july

Books

Amatka

A creepy, fun mix of Vandermeer and LeGuin. I loved this book.

Pro Cycling on $10 A Day

Definitely a bro book. I loved hearing all the weird stories about the pro/am US cycling scene but it reminded me how weird pro sports are and that cycling is rife with fatphobia and eating disorders. I laughed a lot and cringed at every flat and crash. It’s rad to see how one of my favorite KOM-chasers got his start.

Ring Shout

This took me entirely too long to finish as it was written in dialect. Ever since I tried to read Redwall I’ve had trouble reading books written where I might need to say it out loud to understand what’s going on. This was otherwise super solid though—no points off for my own issues.

Movies

Chariot

This was weird but not good and Malkovich had red hair.

Clear and Present Danger

This was a regular rewatch growing up, and it’s still a banger. The weird duel to delete files was especially delightful.

Bit

There’s no way LA is flakier than Portland, but there are definitely vampires in both cities. This was fun and silly. Still waiting for a nice cis lady vampire to turn me into a girl who can fly, but not if it means ever living in LA or being stuck with an underdeveloped frontal lobe. Eternal 18 sounds awful.

The Gray Man

You get to watch Ken and Captain America fight.

I’m Your Woman

A lot less crime and a lot more drama than I expected. I think I was hoping for a baby thriller.

On the Count of Three

Way funnier than I expected. Damn this was dark.

Jurassic Park: Dominion

I think this series is finally over. When dinosaurs are used for tension and horror they work, but as weird James Bond parkour villains and eco-terrorism maguffins they are just goofy. Major points off for the stupid tube too.

Bob’s Burgers

All I expected was a stretched-out episode and this was much more fun. I don’t know how long they can keep this show going but it’s up there with the best animated franchises. Simpsons could never.

Sonic 2

Either it was Jim Carey or the writing, but this was way less fun than the first one. Bits were solid, but the whole was just so long and overdone. Chili dog on a chili dog.

The Ward

Watched for Blank Check. I don’t like mental hospital films.

Nude Tuesday

The Julia Davis version was great, but I’d love to see the other to compare. This is the best art to include a nonsense language since Sigur Ros’ album ( ). Weird as fuck, but ultimately a touching story about rediscovering a partner.

Drag Me to Hell

Sam Raimi makes a hell of a movie. Watched this for the Blank Check series, and it was all the over-the-top gore I hoped for, with lots of weird gags.

In the Mouth of Madness

Sam Neil makes an Evil-Dead-esque weirdo horror worth rewatching.

Rubikon

A disappointing space morality tale.