MinervaDashwood

a few days i watched a 70s made for tv movie called 'all the kind strangers.' It was this unweildy film that wavered between thriller and family flick. Probably would've done much better in today's world, what with psychology being much more mainstream and cell phone service. while watching, i wasreally impressed with john savage, plus he looked really familiar so i looked him up.

=
sidebar: his character and one of the younger brothers could totally be childhood merle and daryl dixon




=


i realized he was in a lot of movies. none of which i remembered seeing. many of the 'strangers' letterboxd reviews mention 'deer hunter.' so i started watching that last night. there must have been some magic in that film-making, because i sat through 50 minutes of russian-american wedding reception dances (as the characters--and actors! got drunker as the time went on).

=
sidebar: most of my thoughts during this hour were: "they'd never be allowed to make this movie today" "if they did it would be some kind of split screen or intermittent flashbacks" which is honestly a cheap trick in modern cinema. like...nonlinear storytelling is not effective just because it's nonlinear. the non-linearity must contribute to the overall purpose of the film. Like memento Just jumbling things up to make a story complicated is hella annoying (looking at you 2020s The Stand adaptation)

=

it was a real struggle watching john cavazale because he was literately dying of lung cancer while filming the movie, and the "death day" of my close friend who died of lung cancer was a few weeks ago.

anyhow, john savage's face is just mesmerizing, but 'deer hunter' is hella hard to watch in its second hour. so i took a break and decided to to watch 'Hair.' it was fun, with Savage's cute face morphing as the (rather superficial) plot demanded.

then i learned that the film version of 'hair' is not even close to the magnitude of the stage production. so i went searching out stage recordings, which as far as i can tell, aren't available for streaming anywhere. however, i did find a video of raul esparza performing the titular song...shirtless!



now i'm sleepy and in pain, so it's probably time for bed.

Not feeling the best physically tonight. Ankle is acting up something fierce. It just seems to happen randomly. Add that to the other physical ills (constant hip pain, nausea and cramps from menstruation), and it's hard to get much done. I'm in a gaming lull, so I'd like to reflect on what I've been watching.

Anime

Ergo Proxy
Slowly making my way through this anime, which was such a thinky-thought series for the first 12 episodes. It took some mental effort to understand the word and society, and just who was in charge of the whole thing. So--you know--just my thing. :) However, it's a little less that now. There's a romantic subplot which is just boring. It does have a narrative purpose, but the execution is a snoozefest. Dude is in love with a girl who hates him. Ignoring that, I still enjoy the slowly unfolding mystery. I'm just not as eager to watch the next episode, so I go a few days in between them.

Kimi ni Todoke
Watching this one on Sundays with an online friend. We both enjoyed it separately when it first came out. She especially likes it because the main character has some autistic traits. I like it for the slow burn and just how gentle the two leads are with each other. Bonus are the rich friendships among the five mains. They are incredibly layered and empathetic.

TV

Law and Order
Definitely my comfort show at the end of the work day or after i've had to focus on one thing for too long. It's season 11, and I finally like Lennie. I miss Curtis, but Greene is a fine replacement. They had him coming in hot in his first season, but he's calmed down. Turns the manipulation on when he needs to. There's a logic to his actions that didn't exist before.

Are You Being Served
While L&O is an after work comfort, this one is a bedtime comfort. I'm in the mid-seasons now (4th or 5th rewatch). I love Mrs. Slocombe to pieces. I have a personal headcanon that Lucas really cares for her, and they definitely have a thing going outside of work. He just pays so much attention to her! And anyone who's familiar with the series knows that she leaps at any flirtatious attention, so how could they not? Also, during dance productions, Lucas is usually paired up with Mrs. Slocombe (unless he's with Mr. Humphries, which I also enjoy). And Mrs. Slocombe has game, for all the strays she catches. Both the union leaders flirt with her, so does Peacock, and her Greek fiancee.

Last of the Summer Wine
I have tried for years to watch this show. My biggest hurdle the first few times were the accents. Finally found them with subtitles. And then the misogyny and goofiness, I could not stand. I'm more open-minded now, as well as on the other side of 40, so I gave it another go. Somehow, it clicked. I'm in the second season, and i can really understand the humorous malaise, the implicit "What now" that the characters are facing. Meanwhile, there's Compo, for whom the passage of time is unremarkable. I also read that two of the actors were buried side by side, so deep was their friendship. Also, this series has almost all chubby or fat women. One the object of incessant affection. None of the women are written favorably, but that is just the show in general.

just took some pepto for heartburn.

and no wonder. found out today that (1) the oa is canceled and (2) they fucked up my healthcare application again, and now i can't go to the doctor.

which is just wrong. i go through this every year. they think i make the same amount of money every month, but it's not true! i wish the form had a box to tick for 'my caseworker is stupid, please listen to me' but alas.

started a me4 playthrough. the appearance is all messed up so i will have to start again because i can't look at weird for 40 hours.

watching dr. quinn. they are off to boston. without sully! this is wrong. everything in the world is off today. i tell you.

also it is storming. i want to watch it, but it's too dark and i'm naked anyway.

oh, remember that time it wasn't the overdose capital outside my house? and i could go places alone after dark? good times, those.

mr. wilhelm is forbidding michela from doctoring. how dare.

following some advice on journalling to help process my depression and grief.

so 5 things i'm thankful for (this is so hard)

1. the amazing race
2. frozen water bottles
3. madeline the kitty
4. quilted toilet paper
5. citalopram

like...i remember back in 2003 where long blogs were an almost daily thing for me.

but now i feel like long blogs aren't wanted

but i should do it if i feel like.  even if no one's watching.

i have nothing to say but i'm posting here to stick to the habit of posting.

i miss the anonymity of c. 2002 internet. social media has so much anxiety and pressure attached to it.

i just want to read about my hobbies and maybe make some friends.

but not many places are conducive to that.

i mean even fandom culture is isolationist and gate-keeping.

this is just to say that i haven't been on tumblr and i don't miss it. but i miss the friends i used to have there.

I don't have much to say to my family, but I miss them. so every couple of days, i've been posting quotes in our group chat. idk if anyone likes it. no one ever says.

I've never seen Mulan. But it's on tv now, so...guess I'll watch some of it. I don't expect ADHD brain to tolerate very many commercials, tho.

y'all couldn't find any brothers for this choir

at least they have some in the orchestra