss was... quite a way to start. I forgive it though cus then gave me full-on mommy shoulder muscles. Fuck yeah. Not sure if the platinum blonde works for her though, or just how annoyed I should be at the extremely winter blue color grading they got going on. Also god McAvoy's german is atrociouuuuuus, but his character is so fun. I love when he gets to play a motherfucker. "Don't shoot, I got your shoe?" What a loser I love him.

There's something really amusing to watch period movies set in recent times, cus I can (and have) watched movies from that period, and the crash in quality for costumes and props is. Genuinely. Concerning. I know it's not meant to be hyperrealistic or anything, it's all mostly vibes, but I can even see the fabric quality going to hell. And the costuming feels more like a pinterest board than anything real. Makes it a bit hard to take any of the tension seriously, or genuinely.

Also Bremovytch's introduction was so, whatever? Oh no, big bad guy has a temper and doesn't know how to do a basic interrogation, how threatening. No presence, no eloquence, no impact. Just a guy.

OHHH WILHELM SCREAM JUMPSCARE!

This is a longass film, and the few spurts of action and lesbianism sure don't do much to keep my attention, I had to take two different breaks to get through this one.

I said in Monkey Man that I love messy combat, and I love when protagonists fumble, and I get both of that in Atomic Blonde, BUT! I don't feel like any of the combat has any real weight. The punches don't land as satisfyingly, and the camera keeps doing the can-can dance and following the action just makes me feel annoyed. Also why is everything so fucking blue-grey!!!! It only makes the CGI look bad!!! That blood spatter is far too saturated and it stands out too much!!!!

At least Lorraine gets nice and messy and bloody, and she's not in fucking heels. She got put through the ringer and it fully shows, even afterwards in the framing device report scenes. And I do appreciate the commitment with the car chase long shot, it was corny but cool.

Percival giving a damn speech to the audience was so damn stupid I'm almost charmed. Almost. If we had gotten more monologues and fourth wall breaks, I think I'd have liked this movie more. Also if she was Satchel, and Percival was Satchel, then who was phone?

 

TADC/ Names

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 3rd 2026

damn i just realized smth that feeds into my digital equals theory (to be elaborated):

Caine explains in the Pilot that nobody remembers their names in the Digital Circus. in episode 8, we find out people who know each other also can't remember the other's names.

Kinger doesn't remember Queenie's name and vice-versa, as she seems to agree to the voiced sentiment that he wishes he did. Kinger later then says that he can't remember Scratch's original name either.

Kinger also says, "I don't recall what we called him before" in regards to Caine. Caine is a name he gave to himself, because he also can't recall his own name. Because he's as trapped as the cast. Because they have more in common with each other than not, at the end of the day.

My digital equals theory is an expansion to the SOMA/brain scan theory, in that both the 'humans' and Caine and other ""true"" AIs are all fundamentally the same kind of program. Creative AIs capable of emotional depth, and the emotional depth is a bit beyond binary code and hardware, thus extreme emotional turmoil over a period of time causes abstraction/catastrophic code failure.

There are only two significant differences between them and Caine. One, is that Caine is more in tune with his AI nature, and also being the creator of the circus, has more file permissions than the cast, thus his higher capability for summoning and affecting his surroundings.

Second, this self-identification affects them all negatively. It not only isolates Caine from the others because they other and dehumanize him as a mere AI program, but it also alienates the cast from their own capacity to affect the Circus and the rest of the digital realm.

Caine not knowing his own name like every other human that joins the Circus only adds to that, as well as a few other hints in the story.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 2nd 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #38: The Quiet Earth (1985)

I tell myself, damn some of these movies are really slow, I should probably watch something more modern or action-oriented to keep myself invested in this project. I tell myself that, yet I pick the movie with "quiet" on the title. I'm gonna listen to myself next time, I promise.

At least the first post-intro shot is just. Full on cock and balls? Dude was straight up naked from top to tip for like five minutes of this movie. Good for us!! Also I love that the first voice line we hear is "Hello?", it really sets the vibe I feel. Nothing gets you primed like an empty gas station with a long-overboiled kettle, clearly left abandoned.

This movie truly is committed to the silence, and I dig it so hard. There's no monologue narration or anything either, it truly trusts the audience to intuit what the main character is feeling and thinking just by letting us follow along with him, and seeing what he sees. I can't recall who exactly said it, but in film I saw some essayist say that silence invites introspection from the audience, and they really make the most of it here. Making the character have way more knowledge than the audience is also a great touch.

The slow but increasingly bold breaks of social etiquette is also great to see. I mean, when there's no longer a society to hold you to, well, anything, then you can just do whatever, right?? We often say "do whatever so long as you don't hurt anyone" and well, there's no one to even hurt or help at all anymore. Why not sleep in a luxurious villa or drive a car inside a shopping mall? Fuck it!

I will say though, you wouldn't catch me dead eating pastries that have been out on display for about a week. Buddy, there are no doctors to treat you if you get food poisoning!

"I've been condemned to live" is such a baller line too, as he embraces the solitude of his existence now, and his hand in causing it. I do love how the camisole slowly comes apart in time, and it almost looks stereotypically caveman outfit like. Then he reaches the bottom then knocks himself out of it, walks into the sea, starts trying again. Dude really is toeing the edge again and again. And then suddenly someone?? So much has happened and I'm not even halfway through!!

Also the line "God just blinked and the whole world disappeared? A world of noisy, brawling, wonderful human beings?" made me tear up a bit.

I won't lie, the tension that builds up by the climax felt so.... contrived? Or at the very least rushed. Joanne didn't seem to be that upset about Zac's possible role in this entire mess besides some passing jabs, then suddenly she's lashing out at him for what Api said (and not said), and Api is lashing out at everyone for it, and Zac is magically saying just the wrong things to everyone, and just... Feels like too much, when we could have watched the tensions build a bit more carefully.

That said, I love we do get the "he tells lies" three times. Very textbook.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Apr 1st 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #37: Night of the Living Dead (1968)

I don't recall hearing much on this one in the past, but I do recall it coming up in a video essay about zombie horror and it's themes, which is how it ended up on my radar at all. Imagine my surprise to see it on the Criterion collection!

It's nice to know where the "they're coming for you, Barbara" joke came from, if anything. Always fun getting blindsided by pop culture references, even the ones almost 60 years old! And damn that's some intelligent, problem-solving zombie right there. Don't see those much anymore.

Well, ghouls, they are called ghouls in this one, but for ease of understadning I'll keep calling them zombies.

Sadly the action is a bit on the sedate side, which isn't bad, but the soudntrack being so intense about it makes it a bit dissonant. It's not bad, it's just... I can already feel this movie might be a slog to go through. The first forty minutes sure weren't easy Barbara being too catatonic and grief-stricken to be of any help, and mostly setting up tropes that were cliche in zombie movies by the time I was 14.

Until the cellar people come in, it's all setup for the boarding up the house and what not, and then Ben keeps being the baddest bitch in the cast and things get entertaining again. We reach the interpersonal survival drama at last!

Also yknow what? Not enough alien radiation zombies nowadays either. Bring back more whacky zombie inciting actions!

Don't get me wrong, I love Ben the most, he's just great, but I appreciate just how hammy the acting for Harry is. Naysayers with an ego in zombie movies always grate on my nerves, but something in Karl Eastman's performance kind of turns him into a bit of a clown, so his bullshit goes down a bit easier. Even in death, he was a loser.

The way the climax picks up is a bit wild, you almost think they'll be able to develop some more plot beats or escape plans, but nope, lights go out and everything goes to hell. I really don't know how to feel. And the ending.... Yikes. Just yikes. That fucked me up more than the whole rest of the movie.