The Fox Den

Books, movies&series reviews with writer's insight. Popculture-related theories. Writing about writing instead of writing itself. Whatever floats my boat. Make yourself a tea or coffee in your favorite mug and make yourself at home.

[foxquillwrites]

Hello, life-paths-traveler,

Welcome to my den.

I’m really glad to have you here, and I hope you’ll have a lovely time. Let me give you a quick roadmap, so you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for:

#foxquillreads – subjective book reviews

#foxquillwatches – same idea, but for films and TV shows

#foxquillconsiders – pop culture theories & discussions (except for anything Harry Potter – for those, check out my other blog, “The Vixen and The Dog”)

#foxquillreflects – more general, slightly philosophical life musings

#foxquilllistens – my latest music discoveries (sometimes recommendations, sometimes warnings!)

If you’d like to recommend something that fits any of these categories (disclaimer: I don’t cover religion- or politics-related content), feel free to reach out. My den is always open to curious minds.

I wish you a pleasant day,

---

Foxquill

[foxquillwrites]

Exploring a birthday gift from my brother.

[thememedaddy]

[foxquillwrites]

Just finished watching Netflix's "Maid" (2020). It revolves around a young woman, Alex, who fled from her abusive boyfriend with their three-year-old daughter and needs to build her life from scratch. I really liked the idea of the amount of money the heroine has appearing on the screen. Another plus is the real warmth and chemistry between Alex and her daughter. And even though sometimes she puts herself in difficult situations at her own request, it's what people do, right? Watch it you need a motivation boost.

[seleneelune-deactivated20251014]

[foxquillwrites]

I was looking for some flick to blow off the steam after a crappy day. Not much of a science fiction lover (don't even get me started on Star Wars) but sometimes I like to take a look at genres I usually ignore. So, Paul (2011). Two British geeks coming back from Comic-con stumble upon an alien and hit the road in an RV to help him get home. Cliche? Like hell, but it doesn't have to mean a bad thing - I like works that play with popular motives and make fun of them, and "Paul" does exactly that. What I like the most about that movie are our alien's powers - they're mighty and useful, but have sensible limitations. Nice touch.

In a nutshell - time well spent.

[endlessnebula]

Writing is so much easier when you actually write

[foxquillwrites]

No shit, Sherlock.

[foxquillwrites]

The change is only a nose remark away

Maria Kuncewiczowa's "The Stranger" is a story of a woman convinced that the people around her destroyed her life, so now she has the right to do the same. Her family has pretty big chances to become saints. A story with a very good psychological background, flashbacks every five seconds (but every one of them is justified. The only thing I did not like is the moment of the heroine's change. The author seems to suggest that if you are a cold, mean, manipulative person, one compliment from (almost) a stranger, resembling something you've heard from your ex-boyfriend a few decades ago is enough to turn you into a fluffy bunny.

[foxquillwrites]

Life is a never ending show, Carrey

I recently rewatched "The Truman Show" (Weir, 1998). I've seen it a couple times before, so I can't say it shocked or surprised me in any way - moreover, I think in the days of patostreams I think the best we can give Weir's and Niccol's vision is a shrug. Does it mean, however, the movie from 1998 can't tell us anything new in 2025? I wouldn't say that. Underneath the life-as-a-reality-show story it's a tale of determination and never giving up on your dreams. I know it sounds cliché, so let's move on to a different aspect. "BoJack Horseman" is my absolutely favorite tv show. For those unfamiliar: some of the characters had the "don't stop dancing" attitude, meaning keeping all the negative emotions deeply suppressed for the sake of performance. Truman's vicissitudes made me think about that - the only difference is that Jim Carrey's character was never asked if he wanted to perform in the first place. The quote that resonated with me the most is "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented. That's all". So, to conclude: I wish you that you don't accept your realities too thoughtlessly.

Have a pleasant day/evening,

Foxquill

[foxquillwrites]

They killed him and went to jail...for a while

I just watched Netflix's new true crime documentary, "A Deadly American Marriage" (Dir. J. Burgess&J. Popplewell; 2025). I remember staying up late to watch "Deadly Women" when I was a teenager, so I knew to expect before I even started watching. And yet, I ran Ito the finish line surprised and moved.

The first reason is polyphony: the creators gave both sides equal chances withe microphone, people standing by victim's side as well as the defendants'. This way, the viewer really isn't sure, whose story they should believe until the very end. The only people I truly sympathized with were Jason Corbett's children - they went through a tragedy, chaos and weren't able to get closure for many years.

Because yes - "A Deadly American Marriage" doesn't end with enigmatic note "XYZ was sentenced to ABC years, bless you, good night" - it shows that the first sentence is very often just the beginning of long battle on papers and words between men wearing ties and iron shirts - and that on this battlefield the victim is often (sadly) of secondary importance. Cannot not appreciate this care for realism.

[foxquillwrites]

Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

Sam Levenson

I try to live by that rule, but it's not that simple

[foxquillwrites]