Petty-Crush

[campsis]

Yakov Khomich, Prayer Oil on canvas, 25х30 cm

[petty-crush]

“Midnight Cowboy” (1968)

-an achingly tender look at loneliness, with two outstanding performances, and a monster of a theme song

-some of these scenes don’t really gel, at least not at how we originally look at the two characters

-like two sad mangy street kittens huddling up together in the winter, are Texas cowboy Joe Buck (Joh Voight) and dilapidated urchin Rico “Ratso” (Dustin Hoffman)

-Buck is clearly desperate for attention, and he doesn’t care how he gets it

-Ratso is kinda like those birds that pick the teeth of crocodiles; he’s resigned to his order in the world, and accepts whatever crumbs he can get

-one of the very best moments is when Buck sees Ratso a 2nd time (after he was swindled the 1st time); the look in his eyes is at first joy in recognizing a familiar face, but then anger at being conned.

+it so perfectly sums up Buck’s utter attention desperation

-it folds in nicely to Buck (previously) saying goodbye to the dishwasher at his old job; the guy is the low man on the totem pole, but Buck hangs onto his every word

-I like the fascinating edits, the jumps in time, seemingly powered by nothing but emotions

-this film contains a few highly visible tropes of the era (1960’s) such as the song interlude, when a tune plays over a bus ride, a storm, a walk etc (and also the drug psychodelic party)

+and yet it also contains the highly fractured, surface level emotions of the same time period; these emotions were in previous decades of films, but the late 60s seem to revel in their bruised rawness

-I keep thinking about how even a decade later this lack of flattering and counterweight feel good moments would be highly discouraged by pod-people; there would be a hernia in trying to make these characters (pho) “likable” or “relatable”, (reducing them to nothing)

-like we really see Ratso become trampled on (by everything) and the explosions of feelings Buck has when he desperately allows himself to be given oral sex by a man for money

-I watched this film with a bunch of people who had never seen it; this was not the motion picture they were expecting by cultural osmosis

-you really need to experience the “text”, the art, firsthand to delve into its specific waters

I asked them afterward; they thought it would be more funny, more goofy humorous moments of Ratso trying to pimp Buck out.

+That would likely happen in an mid 80s version but not here in the existential late 60’s

-indeed, it’s felt amusing how the most famous/ quoted moment (“hey, I’m walking here!”) is maybe the only time these two lash back at the world, the rest of the time they take it on the chin and endure horrible agony

-and yet the film is very delicate in giving them hope, moments of pride surviving, that it somehow bends our sympathies but never breaks our suspense of disbelief

-incidentally, is this one of the few times the rural person goes to the urban world and gets destroyed for sheer lack of survival skills? It seems the opposite so many other times in US media

+probably because storytellers have to coddle the hopelessly incurious country shitheads for their lack of success in their own pathetic lives

-I dig the part where Buck sees a kid use a plastic rat to pretend gnaw off his mother’s face. What a world

-speaking of; is it better be a dishwasher in New York than Texas? The film (wisely) never answers but I vote yes.

-but really New York City (in the film) is just an example of the American dream not working out at all for some people

-so what is Ratso and Buck’s relationship? Is it sexual? Is it attention? Is it desperation?

-another of my favorite scenes is when Ratso, down with a fever, fantasizes about Florida

+he’s in a white linen suit, surrounded by women with nose guards, but smiles most vibrantly at Buck with no shirt on

-I think this is a deeply closeted film; the love is in the closet, the emotional honesty is in the closest, and the better day are in the closet; and it won’t let out except under extreme situations of duress

-this is before the stonewall riots after all

-and yet to even obliquely hint at this, years before being gay was not considered a mental illness, shows just how willing to try anything filmmakers (and audiences) were in the late 60’s

+a sense of nerve, of curiosity, of “who knows? Let’s give this a shot!” mentality that would be really groovy to see again

-speaking of things that never go out of style; memorable, moving film themes

-John Barry (he of Bond fame) knocks it out of the park here. “Midnight Cowboy theme” is just devastating. It’s simple and hummable, so you can hear it in your head and the images explode at the oddest times

+how fucking weird is it that a film about two men broken but unbeaten by bigotry have a more memorable melody than any marvel film? What the fuck is up with that?

-what I also like is how the theme doesn’t just come at the end, when we expect it; it’s head peeks out of the water at unexpected moments in 2nd half, before rising like Godzilla at the conclusion

-I think this film can be seen on many levels, of people who lay their bodies out on the line for attention, for people who hit rock bottom mentally, for people who just don’t fit in

-yet all of that can be ignored, none of the possible subtext can be read (yeah yeah; you think the curtains are just blue) and its incredible how Hoffman and Voight pull us in for an emotional riptide

That’s just phenomenal acting, that’s morbidly fascinating behavior, that’s just an operatic roar of storytelling

That’s just movie magic, warts and all

[campsis]

@myoldbookcollection: "My Sister and I " By Helen E. Buckley, Illustrated by Paul Galdone , Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (1963)

[petty-crush]

“Masters of the Universe” (2026)

-a colorful, goofy adventure brawl; with sincere slants to mutate the genre. Not a complete bullseye, but merrily it goes

-I think the central casting of Nicholas Gazitzine is right on the money. He’s not done evolving into the character yet, but he makes a strong first impression

-I also appreciate the subplot of Duncan aka man at arms (deftly done by Idris Elba) having to recovery his dignity and coherence. Nice parallel journeys

-there’s something amusing about a He-Man motion picture having two “Highlander” shout-outs (although one is more oblique)

-I suspect a few strands of “Barbie” (2023) were injected here to get “Masters” out of development hell

+a (primary) colorful fantasy world, a trip to the mundane real world to find purpose, and constant meta jokes at the expense of how preposterous it all seems

-I think “Barbie” threaded the needle a little robustly; there she was questing her entire existence, wondering whether it was a purgatory for her. Here it’s more impressing your dad (and other father figures)

-also, “Masters” could have used a bit more vivid humor. It’s sensible chuckles, not gut busting

-Jared Leto is ok as the main villain. He comes most alive at the gym and HR variants near the end

-the action is fantastic. The impact of the punches to these toy looking henchmen is exceptionally done

-director Travis Knight comes from a stop motion background; he has a good sense of where to put the camera and how to linger on the hero shots for more texture

-the scenes in the forest chase, the colors popping out; good stuff

-ok, I laughed at the part where the lady in the comic book/nerd store saw He-Man breaking stuff and asked “Hey, are you seeing anyone?”

-I think the attempts to somewhat chide the boy fantasy of this universe gets put on a little too much at the end; it feels like a concession to pod-people executives to allow the more goofy stuff to slide. Not a deal breaker however

-far more successfully, and interestingly, is the picture grappling with the sense of ethics in a world with no trustworthy mentors in youth and a system dedicated to neutering words that bring metamorphosis

-Adam (He-Man’s alter ego) works in Human Resources, and it’s pretty clear he’s quite good at it. He genuinely listens

-the system (and his boss) instead uses buzzwords, lingo and theatre kid acronyms; those don’t mean shit unless there is experience and genuine belief in your fellow humans

+of course all those words (like “empathy” and “growth”) do legitimately mean wonderful human things, but have been counterfeit’ed by corporations protecting their own ass (and money)

-the film has an interesting in for this: Adam never got any sense of vulnerability from his dad or Duncan, so he sincerely desires to lead and include others to equality, he just doesn’t know what that looks like from non/manipulative sources

-“Sorry, Adam; I’ve never been very good at expressing these……..”

‘Emotions?’

“Yeah, those things!”

-quite telling Duncan would rather be seen as a drunk rather than someone that stumbled and admitted to needing help (at first)

-equally notable is where Adam fully goes He-Man, because sometimes actions are what is most necessary;

as Skeletor chides him for not wanting to use his power he curtly responds “trust me, I know how to use it, I just prefer not to”

-there, in part, Adam gets a sense of coherence; he finally knows what he stands for and he’s unabashed in going for it

+he no longer needs to pretend to “not be weird, and fit in”, he enlarges his heart to take up space in the universe

-all of this, the genuine values in someone while battling the bastardization of it by castles of monsters in suits, it’s a little loosey goosey, but it’s fun watching the film figure it out

-even more delightful in tandem with kicking ass (with a guy named Fisto) to “Princes of the Universe” by Queen

+nice bit where a gal blasts the shit out of goons (twirling the whole time) in sync with Freddie Mercury singing “bring on the girls!”

-speaking of, it’s pretty funny how grumpy and irritated the character of Teela is; actress Camila Mendes really nails all the concentrated surly

-how in the fuck did the line “that big long sword dangling between your glorious thighs” get dropped in? That alone makes up for any “real world” malarkey

-anyone else think the theme by Brian May sounds really really really similar “Lay all your Love on me” by ABBA?

(Both rule, to be clear)

-where will they go from here? Well, there are like 60 thousand He-Man toys, and a squad dedicated to chasing and killing Adam for challenging Skeletor would be pretty neat….

-this rises above the sword n sorcery shenanigans of recent years, and its moxie in looking at true strength (solo and village wise) is fruitful enough to tap into for many more adventures; bring them on

[psikonauti]

Edwin Lord Weeks (American,1849-1903)

Lake at Oodeypore, India, c. 1863  

oil on canvas

[petty-crush]

“The Manchurian Candidate” (1962)

-alive, coiled, black & white, bruised, full of cold dread; all this and more in this extraordinary picture

-the set piece, the reason to see this film(other than the sustained paranoia) is the brain wash scene

+it effortlessly mingles together different shots, extras, tone, and shifts our emotions on a dime; if someone asked me to prove the power of editing, that quality which makes it unique to film, this would one of my first go-to’s

-Frank Sinatra (who apparently asked not to work until 11am, since he didn’t sleep till 5am) turns in a thunderous presence, that anchors everything

-most of these are first takes? Fucking wow

-I like how this film never forgets to be funny. The snake bit scene, the “are you an Arab” flirting, the way over the top karate exhibit

-it makes the soundless shootings all the more devastating

-I am gleeful at the brazen(ly true) suggestion that communists (or whatever enemy you want) tried to destroy a country through posing as anti-communists. The intent was the same; muddle everything, discredit everyone

+today (in the US) it’s diet republicans posing as liberals (or leftists, as you know them) while trying to neuter them; but the point still stands-“if [x] were a paid agent, he could not do more to harm this country than he's doing now”

-that may also describe a certain orange loser, too. And his enablers

-note how it’s not the sniper, but the inside dagger the anti-humanists want. Official power is the most damaging power

-this is the most startling satire of the film; take no one (in politics or otherwise) at face value, check your sources, prove a case. Read a book, read a book, reading a motherfucking book

-it’s a testament to the massive skill of director John Frankenheimer that I cannot decide whether this or the equally gobsmacking “The Train” is my favorite of his. Both are wonderful, in their own way

-a film is delightful (among other reasons) because the world that died is kept alive by watching it, yet that world is still pulsating, muttering, fighting the good fight.

I look forward to when the world is calm, but as of yet the “Candidate” lingers. Oh boy.

[nemfrog]

Koi. Japan, Home of the Sun. 1963. Kikuko Mori, illustrator.

Internet Archive

[petty-crush]

“Nope” (2022)

-a delightfully odd sci fi/“we are not alone” film with marvelous scenes, screwball characters, and bountiful ideas

-it really digs deep into our hunger for spectacle at all costs and how you really can push an animal only so far (before they lash out)

-the visuals in this film are totally stunning: a delightful melding of the iconography of the western and the promise of the intergalactic unknown

-juicy parts to screen veterans Keith David & Michael Wincott too; it’s just good see them bite in

-one of my favorite moments is where the film ponders why it is to be a “bad miracle”; an awe inspiring moment that is absolutely destructive

+when poised as a question, the refrain “nope” is used as “I have no idea” but, honestly, that term, that impulse, that desire to escape the abominable, is also a good description of the “bad miracle”

-so why do they stay, linger near the danger? Because they got off before (barely) and in their hubris think themselves invincible, lost their connection to self safety, or because there is a utter desire to see weird shit

-there is also the small note of how loud mouths are openly welcomed in business & entertainment; and soft spoken competence is rarely held up high, even though it underpins everything

-the faint voiced resilience is what actor Daniel Kaluuya brings to Otis Jr (OJ); turning in a astounding performance

-he works with animals, and you can’t talk to them, you train with them, set an example for them, respect their boundaries. It is all action (and persistence), not talk

-again this works wonder on the ranch, but is not especially appreciated outside of it

-that respect OJ fosters, thinking of animals not as divine critters, but as beings who need autonomy and care, is what makes this film so deeply resonant

-indeed that character study, the leisurely first hour thrillingly deliberate in setting up the players, is intoxicating; and it all pays off, the ending is stronger for it

-Jordan Peele has created something really special here,(possibly my favorite of his) a film that belongs in the essential pantheon of sci fi and big ideas

-/-///——

-and now we delve into deeper waters, where story revelations are talked with cavalier hushes.

Look to the moon if ye wish to experience the stars unsoiled

-the “ufo” being an actual creature is terrific

-the tying in of the monkey attack of Gordy with the foolish mind to control Jean Jacket (the alien) every evening is beautiful, a magnificent touch

-I especially like how the character Ricky (Jupe to others) is obsessively dedicated to the limelight, even willing to dig up his infamous past to do so

-he is completely sure that because he (by the hair of Kong) survived that monkey massacre, he can conquer and treat any animal the same, and it costs him everything

-that moment where the ape looks to fist bump the child Jupe, then gets shot in the head…I love it

-I also dig the little moments where Jupe seems strangely hesitant to sell back the steeds, as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar (boy howdy is he)

-this motherfucker even invites his neighbors to see the event where he sacrifices their horses! The brazenness is in another galaxy

-it’s almost certainly the eating of the fake horse (with triangle line) that pissed off Jean Jacket, hence making her(?) show up an hour early and slurp everyone into death

+safety first, man

-sometimes you look danger in the eye(s); other times, mind your business

-I fucking dig the visual of the house getting blood rained on it

-I laughed when “Sunglasses at night” warped the reverb to the final frontier

-Keke Palmer rides that wave between annoying as shit, and rascally spunky. It’s a act where she lets it hang all out

-Brandon Perea is also skillful at playing a naive, so over-enthusiastic to please twerp

-but, yeah, Steven Yeun just kills it as Jupe. He presented all the complicated emotions of living for others.

He would be the shiniest star that everyone most remembers if not for Kaluuya also being here

-maybe that thought needs reworking though; it’s not about competition, personal glory, but (intergalactic) collaboration

When a good sci fi film (like this one) comes out, there is a rush to debate it among the greatest

Is it? I have no idea. But I truly adore it.

Who cares if (maybe) it’s not as great “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”? They are both well worth watching, both solar milk & honey to sci fi admirers.

Much like you can just enjoy “Colossus the forbin project” & “2001; a space odyssey”; they both scratch a certain itch the other cannot

-/-/-/—-

-for its moxie, it’s very personal mix of elements(the aforementioned extravagance of images, beasts of burden, and powerful performances), its sheer unbridled joy, I salute this film.

It is fantastically fun and uniquely satisfying

[kitschmelange]

by Roger Duvoisin from The House of Four Seasons (1956)

[petty-crush]

Two or Three Things about “Logan’s Run” (1976)

-/-//////—/

The design of this film’s world (especially at the start) is dazzling.

A lot of is very simple, such as Logan 5’s uniform being all black, with a splash/rectangle of grey in the chest. Pops right out.

The minimal thought/follow orders headspace of the sandmen and their desire to kill on command is intriguing.

Sex is now to be called up on a computer, and (it is implied) being gay is all groovy, baby.

The plastic surgery lab is delightfully creepy.

The carousel scene is trippy, and a kaleidoscope in motion.

This greatly underscore the mystery of what is the truth in this world. What have people given up for a finite amount of paradise. Genuinely compelling.

//-//-//—-

Here is a decision I really don’t get-the characterization of the old man.

The whole film has been building to an outside world, where people are allowed to live past 30, raw in nature. We see our sole survivor, in the dilapidated remains of the White House, surrounded by cats.

And yet…the old man is so feeble, so fucking boring, so aimless, that it almost makes the enforced age ceiling exciting by comparison. His existence is so dreary.

I think I get it. He’s been alone for years, possibly decades. He only had his parents to talk to, no children or young adults to exchange ideas with. And, of course, all those fucking cats are annoying as shit.

But, none of this is ever really given any more screen time or attention. The film doesn’t even attempt to mix this into the debate of the in universe; no “yes, you will live past 30, but this runs the risk of senility, exhaustion, and a numbing isolation”. Nothing!

They don’t even give this guy a name. So, I will. Let’s say…Saul.

Saul never has one interesting thing to say. He babbles in a way where it seems he would say the same thing whether it was an audience of 50 or none. He seems to barely register there is anyone around. His one desire seems to be wanting to be buried under the ground (if the alternative is being eaten by cats, then I agree).

Like, if you picked the most ageist opponent for Saul, could they possibly make him look any more useless?

This is just so underwhelming.

Obviously this a decision by the filmmakers, but what is even trying to be communicated?

There is nothing interesting about “dying young vs living longer than you think” being expressed here. Saul (to me) is handled with such a lack of care I have no idea what the point of including him was. He seems like the very definition of a place holder character. Where I spend time with him but gain nothing from it.

Wouldn’t it be awesome that his knowledge or vibrant personality makes the rest of the young dwellers rethink their existence? That they have to come to terms with and make a decision about how long to live?

As opposed to doing or wanting something vital he just…exists to occupy space. Lame.

An attention grabbing first half of a film comes undone by a gravitational strong force of apathy in the latter part.

-/-//—////

It’s kinda funny how easily flummoxed machines are in this world.

The food robot drifted to freezing humans, but gets totaled by one master blast.

The overlord computer that super aged Logan 5 fries itself when told that no sanctuary exists. The idea that hope is an imagined place, not real, is too much for its fragile little circuits.

I guess the only thing that we can put our trust in is the smoking body of Jenny Agutter as Jessica 6. Wowee.

Women > robots…again!

[nemfrog]

The serpent consuming its tail, crowned with flame. Frontispiece by Melchior Lechter for Stefan George's, Der siebente Ring. The Seventh Ring. Berlin, 1907.

Internet Archive

[petty-crush]

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” [1969]

-in the pantheon of “films that are absolutely amazing for the first hour then dissolve to nothing” this would be way up there , Mount Rushmore status

-totally worth seeing, but just know it drops off a cliff at one point

-but that first hour, fucking incredible

-it has quite a variety of scenes too, it’s not all one flavor

-what I was struck by was the “raindrops keep falling on my head” bicycle sequence

+it’s a cheerful, sweet section, that has the nerves to go into the deep end of “impossible to be serious because you are having so much stupid fun” pool

But it works. It is a delight from first minute to last

-I’m a little flabbergasted that this film, about two dudes robbing banks and killing bandits, was the birthplace for the song itself. Ahhh, the “whatever happens” attitude of late 60s films

-the scene where Butch returns to his gang’s hideout and has to deal with the usurper to his throne is rough, tough, and totally beautiful

-“whose idea was it to rob a train?!?”

‘[the usurper], Butch’

“Well…that’s just what we are going to do!”

-probably the biggest impact of this film was setting the stage for Robert Redford (as Sundance), his career, and his changing of the cinematic culture

+his introduction—in close up—playing cards, absolute poker face against someone (Sam Elliot) waiting for him to draw his gun but then that guy backs out when he realizes who Sundance is, just star making in the most unabashed way

-I think he totally steals the film out from Paul Newman, which given the former’s presence and easy going charm, is Olympian level skill

-easily my favorite part is the buildup towards robbing a safe with dynamite, particularly the 2nd time

-it really shows that you only need two scenes just a bit apart to make a forever memorable cinematic moment

-the timing on the extra dynamite for the 2nd time around safe is perfect; one of the biggest laughs I ever had in my life

-and from that high…the movie goes down

-it sure doesn’t look like it, the very next sequence with the super posse barreling out of the solo train car is staged beautifully

+it seriously looks like an intro to giant boss battle

Just a great use of the iconography of the western (horses, trains, pistols, hats)

-then we get to a super duper extended section of Butch & Sundance [B&S] running like hell from the super posse

-at first it seems like the comedy technique of something funny, goes on way too long, then funny again…but then it extremes even farther to a cinematic pacing land totally lost in fog

-if somebody made an edit of the film ending on “the fall will probably kill ya” scene, I think we have a contender for five best films of the sixties onward

-it just really feels like the perfect anti ending

-but, they keep on running

And running

And running

And running…..

-what really soured me was the section after, where B&S flee to Bolivia, is even less interesting

-I am absolutely astonished that writer William Goldman (and possibly director George Roy Hill) thought this was the reason to make the film

-this is like when an awesome band makes a new album, full of great songs…and then the title track is the weakest, most boring song on here

+and it ends the album (film)! This is what you are presenting as the best material-part?!?

-holy (creative) dissonance, Batman!

-like, wow, wow, wow, wow…this is the core that motivated you want to make this film?!

-as if to say

“see all that early stuff [sections of brownies, ice cream, candies]?!?

Well, now get ready for the real treat [unveils a small wet carrot]!”

+what a decision!

-anywho

-Kathrine Ross as Butch’s girlfriend is unforgettable; she elevates their scenes together to a new high,

they have a unforced tenderness, sometimes even bitter sweetness together

-which contrasts nicely with the rowdy bonding B&S have when alone and bickering

-I like the golden time scenes (with delightful score by Burt Bacharach),

and a part of me wonders whether it inspired the music memories in “Duck, You Sucker” (which I love even more, but then again that had the ace in the hole of Ennio Morricone composing)

-overall, this film is a real oddity in cinema history, and in the western genre in particular

-it contains some of the strongest *and* most bland moments the genre ever produced; real highs, real lows

+some directors apparently think its ultra money success set the genre on a slow death spiral, cultural impact wise.

Like it crawled to its death in the early 80s, but the bullet with the slow poison was placed in the body in 1969

-that’s just hyperbolic…but I can see why those feelings exist

-still, the material that is first rate in this film is really really really first rate. As good as it gets

-it soars, then it falls to earth with a splat

-a must see, a film barreling into Icarus path/fate with no hesitation, no quarter given.

Truly a sight to behold. In every sense of that last word.

[oldpagesclub]

S. Marschak "Gedichte für Kinder"

(book from my private collection)

[petty-crush]

“Mr. Sardonicus” (1961)

-a sterling horror film from William Castle, from that period where he went from strength to strength

-having watched several of his pictures from the late 50s onward, I can heartily say he had a terrific bag of ideas and inspiration, on the screen and well as extracurricular activities

-he also, and this is important, kept it focused and fever pitched. It seemed below 90 minutes was his sweet spot for endless mirth. His grip on you was terrific.

-one of his best directed sequences in any film is here in the moment the son robs the grave of his father to get the ticket to riches. Its dread, cut to black, and genuinely horrifying screams leave an effective mark on the audience.

-at certain points, if you drop a viewer into sequences fifteen to twenty minutes in, you can tell he is riffing on Dracula, and it’s an inspired one too.

-I love when films from the mid 19th century drop into the 1800s with no attempt to fool anyone; this is clearly the 1960s take on ye old England, and it works all the better for it

-it’s funny to think of a time when a director is so well known that he can bookend the film with his own on screen appearance. That he is intoxicatingly silly at just the right angle helps.

-something I’ve noticed recently is that people think a film is weak if you can tell where the story is going.

No, that’s the sign of a motion picture (or any tale) working. We are waiting with bated breath to see Sardonicus’ face cause we know that mug is going to be freaky. We revel in it.

Not every story has to have a fool the audience twist. Then it just becomes a lack of vulnerability.

A film is underwhelming when the story is obvious and there is no energy or conviction to the telling. A problem Castle definitely does not have.

-Ronald Lewis plays one of the best good guys in Castle’s filmography. Often the bad guy got the whole spotlight, but here Lewis is equaling as compelling.

-so the gimmick for this picture is taking votes from the punishment poll(a glow in the dark card); thumbs down to punish Sardonicus, thumbs down to give him peace.

This allows Castle the on screen actor to ham it up. “The couple back there, is that one vote or two?”

Ultimately, Castle knew his audience, his fellow countrymen, and I’m sure you can guess what fate awaits the baron Sardonicus. Another well telegraphed triumph.

-a fitting end to a delightful motion picture that showed there was a twinkle in Castle’s eye and magic under his hat.

[taylornprice]

thickleaf yerba santa

[petty-crush]

“Kpop Demon Hunters” (2025)

-a highly jubilant animated film, its twin strengths being its smart structure and boundless energy

-this is very much a musical, but full with so much action and whooshing camera movements, it won’t even register to a third of the audience

-personally, I can’t get into kpop. It’s not bad, it doesn’t frustrate or annoy me, it more often than not is just there, but I was so involved with these characters that I did not care

+the one song I really dug was “What it sounds like”, maybe it was auto tuned differently, more reverbed, or maybe it just came at one of the best moments in the film, but it had an impact no other song had on me

-the kids watching this film absolutely loved every second of it, and I suspect that this will be a soundtrack that has a generational impact

-the animation is bustling with lots of visually clever moments. It has an elasticity that I don’t see often in non 2d. Especially the faces, chock full of big brush strokes of emotion

-the film does have quiet, little moments (comparatively); when the gals eat a mountain of food, letting their bellies stick out. The cosmic joy with which they say “Couch! Couch!” When they reveal this group helps them not feel like unwanted freaks.

-in my timeline, I saw many an animated kids film with absolutely horrendous songs, the most banal shit, and the characters given no attention of loved behavior. This motion picture is like the anecdote to that; every frame has joy in it, and the songs are important to the characters fighting the world’s pain.

It sure beats the shit out of 98% of the animated films I grew up on

-the voiceless grinning tiger and insolent crow steal just about every scene they are in (“the tiny hat was for the tiger, the crow just keeps stealing it”)

-there is one element I really do not like in this film; the constant praise of the fans. It looks exactly like the human club in the real world and those people are populists full of reactionary slop. It shackles the group to the worst elements of humanity.

+but, then again, so do the real kpop (or really any pop) groups, and no film has to provide answers to bigots. Plus, really, this is the thinnest of pin heads to dance on, it’s a handful of sand in the tidal wave of awesome this picture provides

-I like how the film does provide the gals with self doubt, worry, fear of isolation; but does so in a complete pop art way, where it’s an emotion to drive through, not wallow in

-I’m starting to suspect again animation is just a better medium to do comic book stories than live action. We’ll see

-it’s always a charged delight when a crowd pleaser delivers the goods. It doesn’t get pulled down to the mob, it rips the audience up the to the stars. A total triumph.

[nemfrog]

"The pet crow steals bright things out of the house." Illustration detail.

Real bird tales. 1924.

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