The transition between Virgo and Libra season was so chaotic for me that I didn’t write for the past few weeks, but I’m back now with a quick little roundup of what I’ve been watching, listening to, and reading recently!
Don’t Worry Darling (2022): This film has been the center of so much (negative) buzz in recent months, and I’m going to contribute to it: it’s not good! One can tell that director Olivia Wilde had a lot of ideas and an extremely grand vision of what this film could be, but she did not execute it well at all, unfortunately. My one hot take here is that Harry Styles honestly is not a bad actor! He’s not amazing, but I think he did the best with what he had here: a wooden character and a bad script. I rest my case.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Um… guys? I randomly put this film on because I wanted something mindless to watch, but can someone explain to me why I actually unironically enjoyed this silly silly movie featuring motion capture apes and J*mes Fr*nco? Genuinely one of the wildest movies I’ve ever seen and I’m strangely excited to watch the rest of the trilogy.
Seduced (2020): My friend Justice wrote an article arguing that when it comes to documentaries about a cult called NXIVM, Starz’s Seduced is much better than HBO’s The Vow, the latter of which is much more well-known. I kept that advice in the back of my mind for two years and finally watched Seduced, and I’m so glad I did! This docuseries not only tells the story of NXIVM through the eyes of one of its former members but also explains and unpacks how exactly cults tend to manipulate people. Definitely recommend if you want to learn more about cults in general!
Some Like It Hot (1959): I pressed play on this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it and I cannot begin to explain how aggressively I screamed and shrieked and cackled when certain plot points were revealed, so I won’t tell you anything either. This film was ahead of its time, and I loved loved loved it.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (2021): When this book initially came out, I picked up a copy, read the first two chapters, teared up, and immediately put it down for the next 18 months. I’m happy that I finally tried again and made it through the whole thing in only a couple days, which says a lot because I am not very good at reading. Michelle is a beautiful writer, and so many things she says about Asianness, food, and mothers resonated strongly with me. I hope to read this book again someday when I’m ready!
“Remembrance” by Anju (2022): My sweet friend Anju released a new song and it’s immersive and transcendent as their music always is. I make a habit of reading the lyrics to Anju’s songs on their Bandcamp whenever they release anything new, and I highly recommend you do the same thing; in my eyes, Anju is not only a musician but also a poet, and I love gaining new inspiration from their tunes!
It was Jimin’s birthday yesterday! I feel bonded to Jimin not only because he is a Libra (I’m a big fan of Libras) but also because he and I share a Gemini moon, which is why we’re both quite charming and talkative and chaotic. Here’s a particularly cute and accurate fancam posted on his birthday:
BTS’s variety show Run BTS has returned with an episode in which the boys try to learn aerial yoga, and it is truly… something to see. It becomes clear very quickly that birthday boy Jimin is the only one with natural talent in this field, and everyone else just screams and yells the whole time. I recommend it! English subtitles are available and it’s a cute, fun thing to watch during your lunch break or something. Have a great weekend, friends!
