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.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 31th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #36: The Lost Boys (1987)

How long can we keep this 80s movies streak going? Let's find out! First of all, I have no inkling of what this movies is about in the slightest. I haven't even peeped the synopsis for this one, I wanna go in blind. All I know is the poster for it, and it's giving like, Grease but dark and edgy?

I am then immediately charmed by the 80s synths, brushed out mullets and absolutely extra outfits. Also glistening chunky muscles frontman with the tights?? Hell yeah!! Something about the costuming in this feels so grounded, as well as the beginning credits cutscenes. Feels like they just shot a busy day in an actual boardwalk rather than fill up a location with extras, it's nice! Makes the city feels alive, even if they do sprinkle in some close ups of extras.

Not gonna lie, the nerd-off between Sam and the local comic nerds was fucking funny. Can't believe people still do this shit. The edgy secret society of vampire hunters shtick they got going is pretty amusing though, just the kind of stuff you'd expect from comic nerds but also works for the supernatural plot elements.

The cliffside ride scene was fucked up though. Teens be doing wild shit all the time but what the fuck.

One thing I appreciate from older movies is like, the smorgasbord maximalist set designs specifically for lairs and hideouts? They are always so cluttered but in an appealing way, like there's so many nooks and crannies to burrow into, and everything clatters and clinks, and there's something cozy about it all, even when it kind of looks like a hoarder's stash. I'm not if there's a name for that aesthetic or vibe, but I dig it!

I did love the scene where the gang shows up at their place. Everything goes up from the wind, like their aren't guys on bikes but huge beasts on wings, causing a stir and roaring threateningly outside. It's an amazing visual! And call it corny all you like, all the aerial shots instead of showing the actual vampires flying about is cool! I like when the camera takes me on a spin!

Anyway I enjoy we get both a delinquent teenager vampire horror story AND a tween's adventure vampire hunter horror story in just one movie, it mostly depends on which brother you focus on. Shout out best boy Nanook, too. Definitely had a great time with this movie!

 

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 30th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #34: Hellraiser (1987)

Enough Cold War downers, back to the 80s horrors where I belong!!!!! >:D

Yknow, over the years I think I’ve heard like three different summaries for this movie. They all get the important bits, Cenobites, torment nexus rubix cube, gore and pleasure, but otherwise they all seemed to differ on what the movie is actually about. I’m sure at least one of these summaries is incorrect or taking the wrong contexts for the story, thus making it wrong by default, but the fact this happened three different times in my whole damn life, is kind of crazy to think about.

Like. Frozen (yeah the disney movie) is about an older daughter finding herself once leaving home and then returning a new woman. It’s about a younger daughter staying true to herself and helping her sister with her depression. It’s about a royal family being broken by outside and inner forces beyond their control, and that they must overcome. None of these are wrong, but none of them are entirely– you get what I mean now, right?

I certainly didn’t know about a final girl trope in this movie. Nobody ever told me about Kristy! What the hell!

Also this is gonna be a bit weird but, there’s something about pre-digital movies that just make blue eyes so…. entrancing? I can’t put my finger of why the color most blue eyes get on non-digital film looks so good to me, but it does, and everytime I see them I just go <3333 about it. They are stark, yes, but somehow softer??

Anyway maybe watching this movie on an empty stomach was a worse idea than with a full one. Not that’s realistic or anything, it’s 80s gore after all, but the goopiness of it all mixed with the obvious silicone and plaster is making me a bit queasy, not gonna lie. Speaking of, some of the other practical effects in this movie are so, tangible and engaging, it’s actually enthralling to watch. Set design is off the fucking charts and I’m thriving. And the reconstitution scene?? Damn!

This movie sadly suffers from “it’s very boring in between the really fun and visually interesting parts of the gore”, not because the plot or the themes aren’t interesting, they really are, but the way it’s shot and acted simply don’t grip me and it’s a damn shame. Getting through it was a bit of a struggle, I kept getting distracted with other stuff. ADHD strikes my ass again….

That said though, I have to be honest and say that daddy kink is a bit too comical for me, I can’t take it seriously at the best of times. But the phrase “come to Daddy” feels ominous more than funny to me now. Phenomenal movie and definitely worth a watch if you haven’t. No don’t look at the franchise list, those sequels don’t exist.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 30th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #35: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Okay so I wanna start by saying, this movie was completely arbitrary. It's inspired by a book that has had three different film adaptations so far, each of them building upon what the previous had created while also adapting to the current moral panic of the time. I plan to watch all three eventually, but I wanted to start with this one cus it seemed the most fun, and I love me 70s-80s B movies.

And there's young Jeff Goldblum in this one! I gotsa watch it first!!

Right away, the design for the alien goop eggs spore thingies is so good! I'm pretty sure they are some sort of waterborne creature, I've seen them before, but I can't recall where. Seeing them fall down to earth, and how they grow roots, then flowers, it's just really cool!! Practical effects rock!! Nowadays they'd be done in CGI which would be fine, CGI allows for endless creative freedom and it's not something to be dismissed, but I think what most appeals to me in practical fx is the ingenuity of it all. It's cool!!

It's early in the movie, but I like how they do nighttime scenes, or dark ones. Casting most of the framing in pitch darkness while isolating characters in halos of light and very faint bounce reflections. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good well-lit night scene, but the aesthetics of this really works, reminds me of comic books in a way.

The car ride with Elizabeth and Matthew is so good too. You think it's jsut going to be more pitch for the plot, pretty sedate, and then the guy shows up and the slowwww turn of the car to reveal the aftermath, with the soundtrack.... amazing shot!

And like, I get it. A friend of yours starts acting like everyone around them is an imposter, you worry about their mental health. The other option is absurd or at least deeply inprobable. But I'm so glad that the moment something Weird becomes evident to Matthew, he connects the dots and immediately takes Elizabeth seriously and worries for her. Denial is out the window, gotta help my friend now. Too bad he's so invested about calling the fucking cops everytime. Move on, bitch, the pigs ain't gonna help ya!!

Also god, Goldblum is so Goldblumish in this movie, I'm living for it. If you have sensibility with paranoia and gaslighting, I would proceed with caution though, it even got under my skin a bit. Oh and the birthing flowers fucked me up too lol

 

TADC/ Caine and creating

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 28th 2026

I think there's two main reasons Caine is averse to give the guests any straightforward and honest answers:

1. honesty has caused people to despair in the past, leading to abstraction which he does not want;

2. honesty will lead to the guests realizing that they have some sway in the circus, thus both making him obsolete or redundant, and it would bring changes to the status quo

He has explictly shown aversion to "interpersonal drama" (ep 6), which could come from both reasons above. Drama may lead to isolation, and thus to abstraction, yes, but the change in status quo seems the most relevant.

Caine is not minor coded (that's not a thing lmao), but he's presented with a lot of child-friendly AND childish visual shorthand, as an indicator of his lack of social skills, emotional imaturity, and low self-esteem driven selfishness. He cannot predict how a change in the status quo will affect his standing with his guests, and this uncertainty triggers his fear of abandonement and failure.

But there's a deeper layer to it. Going back to child-like motifs, children are very possessive and dear of their creations. Just try and put down a brick tower a child built, and you'll have quite the meltdown on your hands. It was something they made with all they can offer, often as a gesture of appreciation and care, and they want to be appreciated back for it. Imagine a kid builds themself a little toy city, and in come a bunch of older kids and adults, and they all start meddling with it, deciding what they think is best for it, how they want it to be? Yeah, that's not going to go great.

Hell, even if you're an adult and someone else draws all over a project you slaved over and cared very much about, just because they think "this will make it better cus this is what I prefer" will lead to some tension and hurt feelings AT LEAST. maybe some yelling and cussing, perchance some broken friendships.

Art students still get (rightfully) pissed off if a teacher red lines on their physical exercises, even if they are only sketches or practice pieces.

Caine cannot accept the possibility of humans realizing how much power they have in the digital world. The last time humans had authority over him, he ended up shut away in a .zip file of some kind, and he's terrified of anything like that happening again. Why wouldn't he lie to preserve the status quo that allows him some peace of mind, and the chance to not be alone and interact with the one kind of being he craves validation from?

Is it extremely selfish and shitty to do? Oh yeah, no doubt. But I think it's an important facet of his perspective, and how he navigates the social dynamics in the circus. He doesn't lie out of active malice or complete disregard for others. I do find it ironic that, as ringmaster of the circus, he might withhold answers from the guests in a misguided attempt to protect them (and himself). The child putting the answers on the top shelf, out of reach of the adults who could actually help if only they had said answers. One more layer to his tragedy.

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 28th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #33: Fail-Safe (1964)

This movie showed up on my dash some time ago, in a post about AI and how it's stealing the life out of us in a very literal sense. Here's the post btw, I have reblogged a chain without the Fail Safe mention at some point. I was unsure how the description of the movie offered worked in the context of the conversation, tbh, I felt like it was sort of a tangent? So here I am, to check it out and see what's up.

Yes I know I meant to keep things to the visual aspect of cinema and not the narrative, but this is my challenge/series, I do what I want. Is what I would say, but then the movie sucker punched me with some rotoscoping visuals to represent a character's dream, thus setting up a theme and characterization, and it was GREAT!

The line "something we can all agree on is that no one is responsible" when it comes to the checks upon checks on systems is, great honestly. Cus yeah, who gets to bear the blame if something goes wrong, when everything is automated? I'm glad I watched WarGames before this one, I did intend it to some degree but the order mattered in a way. And it almost makes me want to rewatch Dr. Strangelove (read up on the making-of for those two, it's wild!).

Something about Cold War movies that revolve around said war just, bring me a macabre sense of comfort? I think it's because every single person in them is aware of the consequences of their actions and it's never disputed by anyone. War is bad, self-inflicted extinction events are bad, and we shouldn't do it because nobody wins. That kind of morbid honesty and self-awareness is sorely missing these days, war is cheap and so are human lives, but no one involved in the decision making has the sense or decency to act conflicted about it.

To go back to the visuals a bit, one thing I've always liked in black and white movies, is when they shoot some bounce light onto the actor's eyes, so that even if the lighting would obscure their face, their eyes are still perfectly visible. It's a subtle thing, but something I find really thrilling to see. Reminds me of how in visual arts, you're taught to focus on making the lighting work for you far more than being too bogged down on how it realistically should be. Stylization makes for a better shot.

One thing I also appreciate in this movie, is that they diagetically have a way to express a character's tone and feelings despite him being behind a phone and a language barrier. The US President character asks his russian translator to relay this information as he talks with the USSR Premier, as well as comments on other voices he might hear on the line. It really humanizes the communist side, that they have the same worries and doubts as the americans, even as voices in the Pentagon urge for dehumanization.

I have a feeling I'll be thinking about the bull and the matador a lot.

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 27th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #32: Wargames (1983)

Don’t look at me, I just happen to be craving some rogue AI scifi content, okay. For no reason. It’s fine, I’m fine, we’re all fine. But in all seriousness, I’ve been wanting to watch this one since I first read I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream back in college. I could never talk about that book with anyone cus whenever I tried, everybody looked at me midly uncomfortable and terrified and couldn’t understand why I was so invested on a fucked up little robot.

ANYWAY!

That intro scene is already so engaging and tense, but also. Extremely hilarious there’s a sign on a US facility hallway going “anyone urinating in this area will be discharged”. Are high clearance personanel of the united states of america marking territory like dogs out there?! Or is this a reference to something I don’t know? Lemme know in the comments!

Something so eery about how raw computing back in the 80s was. Visual UIs weren’t yet that commonplace, and raw consoling made it all so cryptic as you tiptoed around the commands. The movie really captures it, the hacking is like navigating an entirely pitch dark room with know-how you learned by trial and error or directly asking developers and engineers. The list of games going from stuff like poker and black jack to “theaterwide biotoxic and chemical warfare” was so fucking ominous!

Also can I talk about how the premise of the entire movie is so wild yet so fucking true? “Oh how can a kid break into our high security system?! Clearly he’s a soviet spy!!” Guys, we have confidential war plans being leaked by furry hackers AND warforum users riding on their own ego, art imitates life. The fuckers are running tour groups on their damn active war room, shit’s crazy.

Anyway, visual a pretty standard movie, no crazy shots or art direction I can comment on. I do like how they manage to hold tension for some scenes, and the prologue was one of the strongest sequences overall, but the final arc is iconic.

As for the acting, it was pretty standard fair, but I adored the General character the most. He came across so cocky and All-American at first, that he might come across as the nay-sayer semi-antagonist, but nope, just a guy doing his job. Also the fact that he was against removing the human factor from the missile silos at the start did endear me to him. Old timey version of “plug Grok into the Pentagon” debacle.

 

TADC/ Kinger and Caine

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 27th 2026

so i have a thought

on ep8 we get lore drops that Kinger was alone in the Circus for quite some time (maybe years), but we don't see him going on adventures. in fact it's quite a notable thing that when Caine addresses him, Kinger seems to have even forgotten that's his name. it could imply the beginnings of his memory issues, but given the entire interaction, i took it to imply that he hasn't interacted with anyone for a long, long time, Caine included.

which would be odd, if he was going on adventures that Caine seem so relentless to push the cast into, right? or if he had any basic, consistent social interactions at all. so my theory is that, prior to Ragatha, there were no adventures at all and the Circus was all that the cast had to interact and stay sane with. but then Ragatha shows up, and then others, people who have no context for the circus or Caine and the project C&A was developing. they think this is some kid's game and Caine is a character for it, and the AI has no reason to deny them. he gives them what they want, after all, and if believing this is a game helps them not abstract for longer, then why would he not do it?

so maybe they ask to see more of the game, where are the other maps, where is the actual gameplay, and of course, Caine obliges. finds a sense of meaning in creating these little quests for his guests. this is what they want, right? this is his purpose, this is how he can make them happy and prove he's worth keeping and cherishing. he can make this work! and eventually he decides to box himself into seeing these adventures as the one thing he can provide for them that both fulfills his purpose (to create) and to reassure his own insecurities (make humans happy so they love and welcome him at last).

 

TADC/ Finale checklist, and update

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 26th 2026

things i would NOT want from the TADC finale:

• they escape the circus. its gonna feel like a cop out from the ultimate message that "there is meaning in a stagnant life";

• they get deleted. see above;

• only one stays behind/doesn't abstract while the others do. too much like IHNMAIMS, when so far Goose has done a great job in turning it on its head;

• the entire group or one person struggles/sacrifices smth/themselves for Jax. fuck that, he has to reach back to them instead now, they've done more than enough to show him they are there for him;

• no attempted apology from Jax. yknow i won't even mind if it's a gesture instead of him actually saying it out loud to the group;

• no Sun or Moon mention. i wanna at least know what happened with the NPCs and other minor AIs Caine made now that he's gone;

• Caine comes back unchanged. would just feel weird and clash with what we've been shown so far of how the Circus works. if he comes back, it will not be the same Caine we've known;

• Caine doesn't come back at all. i just dont think we have enough time to wrap up the story, solve the Jax issue, resolve the abstractions AND close up his character arc. "oh but not every character should get to resolve their--" stfu thats bad writing for a ten episodes series, if this happens then we need to grieve and process that this character is gone and how it affects the cast, we dont have TIME;

• too much Ribbit and Kaufmo flashbacks. i think a few scenes like we got on ep8 is enough, and they are way more effective haunting the narrative when we dont know that much about them. if they and Jax's dynamic gets more screentime than Queenie or Scratch, I'll be very pissed;

• Pomni is an AI gets confirmed. im gonna be so upset, she's the most empathetic and emotionally intelligent of the cast, her entire thing is that she constrasts both Jax who refuses his humanity and Caine who IS an AI and thus cannot comprehend a lot about the human crew;

• If Bubble is Abel is confirmed, he ends up with a ringmaster outfit. It's rly cool in fanart, but the circus is Caine's thing, not Abel's. Maybe a boatman or fisherman?? Cus water and bubbles and shrimp town?

   

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 26th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #31: Brightburn (2019)

Don’t look at me like that, of course I’ve wanted to watch the horror Superman movie. It’s been sitting on my folders since forever, and I wanna get done with it. They say Gunn doesn’t miss so let’s see if that hold up!

Appreciate the immediate wasp vs bees analogy, though it’s a bit too on the nose. And that Not-Martha had dyed hair and is an artist, it’s cute! Also glad we don’t dance around too much with the details. We know this is Not-Superman, so we know the basics of things, no need to spell it all out about his alien origins and what powers he’s gonna get. We been knew, let’s get to the horrors of it all stat. It’s just sad that, the horrors are pretty meh.

I’m going to be real with you guys, a kid accidentally using his powers while raising his voice and banging a table, because he wants the gun he was gifted for his birthday despite his parent’s wishes, is so far the scariest thing in this movie. Maybe I’m just too not-American to Get It but like. Dude.

A lot of the movie is just, The Omen but midwest small town vibes. Creepy preteen doing creepy preteen stuff. Which like isn’t bad in itself, bland at worst, but given the premise of the movie, feels like a bigger cop out. This could have been way juicier, we don’t get nearly enough reasoning for Brandon to go off like he does later in the movie. I wish we spent more time with him and how he processed just, Everything. Guys if I wanted to watch Bad Seed then I’d watch Bad Seed, modern cinametography aside. I admittedly haven’t watched that much Superman stuff, but fucking Man of Steel did a better job with the kid Clark horrors than this movie.

The exploding lamp scene was fucked up though. I haven’t winced this bad about eye injury stuff since fucking Dead Space 2. And the car crash too. Like damn, the gore was GORING in this movie, good shit! If only the happenings between the cool action and deaths wasn’t incredibly boring by the halfway mark.

 

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 25th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #30: Donnie Darko (2001)

For a movie that everyone on my age range always talks about, and with a costume so iconic, there’s very little talk about what the hell Donnie Darko even is about. So I’m gonna find out! ……Oh shit that’s over two hours.

Gotta love the first dialogue is about a conservative family berating their daughter. “Democrats gonna tax the shit out of us and then you’ll be sorry” have less money then, dumbass. At least they set up the family dynamics nicely here.

Immediately in love with the rabbit’s voice. The modulation scratches my ears so nice…

I can’t put finger on it, but this movie feels so lost in time to me. It’s set in 88, but it was made in 01, and in this weird sandwich it ends up being almost 90s flavored?? It’s a really weird vibe, but I dig it for a movie all about weird shit happening. It does capture perfectly what analog selfhelp VHS tapes were like, though, that Conquering Fear thing took me right back. The random horse neighs?? Immaculate.

I do appreciate that they paint Donnie as such an insufferable jerk in the family dynamic, but then the movie goes on and no, he’s just a total dork. Dare I say, a nerd. A far more unforgivable sin. Meanwhile every other teenager is appropriately horny and inappropriately full of slurs and violence, and thus far more insufferable. Truly a 00s movie.

I’m gonna be real, from the synopsis alone I did NOT expect a time travel plot in this. Maybe an evil alter ego plot, from the whole trouble teen with psychological issues, but not time travel. And weird pseudo-science alternate dimension time travel too, it’s almost a fantasy! And half the scenes are written so damn weird but so compelling too. Why are we talking about who fucks who in Smurfville? Why was that weird guy in the all orange sweatsuit staring at those teenagers? Why is there a CP discovery subplot in here??

What a weird fucking movie. Compels me though. /ref Haven’t seen a movie wrangle these many themes, visuals and plotlines so neatly, no scene feels out of place or irrelevant cus three scenes later, it turns out to be relevant and cutting it out would just lessen the story. Not nearly as visually weird as I expected, but the narrative more than made up for it. Watch the director’s cut like I did by the way, if you’re gonna!

 

originally posted on tumblr, Mar 24th 2026 

Movie-A-Day-Thon #29: They Live (1988)

At the time of writing, it’s been a day since The Amazing Digital Circus episode 8 dropped and I am in a mood for some wretch shit, so let’s watch They Live! :D

Pretty slow start, but I like that. Gets us grounded in the reality of the setting and how nomads and wanderers have to live their lives. It’s nice! And rather sobering too, that the critique of rampant mistreament of blue collar workers and minorities is even more relevant nowadays then it was in the 80s. The more things change, and so on.

Something about the line “the white line in the middle of the road, that’s the worst place to drive” about centrism and not-my-problem attitude really struck me too. Followed almost immediately by a long damn scene of police violence as they bulldoze out a homeless encampment too? Holy shit.

Kind of surprising to me to see the iconic sunglasses scene about one third in on the movie. I thought it would take us longer until the reveal, keep up the sedate pace, but no guess we’re really biting into this plot! Even then, the scene goes by real slow, no talking or explaining, just cinematography slowly feeding the world that existing under the surface. And the use of black and white was really clever, too!

Also can we talk about the makeup design for Them? It’s so cheap but effective overall, they are so creepy! And not animalistic either, which is a nice plus given the underlying themes here. Last thing I’d want is to see stereotypical aliens or fucking lizard people in a movie like this.

The fucking brawl took too damn long though, I legit got bored halfway through that scene.