Horses are good company -- The Witcher

List of stuff I've watched, catching up from the last couple of weeks. Watching stuff is about all I can do right now. Due to concussion I'm watching things in English, with minimal flashing lights and otherwise visually easy to process, and taking recommendations.

Bank of Dave - boring but fine. nice to see Joel Fry (of Our flag means death) playing a young lawyer, who is helping a man start a small bank, and going up against the establishment. Comp het romance plotline was dull.
Beautiful Game - about the Homeless World Cup (soccer). Not very good but not horrible.

Merpeople - 4-ep documentary series about people who are, or want to be, professional mermaids, who perform at shows. The best part of this was the costumes and the photography. I appreciated that they showed the society of fat mermaids, and talked about queerness and race. Netflix.

By Hook or By Crook - an independent film from 2001 about two trans guys who are best friends. They are living a marginal existence, having adventures. This was super interesting and I loved it. The captions were terrible.

Last Voyage of the Demeter - Dracula thriller with a cool concept-- these people are at sea on a big sailing vessel, and a monster is on board with them-- but this was a bit disappointing. Not as fun or twisty as it could have been. You know the monster is going to live, so there is nothing satisfying in the narrative.

Godzilla Minus One. This is in Japanese but has a pretty decent dub, which worked much better for me cognitively. I went in knowing almost nothing about this film, and ended up absolutely adoring it. It's also the first Godzilla film I've seen. So, if it interests you at all, I encourage you to check it out. I have a lot of thoughts about this film but will save those up for a later post.

Under Paris - also has an English dub. This is a silly movie about a huge shark in the Seine. A scientist, some cops, and some young eco-warriors are trying to find the shark and almost all of them get eaten! It's just ridiculous and fun, and there are many scenes with divers down in the catacombs. A good bad movie where you sort of root for the monster.

Sue Bird: In the Clutch. A documentary about the career of the WNBA star. This is about 90 percent basketball, and 10 percent about her being a lesbian and an activist, coming out publically when she started dating Megan Rapinoe, etc, which are the parts I'm more interested in. Sometimes I wish I liked sports but we must accept who we are. Netflix.

QueenPins - a comedy about two friends who do some non-violent crime, via stealing and selling coupons. The two friends are pretty great, played by Kristen Bell and Kirby (both of "the good place"). There is a parallel plot involving cop-like dudes tracking the queenpins, and these people I hated. I've never liked Vince Vaughan, and the other guy was a fatphobic loser stereotype. So, I liked half this movie fairly well and hated the other half.

A Walk in the Woods - Did not finish, due to really nasty, vile fat phobia, specifically directed at fat women. Shame on you, people who made this film.

Out of Africa - 1985 adaptation of Isak Dineson's memoir, about her adventures in East Africa in the early 20th century. It's simultaneously a beautiful, well-made romance, and then it's also so disgustingly colonialist and racist. What a bizarre world we live in.

I watched a few things that had minimal flashing lights, yay.

The Pez Outlaw is a delightful documentary on Netflix about a regular guy who got into selling rare Pez dispensers to collectors. He was a "gray market" seller, not quite legal but not quite illegal. Very funny, quirky people, a good time.

Where the Crawdads Sing, also on Netflix but leaving soon. Kind of heavy subject material, dealing with abuse, abandonment, sexual assault, but from the perspective of a woman who survived these things, and made a life for herself that she loved. The Carolina wetlands that she lives in sustain her materially, intellectually, and spiritually. Some beautiful wildlife scenes in this! David Strathairn plays a kindly lawyer who defends our heroine from murder charges, after her ex-boyfriend is found dead.

She Said, a BOATS (based on a true story) about the journalists who investigated Harvey Weinstein. Again this is heavy subject material, but it focuses on investigative journalism, truth telling, and the hard work it takes to bring the truth to light. I enjoyed this a lot. Ashley Judd stars as herself, in a minor role. I Loved Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, and Patricia Clarkson, who all came across as very kind and competent.

Kingpin Katie, an action comedy on the DropOut service. very fun and features some wonderful actors.

A couple more documentaries about disasters on Netflix, one about the Camp Fire in California in 2018, called Fire in Paradise. The fire wiped out the entire town of Paradise and killed 80-some people because it traveled very very fast.

Aftershock, about a huge earthquake in Nepal in 2015. The doc focuses on 3 stories: some mountaineers attempting Everest, some tourist hikers in another area, and a hotel owner in Kathmandu. This is the rare disaster documentary that shows some of the survivors behaving badly: the tourist hikers were young men from Israel, and they got into conflict with some villagers. There is also one of the Everest mountaineers who comes off as a real asshole-- no surprise there because that's a pursuit that attracts some very rich egotistical people.

There are probably lots of stories like this because people are so stressed in emergency situations, but I can only speculate. One thing I liked was a "professional rescuer" who was interviewed and said that he uses a "very very powerful tool" which is hope.

My roommate and I are watching Taskmaster New Zealand and are in series 2.

The Tourist, 2022-

I fell into this show and did not come up for air until I finished the 2nd season. It was wild and delightful fun. I love the amnesia trope and this story satisfied.

Stars Jamie Dornan, Danielle Macdonald. On Netflix.

Content notes: lots of violence. claustrophobia, a scorpion. A dog gets killed by a villain. Drug use. Car crashes. Hospitals. Unrealistic healing from injuries. Probably others.

Reasons to watch: Extremely tropey, funny, excellent chemistry between various characters. A fun mystery format that unravels as our hero, who has lost his memory, tries to figure out what the hell is going on. This show really made me like Jamie Dornan, he's excellent at being baffled and handsome. There are some wild plot twists and his response is like, "For fook's sake!"

Helen, our main heroine, is super charming. She is also fat and the narrative is on her side, which is so unusual and refreshing. What I mean is, there is fatphobia / weight loss attempts shown in the first couple of episodes, but it's correctly shown as abuse and control, and Helen gets away from it. That plot line is basically dropped and then she's just like, a regular fat person. She has some kind of self-admitted attraction to "broken men," she's cheerful, she's brave, and she's an excellent detective.

Also enjoyable are the landscapes. S1 is set in the Australian Outback. S2 is set in Ireland.

I knew I was going to love these films, and I did, they were so beautiful.

Society of the Snow, Netflix.

This is based on the story of the rugby team that crashed in the Andes in 1972, a very famous incident. It is in Spanish; there is a quality English dub that I watched due to cognitive reasons.

(*If I try to listen to Spanish, my brain starts working trying to figure out what people are saying, and due to post-concussion syndrome, steam starts to shoot out of my ears and my brain makes a noise like metal on metal. I found it interesting that I was reluctant to watch the dub and had to "allow" myself to do it, a bit of ableism coming undone there. So anyways I watched the dub with captions also.)

This is a beautifully acted story about death and survival, a tough subject but an amazing journey, very affecting, gorgeously edited. The actors are Argentinian and Uruguayan-- a big improvement from the 90s American film version.

I was very impressed!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The book is one of my all-time favorite novels. This film was not well promoted, I think due to the strikes? Which is too bad, and I hope it can find its audience beyond the theatrical release. Right now, possibly due to being new, it is rent-only at various streaming services.

The story follows Ari, a teenager in El Paso Texas in 1987. He befriends Dante, who offers to teach Ari how to swim. The story follows Ari as he slowly discovers his sexuality.

Beautiful, quiet, contemplative, really everything I wanted from this adaptation, I got. The young actors are unknowns and they are amazing. The director, Aitch Alberto, is a trans woman.

Superb!!

Some things I watched!

The Innocence Files, Netflix, documentary series of 10 episodes about 8 people whom the Innocence Project helped get out of prison. Along the way they do take-downs of "bite mark anaylsis," which it turns out is a completely fake thing, no basis in reality, yet still admissible as court evidence in all 50 states. They also talk about how powerful and theatrical eye-witness testimony is, while being riddled with mis-identifications and hugely subject to manipulation.

This was kind of slow, and included a lot of details about brutal crimes. Some of the people they interview are deeply creepy and, well, evil. But, it's well made and I learned things. It functions as anti-copaganda.

All the people in this series were "railroaded" meaning, basically set up by police and prosecutors. Many spent decades in prison and one was on death row.

Weird: the Al Yankovic Story

I like Daniel Radcliffe who plays Al, and this was some fun 80s nostalgia. It's a satirical pastiche (of course) and as such, doesn't really say much. I had a good time watching it but found it very forgettable.

Harriet, Netflix, Biopic about Harriet Tubman.

As I was watching this I thought, wow this feels weirdly familiar, have I seen this before? I had, but forgot the whole thing. My friend asked me, is that from the concussion or is the film just really forgettable? I think the answer is "both."

This film leans into Tubman being literally god-touched, which is a fantasy trope that I am not necessarily against but seems odd for a biographical film. The film fell flat for me, partly because I like "Underground" (the TV show) so much more. Aisha Hinds' performance of Harriet Tubman on that show was stunning.

Migraining this week, but I started to feel better at about 5 pm today. Sometimes I really just have to lean into being a night person.

Watched a few documentaries, they were all somewhat enjoyable, concussion/migraine viewing.

The Alpinist. About a free-solo rock and mountain climber (meaning no ropes, no climbing partner). This guy was in it for the adventure and the extreme experiences. He died in 2018 from an avalanche. Lots of great photography in this, but obviously not recommended if you have a fear of heights.

Race to the Summit. Also about 2 free-solo rock climbers, in Switzerland. The Swiss German is sort of narrated over in English. These 2 climbers focus on speed, so they are essentially "running up a mountain". One of these climbers died from a fall and the other is still living. This is on Netflix. Seems like there is a cottage industry of documentaries around this rarefied pursuit and I've now watched a bunch of them. The people who do this, who seek out these experiences and enjoy them, seem to have unusual personalities, and it seems like that type of person would also be the space adventurer in SF and/or the scout in fantasy lands.

Eat the Rich: the Gamestop Saga. About an investment scheme adventure that happened in 2020 involving redditors. They did a nice job explaining it and finding colorful characters to make this short series interesting. There were a couple random fat-phobic shots of a stereotypical fat person sitting in front of his computer eating cheetos, which was a fly in the ointment of this otherwise decent production. This was certainly more entertaining than the film "the big short." That's a low bar though.

I read one comics memoir!

Dear Scarlet by Teresa Wong. This book is about post-partum depression and some intense shit going on.

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Well despite all that, it was a pretty quick read. Wong uses this simplistic art style. There is something about this technique that makes hard shit easier to read about.

Will Trent, episodes 1 and 2. Hulu.

Honestly I think this is a good show, evaluating by the writing and acting, and I appreciate that the women dress in a kind of normal way; I liked all the costume choices. I liked that Will Trent has dyslexia and has found work-arounds for that.

But the copaganda is strong in cop shows, just generally, and it's almost worse now that the writers are wink-winking about the Black Lives Matter movement and the increasing cultural consciousness re police brutality. In these 2 episodes (which are one story), the protagonists were doing all kinds of illegal shit. One cop tells another, "you can't do that anymore," implying that it used to be OK to be rough with suspects. Even if I try to tell myself it's a fantasy, I can't tolerate it any more. I also dislike the focus on murder. So, there is a lot to like in this show but it's not for me.

Heart of Invictus, Netflix, 5 episodes.

A docu-series focusing on several participants of the Invictus Games, which are an event to uplift and celebrate disabled veterans. I really liked this a lot. These games and the documentary are hosted by Prince Harry, so if you don't like him you may find that annoying (I like him though!!). There is a lot of focus on mental and emotional health. Particular athletes are highlighted, one from each of the Netherlands, Ukraine, the UK, Canada, the US, and South Korea. This series is about the lead-up to the games and then event itself, which took place in the Hague; and it's also about the war in Ukraine to a certain extent. I thought it was very well put-together, very interesting, and lets disabled people talk about their own experiences. The athletes are not selected by who is the best, but rather by "who will benefit the most from the experience." Which is a bit vague and not fully explained, but it seems to mean that these people are ones in need of support, and are getting support through the coaching, the community, etc.

I also recommend this for concussion-recovery viewing as there aren't a ton of bright flashing lights, spinning camera, that sort of thing. And the woman from Ukraine is legendary, a very memorable person with a fantastic face and an amazing story.

I noped out of Sue Perkins: Perfectly Legal, for concussion reasons, it starts off with loud bangs, sped-up camera footage, club dancing, and Sue saying that her biggest fear is feeling "stuck". hard pass sorry!

I had a very mixed reaction to another documentary about disabled athletes, called Rising Phoenix, about the Paralymics. What I liked: hearing from the actual athletes and seeing them perform. I also learned some history about the Paralymics, which were founded by a Jewish doctor, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who escaped Germany and went to the UK. He advanced care for people with spinal cord injuries and started sports competitions for disabled people. His daughter says that the Paralympics are so-called because they are "parallel to the Olympics."

I didn't care as much for the parts about the politics of the organizing committees, though other people might find that interesting.

What I found off-putting was the inclusion of Oscar Pistorius (in historical footage, and talked about), without any contextual information. There's a young sprinter who says, "At that time, he was my hero," and they leave it at that, without mentioning that Pistorius is a murderer.

They also seemed to give more time to the Italian fencer (who has this big star quality), and less time to the African athletes. One of the African athletes appears randomly with a cheetah, and this is not explained. Why is there a cheetah?

This one was a frustrating watch, lots of weird little random things that made no sense, and I seem to find I have the most to say about media I'm frustrated with.

Watched:

The Dragon prince season 5. Netflix.
This is cute and I like some of the imaginative creatures and landscapes.

Heartstopper season 2. Netflix.

I liked this SO much. It's a little slow but that turns out to be a good choice when you have a headache and are doing concussion recovery.

It's just this amazingly sensitive portrayal of queer high school students (or whatever they call them in England, they are about 16). It's an ode to the joys of queer love, inclusive. Inclusive of gay and bi people, ace people, trans people, people of color, etc.

It does focus on the romantic relationship of 2 high school boys, which is a little awkward for me because I identify more with their teachers and parents; this show is not *for* me exactly, but it's healing to watch in that way of speaking to my younger self and wishing I had the language and the stories when I was that age.

I'm so happy it exists. I feel that the show is strongest when it expands outward a bit to the ensemble. But perhaps that is simply because my favorite characters are Mr. Farouk, Isaac, and Elle.

Also! They do some incredible effects of blending comics into the live action.
Cut for spoilers,
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General TV reflections

I am grateful for TV right now, giving me things to think about but not taxing me too much.

I have noticed that I pay a lot of attention to costuming. The trend right now in suits is for them to be so tight that the characters look like if they did a prat fall they would bust right out of their pants.

This is a screen shot from Good Omens 2 where one of the angels is wearing these tight trousers that cut into her butt and show her panty lines. It's hilarious but also why!!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F2VwBaAXgAA3QKi?format=jpg&name=large

Carhartts are also in fashion, these are work clothes but everyone is wearing them including people on TV (Antoni! on Queer eye!). This makes me happy because they are actually comfortable and well made.

Arctic - 2018, Netflix, survival story (fiction).

This movie won't be for everyone: it's slow, it's extremely low-dialog. I however loved it and thought it was very interesting, with impressive realism.

Mads Mikklesen plays Overgård, who is already stranded on the ice when we meet him, after his small plane crashed. He is a hyper-competent sort of person and has apparently been there a while: he has several fishing holes set up with bells to alert him when a fish bites. He has created a giant "SOS" sign by digging out snow down to rock. His watch alarm keeps him on task, relentlessly. He's developing a map of the area and using that to find places to signal with a hand-cranked transponder. His life is relatively safe, and he's just waiting for someone to find him.

One day in a snowstorm, a helicopter appears. He signals the helo, but it spins out of control in the storm, and crashes. Of two people on board, one has died, and the other is injured. Overgård assists the young survivor, a woman who has little English and is drifting in and out of consciousness. He brings her back to his camp and searches the crashed helo for supplies.

One thing Overgård finds in the helo is a photo of the woman and her family. With great tenderness and care, he bends the photo and places it into the breast pocket of his parka. He later places the photo in a window where she can see it if she wakes up. Overgård places his own scarf around the woman's neck and tends carefully to her wounds. His care of this stranger is carried out with the utmost respect. Once when he first carries her to lay her down, Overgård pauses and revels in the moment of touching someone, in the basic platonic sense, just enjoying the warmth of another person next to you. His face transforms.

Overgård must now decide to leave his camp. This woman needs medical care. She was carrying a map of the area, so he can now find his way to a permanent station, a several day's journey. He must pull her along behind him so that he can make sure she drinks water and stays warm.

Overgård has what I think of as a Scandinavian approach to very difficult problems: this needs to be done, there is no two ways about it. So I am going to do it. (Extremely relatable and part of the culture that came over to America with my family members).

What follows is a harrowing journey through an incredibly hostile landscape, one that has a harsh beauty to it. Overgård continues to demonstrate his competence and stamina, but the obstacles continue to increase.

This is a nearly silent film, the ultimate in "show don't tell," and so some things are not explained. The story is simple, but told well. The movie grapples with the idea that our hero might fail, but he is heroic for trying. Overgård represents a healthy and heroic masculinity. He never seems to regard his charge as anything other than someone he needs to take care of and keep alive. Caring for someone gives him meaning and purpose beyond just staying alive. Indeed he risks death to do so, putting the chance of saving her above his own life. If the two of them die, at least they will not be alone.

Content notes: helicopter crash, blood, injury.