baby fish mouth
a round-up that is sweeping the nation
Hello, friends and enemies. October vanished in the blink of an eye. I didn’t do much for Halloween besides revisit my favorite horror movies. And a few weeks ago I saw ITZY in concert! I cried three times. The girls were glowing and they have such overflowing charisma, not to mention how adorable they were talking to us in between sets. I will cherish that concert forever.
What’s the Matter with Helen? (1971) - Curtis Harrington
TCM’s double feature of Scream Queen Shelley Winters unearthed this little gem. I knew of the movie only because Van Johnson mentioned it in a 1996 interview where he kept talking in his very garrulous way about how much he adored Shelley. It’s set in the 1930s and follows two women whose sons have been sent to prison for murdering a middle aged woman. Haunted by bad press and a threatening voice over the telephone, they relocate to California where one of the women, Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) opens a dance school for girls whose stage moms are desperate for them to become movie stars. Not a single note amiss in this fun and creepy tale. I could relate to Adelle talking about 1930s movie stars every chance she got and Helen’s religious fanaticism.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989) - Rob Reiner
You know any movie where the characters reference The Lady Vanishes (1938) is a winner! This could easily be a 1940s movie starring Van Johnson and June Allyson. Sharp as it is, there isn’t any cynicism which I really appreciated. It has such a cozy autumn look and feel. Meg Ryan’s hair is gorgeous too. I loved the charades scene mostly because I accurately guessed baby talk from Sally’s clues when no one else did!!
“Baby talk? What’s that? That’s not a saying.”
“Oh, but baby fish mouth is sweeping the nation.”
I’m choosing to believe that Nora Ephron was inspired by baby witch parties from Bell, Book, and Candle (1958).
Parallel Novel (2016) - Go Min Shi
Go Min Shi stars in this three minute short that she wrote and directed. A character in a story refuses to commit suicide and actually leaves the page to confront the author. Very similiar to Helen Oyememi’s Mr. Fox!
Andhadhun (2018) - Sriram Raghavan
Maya’s recommendation, she knows just what I like! This movie has everything I never would’ve known to want. A crime/mystery thriller with traces of screwball comedy. A blind piano player witnesses a woman dispose of her husband’s body with help from her lover. And that is just one twist of many. It reminded me a bit of A Hard Day (2014) because of how relentless it was. Each new punishment heaped on Akash was just so brazen. I have to use the edge of the seat cliche to describe how I felt watching it. It’s fun but also anxiety inducing.
Belle (2021) - Mamoru Hosoda
Beauty and the Beast in cyber world. I think the movie could have examined internet anonymity a bit more, especially the idea of an online world where everyone’s avatars are borrowed from their physical attributes. It’s a very relevant topic right now since tech companies sell users’ information. But the Beauty storyline was brilliantly done and the film is gorgeous. I want to know all about the lighting and the massive cyber world sets.
Decision to Leave (2022) - Park Chan Wook
This movie is very hard to pin down. Park has such a dark twisted mind but Decision is weirdly innocent. There’s plenty of oddity embedded in it though, and each frame is so pristine, like a painting. I feel like he stole my idea for a movie starring Park Bo Young where she’s under investigation for her husband’s murder and becomes an object of obsession for the detective on the case.
The Menu (2022) - Mark Mylod
Rich people turn food into a luxury. A famous chef with an exclusive restaurant that can only be traveled to by boat serves elegant meals, with pompus and ostentatious ceremony. The bewildered and delighted guests are in for a rude awakening: murder is also on the menu. I would have pretended there was hair in my food. Chef may have humiliated and killed people, but I’m different. Me holding up a strand of hair would have sent him into cardiac arrest.
Wendell & Wild (2022) - Henry Selick
A sleek stop motion gem with an abundance of weird ideas that are just as impressive as the animation itself. This movie is different. I didn’t know what expectations to have and that’s the best way to watch, because none of it is predictable. There’s a black demon fighting nun, creepy crawlies, nighttime graveyard haunts, a very firm Catholic aesthetic. Fem Catholic has a great feature on the spookiest Catholic beliefs, and none of that is in this movie but it is still worth mentioning because of its aesthetic! It also tackles injustice, crime, and greed. This is the only family movie that criticizes private prisons.
music notes
HUSH RUSH - Lee Chaeyeon
A solid debut from former I*ZONE member and thee Chaeryeong’s sister. This mini album is literally SO GOOD. I love love love the title, even the switch towards the end, which is husky and kinda sensual before snapping back to the bright upbeat sound. Wistful and bittersweet Danny is my favorite with its 80s vibes. BUT Aquamarine is really addictive. I love songs that make me feel like I’m laying in the middle of the ocean and simultaneously diving into the waves.
Boys Like You - ITZY
A very fun song! I don’t really get the hate, it’s all so overdone. And the video is just delightful, early 00s teen movie/Turning Red vibes by the Punk’s Not Dead team. Chaer’s high note…! She is a sub vocalist, mind you.
Bite - D.O.
Call me a Freak - Suho
Poppy - STAYC
And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow - Weyes Blood
This album made me feel like I was running through a misty forest or walking around an empty castle where sunlight is fractured through a large crystal chandelier. Just sheer opulence. My favorites are God Turn Me Into A Flower and Twin Flame. I’m going to keep it on repeat to see if any other favorites find me.
***
From the ‘80s vault: All Night Long by Lionel Richie
Richie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently and he is also my dad’s favorite singer, which never ceases to amaze me because my dad doesn’t listen to music or otherwise care about entertainment sdfjkfgkld
Stay warm, and later days!
