Frankenstein was actually really good. I watched it in two parts, first Victor’s story then The Monsters and I liked that because the movie is so long there’s no way I could’ve watched it in one part and I didn’t have to because it was on Netflix. Speaking of Netflix, I could definitely tell it was a Netflix production. It just had that streaming vibe to it, that vibe that it was meant to be watched on your tv screen on the couch. It’s that same vibe that ABC movies had back in the day, but it’s just a little bit more cinematic now. There were definitely moments where I was like oh I’m supposed to be on my phone right now, but other than that it was solid. I loved the fantastical look of it. I thought The Monster’s design was really equisite. Loved Mia Goth as always.

rating: 3/5

¡Obrigado to Vitorio for recommending this movie to me! Go check out their website here: https://vitorio.neocities.org/. Trainspotting was really good, I'd watched the movie a few years back but the recommendation inspired me to rewatch it. It's so incredible seeing a film not be afraid to look downright disgusting on camera. I feel like nowadays movies are afraid to show gross stuff. The story is tragic, but Boyle's whimiscal way of getting the characters through it is so charming and helps the movie not feel too bleak. The leading cast is of course amazing, Ewan McGregor is great. His Scottish rant is my favorite part of the movie it just sells him completely as this laddish dirtbag. It's a hard watch but a very fun one.

rating: 5/5

Just finished watching Oh, Hi! It was was good. Weird and funny enough to be enjoyable, but nothing too groundbreaking. It kind of starts spinning its wheels a little bit in the second half, but it still manages to get several one liners in there. Logan Lerman plays his character so well his eyes just give off male manipulator so well he was made for this role. Molly Gordon is great too, she's really funny. The movie really pulls you in at the beginning but I think it needed to go a bit further. It could've been Shiva Baby levels of anxiety inducing, but it doesn't quite hit that mark.

rating: 4/10

Arrival was absolutely fantastic. Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I didn't know he directed the movie, but it's absolutely gorgeous. The way he builds the atmosphere around the military and the alien site it so gripping it gives you no choice but to stop and watch. It's definitely entered the ranks of one my favorite pieces of sci-fi media. I thought the chemistry between Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner was incredible. Their immediate familiarity with eachother does a lot of sell the idea that they've known each other for a long time. I loved the aliens too. There was this childlike-ness about them that I think comes from the fact that they cannot speak that makes them really endearing. The balance the movie has for the heptapods between terrifying and cute strikes just at awe invoking.

rating: 9/10

This movie was kind of weird especially the first 15-20 minutes, but I really enjoyed it. It was super entertaining. I though the climax of the movie was really gripping and well done, even if a bit unconventional for the type of movie that it was. Although I wouldn't call this a typical movie for the genre. It best fits as a dark comedy rather than a thriller or action. There are some serious laughs in this movie which I won't spoil here, but I was cracking up. It'd one of those movies that made me reflect on the idea of the "revolutionary" and how it's this mythic character like a doctor or a mob boss. I think PTA gives a fresh take on this trope and I understand why it's been resonating with a lot of people. That said I can also understand those that hated this movie as the way PTA handles some of the characters won't be very tasteful for some. I enjoyed it though. Teyanna Taylor was incredible in her role and so was Chase Infiniti, who for me, stole the movie with her story. I definitely recommend checking this one out.

rating: 9/10

This was such a fun read. I just randomly picked it up from my library after seeing it on the shelf and I was so pleasently surprised. It's filled with humor, intense drama, and characters that you can't help but root for. I loved getting to see Erica's experience and her growing relationship with Abigail. The way that Emily St. James allows the characters to just be who they are is incredible. Her writing style is so humble and realistic it feels like you're right there with the characters. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who's looking for more trans stories.

rating: 7/10

That's How They Get You is an anthology of essays, short stories, email threads, and other writings by black authors. It's witty charming, hilarious, and some of the stories took my breath away. For my first introduction into comedic writing, I don't think I could've picked a better novel. THTGY left me in tears, some of laughter and some of sadness. It's that kind of book that's unafraid of any topic, no matter how serious. And that's what makes it work so well. The unique perspective of Black experience that every author brings to the table is what makes this book such a standout. The depth and clarity at which struggles are picked apart and turned into hilarious bits of wisdom are remarkable. Littered throughout are these vignettes of emails received by Damon Young that turn the book into this meta commentary of itself. It's truly remarkable and has me itching for some more odd fiction despite the later being too real.

Overall, THTGY is really a good look into Black humor and the Black Experience in a way that's approachable and comfortingly familiar. Some of the stories made me bust a gut with laughter and others I think will stick around for long after I've read them.

rating: 9/10

Supercommunicators is a book I read a few years ago and decided to pick up again just because the first read was so enlightening and helpful, I thought it'd be a good reference to keep around and read every few years. The second read was unfortunately a slog. As much as I appreciate the amount of credibility Duhigg brings to each of his findings, the personal stories feel like they get in the way of the crucial information the second time around. These types of stories work for those who need credibility established through real accounts of personal stories and research methods, but I believe that the advice Duhigg gives is strong enough to stand on its own, especially if one uses the book to truly develop the way they communicate.

Overall the book is good and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and think about what makes a good communicator, but I would warn them that the personal stories often feel like fluff and the good stuff is contained to a few hundred pages out of three. I'll be keeping this book around to go back to from time to time to freshen up my communication skills, but until then, I think the book will just look pretty on my shelf.

rating: 7/10

Revolutionary Suicide tells the tale of Huey P. Newton's life from the man himself. It's an incredibly thrilling book and I often found myself gripping the pages wondering if it was real life or fiction. The truth is most likely somewhere in between.

So much has been written about Newton's life and yet so little of it has been told. His name circulates every so often especially during Black History Month and it's impossible to know of the Black Panther Party and not know of Huey P. Newton's name.

Learning about the man behind the myth in his own words was incredible. I was moved by his all encompassing desire for freedom, not just for himself, but for the Black community. The story of how he taught himself to read from being illiterate and how it set him free told me the testament to which he dedicated his soul to a feeling far greater than what society could have ever brought him had he lived the "normal" life. But then again, a normal life was never an option for Huey as he so eloquently lies out the extreme poverty that caused him to be an outlier in his early youth, it was predestined that he was never meant to live by society rules.

The book gave me a deeper understanding into the Black Panther Party. I feel like the BPP exists in the American mythology as this foundational group that showed what Black freedom–and American freedom–was supposed to look like that was tragically cut down by the FBI. And while that's true, as most myths contain some true, it's also clear that the BPP was much more than the myth, just like Huey the man was more complicated than the mythical Huey associated with the mythical BPP.

For all the insight into the Black Panther Party, I understood the book to take some artistic liberties with Huey's personality and struggle. For as much as he advocated and lived by the title of the book, "revolutionary suicide" he ultimately died of reactionary suicide. The book peels back the curtain, but not completely on the myth of Huey P. Newton, but I suppose that's because the myth of Huey will always be a greater force of change for the people than the man. As he says in the book, "...a revolutionary man always transcends himself or otherwise he is not a revolutionary man..." Indeed Huey was a revolutionary man.

rating: 10/10

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season two surprised me. After the disappointing first season, my expectations for the second season was low. I knew the acting would improve somewhat due to the actors getting older, but other than that I felt the writing and action of the show would still be underwhelming.

I was pleasantly surprised when I found the second season to be full of action, tight drama, and compelling dialogue. The second season takes the risks that the first season couldn't due to the actor's ages and the source material. The romance between Percy and Annabeth being one of the best highlights of the show's growth spurt. The action and special effects are also better too. The scene where the crew has to battle the hydra and Charybdis was particularly awesome, allowing the special effects team to really shine and deliver a tense and awe invoking scene worthy of the title Sea of Monsters.

That said, the writing still needs a lot of work and there are some ham fisted explanations that felt out of place, especially as Greek mythology has entered the general zeitgeist to prepare for the upcoming Nolan film. I also found myself bored of the overall look of the show early on. The camera gives the scene no room to breathe and we are often treated to extreme close ups of our characters' perfectly make-upped faces despite knowing they've been out at sea for weeks. It creates this odd feeling of unrealism in which the characters seem more like they're stage play actors rather than existing in a separate world on the screen. It creates so much space between the show and the viewer, that immersion is almost impossible. This trend of having zero grit and dirt on these young adult shows is extremely interesting, it's as if they're afraid to show the characters having gone through any amount of effort and would rather their journey's be as magical as the premise of the show itself. I hope that this too will change as the show and audience continues to mature, after all there are several more books in the series to adapt and the actors will only get older.

I'll definitely be tuning into the third season and look forward to what Disney brings next!

rating: 6/10