movies: Candyman (2021), You Can See Everything
Oct. 24th, 2026 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snickficCandyman (2021). Decades after the events of the original Candyman movie (which I saw for the first time last year), an up and coming young artist starts mining the lore of the now-demolished Cabrini-Green to inform his art and gets in way over his head.
I feel like all the reviews I saw of this were pretty mixed, a lot of "strong vibes but not nearly as good as the original," and I'm going to be honest with you, I think that's bonkers. I thought this was great. It's true that the vibes are good, with a lot of great shots and atmosphere. I'm always interested in stories about artists, so I enjoyed that angle, and the continuation of the original movie's themes works really well IMO. The occasional interludes with two-dimensional shadow puppets were all gorgeous. The eventual reveal of exactly how this story is connected to the original was very satisfying to me. I enjoyed all the actors. The actual horror is a slow build, and after like forty minutes of solid, fairly mundane storytelling, I was pretty surprised by how gory some of the murders were! There's also some progressive body horror that gets VERY gnarly, if you're into that.
I will say there's some messiness here thematically, specifically related to ( spoilers ) However, the original is pretty messy thematically, too, so honestly this felt in keeping with the spirit of the enterprise.
This was made by Black director Nia DaCosta. The only other movie of hers I've seen was The Marvels, which I thought pretty much sucked, but for reasons I suspect were totally out of her control. Based on this movie, I will absolutely watch more stuff by her.
--
You Can See Everything (2026). You know what this is about. Documentarian Lance Oppenheim (who also just made his first narrative film, Primetime) and comedian Nathan Fielder spend five weeks with convicted felon and former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and her family just before she goes to prison.
I don't give a damn about Elizabeth Holmes and had never even heard of Nathan Fielder until the first trailer dropped, so I wouldn't have gone to see this except for the hype. I'm glad I did, because it is an enthralling three hours. I saw it with a nearly full house, and the audience had MANY responses, because the movie gives you MUCH to respond to. I said elsewhere that this movie is "X for sickos," except I'm not sure what X is. It's a ride, is what I'm saying! I saw it opening weekend, so I had seen absolutely no spoilers and was very surprised when Elizabeth went to prison halfway into the runtime. "What the fuck is the rest of the movie about, then?" I said.
It turns out the second half is where things get REALLY wild. ( spoilers )
I've been keeping an eye on reactions to this movie, and I see so many people saying it's their movie of the year or even of the decade. I wish more of them would say why they feel that way, not because I don't think it's a good film, but because I struggle to believe that the public is THAT hungry for Postmodernism: The Documentary. To be fair, it has a lot going on in it, so presumably different people are responding to different aspects. IDK. I'm fascinated by the movie and almost as fascinated by the discourse.
I feel like all the reviews I saw of this were pretty mixed, a lot of "strong vibes but not nearly as good as the original," and I'm going to be honest with you, I think that's bonkers. I thought this was great. It's true that the vibes are good, with a lot of great shots and atmosphere. I'm always interested in stories about artists, so I enjoyed that angle, and the continuation of the original movie's themes works really well IMO. The occasional interludes with two-dimensional shadow puppets were all gorgeous. The eventual reveal of exactly how this story is connected to the original was very satisfying to me. I enjoyed all the actors. The actual horror is a slow build, and after like forty minutes of solid, fairly mundane storytelling, I was pretty surprised by how gory some of the murders were! There's also some progressive body horror that gets VERY gnarly, if you're into that.
I will say there's some messiness here thematically, specifically related to ( spoilers ) However, the original is pretty messy thematically, too, so honestly this felt in keeping with the spirit of the enterprise.
This was made by Black director Nia DaCosta. The only other movie of hers I've seen was The Marvels, which I thought pretty much sucked, but for reasons I suspect were totally out of her control. Based on this movie, I will absolutely watch more stuff by her.
--
You Can See Everything (2026). You know what this is about. Documentarian Lance Oppenheim (who also just made his first narrative film, Primetime) and comedian Nathan Fielder spend five weeks with convicted felon and former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and her family just before she goes to prison.
I don't give a damn about Elizabeth Holmes and had never even heard of Nathan Fielder until the first trailer dropped, so I wouldn't have gone to see this except for the hype. I'm glad I did, because it is an enthralling three hours. I saw it with a nearly full house, and the audience had MANY responses, because the movie gives you MUCH to respond to. I said elsewhere that this movie is "X for sickos," except I'm not sure what X is. It's a ride, is what I'm saying! I saw it opening weekend, so I had seen absolutely no spoilers and was very surprised when Elizabeth went to prison halfway into the runtime. "What the fuck is the rest of the movie about, then?" I said.
It turns out the second half is where things get REALLY wild. ( spoilers )
I've been keeping an eye on reactions to this movie, and I see so many people saying it's their movie of the year or even of the decade. I wish more of them would say why they feel that way, not because I don't think it's a good film, but because I struggle to believe that the public is THAT hungry for Postmodernism: The Documentary. To be fair, it has a lot going on in it, so presumably different people are responding to different aspects. IDK. I'm fascinated by the movie and almost as fascinated by the discourse.
voted, at the library
Oct. 24th, 2026 03:57 pmredbirdThe early voting locations in Boston include the main library this weekend, so after we voted I renewed my library card, and checked out a book from my library "for later" list (which is separate from my hold list). The library website says renewing a card requires proof of a Massachusetts address, but the library clerk asked me for the PIN, then renewed the card without asking for any sort of ID. adrian_turtle points out that my "I voted" sticker was evidence that I live here.
The (English/Spanish bilingual)[1] ballot takes up three large cards, because there are nine ballot questions. As I voted, I was quietly saying things like "sure," "why not?" and "absolutely no" on the ballot questions, and "he has an opponent?" for a couple of the elected offices. I was carefully not saying any of the candidate's names, nor which question was "absolutely not," to avoid any risk of influencing someone inappropriately.
[1] When I checked in, the election worker asked if English/Spanish bilingual was OK, and I said yes. I don't know whether the ballots in other languages are bilingual, or if it's one language per ballot.
Game 1
Oct. 24th, 2026 06:56 pmcosmolinguistI woke up when D came to bed, went for a pee, and then lay there in the dark realizing that it was probably about time for the first game of the World Series to start.
I can't watch playoff games like I do regular-season ones, despite the exorbitant amounts of money the MLB TV subscription still costs. But I could look up what local radio stations carried the broadcasts and pray that one would work for me online. Luckily, it did. I went with the Milwaukee broadcast, because
a) I want the Brewers to win
and
b) the commercials on the radio make me feel at home. Kwik Trip! Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time...
The game got exciting very quickly with the Brewers taking a lead to give their crowd some reason to scream so loud I couldn't hear what the announcers were saying any time one of their bats touched the ball, even if it was on its way to a routine out.
I got tired and tried turning the radio off and going back to sleep, but I just lay there and wondered what was happening. It was no use. I'm too excited about this World Series, with its "small markets" (i.e. not New York or L.A.), and its teams misunderstood as "old-school" or "small-ball" but which aren't full of big-name players who get famous fans in the stands.
I think I dozed off in the middle innings (around 3:30 or 4 am), but I was locked back in by the time Trevor Megill was trying to get those last few outs. I heard that double-play call that would've ended the game and it was all I could do not to scream and flail in bed -- I consider it a sign of my devotion to D that I managed to avoid this; it really did seem like a close call -- and then with the agonizing challenge. When the Rays wrenched that last out back, I thought the funniest possible thing would be for them to piss it away again, and they did, and it was just the most delightful outcome for the first game.
And then I did fall back asleep, and slept until 11 -- a total of nine or ten hours of sleep last night overall! just which this baseball intermission. I felt pretty shitty when I woke up -- like a little hungover -- but this was elating in its own way because it was just a reminder of how much fun I'd had. I'll do it again: what's the point of having this upcoming week off work if I can't get excited about baseball in the middle of the night?
D asked me "So what are the implications of this game?" and I think it took me fifteen or twenty minutes to stop talking. Baseball has the most narrativium this side of the Discworld.
Friday Five - theatre
Oct. 24th, 2026 09:07 amcatnessFrom ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thefridayfive.
1. How often do you attend live theater performances?
Pretty much never, with rare exceptions. I did attend more often in the past (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), so I still can claim some theatre experience.
2. Local community theater or professional theater productions?
Professional. (There is such a thing like a local community theatre? Who would bother? I mean, staging plays and performing in them seems to be too much of a hard work to do as a hobby...)
3. Which do you prefer: dramas or musicals?
Eh, comedies? I hope it's ok to draw from my experience ofdead filmed theatre performances. Musicals often feel too artificial, and dramas too boring, though I like occasional songs where they make sense. Currently my favourite play is Twelfth Night by London's National Theatre, as seen on YouTube and later, downloaded. There are several fantastic songs, but adding more would be overdoing it.
4. Have you ever participated in a theatrical production, whether acting, singing or tech?
Haha, no.
5. What was the last play or other staged production you attended?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Akasaka Theatre in Tokyo, when I was in Japan on vacation a few years ago. It was a lucky accident - I just passed through the neighbourhood and noticed a queue, and the doors were open, and... there were still tickets!! The play was in Japanese, but they gave me a smartphone with English subtitles, which worked very well (anyway I had read the script previously, and was familiar with the plot). Loved it to bits! But mostly for the whole exotic and immersive experience.
thefridayfive.1. How often do you attend live theater performances?
Pretty much never, with rare exceptions. I did attend more often in the past (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), so I still can claim some theatre experience.
2. Local community theater or professional theater productions?
Professional. (There is such a thing like a local community theatre? Who would bother? I mean, staging plays and performing in them seems to be too much of a hard work to do as a hobby...)
3. Which do you prefer: dramas or musicals?
Eh, comedies? I hope it's ok to draw from my experience of
4. Have you ever participated in a theatrical production, whether acting, singing or tech?
Haha, no.
5. What was the last play or other staged production you attended?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Akasaka Theatre in Tokyo, when I was in Japan on vacation a few years ago. It was a lucky accident - I just passed through the neighbourhood and noticed a queue, and the doors were open, and... there were still tickets!! The play was in Japanese, but they gave me a smartphone with English subtitles, which worked very well (anyway I had read the script previously, and was familiar with the plot). Loved it to bits! But mostly for the whole exotic and immersive experience.
Lakes and rocks
Oct. 24th, 2026 06:51 amangrboda posting in common_natureWe went to Sweden for our summer holiday this year. Even though are countries are neighbours, most of Sweden is on a rocky underground and with one small exception Denmark is one a chalky limestone underground, so there are some rather noticeable and, from a Danish perspective, dramatic differences.
There may be a few of you who have come over from Pillowfort and you may have seen some of these pictures before as I've been posting them in a steady stream there.
ETA: I should point out that these photos are from august.
( Six more pictures under the cut. )
There may be a few of you who have come over from Pillowfort and you may have seen some of these pictures before as I've been posting them in a steady stream there.
ETA: I should point out that these photos are from august.
( Six more pictures under the cut. )
Today's Adventures
Oct. 23rd, 2026 11:29 pmysabetwordsmith posting in common_natureToday we went on the Fall Foliage Tour at Whiteside Garden.
Sourgum leaves are turning red.
( Read more... )
Sourgum leaves are turning red.
( Read more... )
vision
Oct. 23rd, 2026 06:21 pmredbirdI just saw my eye doctor, and the blurriness in my left eye is in fact because of the cornea problem that we've been tracking for several years. Dr. Lazzara wants me to see a cornea specialist, and someone will be calling on Monday to make an appointment.
In the meantime, the doctor suggested using the hypertonic saline solution twice a day in that eye, instead of only once in the morning (and only if I think of it within an hour of waking up).
ETA: check whether the appointment for next year is with Dr. Lazzara, and if so where--when I went to put it in my calendar I saw that it's a Wednesday. (It's also annoyingly early in the day, but everything else she offered was even earlier.)
it's 6pm, do you know where your nipples are?
Oct. 23rd, 2026 06:36 pmcosmolinguistI woke up around eight this morning, to wind gusts making unfamiliar noises in these rooms, and noisy construction work going on outside. Still, I rejoiced at all the sleep I'd had, eight hours solid after the DÞsseldoof finished -- an hour later than usual!
I got up, had some muesli and some ibuprofen -- my worst pain continues to be the sore throat from the breathing tube during surgery -- and then went back to lie down next to D who was still mostly asleep.
I vaguely noticed him moving around the flat later, but I kept waking up and rolling over and then going back to sleep. Eventually he woke me at 1:30.
I've spent a nice chill afternoon on the sofa -- it has a reclining footrest at one end that lets me make myself very comfy -- watching shit on Netflix and snacking. Am I hungry or am I just bored? I keep wondering.
The weather is obligingly terrible, very windy all day and it rained earlier this evening. This is a great ally to me because it's the onky thing that could leave me not at all tempted to go outside. I'm so glad I got to come home yesterday, when it was nice out and I was itching ot go back out and stretch my legs after most of a day in bed. Today I'm content doing nothing, and glad D didn't have to go out either: we had enough of everything and he made us pesto pasta for dinner.
A little earlier, I had a quick little tingle in my chest. A nerve waking up or whatever. So naturally I made some noise like "bwah!?" because ofc I was taken aback by this, and then I didn't want D t;o worry so I explained. I said it felt like when you get a muscle twitch for a second so he said "...and you just had a nipple muscle twitch." "Nah," I said, pointing, "it wasn't my nipple it was...here..." and, in real time, I was realizing "Wait, I don't.... really... know where my nipples are now?! What a weird sentence that is to get to say! I don't know where my nipples are." (This same sensation has happened a few more times since, so I'm trying not to startle too much at it any more!)
The good wishes of all my friends mean so much to me, but the one that's stuck with me came from a chronically ill friend, who said "May your surgery and recovery be boring." And I'm so glad that she's getting her wish.
cooking vs eating out, Japan edition
Oct. 23rd, 2026 09:26 pmmindstalkSome say that in SE Asia, eating out is cheaper than cooking. I have not been there and cannot judge. Perhaps, if labor is so cheap as to cost more than ingredients, or if the people selling cooked food can get cheaper ingredients than you can?
Some say that it is cheaper in East Asian countries, and now I do have some experience there. My gut reaction is "skeptical, but it may be closer than elsewhere." Certainly it can be cheaper in exchange-rate terms to eat out in Japan, Seoul, or Taipei than in the current US, with calorically decent meals in the $4-5 range or even a bit less. And groceries often feel more expensive, implying a narrower gap.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Oct. 23rd, 2026 04:56 pmdefinitelynotacrow posting in addmeName: Solstice
Age: 30s
I mostly post about: Anything that catches my attention long enough, be it various media (music, shows, games, books), hobbies, crafts, current events, or personal life. Also round ups of things I found interesting, and miscellaneous kitchen experiments.
My hobbies are: Reading, journaling, bookbinding, stationery (+fountain pens), tea, art
My fandoms are: They tend to come and go like an ever-turning wheel, but at the moment they are Bleach, The Apothecary Diaries, and Witch Hat Atelier. Although, note that I am the kind of fan who tends to just go heart eyes and throws heart confetti at fics/art/meta instead of posting my own stuff.
I'm looking to meet people who: Are not overly judgmental, appreciate text-heavy posts, and have similar or adjacent interests. I'm open to meeting people who have no shared interests, though! The overlap just makes it easier to talk.
My posting schedule tends to be: Based on how I post on other sites, sporadic. Multiple times a week when something's going down, such as now, when I'm moving from Pillowfort. But more likely long posts around twice or thrice a month, with some micro posts in between.
When I add people, my dealbreakers are:
- Bigotry, hate speech, and dehumanizing language.
- Undisclosed AI use.
- Unlabeled graphic content, be it sexual, violent, or just plain gross. Nothing personal against them, but for these things I'd rather find them intentionally instead of incidentally.
- Proselytizing, and religious supremism.
Before adding me, you should know:
- There might be times I'm too tired to English and may post journals in Filipino instead.
- I am a chronic lurker, and new to Dreamwidth, so I'm figuring out how to do low-energy interactions (such as simply hitting a 'like' or 'heart' to show I appreciate the post/comment, or to show emotional support) without being a bit spammy.
- I like darker aesthetics and themes in my media, and I might post something like a song with a scary-looking album cover, or look closely at a character who is morally ambiguous or has definitely done something terrible.
Throwing random things into a post
Oct. 22nd, 2026 10:34 pmsholioOn the general principle that if I don't do it now, I never will ...
Hurt/Comfort Flash Exchange revealed yesterday and I received an absolutely delightful gift, Illusions - Biggles gen fic, about 2K of deliciously satisfying presumed dead. What an EXCELLENT old-school h/c reading experience it was. <333
---
I found out Avengers Doomsday is happening in December somehow, which made me realize how completely I've fallen out of not just love but even interest in the MCU. The last MCU thing I saw that I enjoyed was Thunderbolts, and I really did enjoy it, but it was also a "wait for streaming" kind of experience (and it might've taken me years to get around to it if I hadn't been stuck on a 10-hour trans-Atlantic flight with limited viewing options). I'll get around to Doomsday eventually, I guess! Or maybe I won't, and somehow I don't think I'll be missing a whole lot.
I keep feeling like I have things to say about the whole cycle of that - how I went from a superhero-comic-reading teenager and young adult back when it was a niche interest that most people knew nothing about, to the sheer delight of superhero movies that were actually good, to some of my most active and busy fandom experiences as the whole world fell in love with it too, to overload and disappointment and now I just kind of wish we could look back nostalgically on the whole experience except that it's hard to do when it just keeps GOING.
---
Watched a rocket launch yesterday evening ... sort of. We live about 20 miles south of Poker Flat Research Range, and try to go out in the yard and watch their launches when we can - how often do you get to see a rocket launch from two steps outside your front door? They mainly launch low-altitude rockets to study the aurora - a few times a winter - but these rely on waiting for the aurora to kick up, and so it's a lot of monitoring their Youtube channel and waiting for the countdown, and often they happen late at night or we otherwise miss them.
But this one was something else (studying particle behavior in the atmosphere or something?), so it was scheduled for late evening and easy enough to catch. And then it was too hazy and cloudy to actually see it. We saw the flash - a bright light on the horizon - and then about half a minute later, the sound gets to us, an astonishingly loud (for how far away it is) rumble that sounds like a jet taking off. But that was sadly all we could see from where we were. On clear nights it's possible to see the rocket go up and the stages fall off, but not last night, ALAS! But it was interesting to be reminded just how big a thing even a small rocket is.
--
EDIT: Oh wait, I knew there was something else! I was thinking about doing some kind of Halloween Advent next week (yes I know that's not what Advent means, shhhh) with a series of posts for the week leading up to it; maybe Whumptober ficlets? Halloween/spooky fic recs? It seemed like a week or so of that would be a fun thing that I could PROBABLY keep up with. You are invited to do it too, for whatever sort of posts you wanted to make - anything October/Halloween/seasonal, or just random posts if you wanted to.
(This may not actually happen, but it ought to start on Saturday or Sunday if it does.)
---
ETA2: Also, it snowed this week and it doesn't look like it's planning on going away anytime soon. I guess winter is happening whether we want it or not.
Hurt/Comfort Flash Exchange revealed yesterday and I received an absolutely delightful gift, Illusions - Biggles gen fic, about 2K of deliciously satisfying presumed dead. What an EXCELLENT old-school h/c reading experience it was. <333
---
I found out Avengers Doomsday is happening in December somehow, which made me realize how completely I've fallen out of not just love but even interest in the MCU. The last MCU thing I saw that I enjoyed was Thunderbolts, and I really did enjoy it, but it was also a "wait for streaming" kind of experience (and it might've taken me years to get around to it if I hadn't been stuck on a 10-hour trans-Atlantic flight with limited viewing options). I'll get around to Doomsday eventually, I guess! Or maybe I won't, and somehow I don't think I'll be missing a whole lot.
I keep feeling like I have things to say about the whole cycle of that - how I went from a superhero-comic-reading teenager and young adult back when it was a niche interest that most people knew nothing about, to the sheer delight of superhero movies that were actually good, to some of my most active and busy fandom experiences as the whole world fell in love with it too, to overload and disappointment and now I just kind of wish we could look back nostalgically on the whole experience except that it's hard to do when it just keeps GOING.
---
Watched a rocket launch yesterday evening ... sort of. We live about 20 miles south of Poker Flat Research Range, and try to go out in the yard and watch their launches when we can - how often do you get to see a rocket launch from two steps outside your front door? They mainly launch low-altitude rockets to study the aurora - a few times a winter - but these rely on waiting for the aurora to kick up, and so it's a lot of monitoring their Youtube channel and waiting for the countdown, and often they happen late at night or we otherwise miss them.
But this one was something else (studying particle behavior in the atmosphere or something?), so it was scheduled for late evening and easy enough to catch. And then it was too hazy and cloudy to actually see it. We saw the flash - a bright light on the horizon - and then about half a minute later, the sound gets to us, an astonishingly loud (for how far away it is) rumble that sounds like a jet taking off. But that was sadly all we could see from where we were. On clear nights it's possible to see the rocket go up and the stages fall off, but not last night, ALAS! But it was interesting to be reminded just how big a thing even a small rocket is.
--
EDIT: Oh wait, I knew there was something else! I was thinking about doing some kind of Halloween Advent next week (yes I know that's not what Advent means, shhhh) with a series of posts for the week leading up to it; maybe Whumptober ficlets? Halloween/spooky fic recs? It seemed like a week or so of that would be a fun thing that I could PROBABLY keep up with. You are invited to do it too, for whatever sort of posts you wanted to make - anything October/Halloween/seasonal, or just random posts if you wanted to.
(This may not actually happen, but it ought to start on Saturday or Sunday if it does.)
---
ETA2: Also, it snowed this week and it doesn't look like it's planning on going away anytime soon. I guess winter is happening whether we want it or not.
