Winter, 2024.
hello, dear readers!
I’ve been getting quite a bit of questions on what’s up in Avaland, so I figured it’s time to put a good ol’ hearty post up. Originally, I intended this post to go onto my Instagram, but apparently I wrote a little too much and outdid the character count.
Are we surprised?
If this is your first time on my website—welcome! This is my space to throw writing on the wall when my thoughts are slightly more collected than my journal entries are. It’s a fun space of media reviews and updates on my life and hopefully soon, more academic opt-ed articles.
So, in order to catalog my thoughts for the past couple of months, I’ve composed a chapter list, as follows.
Life updates
10hr pie lessons & bread era?
New year reflections (one-third into 2024)
Regular movie, book, music reviews… with *new* additions
Bear with me, as this will likely be a longer format blogpost. You will enjoy it, goddammit!
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chapter 1: what’s new?
Ranch Life. Since finishing my mind boggling wildlife x plant job in October of last year, I’ve been all over the map. Visiting my folks, attending workshops and conferences and wildlife anesthesia courses, and celebrating alllll of the holidays and birthdays in between.
Lately, I’ve been held up in Fort Collins working in a ranch-adjacent retail position to recoup from the madness. Notable remarks from this uncharacteristic, but interesting time:
For the first time in my life I want a pair of cowboy boots (admittedly, I just bought some) and a loyal, but spirited horse named something like thunderbolt or moonbeam.
The slow, coaxing return of my subtle Oklahoma accent. I’m not sure what’s worse, the habit of picking up the phone with a loud, drawling howdyyy or the semi-regular dip back into my barely comprehensible pronunciation of “rural.”
Or maybe it’s the adjustment to learning a few too many of my favorite folk songs are in fact, old country standards. I should’ve known this day would come. Prime example:
Coffee Roasting. If you’ve kept up with my Instagram stories, you’ll know I’ve embarked on roasting my own coffee at home. It has been a… process. Most which I’ve been tinkering with offline.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of bastardizing an exacting craft on my stove top, though successful brews are still to be witnessed and likely will take more finesse over time. Damn you, impatience! Currently, my caffeine content is truly in a terrible condition, but I have some amount of hope that we’ll get a good cup soon(ish).
Other. Becoming a regular at my local movie theater (a bad, bad habit, but so, so good) & meticulously crafting Letterboxd reviews, mixing up limonada suíça (Brazilian lemonade) to soothe my frosty Colorado cabin fever, dreaming about moving to ABQ, becoming far too invested in the Minecraft renaissance, reminiscing about insane field memories and deeply defining lore with my sacred collection of buddies, doing outreach for students at CSU, writing and sending letters to people, and mostly—taking time to pour into rest and slowing down.
Despite my best efforts, I can feel the accelerating pulse that always comes with the warming weather. The insanity switch always flips on, come mid April. Despite my best efforts to stay present, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And that brings us to the big news.
Rocky! Lions (willows) and tigers (elk), and bears (moose), oh my!
I’m returning to my special sunlit corner of the world. This time, in full “green and gray” uniformed garb and a new job title that both excites and terrifies me. Lucky for me—I’ll be working in the same crew this year, this time as a lead technician—doing all the humbling and rewarding ungulate/plant work that makes my fingers ache and chest hurt from laughter. I’m still highly suspicious that someone let me be a part of this crew the first time, let alone 2 years in a row.
Sheer madness. So thrilled.
Obviously, more on that to share later. It’s bound to be a summer season of hard work, hilarity, and of course, hijinks. Y’all pray for me not to get stomped by a moose, please. Only slightly dead serious.
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chapter 2: the saga of the 10 hour pie
An unpublished entry, from November of last year.
If you’re new around here, or, at the very least, haven’t kept up with me for the past three years, I’ve taken on a new annual personality trait as apple pie connoisseur. Though, in typical Ava fashion—I refused to take it easy on myself. I had to choose a recipe so detailed, so innate, so unreasonable, that it was more a test of will than anything else. Hence, the 10hr pie name.
Readers note: Admittedly, the famed pie does not take 10 hours. And, throughout the years I’ve greatly exaggerated the number of painstaking hours, ranging anywhere from 10 to 12 to 15. The theatricality of this pie is what makes it magic, I tell you!
Regardless, it’s become one of my favorite yearly traditions to make around the holiday season and I promise you—it’s actually worth the time.
This year, I was especially excited because I sourced the apple variety from the original recipe. And let me just say, if you’re making an apple pie… use pink ladies. They’re the perfect combination of sweet and tart and sharp and smooth. The ying and yang of apples.
Interesting aside: I learned a very interesting component of pie crust chemistry during this Thanksgiving. For this recipe (which I used for a pumpkin pie—I made all the pies this year because I am certifiably insane, or at least a pie control freak), created by the one and only J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s test kitchen, they call for vodka. I was skeptical, at first. As a chemistry nerd, first, and a novice pie baker, second, I took a minute to consider why this was the case.
Truthfully, I was stumped until I happened to scroll past Lopez-Alt explaining the whole damn thing on a whim. Vodka, apparently, is used to hydrate the dough without creating gluten—which, although, sounds good in theory (god, I love gluten), is something you want to avoid when creating a crust, so that it remains flat in the pie dish.
Sorta obvious, but super cool shit, right?
In other baking adjacent news: I’m branching out into the bread world. So far, I’ve only managed to make two attempts at a fairly standard focaccia. Nevertheless, it turned out pretty bomb (despite me royally fucking up the rise times, both times) and I might have gotten the wind beneath my sails to try something a wee bit more elaborate.
Time will tell.
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chapter 3: auld lang syne
An unpublished entry, from January 2024.
Before we get into Atlas and the sky, let me just clarify something real quick.
I’m an avid fan of New Years. Besides just being an overly sentimental person, who takes advantage of every possible moment to be nostalgic, I’m a goal setter. I like setting my mind to new ventures, even if they don’t get past the dreaming stage. Plus, I think I have a *slightly* unhealthy fantasy of recreating a High School Musical like NYE party and singing my heart out with the love of my life.
What can I say?
I’m a simple girl.
Nevertheless, it seems we have a culture with a pretty hearty disdain for the next year, resolutions, etc., etc., etc. And, I get it.
Starting over can happen at any time of the year. Setting goals in the drawls of winter, when seasonal depression hits hardest for folks, is frankly, shitty timing. Getting older isn’t something that our society really accepts or values, even when it’s an viable excuse to wear sequins and glitter.
To some extent, I resonate with all of these points.
I will admit, and without fail, there’s always a moment in the sparkling of NYE that leaves me with a bit of sinking guilt, no matter how hard I try to avoid it. The things that weren’t achieved, the person I want to be, that I haven’t fully actualized yet, the surmounting expectations of myself and others—however make-believe they may be, all rise to the surface. It’s a game, in the end.
Still, I try to find ways to enjoy the charade.
Blame my type A personality, or the need to please, but reaching upwards towards something is what keeps me going. I make goals in every period of my life when I need to reset or have structure in my life. But mostly, the first of the year is when I have the most hope for accomplishing them. If I make it halfway to the end, at least that’s better than nothing. Even if I completely fail towards something, I still consider that progress.
I try not to be hard on myself, because that’s not the point. As life has shown me throughout many, many new years, it’s hard to predict what the future will hold or what barriers to your “success” will be. You have to take it day by day, without much choice in the matter. Might as well treat that inevitability of change as a welcome frenemy.
So, for me. I’m holding all past, present, and future versions of myself in one open palm—ready for whatever firsts, lasts, and middles 2024 presents.
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chapter 4: on my mind, ears, eyes.
Now that we’ve got the existential stuff out of the way….
I’m back, baby! I’ve been absolutely devouring media as of late, from books to TV, to new music, to podcasts????? Call it deep depression and the only thing keeping me from losing my mind, is letting myself become completely consumed by stories, but! I’m back (for now).
Spoilers ahead & all. You know the drill.
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Literature
I’ve devoured books over the past couple months. Some, shitty romcoms. Some, actual deep intellectual thoughts about existence. And some, just plain good books.
Huge shout out to the Libby app for a big portion of these reads. I dove in deep into reading on my phone, and surprisingly, it works pretty well for me—especially for the much needed pure fluff.
All About Love - bell hooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Late last year, I found myself in a never ending spiral about the meaning of love. Or, perhaps, more accurately: how has love been presented to me? Have I been a willing participant in it? Have I been loving? Capital L, love.
I found myself stuck between equal parts wanting romantic love in my life, and throwing it out all together.
For the first time in my life, really.
Why?
I’m a serial hope-ful romantic. Anyone could tell you that.
I’m quick to crush, and even faster to commit. Even despite my innards sloshing and flashing red “danger! danger!” lights.
All About Love came in at the perfect moment. There have been whole sections in it that have rang so innately true, that it’s hurt my feelings a bit. But, in all the best ways. The ones that make you look through yourself.
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I decided to step out into the audiobook world for Gone Girl. Which, to be honest, may have created even more of a chilling experience than I initially expected.
Picture this.
I’m sitting on the fraying desk chair in my bedroom, one leg propped up on the edge. My whole body crunched over a mirror, attempting to not poke myself with a mascara wand—and in the background Amy’s recounting her many instances of self mutilation.
Is this girlhood?
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law - Mary Roach ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Do you all have that book that your mom/friend/partner/coworker recommends to you so relentlessly, that you end up picking it up sheer out of guilt? Fuzz was one of those.
However, I can gladly say that it was well worth it. My Goodreads review says it best:
Although Fuzz had it's ups and downs--I think it would be an insult to give it anything less than a 5, despite my arduous battle in trying to complete it (nearly a year, I hate to admit).
As a wildlife biologist by training and education, a significant amount of the stories presented in this book were ones that I've heard countless times. In particular, one of my undergraduate classes focusing on human-wildlife conflicts across the world.
To Roach's incredible credit, she can write a description of a person/place/thing with uncanny clarity. As an example, Roach described a certain aloof man (Stewart Breck) who works for the USDA National Wildlife Research Center. One of which, that I had met on several different occasions in my professional career and just so happened to be a key speaker for a certain human-wildlife conflict class. Knowing him, while reading, just made it all the more evident that her care in creating the whole picture of her anecdotes was not only descriptive, but sharply accurate.
Though people were not the focus of this book, Roach also got the animals damn right too. While the stories took on a witty, but educational lens, I have to give a particular shout out on the structure of this story. We start this journey with the big guys. The big topics. The things that we feel close to.
Literally, the lions, the tigers, the bears.
In my world, these guys--the 'charismatic megafauna'--are what brought a lot of us to the field to begin with. Of course, people want to save the polar bears. We grew up with their cotton-stuffed likenesses in our childhood bedrooms. Roach knew this. She drew us in with the stories of bears and elephants, so that by the second act, we can have compassion for the gulls, the mice, the small guys.
I'm big on preaching the necessity of a larger perspective to new comers in this field, so to have this message echoed so eloquently brings much happiness to my heart.
Fuzz, from this point, is a read that I know I'll be recommending to people--especially those who aren't in the natural resources sector. It summarizes so much of the big ethical questions we face in a rapidly changing field of wildlife/conservation biology, while still remaining entertaining and amusing to those who are grappling with all these seemingly impossible conundrums.
Much applause.
Quick drive-by of the collection of BookTok books I read to feel like I’m part of the collective ethos.
We Were Liars - E. Lockhart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Secret History - Donna Tartt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Better Than The Movies - Lynn Painter ⭐️⭐️
Book Lovers - Emily Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Duke and I - Julia Quinn* ⭐️
Happy Place - Emily Henry** ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* I foolishly thought this would heal the hole in my heart caused by the painful wait for Season 3 of Bridgerton. It’s a miracle to me that someone was able to adapt this book series into something that is actually good.
** Happy Place convinced me of the cult following of Emily Henry. And also gave me extreme Anyone but You Vibes which, admittedly, I ate up. See below for movie reviews.
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have had trouble putting into words just how much Braiding Sweetgrass sums up both the human existence and our relationship to the natural world. If Fuzz was good, Braiding Sweetgrass is on a whole other level.
There’s a reason why it’s quoted and studied and venerated so.
Just, read it.
Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mrs. Dalloway was sort of an impromptu read, given it kept popping up everywhere I looked.
My sister somehow found a copy in her room. I found one in a little free library. I was watching a random Youtube video where a girl talked about a recent Mrs. Dalloway retelling. My brother had it on his reading list, for some reason.
It felt inevitable. But more so, it felt intellectual. And after probably a solid month of reading sub-par (but entertaining) romance books, I needed it.
Still, I’m conflicted. It wasn’t that it was bad. But I don’t think I liked it. One thing I did appreciate highly was the writing style. I like to think I write in a similar fashion, of disconnected thoughts and streams of consciousness. The imagination can fill in gaps, but at the same time, be tied to to the small pieces of life that we all experience, but often forget to really appreciate.
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Music
I’ve been back in my music era these past few months!
For me, I’ve always had a hard time branching out to new artists that haven’t been in my regular rotation for the past um, well, 15 years of my music consumption. I don’t truly foresee that changing anytime soon, but I have made small improvements this month.
Things that are new:
Sabrina Carpenter. Pop perfection and just, perfectly encapsulates being a gal in this man’s, man world.
Movie soundtracks. AKA the only thing motivating me to do anything on desperately cold days. Not sure if I’ve talked about this before, but I am a FIEND for this shit. Could listen to it all day.
Things that have remained the same:
Fleetwood Mac. Silver Spring has been currently wrecking me, but Say You Love Me is one of my all time god tier songs.
My playlist, love & longing in dec. Likely one of the best things I’ve ever created. Up for no debate. Happily will take recommendations. Maybe.
And Hozier
Speaking of Hozier.
Guys. Unreal Unearth. This album.
If I could shout from the rooftops how dearly I love this album, I would. When it comes to music I’m first and foremost listening to the lyricism. As a once notes app poet myself, I find that hearing people’s eloquent combinations of prose combined with that perfect meaningful note, just sings for me. Pun intended.
And Hozier. He truly outdid himself on this one.
I’ve been an avid fan for years (I mean, he’s hot, Irish, and has an angelic voice, who can blame me), but this album hit me straight in the heart. There’s a certain quality throughout most the pieces that both utterly wreck me, and also fold me into this warm place of safety. The push and pull.
Faves are Who We Are and To Someone From a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuarithe).
My only regret is not hearing this album live this past October, at Red Rocks of all places. What a missed opportunity.
And although I could write about 10 more songs that have been hitting me in the deep, dark places of my inner psyche, I’ll leave off with the one that consistently hurts the most. Arguably one of the best non-traditional Christmas standards, River. Joni Mitchell.
Now, I’m not a Joni Mitchell superfan (though 60s folk singer-songwriter music is my go to). And to be entirely honest, on the first handful of listens, I sorta didn’t like River. Though, with time, it’s cemented itself with the lingering sadness the holiday season always brings for me.
Though, most of the sadness is due to the fact that none of Joni’s discography is on Spotify anymore (thanks so much, Joe Rogan!) and every year, I have to find some new cover that conveys as much emotion as the original does. Haven’t quite gotten there yet, so YouTube it is!
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Television
One Day ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Regretfully, I have not gotten around to reading One Day. However, after watching my way throughout this series—I know without a doubt that I would absolutely love it. Something that’s consistent about me is that I love a good heartwrencher. Especially something that has an ending that makes me want to chuck myself out of a window (i.e. La La Land).
I feel that’s what makes a story feel real to me. Love is equal parts loss and comfort.
One Day is a gem because of this, and more. It’s careful and bright and faithful to all the painful, yet beautiful aspects of what it means to be alive.
The Artful Dodger ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hehe. I’m giggling to myself.
The Artful Dodger was, fullstop, not a good show. But if by some miracle (unlikely), it happens to be picked up for a second season (unimaginable), you best believe I’m watching it (understandable). Not entirely sure why I’m putting this into writing, but I did stay up incredibly late two nights in a row to finish the series.
Maia Mitchell and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, aka babyface #1 and babyface #2 just sell me their two ragtag surgeons-in-love-but-also-not act so well.
I can’t be blamed for falling for it.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (unfinished, S1 & S2) ⭐️⭐️
So, here’s the thing.
It started out so well, and I did like the first season, but my brother and I took a significant break from watching Maisel (I think we started in April of last year?) and when finally getting back into it, we accidentally skipped to season 5.
We watched over half the episode by the time we noticed. And this was due largely to the fact that nothing! changed! They were still going on about the same shit!!!!
It was then that I decided to give up entirely on the show. Which, shockingly, I don’t do much.
Usually I hang on, at the expense of the sunk time-cost theory, if anything. No longer?
My Life with the Walter Boys ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If there’s one thing about me—I will relentlessly watch every Netflix teenage rom-com, no matter how cheesy I know it’ll be. The TV ones are always the best, too.
This one was especially surreal, as I read the book as a wee 13 year old on Wattpad. Back when I attempted to write my own 5SOS fanfics, one series (yes, we wrote series, obviously) of which was HIGHLY inspired by MLWTWB. Believe it or not, it took place on a dude ranch in Oklahoma.
Go figure.
One thing I really appreciated in this show was how the side characters had deeply developed moments together to build their own respective story lines, despite not really focusing around the main couple(s) plots.
Only complaint is halfway through watching this I had a startling realization that while cute and freckled, Alex has straight up puppet vibes.
Watch closely, I swear to you.
Dash & Lily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my lil comfort/guilty pleasure Christmas watch. And oddly, I think the only Christmas adjacent thing I watched this year. Not even Home Alone made it to the list.
Huh. The gravity of this choice is finally dawning on me.
ANYWAY. This was my second year of watching it and it still makes me smile, and only slightly embarrassingly tear up multiple times. I love a grumpy x sunshine trope!
Plus, River is on the soundtrack!
Taste, I tell you!
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Film
And now we get into the real meat of the month. Apparently I can now claim a title as a couch potato queen, because, damn did I sit on my ass and WATCH these past few months.
Forgive me, as this list is quite long. Instead of a more comprehensive list, I wrote longer pieces for the films that really stood out these past couple months.
November.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
So, I know that Scorsese has his die hard fans. I mean the man has created more cult-favorite movies than I can count. But, I just… have never been interested in the concept of most of his films. I’m not big on gangsters. I’m not big on crime. I’m not big on macho-ness. Though, I saw trailers of Killers of the Flower Moon and instantly went: “yeah, I’d watch the hell out of this.”
This was due large in part to my childhood spent in Oklahoma. And although this particular story wasn’t one I was familiar with, I was super intrigued.
The only downside of seeing this movie was having to endure the intolerable crowd that it brought. I have never quite been to a theater with such negligent public behavior—people were audibly gasping and loudly sharing real-time opinions during the whole of it. Though this was a particularly bad instance, I’ve noticed in recent years the amount of decency people have in public has been greatly dwindling.
Is this because of lockdown? Is this because we’re all becoming more and more entrenched into our own selves due to social media and technology? Or have people always been this bad? The questions remain.
Uncut Gems (2019) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a more quick turn around in a regard for a movie as this one. As someone who is mostly a pacifist, the fact that the dialogue must have been written with the byline of “yell all of these lines at the top of your lungs".
You could probably imagine, the effect was grating.
Side note: can you imagine being on this set????
HOWEVER, by the time the end credits rolled around. I knew why it was such a fan favorite.
I love an unexpected death.
Even more when it’s the main character. In this case, it really hit home the message that addiction—whether it’s alcoholism, or gambling—takes no prisoners. It always catches up to you in the end.
No Hard Feelings (2023) ⭐️
No hate to JLaw, but why do we still have to greenlight films that have major age gaps between characters? Hollywood, for the love of everything sacred and holy, can we just not?
Frances Ha (2012) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Feeling the deepening need for more Greta Gerwig post summer 2023 Barbenheimer, Frances Ha was on the chopping block. Three and a half stars feels almost mean, for something so beloved, but I feel like this just wasn’t the defining “in my 20s” film I thought it’d be.
And that’s okay. Not everything has to be a life-changing piece of media. Especially one, like this, that is supposed to be a snapshot of someone’s life.
Saltburn (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m not sure what loving this movie says about me. But alas, we’re here. Standouts for this movie were the set design (specifically Saltburn manor), square ratio (I eat this up every damn time) and I’m being 100% serious here, Jacob Elordi’s acting (he plays the perfect innocent, but secretly malicious and negligent friend that’s not really a friend—oh, friend by convenience!).
Though, if there’s anyone in this film that deserving of the world and all its awards—it’s Alison Oliver. That final scene with her in the bathtub. Ugh! My heart felt everything.
I find it so interesting how this is one of the most polarizing movies of this decade. And of course, I saw it with my two younger siblings.
Big sister of the year award to me!
Other films seen in November
The Killer (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pink Panther (1963) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sing Street (2016) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Notting Hill (1999) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
December.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)* ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Zathura was one of those movies that I was convinced I made up in my head.
I forget how I even found this immaculate piece of filmography, but the minute I did—it all came rushing back. Is there anything more iconic than little babyfaced Josh Hutcherson finding out that Dax Shepard is his grown-up counterpart if he continued to make bad life choices for himself and his younger, equally as babyfaced, brother?
I don’t think so.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ll be honest. I believe fullheartedly that a whole star (if not more) to this film goes to the accompaning soundtrack. For a long time I’ve been an avid fan of the bluesy, country-esq, folksong genre.
Milk Carton Kids. The Secret Sisters. The Avett Brothers. And more.
And when collecting songs for a BBQ my parents were hosting at their newly bought house, I stumbled on the beauty that is this film’s soundtrack. Since then, I had been putting off actually watching the damn thing.
Partly because I already knew I’d love it, partly because I was scared I wouldn’t.
Oscar Issac is a gem in anything he’s in, however, and my fears quickly dissipated. Oh to be a extrememly broke boy with an orange cat in New York City (kidding.)
Gone Girl (2014) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anddd you knew your girl would watch the accompanying movie for the book she just read. Tell me, is there anything better than diving in deep into a story, only for there to be even more media for you to engorge yourself in?
Ben Afflec is the perfect Nick Dunne, Rosamund Pike is the perfect Amy Dunne. There’s nothing more to be said.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
If there’s anything I took away from Anatomy of a Fall is that I never, ever, ever want to get charged for a crime in France. I’m amazed that you can ask leading questions and create conjecture like that. It’d make even the innocent of people look suspicious.
Though… I suppose I shouldn’t be suprised. This is, afterall, the country that celebrated the guillotine.
Side note: does Swann Arlaud remind anyone else of an older Austin Abrams, or is that just me?
Other films seen in December
Black Swan (2010) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Suspiria (2018) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Falling for Christmas (2022)* ⭐️
Puppy Love (2023) ⭐️⭐️
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January.
The Hunger Games:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In my younger days (lol), I was an avid Hunger Games fan. Then, as most people do, I fell into this trap of not liking popular media, because that’s apparently “cringe” and “growing up” means being as boring as a white piece of printer paper.
Now, I avidly reject this notion. Hence, the re-love of the Hunger Games series (and my recent rewatch).
I haven’t read the book, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well this movie landed with me.
It gave me all the sentimental feelings of the originals, while standing well on its own.
Plus, I’m in utter love with Rachel Zeglar’s version of Hanging Tree.
The Handmaiden (2016) ⭐️⭐️1/2
I’m godsmacked. That I not only watched this movie, but I watched it with MY SISTER.
Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.
For better or for worse, there are moments in this movie that are permanently seared into my brain. The rational side of my corroded brain has to give it credit for the simple fact that I have (fully and completely) never seen anything like it.
Don’t watch it. Do. I don’t know.
All of Us Strangers (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Two actors that are having their moment in the sun right now are without a doubt Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott. Casting them as leads in a romantic drama, are you actually kidding?
Though All of Us Strangers left me wanting more from the story, there’s no denying that these two have such a strong presence. I’m thrilled to see them in more, together and separately.
Rye Lane (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rye Lane was such a fun, vibrant take on the romcom genre. And one, that I’m so happy had two Black leads!
It didn’t give me all the heartache and longing that I typically love in this genre, but the personality throughout the film had me grinning my socks off.
Favorite scene has to be them badly karoke-ing along to Salt-N-Pepa’s Whatta Man.
Classic romcom cheese, in all the best ways.
Other films seen in January
Promising Young Woman (2020) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Other Zoey (2023) ⭐️1/2
February.
The Green Knight (2021)* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ever since downloading Letterboxd, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with what my 4 favorite movies are. It’s an impossible question. Do I answer with the current films that changed my life? Or the super artsy fartsy ones? Or the childhood favorites that fill my heart like an overflowing cup of hot cocoa and whipped cream.
I still haven’t found an answer that quite satisfies me. Four and only four movies is an impossible ask. But for a long time, The Green Knight was on that list.
First, I am love with Dev Patel and anything he does. I can’t tell you exactly why (it’s the dark hair and the dark eyes), but I think the absolute world of that man.
But, as you know, I’m a sucker for a misdirect—if you can call it that. Going in unfamiliar of the fabled story of Sir Gawain gave me the ability to fully walk the line alongside him.
Through every side quest, through every failing, through every victory.
The morality of choice fascinates me, especially in this context. We all have freewill. We all have the ability to choose our path. The question is, do we commit to the things we promise? Do we stand on our own, even if the circumstances have hardened us—changed our opinion?
Although we could likely postulate about what we set out to prove to ourselves and others, it’s hard to know what actions we will truly take, until we’re fully in the pinnacle moment. And this story, reflects that so beautifully.
I could watch it thousands of times.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)* ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve attempted to watch (500) Days of Summer two times. And in both times, I’ve fallen asleep on my couch at nearly the same point. I tried to not take this as a sign for the quality of the film, as a whole—but twice can’t be coincidence, right?
Frybread Face and Me (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Frybread! What a joy! I’m fairly certain I cried at the end of this movie, which must require a four star minimum rating. I too would be heartbroken if I was sent away after being promised tickets to a Fleetwood Mac concert.
And I’ll add—this film didn’t help my ever-growing need to move to New Mexico. It can be all dirt and piñon-juniper and I’d be all over it.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, how I would love to be a little Marcel. Making little honey footprints up massive glass windowpanes and becoming an overnight Youtube phenonmenon. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On can only be described as a breath of fresh air on the first spring day, after a long, cold winter.
I cried, so obviously, I loved it.
Anyone But You (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perhaps one of my most anticipated films of the year. Yes, that’s so incredibly poor taste of me—and yet, it was so so good. Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell are the IT couple, even if they aren’t together. No one can convince me otherwise.
Sometimes I think Hollywood, in general, is lacking movies that are just simply fun. Not inherently cheesy, not over the top, not trying to make some sort of socio-realistic commentary on the world—just… fun. Anyone But You was that.
Fun, charming, lighthearted, fun.
I know this is going to make its way through my cult classic faves throughout the years.
Dune (2021)* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Okay, I’ll fold. I’m on the Dune train.
In preparation for the second installment, I rewatched the first part to get a better sense of what was going on. The first time I watched it, I was completely unconvinced that this was the next big thing. Granted, I approached it in a terrible viewing manner—watching one half and then waiting over six months to watch the other. However, this time…. it sung.
The pieces all made sense in my little sci-fi adverse brain and I GOT THE HYPE.
In fact, thinking back on it, I’m regretting my four and a half rating. It might be a five. I think about it that often.
My review of Dune: Part Two will likely come in my next blogpost, so watch for that (spoiler, I loved it).
Other films seen in February
Drive-Away Dolls (2024) ⭐️⭐️
Upgraded (2024) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Kissing Booth (2018) ⭐️
The Mummy (1999) ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
*Denotes rewatched films
⁂
Closing.
ANNND that’s a wrap. I won’t bore you to tears and write a long outro. Certainly I’ve written my self out of house in home. If you made it to the end of my rant sesh—thank you!
I’ll hopefully see you (all) in a much faster time frame than this one was published.
Yours, dearest reader,
always,
Aves.
