Publications where I marry a merry tale of my life with some commentary on media, be it music, films, TV shows or art.
So I guess this is a cooking blog now?
Anyway, with much of the English-speaking finally coming its senses and started limiting mass gatherings to their daily lives for the next few weeks, one to be expected consequence was the extra pandemic of panic buying.
As I look for ways to keep my writing brain well-oiled, I will be trying out a more ‘modular’ approach to blog posts: rather than dedicating each post to a singular theme that I hammer out mostly in one sitting, I’m taking a few pages from my old seasonal anime list posts, and compile short capsule reviews that I write throughout the week(s). In this instance, I have given myself a pretty decent schedule for the upcoming fortnight of movies that are screening at the annual Sydney Film Festival, and will be reflecting on each title I watch, before publishing it at its conclusion.
I’m actually not sure how I should tell this story for you. Is this just a collection of conventional thoughts on films, or am I supposed to frame this more as another one of my Tale Time entries? (Haven’t done one those in a while huh…)
Going to the cinema and watching a film works in conjunction when it comes to me recalling experiences for a blog post. Experiences never exist in voids, they meld and influence each other. Perhaps this is why I find it so difficult to write straight up film or TV series reviews, whether I watched it alone at home, or with a group of people. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that half the fun of watching a Summer blockbuster copy-and-paste explosion fest is the environment of a filled-out cinema, with some 400 people reacting to the same things you are.
Opening remarks: I originally intended this piece to be a particularly academic-driven one…digging deep into the likes of Mark Lochrie & Paul Coulton’s article on shared viewing experiences or ‘Social TV’ and ‘Second Screen Devices’, and Alice E. Marwick’s paper on ‘Imagined Audiences and Context Collapse in Microblogging’. Elements of these studies are still retained in the final product, but I decided to keep discussion more centred on Dragon Maid and my own experiences in watching it…and ultimately deciding that it is an absolute new favourite.
In my first EVER paycheck this month, I earned more than Mum if we both worked the same number of hours that week. Most people would leave this milestone behind as something to be proud of: after all, Mum now has another source of pride for her son.
However, in an eventual spiral of emotions ranging from pride, eagerness to spend everything I just earned, and bittersweetness; since this milestone means another step towards total independence…I eventually arrived at that familiar door of guilt again. Remember my stories from last month?
As common courtesy, I shall extend my praising hand towards a few bloggers who have intrigued (and shamed) me with their writings. I suppose I left it boiling there long enough, so I could use this opportunity to write a few notes about this blog’s 1st birthday as well.
As the nominees, you will:
It’s rather difficult, talking about a trip as…small-scaled and comparatively mundane as this, especially considering how the original intent was for me to go and visit a dentist there and yank out two of my misbehaving wisdom teeth. Nasty business.
However, in considering that during the two weeks while the right side of my mouth burnt like lava, there isn’t much for me to do in terms of relaxation, pleasure through eating (my personal favourite pastime outside of watching anime) and doing the usual things you would do whilst vacationing overseas. Instead, I had some time to think about things, as I sat back and observed this culture that I had partially left behind.
This is NOT an analytical piece. This is a raw and unfiltered self-meditation, as I find writing with no aim nor external audience in mind to be rather calming and self-satisfying. If you want to take a peek at me in my most creatively pure state, this is not a bad place to start.
Emotions, feelings and our comprehension of the world around us are the groundworks of each individual’s existence. In many ways, I am a person who’s flawed, afraid of the world’s lingering shadows, questions the nature of each flickering light and is very much wary of the superior forces that are far out of my reach and understanding. I’m afraid of what I don’t know, but sometimes I’m even more afraid to learn the truth.
Just a little spur-of-the-moment post, after having some time to reflect on the base of influences that eventually shaped up this figure of ‘me’, and last week’s stream of less-than-gratifying encounters, both face-to-face and virtually.
![deadpool-movie-2016-international-poster[1]](https://atmafunomena.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/deadpool-movie-2016-international-poster1.jpg?w=300&h=444)
Warning: Against my conventional tendencies, a considerably increased amount of cursing will be circulating around this particular publication, and won’t be censored. Naturally, reader discretion is advised.
It’s impossible, really, when it comes to determining what you loved more, after walking out of an opening day Deadpool showing: the film’s disregard for superficial rules, Deadpool being the biggest asshole, the crowd who laughed because you laughed at a joke that only you got (well…that WAS the hope), or when you laughed in an instinctive response to the audience’s laughter: attending film viewings with huge crowds can be the most amazing thing, if you somehow managed to find a balance between an audience with lively and responsive dispositions but also a crowd that’s respecting and understanding about NOT BEING A FUCKING LOUD AND DISTRACTING ASSHOLE. Sydney crowds do a generally good job with that…well, at least with my measuring balance being American crowds, as narrated by Youtube film critics.
The thing about choosing home cities and time zones: The mere fact that you live 12 hours in the future of most U.S. release dates (which for some reason, are all the important ones for Pop culture), means that sometimes, you get to be part of a worldwide Funomenon (shameless plug haw haw haw): being among the first in the world to watch the newest Star Wars film. Interestingly enough, the most bizarre thing about this entire adventure saga for me personally, actually came from the ticket booking incidents. Sure, I will talk about my thoughts on the movie (FYI it was good, so no worries!), but being the ranter that I am, I need to start from the beginning: how a Star Wars casual scum suddenly decided to supposedly fight teeth and bones to watch the film on the 17th of December, a day ahead the rest of the world?
The renowned director’s newest film, Kimi no Na wa | Your Name, will be debuting August 2016, featuring staff including Movie Director Shunji Iwai (Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken) and main casts, Ryuunosuke Kamiki and Moka Kamishiraishi.
Tagline of the key visual: I am searching for you, whom I have never met yet.
ATMA & Funomena 