What is it: Fauna is a 9-year old girl with an overbearing mom who overworks her so she'll win beauty pageants. She befriends Mary, a poor delinquent who punches people, and they go on adventures.
The Good: A solid entry in the "cute kids do cute things" genre, with the characters being dysfunctional enough to keep it interesting without things getting too dark. Also the art is very cute.
The Bad: It's a little tonally precarious as of review (Page 166). The highest stakes of a storyline so far has been "Mary lost her doll" but the comic is gesturing towards darker themes and may evolve in surprising ways, so if all you're looking for is a comfy read there's a sword of Damocles hanging over it.
You should read it if: You want to read a cute comic about a bunch of kids making the best of a bad home situation.
And so, the new DC animated movie has come out! Based on the Elseworld mini-series by Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart and Richard Pace, Doom... centres around an alternate, 1920s version of Batman who returns to Gotham after decades away only to find his city beset with various Lovecraftian beasties and cults.
I’d say that overall Doom... follows the original story a touch more than the earlier adaptation of the other big Mignola Elseworld (Gotham by Gaslight), but also takes time to expand or modernise elements that were no previously in the original story to flesh out the narrative some.
An example of one of these changes is that of the introduction of Kai Li Cain, an alternate version of Cassandra Cain, who effectively acts as the secondary protagonist as Bruce’s experiences slowly make him begin to go mad from his encounters with the supernatural and the ghosts of his own past.
Voiced by the Owl House’s Tati Gabrielle, Kai Li is a lot of fun, and I think adds a lot more to the story than the character she replaced from the original source material (Tim Drake, who in the original story didn’t... really do much?).
Similarly, Christopher Godham’s Oliver Queen has a more expanded role in the story too, complete with character arc, when in the original he more or less just serves as the way Bruce gets some monster-killing arrows. John DiMaggio also made for an excellent Commissioner Gordon, even if his time on screen was brief.
I will say that while the broad allusions to Lovecraft’s work are definitely retained in the story (Ra’s al Ghul as an allusion to Abdul Alhazred and Nyarlathotep, Herbert West actually appearing in one scene), a lot were stripped out to maintain the story’s pacing, which again I can understand.
Overall I’d say that I liked the film a lot, and that while I do like the original I’m also aware that more stripped down narrative style that Mignola sometimes favours might not translate well into film.
Bonus: Oh Hey, Lois and Clark decided to drop by Gotham to see what’s up!
I don’t think that I’ve as of yet seen a story where Superman fights Lovecraftian monsters, although I’d probably argue that the episode Unity from Superman: the Animated Series (which was about a traveling Christian revival tent acting as a front for an unexplained tentacled... thing to implant something inside people to mind control them) was pretty close.
Watched a few episodes of Netflix’s Inside Job, which is a show that I think reveals its seams a bit to much to permit it to be good. I can tell you the premise of the show - the story of two people working at a ‘company’ that actually does all the real-life political conspiracy theories you’ve heard of in order to rule the world - and the most obvious form of every joke you *just* thought of in two seconds is gonna show up in these episodes. Faked moon landing reference, JFK assassination plot, jet-fuel-can’t-melt-steel-beams check check check etc etc etc. The fact that the reality of the show’s production was “here is a list of all conspiracy theories, divvy up X references per episode” is too obvious for you to ride its humor wave, making it a poor man’s Cabin in the Woods.
And its 95% jokes, it just doesn’t have deep characters to compensate. Reagan as a main character is great but the rest are too one-dimensional, and with only one good character its hard to have any dynamics - sort of a takes-two-to-tango game there. With Reagan being an irate mad scientist engaging in mad-cap techno plots, the seams show here too - this is just a poor man’s Rick & Morty, trying to cash in.
Animation is solid, its putting the post-2015 suite of dynamic staging and motion tools to work to make sure camera angles + shot composition is fresh, but the character designs and general style are uninspired and it lacks the chops to have truly big set pieces - if you *reference* Akira then just give me a poor man’s Akira rip-off, *particularly* when Rick & Morty already specifically did that but better last season, I am gonna notice in a way you don’t like.
5.5/10, will probably drop but boredom may reign supreme someday.
Back around January 5th, I had a cloud of commitments drift over my calendar at work, and I thought: :This will be a busy week.: Two months later... well, it’s a break period soon, and I will probably sleep through half of it.
I have been getting a few drabs of writing done, but it’s pretty fragmentary. I made progress on the mc:tna WIP! *jazz hands*
I also spent a lot of time the past month or so on the couch watching TV, because I didn’t have bandwidth for anything else. I want to do a quick impressions post, in case anyone is curious about these programs, too!
Below, thoughts on:
Alice in Borderland (Japan; Netflix)
His Dark Materials (British; HBO Max)
Raya and the Last Dragon (US; Disney+)
Vincenzo (Korea; Netflix)
WandaVision (US; Disney+)
Alice in Borderland (Netflix - 8 episodes, ends on a -minor- cliffhanger)
This one really grabbed me by the throat, but in a way that is entirely about style and setting. Characters in this drama don’t have a long shelf life, and like Battle Royale, it is extremely bloody. Also like Battle Royale, how much enjoyment you get out of it depends on your tolerance for watching people group up and then be shocked when the strangers they’ve decided to trust (inevitably) gruesomely betray them. If you enjoyed the style of Cube, Hunger Games, The Game, or Matrix Reloaded, and can stand (or like me, fast forward through) the gore, you might enjoy this.
Random impressions:
I know why Arisu is the main character, but brass tacks: if he didn’t have plot armor, he wouldn’t be. Usagi, Kuina, Karube, or Chishiya the entire way.
Almost the second I turned it off, a full-formed plot bunny of how Chishiya and Kuina met jumped in to my head, so maybe that will get written someday. Because they’re the best (regrettable murder-duo tendencies aside).
Either the borderland is a simulation, or they’re all stuck in someone’s psychotic break-- there’s too much that doesn’t add up for it to be anything else (although the “aliens!” theory is fun).
His Dark Materials (HBOMax - 2 seasons (15 eps), 3rd season in production)
I really wanted to like this more than I did... If you’ve read the books, and enjoyed them, it is a beautifully filmed version of that, but the show sells the grand drama of a War for Free Will much too short. Like, my favorite things in two seasons were Lee Scoresby (Lin Manuel Miranda, surprising the hell out of me), the City of Citagazze (what?), Mrs. Coulter (...what?!), and Lord Boreal.
Lyra, Pan, Will, the Golden Compass itself, the angels, the Spectres, the Magisterium -- ehhhh. They were fine. But not more than that. And some of the things I outright loved in the books were terrible here. Whoever cast Lord Asriel, the witches and Jopari/John Perry did...not do their best work, imo. I’ll probably watch season 3, but it won’t be a “must watch” for me.
Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney+ - animated film, ~2 hours)
I shelled out US $30 to see this opening weekend, and I’m not sorry about that choice. Reviewers are saying the story is a bit “generic” and...I guess? I think it depends on what you were expecting. But for me, this movie hit all my buttons - actual characterization for its female leads; humor; enemies to lovers friends; big epic conclusion to its story; found family; basically an RPG sourcebook lite approach to introducing the world; magic with consistent rules and NOT overpowered; BIG ol’ plothole at the end if someone wanted to write for it...
There has been another criticism leveled, in that Raya tries to take a “pan SE Asia” approach with its setting that really, really bothers some viewers. I tried to keep an eye out for it when I watched, and quickly realized I don’t know enough about artistic influences from that area of the world to be able to tell. So it didn’t bother me, but in that I might be part of the problem. I will say that the setting seemed to be a little too “flavor-y” in its regions if it was supposed to be one country originally. But I mean, this was also a film with a giant rolling armadillo-- wasn’t thinking about it very hard.
Vincenzo (Netflix - airing now, new eps Sat & Sun in the US)
Ahaha, where to START? I started watching this on a whim eating dinner one night, and it’s maybe my new favorite show. Netflix labels this a “dark comedy,” and yeah, I guess? I also sent my friend a text when I started binging this midweek that went, roughly:
“Ooh, now we’re staging an Italian mini-Epcot to stop the demolition gang, and GLITTER CANONS!! Also we’re ripping off The Great Gatsby.”
...and that’s the vibe, really.
This is the rare drama where I feel confident saying: Watch the first episode. If you like it, you’ll like the rest (so far- ep. 6 just aired). I am a BIG fan.
WandaVision (Disney+ - 9 episodes)
Ohhhh, man. This was so much better than I expected, and the second trailer (above, if YouTube lets you see it where you are) gave me high hopes. It’s probably better if you have a vague idea who Wanda and Vision are, but you know I don’t know that you would really need that?
It’s about nostalgia, love, grief, and the stories we tell ourselves-- the ones that are self-serving, and the stories we think serve us, and don’t. It actually lets Wanda lead in her own narrative, for once, but doesn’t undercut what she’s had to go through to get there. Like a Korean drama, the first few episodes are going to seem underwhelming if you’re there for “big P” plot-- but give it room.
Wanda facing down the beekeeper at the end of episode 2 gave me chills like very little has on TV for a while. Elizabeth Olsen packs a lot into that 2 seconds:
And Kathryn Hahn as Agnes is delightful. She’s totally on the up-and-up, of course-
Secondary shout-out to DR. Darcy Lewis, low-key saving the day and snarking her way through it. So happy to see her again, too.
I’ve watched the whole series now (last episode twice; cried both times) -- and I think this is going to be one of my favorite things of 2021.
Continuing my Halloween Film Watch with the alien invasion film Rim of the World! No live reaction this time, as I was having to work on something else at the same time.
Premise: Misfit kids get sent to a remote summer camp outside of Los Angeles, only to end up stranded following an unexpected alien invasion.
S’okay film. Oddly dated in a lot of respects while also pointing out the dated stuff at the time time? Which was weird. Kinda creepy how much sexual humour there was involving kids who are meant to be, what, 13? That was gross.
Despite this, the kids are all individually rounded off in their own ways (Zhenzhen, played by Miya Cech, was the best one), even if the tone of the film seemed unsure if it was going for an adventure movie which happened to have gruesome deaths in it (like Jurassic Park etc.) or an early to mid-2000s action film that happens to star children... despite being released in 2019. Weird.
Amusingly the plot hinges on some Cold War era satellite defence tech which, despite very much being a trope in action films of all stripes, was never actually viable and was pretty much another example of Ronald Reagan wasting taxpayer money.
Also, James Corden survives the apocalypse, which gets it negative a million points!
I've been using these six products by The Ordinary for a while so I figured I'd share my thoughts on them with you guys in the form of six mini-reviews!
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone
I really like this Vitamin C product, but be warned: it does have a silicone base and it does feel exactly like it sounds; it has all the slippiness and film-feeling of a silicone primer, so if you typically dislike silicone products, I'd go for something else. Also, I've used other vitamin C products before and none have ever stung except this one, so be careful if you're sensitive or if you're not used to having vitamin C in your skincare routine!
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
This is an okay product and I love the idea of a niacinamide and zinc serum, but I don't really love this particular one. It feels like a normal watery serum at first, but once you start to apply it and rub it in, it starts getting really soapy and sort of sticky which I really dislike. I'll have to try some other niacinamide products because I like having it as a part of my routine, but this one just ain't it.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
This is a great way to get your AHA and BHA in if they're not already a part of your regular skincare routine! Just be careful not to use this more than maybe a couple times a week because it is very strong, and don't leave it on for more than the recommended time either. Even when leaving this on for less time than recommended, I still feel a bit of stinging but nothing unbearable. The only thing I don't like about this product is that it definitely looks like you have blood smeared all over your face while you're using it lol which isn't the best look imo.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
I love this product! I use this as a kind of 'secondary toner' after my Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Toner. It's pretty much the perfect amount of glycolic acid for my skin, I think, because I can use it in the mornings without over-exfoliating but I still notice results from using it consistently. It can sometimes have a lil bit of a weird smell, but hey, I love just about everything else about it so I can deal with one sub-par quality, especially for the great price.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane
This is a great, strong OTC retinol product that I enjoyed using while I had it, but I've since given it to my mom because I recently started using tretinoin (which is basically just a stronger form of retinol) in my Curology formula and didn't want to use both and have too much retinol in my routine because I know that can cause irritation and sun sensitivity. I'd definitely recommend this product if you feel like your current OTC retinol isn't quite as strong as you'd like or if you're just looking for an affordable one. The Ordinary also has this exact same product but in a 2% concentration, and I'd recommend that to start out if your skin hasn't yet gotten used to retinol exposure.
The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA
Mandelic acid is one of the most gentle of the 'skincare acids' used for exfoliation and to increase cell turnover, so a product like this is probably your best bet if you're really sensitive to AHAs or if you're just starting out with them. This particular mandelic acid product has quite an oily, thick serum consistency and feels more hydrating than anything else when applied to the face. This product is great if you want to start exfoliating but find other exfoliating acid products have made your face sting a lot or even burn.
This product is definitely a good deal at not even $9 for 240mL of product – other glycolic acid toners with fancy brand names attached to them will run you a lot more than even double the price of this one. The thing about this toner is that, imo, there’s nothing bad about it, but there’s also nothing that really stands out about it either or makes me excited to use it. Which, I mean, to be fair, is I think what it’s supposed to be: a product that’s not fancy or exciting but does what it’s supposed to at a reasonable price. And I do think it accomplishes that. But if you’re like me and are kinda lazy when it comes to skincare, especially when using products that don’t particularly excite you – this might not be for you. However, if you’re looking for a simple, affordable, just-get-the-job-done toner: this is probably perfect.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
I like this serum because I love Niacinamide for my skin and this is a seriously cheap way to get it ($5.90 per bottle at Sephora). However, it’s not perfect – under makeup or even just under moisturizer, it pills. Badly, at least for me, personally. So although my skin really likes the ingredients, I also get annoyed every time I use it because I’ll forget that it pills up after using it and then, of course, realize it once I start applying, and then I’ll either have to wait a while before finishing the rest of my routine so it has a chance to dry OR just wash it off and start over without it. I’m on the lookout for a new Niacinamide serum that works better for me, but haven’t found one as of yet.
Lactic Acid 10% + HA
This is one of those products that you use and use and use for a significant amount of time on a regular basis but get absolutely z e r o results or, worse, bad results. At least that’s how it was in my case. I bought this, started using it regularly, and at first noticed no difference at all – and then, to my dismay, I started noticing tiny little under-the-skin bumps all over my face. I knew it was this product that caused the bumps because it was the only new product I had introduced and so I immediately stopped using it, and the bumps went away and haven’t come back since. I’m a little afraid to use Lactic Acid at all ever again because of this product since I’m not sure if my skin just didn’t like this formulation or if it doesn’t like Lactic Acid in general. I haven’t been brave enough to risk using another Lactic Acid product since then as of yet; honestly not sure if I ever will.
