My latest appreciation video is now up. This one's a remake of the very first one, a tribute to Gamera's most vile and sinister opponent, Iris. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrHXCS9KQSo Iris is a very interesting figure among the kaiju. He's pretty clearly based on Viras from the Showa Gamera films - an alien squid monster - but they … Continue reading Kaiju Appreciations: Iris (Updated)
Movies
TCM Remembers 2021
Friday Flotsam: Thoughts on ‘No Way Home’
1. It being New Year's Eve, I suppose standard practice would be to give some kind of a retrospective of the year gone by or speculations of the one to come. But we have more important things to talk about today; namely Spider-Man! I'd thought I was done with the MCU, but the word-of-mouth on … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Thoughts on ‘No Way Home’
Friday Flotsam: Class Values and Rudolph
1. Something many people forget or miss is the fact that different social classes or castes or what have you have different value structures. This isn't the same as having different values as such: the same religion and the same moral ideals are liable to be preached across all classes. Rather, it's a difference of … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Class Values and Rudolph
Friday Flotsam: In the News, Invisible Man, and Folk Song
1. I have barely looked at the news in weeks and have frankly been much happier for it. After all, I have no power to affect anything that is in the news, and it’s going to affect me I’ll find out about it sooner or later. Not to mention that most of it is either … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: In the News, Invisible Man, and Folk Song
Flotsam: Self-Examination, Plot Holes, Halloween-ness, and a Joke
1. I notice that I have a bad habit (and perhaps you do as well) that when I start to pray and try to meditate upon God that I tend to fall into criticism of modernity: thinking of how far the contemporary world is from the majesty of the Divine plan and how many ways … Continue reading Flotsam: Self-Examination, Plot Holes, Halloween-ness, and a Joke
Flotsam: Various and Sundry Life Things and the Mario Movie
1. I'm beginning to settle in at last as the final few necessary tasks and purchases are being wrapped up. Having a new apartment is like having a giant toy; there are all sorts of things you can do with it and you can't wait to get the chance to play with it. 2. Internet … Continue reading Flotsam: Various and Sundry Life Things and the Mario Movie
Alice at the Everyman
Finally got my internet back today, and just in time to find that one of my essays has gone up at The Everyman! It's one where I get to talk about classic Disney and apply it to the decline of civilization, so...pretty much pure me. Enjoy! In short, the book presents Alice’s dreams as places … Continue reading Alice at the Everyman
Just Because It’s Cool: Donnie Yen vs. Mike Tyson
I found this clip of a fight scene in Yip Man 3 pitting Donnie Yen as the titular (historical) Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man against Mike Tyson as...well, basically just Mike Tyson. There's some kind of plot going on (I haven't seen the film), but the important thing is that we get to see two … Continue reading Just Because It’s Cool: Donnie Yen vs. Mike Tyson
Flotsam
1. I'm currently in the process of preparing to move, something I've been looking forward to and trying to achieve for several years now. I've been rather surprised at how disruptive the process really is, not just in terms of consuming time and energy, but in the way it creates the sense of 'no point … Continue reading Flotsam
Serpent's Den 