to scare love out of hiding
a round-up of bad girls acting snotty
Happy fall to all! Guess who didn’t make it to the beach once all summer and now can’t because of the cold and gloomy weather. And I’m not going either since it’s getting colder, this ain’t no damn Baudelaire orphan story.
So earlier this year I was so busy and stressed out at my day job that I didn’t have enough time for books. I set myself the modest goal of 20 books this year, paltry compared to the 50 I read in 2021. Well I’ve read 33 so far (work has also calmed down), and one of my favorites was Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. It is exactly my style of wry humor. Anyway, I titled this post after a line in the book. Highly recommended if you like fairy tales, terribly clever men who still manage to be stupid, and the amazing women who love them.
All the President’s Men (1978) - Alan J. Pakula
A straightforward thriller about the Watergate scandal. I was never quite sure about the particulars, so this film helped to clear up confusion. Minimal footage of Richard Nixon too <3 It’s such a tight clean script with enough intrigue and no hand wringing over the death of democracy or whatever. A movie about Trump’s scandals could never be this efficient. Dustin Hoffman’s hair and Robert Redford are just there to look good and solve a mystery.
The Princess Bride (1987) - dir. Rob Reiner
Watched this with Maya (in her cute apartment no less)! She and another friend were shocked I hadn’t seen this already, because it’s so me. And they’re right. No trace of cynicism to be found in this endlessly charming adventure. It feels modern despite its classic fairy tale setting.
Rouge (1987) - dir. Stanley Kwan
A courtesan (Anita Mui) and her high class lover (Leslie Cheung) make a suicide pact in 1930s Hong Kong, vowing to reunite. Fleur, the courtesan, returns to modern day Hong Kong as a ghost searching for Chan, who seems to have disappeared. Me and Denzel in 50 years probably. Haunting and vibrant, modern city contrasted with an earlier austere time. Leslie has me wrapped around his little finger 😖
Infernal Affairs (2002) - dir. Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
I didn’t know The Departed (2006) was an actual remake of this movie. There are shots that parallel the original too. Infernal Affairs is superior, much more elegant and rhythmic. Not only that, but populating the remake with an all white cast is partly why it’s so obnoxious. Something about The Departed feels too studied in comparison. Cold where Affairs is warm, still where the original is kinetic, obvious where the other is subtle. The violence is a lot more gratuitous too.
Leo DiCaprio could never be Tony Leung obviously but he’s decent. Matt Damon however, is truly atrocious in Andy Lau’s role. Lau Kin Ming is so charismatic and likable, a villain you root for, while Sullivan is just insufferable. Infernal Affairs also gets the edge because Edison Chen and Shawn Yue play younger versions of Andy and Tony. It’s serious for me.
Thiruchitrambalam (2022) - dir. Mithran R. Jawahar
Saw this in theaters with Maya! She told me very little about it, to just go in without expectations, and that made it so rewarding. Indian cinema is unafraid to mix genres. This is a slice of life story with musical numbers, a painful family drama, and crime. And one of those musical numbers truly puts La La Land to shame. The main story is about two childhood friends who are also neighbors that clearly belong together but have not yet figured it out. Thiruchitrambalam is an endearing dummy who keeps admitting his feelings to other women instead of the one who actually is meant for him…that one musical number saturated in glowing purple light illustrates this wonderfully. And! The family dynamics/conflict reminded me of a Cape Verdean family. Grandpa is the best btw.
Narco-Saints (2022) - dir. Yoon Jong Bin
This series stars Park Hae Soo in his third Netflix project of the year. He may have lost the Emmy but he’s winning everything else! On the surface Narco-Saints is a filthy crime opera about drug smuggling but at its core it’s actually a brilliant female led rom-com. Vicious fight scenes with bloody corpses strewn about is the result of too much estrogen in a room. Hae Soo and three other pretty girls round out the cast: Ha Jung Woo (the actual protagonist), Jo Woo Jin, and Yoo Yeon Seok. Hwang Jung Min is not a pretty girl, he’s too slimy looking, but he’s great as a demented preacher who believes his role as a drug lord in Suriname is divinely ordained. Anyone who opposes him is possessed by the devil. Hallelujah! The cinematography is also A+.
music notes
RENAISSANCE - Beyoncé
Who taught this woman the word thottie??
This is a perfect album. It’s all I was listening to for a minute, nothing else has been as dynamic. The transitions are sublime, but even listening to it on shuffle is an experience. It’s impossible to overhype a Beyoncé release, because you know she’s gonna deliver regardless of how you feel about her. She sings/raps with the attitude and impertinence of someone much younger, but it never feels like she’s trying hard to be hip. I like the youthful energy. Beyoncé is 41, she can still be playful!
One of the most tiring debates on constant rotation in k-pop twitter is the measure of a real singer. It’s not about hitting high notes, it’s about technique, emotions, etc. Well what if the mark of a good singer is all of that!! It’s like these people don’t know Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Billie Holiday??, or the vocal bible herself, Brandy. Maybe if they listened to RENAISSANCE with all its vocal flair that debate could finally be put to rest.
There is just one skip on this album and that’s THIQUE. I have my top 5 favorites but the others are still on repeat.
PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA: She watched As Tears Go By and wrote this about Andy Lau. Sorry I don’t want my favorite song to be about Jigga Man, Don’t Hurt Yourself from Lemonade is enough. Andy in that movie is a brute who only understands violence and learns tenderness…look at how forcefully he kisses Maggie Cheung, smashes bottles on people’s faces, gets bloodied and tell me “I know you had it rough growing up but that’s okay / I like it rough” is not about him. You can’t. There’s something so sweet and melancholy about this song, two lovers isolated from the rest of the world. “The rest of the world is strange / we’ll stay in our lane.” And the stuff she does with her voice makes it the most impressive song to me. I love the way she draws out the word sugar :(
CHURCH GIRL: As a church girl who will drop it like a thottie in the privacy of my own home, this song rules. It’s just so much fun and she does a lot of heavy lifting in the pre & post-chorus. Catch me blasting “you can be my daddy if you want to” in [redacted]’s general direction. Now do it baby stick it baby do it baby stick it baby do it baby spin it now spin it baby do it. Period.
COZY: Incredible flow in that second verse, leaves me breathless. Her snarl is too good. And I love her reference to my Capricorn sis Blue Ivy: “Blue like the soul I crowned.”
CUFF IT: So groovy, a proper disco revival with amazing backing vocals.
ALIEN SUPERSTAR: Incandescent. This is everyone’s favorite song for good reason. My teeny complaint is that the lyric “if that’s your man then why he over here?” sends you careening back to earth after a galactic journey.
ALL UP IN YOUR MIND is too short and it almost made the top 5. I also love the way she cosplays as me in BREAK MY SOUL, singing about working a 9 to 5.
Rendezvous - Jenevieve
I wasn’t sure if this EP would equal her debut album Division, but there was no need to worry. It’s just very mellow and still strong despite its length. She even sings a bit in French! My favorite is CaNdY LiEs.
Yeah Yeah Yeah, Hard to Love, The Happiest Girl - Blackpink
As usual, their latest is another aggressively mediocre collection of songs. The only songs I enjoyed on this album are Yeah Yeah Yeah with an incredible synth and retro vibe; Rose’s solo Hard to Love; and The Happiest Girl, a heartbreak ballad where they all sound lovely. Sincerity will always trump their affected bad girl persona. Too bad their title tracks will continue doing the opposite!
Blah Blah Blah - ITZY
My hitmakers strike it big again with their second Japanese single, and Chaeryeong has the center crown pose for the first time. I hope their next Korean comeback has the same energy.
WEST - Lay
An elegant and stylish companion to the EAST EP. The vocals and instrumentals are top tier as usual. I’m happy for his solo success but need him back with EXO, it’s so serious.
Brand New - Xiumin
Had a moment of panic briefly at the start of lead single Brand New since SM releases this year have been lacking and it almost sounded like an NCT reject. But the worries were put to rest immediately. It’s such a Xiumin sound, so groovy. How We Do features his son Mark and it’s bursting with energy. Feedback was a lot better on second listen, daring and experimental which definitely pays off; Love Letter is obviously related to Chen’s Portrait of You; and his bright vocals really shine on Serenity.
Talk to me nice, and later days!
