Since about March, California has issued a shelter in place and I’ve been stuck at home, unable to do any hobbies. As someone who cares about self improvement, did I spend the time productively so I could come out better than before? Of course NOT. I filled all the time I used to spend productively outside pre-shutdown catching up on movies, shows or killing time on the internet. Without further ado, here’s a list of media that’s occupied my time (so far).

Films:

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

I found this movie pretty entertaining. I really enjoy it when movies explores with or is set in things I’m not familiar with and fashion is is something I’m completely unfamiliar with (which I’m sure people that have seen me in real life would be keen to point out). I’ve always liked it when characters are pitted to choose between two options at their detriment. Do you choose your career or your social life? Do you choose to continue something that is detrimental to your mental health for your career? Are you OK with choosing yourself over a coworker? I think those questions are interesting and even though some of the situations presented in the movie are a little superficial. It’s makes the movie more interesting. It might be a sign of its times, but I thought the kiss scene in Paris was a little rapey and still sticks out to me when I think about the movie.

Denial (2016)

I found this movie immensely entertaining. I could even relate on some level because I’ve seen people bring up David Irving in arguments online before.

Synonyms (2019)

I thought it was an interesting movie. Covers topics about identity and feeling part of a country and a homeland.

La Dame dans l’auto avec des lunettes et un fusil (2015)

I thought this was movie was really cool. It’s interesting to think about how you could convince yourself you’re not crazy if you were in her position. How could you be verify what you know to be true versus what is being presented to you by other people from different sources. How could you tell the different between being gaslit and being lied to from people outside versus being lied to from yourself, internally.

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Interesting story and pretty entertaining.

V for Vendetta (2005)

I thought it was pretty fun to watch. It was a little over the top and edgy. I think I would have loved this movie if I saw it as a teenager.

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Great atmosphere. I enjoyed watching the movie a lot. I actually saw most of the movie before a couple years ago, but I forgot.

X-Men

X-Men (2000)

I thought this movie was really good. I think I must have seen this movie before because I have some recollection of the initial cage fight scene, the following snow scene, and the tub/vat fight scene in the end. I like how the “bad” guy isn’t a BBEG but rather has different reasoning and ideology. I also like it when there are little details for people’s powers such as when the ice guy kiss someone, the girl’s next breath will be fogged. Little details like that really sell the world beyond “this guy uses his powers for the plot”.

X-Men 2 (2003)

It was enjoyable and a good followup to the first movie. I like how powerful they make Magneto seem with the precautions they have to take with his prison and how impervious he seems with just a tiny bit of metal in his prison break.

X-Men The Last Stand (2006)

I thought this one was good as well. There was an incredibly corny and over the top scene with the guy spreading his wings and being himself and not losing his powers. I liked that they killed off a character. It’s not typical. I don’t like how they took away Magneto’s powers and had the drug that suppressed the superpower gene is actually temporary. Makes it feel kinda pointless.

X-Men First Class (2011)

This was probably my favorite movie in the series. I really liked going back in Magneto’s history and fully understanding how he developed to be the bad guy. You get to understand his motivations and reasoning. You empathize with him and you see him in a new light. He simply isn’t the “guy with the bad ideology” in the first movies anymore; he’s a much deeper character.

The Wolverine (2013)

I thought the movie as a whole was pretty entertaining. I didn’t really enjoy the reveal with the BBEG and the change of heart of Boy and Arrow guy. I like the idea Wolverine not being able to rely on his powers as a crutch for a movie.

X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)

Generally not a fan of time travel movies, but it wasn’t too integral to the plot and focused mostly on a single timeline. I liked the super fast guy, he had a lot of character/good design around him.

X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

I actually saw this movie, but I forgot. It’s decent; like your standard superhero movie.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

I thought this movie was enjoyable. It’s your standard superhero movie. I don’t understand how Jean can die in this one and in The Last Stand. Is it a different timeline?

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

After watching this and Denial, I think I really like law dramas in this vein. I really like learning and seeing the history of the law and the potential ramifications and precedents it will set. Because these cases will often set precedence for laws in the future, it always makes the stakes pretty high and creates a lot of tension/drama for the movie.

J Edgar (2011)

Honestly I didn’t find this movie too interesting. I think the plot is quite interesting, but I found myself getting bored while watching. Not too sure why it didn’t click with me.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

I thought the art style and movie overall was pretty cute. I think firebombings are usually put on the wayside over the nuclear bombs, so it’s interesting to have a movie following the aftermath.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

I think it was your “standard” Pirates of the Caribbean. The director shares my name so it gets bonus points. It had hijinks, humor, comebacks etc. I don’t think it was exceptional, but it had elements to make it a decent movie because it’s Pirates of the Caribbean. Seeing this movie really made me appreciate the first movie though. The Curse of the Black Pearl had so much atmosphere. When you first see Jack, you’re unsure about him, just like all the other characters, and then shows stunning competence and wit. When the other pirates should up, it’s eerie and unnerving. The movie is well rounded and exceptional, but I think the later movies end up leaning too much on the humor aspect not as much on the setting and scene. The example that goes to mind is that the pirate duo with the one guy that always loses his eye. When they were introduced they were pretty creepy, but now they’ve been relegated to comic relief.

Zoolander (2001)

I thought it was alright. A lot of the jokes didn’t land for me. It was still enjoyable overall and I got a few laughs from it.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

First one was really good, I like stories about competition and hobbies, especially if there is a competitive aspect to it. A lot of the humor wasn’t in my tastes, especially the broadcast pair. The second one was cool as well, I enjoyed the music composition/production aspect. I also really liked it because this guy was in the movie and I forgot he did other stuff until I saw him in the movie. The third movie was pretty enjoyable but didn’t really have the aspects that made the first one great. Still was an enjoyable/fun watch.

1917 (2019)

It was pretty enjoyable and visually interesting.

Knives Out (2019)

Fun to follow the story, entertaining.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Fantastic movie. Awful to watch. Gave me so much anxiety and stress. Glad I watched it, never going to watch it again. Miserable.

Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) (2010)

Interesting movie about Gainsbourg, thought it was pretty entertaining with good characters that were fun to follow.

Petit Vampire (2020)

Cute movie based off comic book. I found it pretty entertaining and simple.

Capote (2005)

Cool little character study on Capote. I saw this mostly because of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Accountant (2019)

I thought it was was really interesting. I could really see the pressure of the main character experiences. It was in line with some stories I’ve heard about a lot of workplaces. I think it’s an interesting way to show workplace environments especially in a post #MeToo context.

Joker (2019)

I thought it was pretty good and entertaining and can see why It’d be considered a cult classic. I enjoyed the music and Joaquin Phoenix.

Upside Down (2012)

Thought it was a cute Sci-Fi movie with a cute concept. It’s also free to watch on youtube.

Uncorked (2020)

Great story. I always enjoy stories about niche interests. I also like the conflict where the main character has to decide between what sacrifices they have to make in order to achieve their goals.

Freaks (2018)

Pretty enjoyable. Child acting was decent. Makes me want to find and watch a movie about historical persecuted minorities hiding.

Marvel

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

If the serum amplifies all qualities, good and bad, how come he didn’t become a super asthmatic, or was that the unfinished serum? I wish the magic cube thing was explained more, I didn’t understand that at all. Overall pretty fun and entertaining.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

I found endearing, engaging and fun. I thought some of the side characters were a little too one dimensional like nerd guy and edgy girl. I wish they did more with the bad guy character wise.

Captain Marvel (2019)

The beginning has me a little lost. Once it got to earth it was pretty fun and entertaining. There is the tie between Carol having amnesia and the skrolls only having short term memory, there’s some theme there, but the meaning is lost on me. I always enjoy it when movies play with the concept of being lied to or living in the pretense of a false reality; it’s fun to think how to figure out what is real and how to trust. Thought then second half was very much like Star Wars.

The Avengers (2012)

Very actiony, pretty entertaining.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Pretty good, Really made me want to see more Black Widow stuff.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Pretty enjoyable. I typically like Edward Norton’s characters. I think I’ve seen this before, but did the love interest just insta dump her boyfriend for Edward Norton (not that I blame her)? Also always cool to see Michael K. Williams in anything. Some of the CGI fighting does show it’s age a bit.

Thor (2011)

I liked the movie starting on a screw up and having him to build back up. I found the him landing on earth and the “culture clash” pretty amusing too.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

I might be speciest, but I don’t care about the 5 minute exposition action Asguard stuff, I was pretty bored at the start, but it may be because I was primed to think so because a friend told me this movie was bad. Also what happened to Loki? He went from an understandablish dude to an evil dick. How does this fit in the timeline of the previous movie? It seems so disjointed. I feel like there should have been some development for Loki from wanting to make his his father proud and take his place to mostly evil guy. I thought the shot with the earth and moon, earth and sun was pretty cool. The end fight where they warp around the universe is pretty cool too. Was pretty enjoyable overall, just wished they explained what happened to Loki more.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Very different tone and mood than the other Thor movies. I saw this one a while ago but I forgot most of it because I didn’t pay attention. I figure I’ll watch it a second time and actually pay attention. I just realized Odin was played by Anthony Hopkins. The end fight when with the music was a little campy. I think it would have been good to make a dramatic moment but they they with a more lighthearted song/fight scene which is inline with the movie’s tone. Pretty entertaining overall, though I was ready for it to be done by the end.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

The movie had a lot of character. It was very stylish. I liked a lot of the alien designs; they were pretty cool. I thought the same style of humor fit in much better with the movie compared to what they did in Ragnarok which came across as more campy. Very Enjoyable overall.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

The interactions between the guardians of the galaxy team reminds so much of my DND party. Also alongside with DND wisdom NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY. I was pretty invested in the conflict between Gamora and Nebula. Had all the enjoyable parts of the first one. I thought it was a good iteration overall. Very fun watch.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Pretty fun and entertaining.

Ant-Man (2015)

I thought the starting scene with the prison was pretty cute. Shows some character and is different. Him discovering the suit for the first time was cool. I like how different ants have different jobs, personalities and how interact with each other. There’s a lot of cool concepts and details they can explore in future movies that I think would be very cool. Small details like when he took on a gunman while small, he could ride the gunshot blast wave would add a lot of character to the movie. I thought the dramatic moments in small mode jokes fit pretty well in the movie such as getting his by the toy train. What was the resolve for blowing up the building? Do they not know/care who did it? I was under the impression that the whole operation was not approved by their lawyers. I enjoyed the movie a lot.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The father daughter scene in the beginning was super cute. I like the dilemma that both sides are trying to help the people they love at the expense of the other. I liked the callback of Hope and Hank being in custody and Scott getting them out and covered the camera with ants. I think it was pretty good but wasn’t as good as the first and wished they expanded on the superhero concept. Also what’s up with the movie title. Who is the wasp?

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Great introduction. Showcases how strong and badass Thanos is. I didn’t expect them to kill off two characters at the start like that. It really sets the tone for the movie. I like that Thanos had to make a sacrifice to get the soul stone. I also like how he has his values and a consistent goals. This isn’t a movie centered around Quill, Thor, Dr. Strange or Stark, but rather a movie about Thanos. I thought the ending was really great and fitting. Something that could have been a nice touch and cool detail would be showing plants and trees turning to dust. I think it could have made a really cool scene since they were in a forest. Very enjoyable movie and very exceptional super hero movie.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

I liked the starting scene with Hawkeye and having his family disappear. I wish there was more of Thanos in the movie. I feel like they set him up to be really powerful even without the stones and he was beaten kinda quick. I liked the Tony character development and the various cute character/story arcs dealing after the event. The end fight was pretty good. It didn’t feel too long as there was a goal and the whole battle is a progression or a back and forth of that goal so it’s not endless and mindless fighting. I generally don’t like time travel in movies as I think it cheapens the character’s actions in the present and introduces a lot of of questions in regards to why the characters chose to do a particular thing with time travel. Despite this I thought the time travel was done decently and didn’t bother too much. Really good watch overall and I’m glad I saw the other Marvel movies in preparation.

Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

I didn’t really like Ned in the last movie. His one dimensional shtick started to annoy me and more so in the current movie as it was more of the same. I wish they did more Mysterio character development. At first I thought it would have been better as it kinda felt like it would be a better buildup to their relationship (and I thought there might be subsequent movies with him as a hero), but now I think it would be also better for his twist to be more impactful. I thought the Alex Jones/Info Wars reference with J.K. Simmons playing the reporter was really cute.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I thought this movie was really great. The movie was super stylish. Art style is super sick; so many beautiful scenes. The movie had so much character. It definitely felt like a lot of love went into the film and that you could see the creator’s personality and tastes seep through the movie. Animations were great. Different art styles were great. Miles’ relationships I thought were pretty well established and made me care a lot about his family and the story. I like how he progressively learns his powers and learns. His baseline skill starting out makes sense and you can see his growth with being unable to meet expectations. The jaded Peter Parker was a good addition. I also liked the bad guys, particularly how they operated as consistent group throughout the movie instead of cycling throughout the movie. I think it made the plot line more cohesive and more interesting to follow. The “comic” relief was done incredibly tastefully and just added to the character of the movie both stylistically and plot wise. Humor is pretty good and I thought it was pretty enjoyable.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008)

Reminds me a lot of Life is Beautiful in that is shows the child’s perspective of an awful event. It was morbidly interesting how the family is looking for Bruno while they are futilely looking for Shmuel’s father. Really good movie overall and a great watch.

Sully (2016)

Pretty cool. I wish they focused more on the aviation part and what went wrong and how they landed. I didn’t care as much for Sully’s struggle with popularity and the psychological trauma from incident. Good watch overall and great telling of the story.

Creed (2015)

I like the start as a kid. I think it gives good framing as to where he’s at and where he came from. I always really like these kinds of films where it’s all about putting what they have on the line to improve and try for their goal. Really enjoyable.

Creed II (2018)

That proposal was maddening. Imagine being in limbo and you’re not 100% sure. I like the tie from the previous Rocky movie and that it wasn’t a repeat of the first film. I liked the overall story and arcs of the film. Very enjoyable overall.

Resistance (2020)

Cool Biopic of Marcel Marceau. I thought the initial conversations with Marcel gave him a lot of character. I thought the movie would do more with him using his talents to help the children and aid the resistance. Really good watch overall.

Un Monstre à Paris (2011)

Even though the art style was pretty childlike, I found the introduction of the monster pretty creepy. Very cute overall. Really like the music and animation.

Eighth Grade (2018)

I’ve been following Bo Burnham since he started making youtube videos and was really excited to see this film and glad I have the opportunity to see it now. Seeing Bo evolve from Shock Jack humor into different styles and genres of comedy and different mediums of art is really cool and I look forward to see what else he does. I think it’s really interesting and the first movie I’ve seen on the subject matter about growing up in a post social media world. I thought the movie did a really good job in conveying the anxiety and awkwardness that Kayla had. The truth or dare scene reminded me a lot of what I had in mind when writing this post; the rationalizing, arguing and pressuring, the guy getting mad and Kayla feeling guilty and wrong. It was a really good example of what some guys will do.

The Host (2006)

On my backburner for many years. Finally spurred to watch it after being recommended Okja by the same director. The introductions of the main characters I felt demonstrated their backstories and personalities pretty well and wasn’t too over the top. The monster’s introduction was also great. It was pretty eerie under the bridge and water and when it went on land, it reminded me of nightmares you would have, especially the running away/alongside the monster and it running at you, but not directly. That scene was what made me want to watch the movie initially. Pretty entertaining overall.

Mother (2009)

On my backburner about the same time I heard about The Host. I loved the detective concept and seeing the mother piece together what may have happened. Really good watch.

Snowpiercer (2013)

Wanted to see this film since I saw Every Frame a Painting’s youtube video on it. Great world. Great story. The world has a lot of character. From the lingo (calling objects exstinct), the drugs, the punishment (freezing/exposure to the outside), to the blinding light from the outside or them having a celebration when they cross a bridge and crash into ice. All these little details make the world very cool and very real. Each cart, especially the school and recreation carts, really builds the world and sells the fact that people live there. I really enjoy storylines where the movie takes incremental steps to progress and try and reach the end goal. It’s very clear, easy to follow and makes for good storytelling. Really glad I saw this movie.

Okja (2017)

I thought Okja had a decent amount of character. I liked the inner city chase scene. Don’t know enough about Monsanto, but is Mirando supposed to be the movie equivalent? I thought them going through the animal processing plant was cool. Pretty good watch.

The Art of Self-Defense (2019)

The physical performance is great; the awkward, stiff shoulders. The ultra machismo and “everything should be as masculin as possible” type of thinking is definitely something I’ve experienced from some people in martial arts. I enjoy the fucked up psychopathic humor and story. Really enjoyable watch.

Les Misérables (2012)

Started the movie with a squat which I can always appreciate. I don’t have a lot of experience with musicals. It’s probably because I’m not super used to musicals, but some of the singing sometimes felt forced or out of placed. I think I would have preferred a mix between singing and speaking for some scenes rather than 100% singing. I definitely see what they were poking fun at in this Key and Peel skit. I liked the songs and the overall repetitions/variations of different songs.

La Haine (1995)

This has been on my watch list for many years. I remembered I had the film when I was messing around with kodi. I thought the movie was super good.

Phoenix (2014)

Such a good film and story; I found myself incredibly engaged. Gave me a lots of stuff to think about regarding appearance, identity and reinventing yourself.

Pas Comme Lui (2018)

Film available on youtube. My dad recommended it to me. Pretty good and very interesting.

Brüno (2008)

Absolutely insane and hilarious. I think Brüno as a character is way more effective in making people uncomfortable (especially in 2000s America) which really worked well with the humor.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

What is this 10 minute intro? I love movies centered around family drama. Very enthralling througout. I really liked Lizabeth; very stylish.

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (2014)

Really enjoyed it. Thought the emotions the actors conveyed was super clear potent. What a toxic relationship. Really up my alley because I love legal/courtroom dramas and this took place exclusively in the courtroom.

Little Women (2019)

I thought the movie was pretty great overall. It’s pretty interesting how the movie states one thing, that women have other aspirations and do not need to marry to be happy, yet makes us as the viewer want us to see Jo get married. First with Laurie and then with Friedrich. It’s an interesting way of putting the viewer on the other side of a character’s goals.

Black Dynamite (2009)

This movie has a lot of character and style which I love. Very over dramatic and very funny and enjoyable.

Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)

I recognized Questions Pour un Champion in the background of the TV when they were eating dinner. I used to watch that all the time when visiting family. The sex scene felt like they inserted a porn video in the film and felt a little out of place. I think the movie does a good job expressing Adèle’s feelings as she’s going through them and having us empathize. Good coming of age movie overall. It was pretty long but definitely didn’t feel like three hours.

The King’s Speech (2010)

Thought it would be interesting watch as I learned more about Biden’s stutter and I noticed it was free to watch on youtube. In Biden’s speech he talked about helping children with their stutters and how they helped. How he would prepare or markup his phrases to prevent blocks. These parts were well reflected in the movie. The movie did a really great job feeling the character’s stutter too. It was easy to feel his frustration in attempting to spit out his words, his face controting. Seeing the dread of speeches or even words coming up. Even learning tricks and tics to deal with the stutter, were parts that were excellently reflected in the movie.

12 Years A Slave (2013)

I may have seen this already but I forgot that I did. It was still a worth a rewatch. Great movie and story.

Zodiac (2007)

Good job with the creep factor making the Zodiac Killer creepy. The bureaucracy of getting the three districts to coordinate was pretty entertaining. I like how the movie makes us chase the clues and read into potential suspects. The movie overall is great at building tension. The basement scene comes to mind. As I understand it, the movie is pretty faithful to real life which is pretty cool. It was a super entertaining overall. I also watched it on the same day one of Zodiac’s messages was decrypted (the one created in response to the call on television).

Prisoners (2013)

Very intense movie. It’s 2.5 hours but it flies by really quickly. Really good movie overall.

Moonlight (2016)

Instantly hooked and wanted the best for little Chiron. The way they set it up starting out with him as a kid really helped me want to see how he turned out and hoped he turned out OK. Great story and wanted to follow along. Movie was beautiful overall. The spinning camera thing they did a couple times was kinda cool, but a little disorientating. I don’t know if it was supposed to be.

Incendies (2010)

I was initially turned off by the movie a little bit because the Quebecois accent is very hard for me to understand. Something about the accent makes it so I have to concentrate 100x harder to understand or parse what they are saying. When I saw the trailer and heard the accent, I was worried that I would spend a lot of time focusing on that instead of the movie. It ended up not being that big of an issue for me as most parts were either in Arabic, which I could just Focused on subtitles for, or had a non Quebecois accent. Easily my favorite parts of the movie was following Nawal. There were so many powerful scenes and great storytelling and seeing what would happen, where she would go and where she ended up was very enthralling. I also really enjoyed the investigatory aspect with the children and seeing them piece together their mother’s life was fascinating. The grandmother in the beginning is a very stereotypical Arab parent it reminded me of some stories friends have told. The reading the contents of the letters was very emotional for me for some reason. I’m not exactly sure why, but those kinds of reveals and realisations from a mystery or about ones self just really get me emotionally. The whole time I thought the plot took place in Lebanon and was confused at to the flags that were on some buildings (I figured it was an older flag or an opposing flag). Reading about the it afterwards the story is partly based of Souha Bechara who attempted to assassinate Antoine Lahad, the leader of the South Lebanon Army. Fantastic movie and a great journey.

The Shape of Water (2017)

Very beautiful movie. I really like the style, it was very fairy tale like at some parts.

Foxtrot (2017)

Very interesting movie. They showed a more boring side of the military not usually shown in media but it was still very captivating. The whole movie was really well shot. The overhead shots in the beginning to mind. Great acting from Israeli Steve Carell.

An Officer and a Spy (2019)

I noticed some of the rhetoric from back then is the same of modern day white nationalists at the start, particularly the scene with the Sandherr bedridden with syphilis talking about immigration which wasn’t unexpected but interesting. Overall a great movie going over the Dreyfus Affair. A good movie to watch, though illegally if you don’t want to support the director.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Pretty entertaining movie and good take on the revenge flick genre. Every time I see of this kind of movie, I always think of this video.

Armadillo (2010)

Watching how the movie presented multiple aspects of a Danish tour in Afghanistan was really interesting. I think the movie did a great job showing the world outside the base and showing what kind of positions the civilians are in. Locals don’t have an easy choice, even if they really want to help them. In between the all the scenes they did a great job building the anticipation and anxiety of what could come.

All the cinematography really helped to add feeling and style to The film is really a fan of jarring transitions, and not necessarily to explosive scenes. The filming style is overall a little surreal almost like you’re ghost following the soldiers on patrol, over their shoulder at the base, or looking at them from a distance during recreation.

There’s a lot of scenes that stuck with me. The guy approaching the military base to explain that his mother and daughter died in a fire caused by a strike from the military and asks for compensation was morbidly interesting. Because his found burned down and his mother and child were killed, they have to casually ask they have to ask for specifics in regards to the material damage to properly compensate him. It’s almost like they are a businesses discussing logistics likely on the guy’s worst day in his life. The other scene that stuck was me was the scene with guy that got hit in his shoulder. You can see the stress, shock and anxiety surfacing so clearly on his face. It’s harrowing.

The Fool (2014)

I love movies that pit a character’s convictions to the test. Especially societal pressure, you get the cringing feeling when he goes against everyone and I wonder how hard I could push for something I believe in. It makes me feel like my beliefs are pretty hollow. Russia is the perfect setting for this type of film and makes it seem very believable and the exact type of thing that could happen. The story overall was fantastic. Looking back at it, I think Dima comes off as a little one dimensional, even though it fits and they give good explanation for it through his father and his actions. I don’t think it is to the detriment to the movie at all.

Brigsby Bear (2017)

Peaked my interest after I heard it was made by this guy. Incredibly strange. Small jokes are really fun and work really well in the movie. The awkward humor is spot on and feels completely natural and doesn’t feel shoehorned. It’s very different from his youtube videos and is more subtle and isn’t the focus, but it’s great. Pretty unique concept and super entertaining.

Hostiles (2017)

It was a pretty good movie. I thought it was cool they used Cheyenne in the movie. The movie didn’t really captivate me much though.

Two Days, One Night (2014)

I really liked the movie. I felt like it was a really good look into depression and a responsible showing of mental illness. I am someone from the outside looking in, but from what I’ve read my own and personal contact with people with depression, it seems like the movie got a lot of things right. For example, the forcing of her husband to get her to start and continue motivation and forcing her to a certain extent to go through with talking to her coworkers. The expression of the emotions that Sandra was going through was very clear but not over the top. You see the battle of motivation and self worth, the drips of hope and the despair that shifts her outlook after every win and loss. The big swings during the grind that could send her spiraling.

I liked the concept around the coworkers The shift in blame and responsibility. Reminds me of the old gun executions where, in order for soldiers to not feel guilt, they would line up 10 soldiers, have 9 blanks and 1 real round. This way every soldier has plausible deniability for believing they were no the executioner. In the same way, it’s very easy to vote one way or another when you’re not a deciding vote.

Amour (2012)

Very quaint and beautiful end of life story. I found frank and a good story. It’s worth the watch even though it’s not incredibly entertaining from moment to moment. I didn’t expect the manner of death at all.

Tel Aviv on Fire (2018)

The situation the writer gets himself in is hilarious. The Israeli guy is also really funny; The situations are so ridiculous they are very funny. It’s more tense and serious later on, but still excellent and very cute. I had pretty bad subtitles but there was minimal impact for my understanding thankfully.

The Pianist (2002)

Another Polanksi film so same caveat needs to be said that was state for An Officer and a Spy. It’s a really fantastic movie.

A Single Man (2009)

Very immersive and beautiful movie. I was kinda hoping for a darker ending though, not that there is anything wrong with how it ended.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Started with a bang. I think early combat scene is a great way to get you interested and understand the stakes. Love the music choice. I’ve had this song in my playlist for a while and they had plenty of songs that fit in super well. Some of the sound effects was over the top, partly because this movie created and popularized these tropes. Loved the over the top effects and fighting. I think some people might see this as campy or overly cringy but I thought it was cool.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Kung Fu Training was good memes, funny and entertaining but still good. I liked the physical constraints in the fight with Elle. It really made you feel how small the trailer was when Elle keeps trying to pull out the sword but she has no room to. Music is still good and the sound effects are a lot less over the top, though not as good as the previous one. Overall I preferred the first movie.

Anomalisa (2015)

I really like animated films and shows and wanted to watch more of them. The animation style is very cool and unique. I thought the movie overall was really cute. I think it’s a really clever way to show infatuation and seeing someone with rose colored glasses. I’d think that most people don’t explicitly understand why they start getting annoyed with people after the honeymoon phase. Going from appreciating someone’s quirks to being irritated by their annoying habits or little details in the span of a single day relationship was a cool way to demonstrate it. The way they reveal his character flaw was great too. You get a decent sense of his personality throughout the movie, but once you get through the movie you get a much stronger idea of how he views people, namely that he gets sick of people easily and he has some believe that he is superior to others.

Sleeping on the movie a little more, I also had the thought that the movie is touching on depression. They mention Zoloft and the similarities of everybody else could be more about his numbness to his experiences and people rather than his perception that other people are boring. It might be because I had recently seen A Single Man, though I lean towards my initial interpretation.

Hereditary (2018)

I thought it was a really good movie overall, though I wonder Why does nobody carry an Epipen. I liked some of the gory images; though sometimes it felt like the movie was just being dark or gory for the sake of being dark and gory (which is fine if it’s just the movie’s style, but sometimes it can feel over the top or that it’s trying to hard). When engravings on the wall of the house change I have no idea what it’s supposed to mean, it feels like they are trying to come across as spooky, but I don’t understand it. I think it was placed their by Charlie and Annie’s mother, but I’m not sure. I’m also not sure why the father catch on fire. I liked most stuff regarding peter, there was good build up for it and all the tension and weird stuff that would happen to him help like it made sense or was a natural consequence of what previously happened to him. Why did the mother cut off her own head? Who were the naked dead looking people? I feel like I’m missing a lot of stuff or lots of stuff is done for shock value. I thought there was a lot of great imagery, though some of it is pretty gory and could be hard to appreciate.

Requiem For A Dream (2000)

It was a pretty good movie. Not much to say. It was fun following the deterioration of the main characters.

Suspiria (2018)

Really interesting and very stylish. I enjoyed a lot of the weird dances they did and liked the atmosphere. The final part before the epilogue, though, I thought was a too long and dragged on too much.

Timbuktu (2014)

It was surprisingly calm and serene at some points. I thought it was a very good watch and very interesting. There’s not a lot of “action” in the movie but you definitely got a feel of the atmosphere in the town. You’re almost like a passive observer.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

The lead actress has insanely striking eyes. The movie is full of her piercing gaze and I feel like I could watch an entire movie of her staring at something off screen or into the camera. The callbacks from the orchestra music being played at the end and the story of Orpheus she was reading was cute and well integrated.

Splash (1984)

It’s so strange seeing Tom Hanks young. It was pretty funny and cute. Pretty entertaining overall also interesting seeing what kind of gags could fly in the 80s vs now, specifically the coin gag at the start.

La Belle Époque (2019)

Interesting Truman Show style concept. The writing at many points is very funny. The main character and the story is so sweet yet at the same time pitiful. I was really invested in all the characters involved from Victor and Marianne to Margot and Antoine. Really good watch.

Sink or Swim (2018)

Very interesting film. It piqued my interest due to the niche subject matter. On the surface level it’s very ridiculous and funny with lighthearted jokes, but it also touches on more serious and dramatic ideas. I like the final routines.

The Illusionist (2010)

I generally like and try and seek out animated movies. I really liked this movie; every frame was so beautiful. All the characters were very interesting in their own way and very clearly had their own personality despite the lack of dialog throughout the film. I thought it was super cute overall.

Une Vie de Chat (2010)

The art style was really cool. The Zoé was super adorable even without saying anything the way she acts and expresses is super cute. Also a really short movie and really digestible. Also it’s co-produced by Rhône-Alpes Cinéma so there’s some blind brownie points as that’s the region I was born in.

Ma vie de Courgette (2016)

The clay animation style was really cool. I’ve never had a movie feel so happy and sad at the same time. The overall situation is super depressing but a lot of scenes are super cute and joyous. The way the movie mixes the feelings throughout was really cute.

De Gaulle (2020)

I think it’s probably a pretty boring movie but I thought it was pretty interesting take on de Gaulle starting Free France

Memories of Murder (2003)

Very enjoyable movie and was pretty fun to follow the investigation. I think the one detective that is hot headed and immediately attacks the suspects was a little played out and one dimensional, but that could be some allusion to Korean interrogation methods.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

Great movie, you’ll love this if you loved the anime. Spike is a super cool character. Pulled a Metal Gear Solid with the nano machines.

The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Caught the final act of this movie a couple years ago. I must have put it on my to watch list when he died a week ago, but I thought he died like 3 months ago.

Seder-Masochism (2018)

This film piqued my interest when I found it it was made by the same person that created this video and was to be included in the film. This movie is free to watch on youtube and vimeo so I figure why not give it a watch. It was cooling seeing all the music that was added into the movie to make a cohesive piece. Definitely a cool movie to see just once.

Nightcrawler (2014)

The character is so menacing and meek. Nails being frail and massively creepy. Really great thriller thought a bit fucked up. I really enjoyed the built up to the climax and felt like it was super rewarding.

The Lobster (2015)

Recommended by a friend. I think the concept is super interesting to make a movie out of. I was turned off by it after seeing John C. Riley in the trailer. For whatever reason I don’t find the movies he’s in to be super entertaining. I really liked the blunt, dark, matter of fact humor. I found the movie very strange, very interesting and a cool concept for a dystopia style film.

The Measure of a Man (2015)

The customer that stole the charger is super funny. The son was shockingly good for a lot of handicapped mannerism from some of what I’ve experienced. Not a lot happens in this movie. I thought a lot more time was going to go into the anxieties and stresses looking for work, getting rejected and the financial hardships. I don’t really know how they could have shown more of it in the movie or gave a stronger emotional impact to what it showed.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Was recommended to me, so the trailer and it truly was made in a different time. So many different jokes wouldn’t fly if the movie was released today. John Hughes is apparently known for these kind of movies so I’m glad I saw it, if not for the pop trivia. It was a lot more entertaining than I though it’d be and aged less than I thought I would’ve.

Rampart (2011)

Came across this movie while arguing with a friend which coast had the honor of having the most worst police district (basically which was worse, Rampart or Seven Five). The main character has a very strong character and is pretty unlikable but it’s really interesting to follow along his deterioration.

The Seven Five (2014)

Came across this movie while arguing with a friend which coast had the honor of having the most worst police district (basically which was worse, Rampart or Seven Five). Pretty interesting documentary. I’m very interested in what it’s like to be in Kenny’s position and the kind of pressure he felt.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Really good concept and execution. Really interested in seeing how the story developed. The memory scenes were expertly done and vividly felt like very real dreams at times.

A Sun (2019)

Really good movie overall. It’s pretty long and I felt like the first half was much stronger than the second half. I felt like Radish is cartoonishly selfish and basically just there to serve as a plot device or a thorn on Ah-Ho’s life. Movie was overall super enjoyable, just a little on the long side.

Burning (2018)

Not super into the jealously plot. I mostly just feel like these are generally frustrating and not relatable. Pretty good overall, but felt like it was too long.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

I tried watching it maybe 7 or 8 years ago, but I never got passed the initial fighting sequence. Very good movie overall though I did feel the bridge holding battle dragged a little bit at some point.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Feels like there’s a ton of buildup at the start. It was probably needed but for me it felt like it dragged on. The movie is too big brained for me especially on the driving on the road scenes.

Shows:

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

I actually started watching this before confinement. I was two seasons in and started getting burnt out. I didn’t know what I was getting into when watching it. I ended up watching most episodes on 1.3x speed. I think the show was good overall, just really LONG.

Narcos (2015-2017)

It’s entertaining and a good watch. There’s also a lot of Spanish which I really like because it’s a beautiful language and pleasant to listen to. It’s also interesting to think about how to take down a corrupt system when you operate within said system and can’t trust anyone or anything.

The Deuce (2017-2019)

Very interesting show. It’s probably the most nudity I’ve ever seen in any show or movie. I first heard about the show about a year ago on NPR talking about the show and intimacy coordinators and how they used it. After I heard it was created by David Simon, the creator of my favorite show, the show has been on my radar. I liked the contrast between legal sex work and illegal sex work. There are different abuses and protections offered to both. The show doesn’t really demonize one over the other or make strong claims about which is better. I liked seeing the evolution of sex work over time. I would have been interesting for them to do a followup with sex work in the age of the internet and amateur sex work.

Making a Murderer (2015, 2018)

Thought this was a miniseries, but it looks like after the first season they decided to make another season and is potentially ongoing depending on current events. The filmmakers very clearly have their stance and color the perspective in a very particular direction, especially in the second season, but I heavily enjoyed it nonetheless. The first season was really great and I think would be a shock to a lot of people especially if they have never looked into the justice system. It is super crazy how poor or malicious investigation as a foundation can lead to false convictions. My personal opinion is that it’s pretty up in the air for Steven Avery’s case. The show is obviously going to show in a very particular light so I do not know if all the holes they poke actual held up in court or had legitimate reasons behind them, but the Dassey case was pretty awful.

I really enjoyed the second season for the defence attorney’s gathering of evidence and how she is building up her own investigation to attack the state’s own investigation in an attempt to paint investigatory malpractice. The filmmakers are pretty obviously trying to show Avery’s postconviction lawyer’s case in the best possible light, which is fine, but I can’t help but wonder what would an opposing lawyer push back on or rebut. I also really enjoyed and was more emotionally invested in Brendan Dassey’s postconviction trials and lawyers, but that is probably due to me thinking Dassey shouldn’t have been convicted. If it’s how the portrayed the trial and Dassey was convicted just on his confession it seems strange that in a court system where you need to be convicted for a crime beyond of shadow of doubt that your word alone is enough to condemn you but not enough to exonerate you. It’s your word against your own.

Wolf’s Rain (2003-2004)

Saw this anime because I heard a song from it’s OST that I really liked. The music definitely gives a ton of character to the show. The artstyle is really good and the animation is alright. It got surprisingly dark at the end. I liked the character design of the final BBEG and thought he was creepy and menacing in both forms. I didn’t really care too much about the plot of the film overall though. I feel like they should have ended the final episode 3 minutes early. I think it would have been a really good ended and I would respect it a ton for doing a more gutsy ending.

Miniseries:

The Goes Wrong Show (2019)

Pretty unique Comedy play. The humor is very unique and you’ll know right away if you’ll enjoy it. Check out The Play That Goes Wrong to see if you’ll enjoy it. If you want a movie length play, I’d recommend Peter Pan Gone Wrong by the same group.

The Plot Against America (2020)

I REALLY enjoyed this show. It’s a fantastic and sobering “what-if” scenario that seems fairly reasonable. What I really like about it is that you can see why all the characters think what they think. Even the “bad” characters you can totally understand their reasonings and motivations. There are lots of very dramatic, tense and sad moments. I highly recommend it.

Generation Kill (2008)

I thought this show was done really well. I obviously missed a lot given that I’m not in the military and had to google/research a lot of stuff to better understand. I thought it as a sophisticated and multilayered way to represent the united states military and the invasion of Iraq. Highly recommended if you’re interested in the military or military history.

Ping Pong Animation (2014)

Fun Anime about table tennis. Easy to watch and always cool to see shows about different hobbies. It’s a standard/cookie cutter Anime.

Band of Brothers (2001)

Cool Well made story about paratroopers that land in Normandy. Pretty enjoyable watch overall.

Chernobyl (2019)

Cool story about a very impactful historical event.

Love, Death & Robot (2019)

I thought a lot of the sketches were super cool and cute. I was pretty impressed how some of the studios (I think Blur Studios) could do completely different styles for different episodes. I’d like to see an episode that really ups the creepiness factor (similar to the vampire and lost spaceship one). Really cool and fun to watch overall.

Who Is America (2018)

Saw lots the “best” clips on youtube. Still really good even the stuff outside of the clips. Absolutely crazy the things Sasha Baron Cohen can get people to do. Insanity. The stuff he says and does to make the other party uncomfortable is amazing. My favorite character is Erran Morad.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)

Really fascinating series with a really interesting character, alleged serial killer Robert Durst. I think they did a really good job showing Durst neutrally and letting us have our own conclusions until the very end. Durst being so passive in some aspects was fascinating follow and going through all the situations around him was really interesting. When watching the Galveston portions, I thought he did it, but if I were on the jury, I don’t think I would be able to give a guilty verdict. It’s just one of those things where you can’t know exactly how it went down and with how are justice system is set up (which I agree with with) you cannot convict him. It’s one of those edge cases that push the boundaries on how you think courts should function.

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019)

Really entertaining. I enjoyed a lot of the weird and absurdist humor. Even if I didn’t find all portions of it funny, it was always interesting to see the bit.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVAs (2012)

I thought they were pretty good if you’re a fan of the series. They give good background on characters that you like. Obviously not something to watch if you haven’t already seen at least some of Fullmetal Alchemist.

The Corner (2000)

After hearing that David Simon and Ed Burns made a miniseries following the same topics as The Wire, I had to check it out. It’s very much a different kind of show than The Wire. It has the same setting and follows similar ideas to it’s (spiritual?) successor, but it focuses much more on the addicts and effects of the drugs rather than the trade itself. Stylistically it’s different too, more into the realistic documentary type of movie style. Enjoyed watching it, seeing how it went and where the characters would end up. It’s not nearly as good as the wire, but still entertaining for a 6 episode miniseries.

Music:

VersuS - Vitaa & Slimane (2019)

Really good album most of the songs on here you can sing to and are relatively catchy. It’s something I can put on and listen to pretty frequently.

Nujabes Albums

I listened to all of these at once so I didn’t really differentiate the albums. Overall it was a very good experiencing. If you like lofi hiphop, you’ll obviously like this. Really like the jazzy and groovy style in lots of the songs. Definitely something you can just put on for the background or if you want to listen to some bangers.

Metaphorical Music (2003)

Hydeout Productions First Collection (2003)

Modal Soul (2005)

Hydeout Productions 2nd Collection (2007)

Modal Soul Classics (2008)

Spiritual State (2011)

Flower Boy - Tyler, the Creator (2017)

Lot to like about this, I really like a lot of the production on a lot of the songs. I particularly like the lighter songs such as See You Again and Glitter. I also really the first and last songs of the album.

IGOR - Tyler, the Creator (2019)

Really well put together. I finally decided to listen to the album in its entirety and it’s great all around.

Dreamland - Glass Animals (2020)

My least favorite of the three Glass Animals albums I listened to. Still a fine listen but everything just kinda sounded the same to me. I either Deja Vu or Heat Waves was one of the first songs I heard from them before listening to any album. Generally these songs are fine, they do have pretty weird lyrics at times

I’ve got pineapples up in my head

or

My girl eats mayonnaise

How to Be a Human Being - Glass Animals (2016)

This album probably has most of my favorite songs from Glass Animals. The first song really set the expectation at a high bar for the rest of the album.

Zaba - Glass Animals (2014)

My favorite of the three I listened to. Has a lot of good songs.

Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Pokémon The First Movie - Various Artists (1999)

I don’t remember most of these, but some of the songs brought some nostalgia, namely the Pokemon theme and vacation. Other than those, I didn’t have any feelings from the movie or that time period though it’s not like I was listening to a lot of music then.

Kenichiro Nishihara Albums

Humming Jazz - Kenichiro Nishihara (2008)

I love the overall sounds from this album, I really liked the instrumentals and features. Nebulosa was a really nice instrumental to start with. Probably going to be adding Heart, Rain Falls, and Consider My Love on my playlist. Even the less groovy songs are still super sick and a really nice, chill listen.

Rugged Mystic Jazz For TALISKER - Kenichiro Nishihara (2010)

Super chill album and definitely something that I can put in the background. There’s no overall bangers in here but still a really nice listen.

Life - Kenichiro Nishihara (2010)

Really like the album art. I really like the instrumental and flow from Power of Self and Livin’ the Life. Beautiful Things is SO upbeat, I love it. Now I Know was a really good song and probably something I would add to my playlist but it didn’t resonate with me as much as I thought it would; I may have to listen to it a couple more times. It might be because it followed Beautiful Things.

Presented By Folklove Natural Relax - Kenichiro Nishihara (2011)

I felt like the remixes of previous songs felt a little out of place from the overall album, but they were fun to listen to overall. Beautiful Things remix was really good, I don’t which version I prefer. I think it was a good album. Nothing really stuck out to me but it was all solid. Didn’t love anything, didn’t hate anything. I think overall the most low-key album I listened to so far from Nishihara.

Windmills of the Soul - Kero One (2006)

I liked Tempted song, but other than that the album didn’t really mesh with me. I think I’m just getting really burnt out on this kind of jazzy hiphop genre.

Early Believers - Kero One (2009)

I liked this album a lot more than Windmills of the Soul. It resonated with me more than his other album and was catchier, but overall my experience was middling.

So Pretty - Kid Dakota (2001)

It was alright. Not really my kind of genre yet.

Clio - Clio (2016)

I’ve heard all the songs already on youtube, but I actually took the opportunity to sit down and listen to the album in its entirety. Super comfy album and overall enjoy it. I particularly like Simon which I found cute and Le Coiffeur which I found pretty funny.

Numbers & Shapes - Rebecca Brandt (2016)

I really enjoy the compositions of these songs. I really like how a lot of these songs build up. I wish I knew more about music so I could better describe why I like it. It’s just a really enjoyable experience listening to the album. Every song is solid, interesting and fun in a different way.

Tight Sweater: Real Quiet Plays The Music Of Marc Mellits - Real Quiet, Marc Mellits (2006)

Like the last album I don’t know if I have the proper words to explain why I like it. I really like how there’s some kind of building tension in the music in Exposed Zipper. It brings a feeling of excitement. I think the songs flow into each other really well while staying distinct. I thought Agu was going to be a lot more chill, but the second song went straight into coming out super intense and swinging and was an unexpected change of pace. The Fruity Pebbles section blended in more for me, but it was pretty good. I liked the final song but I felt like it dragged on a little too much and was too long.

Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)

I like the starting instrumental portion of “Killing in the Name”. I probably need to listen to a lot more metal to better appreciate it. I think a lot of metal for me in the past was not super accessible to me. There are some Metal songs that I like (such as songs from Rammstein), but for the most part the vocals don’t vibe with me that much. Know Your Enemy is high octane and I really like it. There was a couple standout songs for me, though a lot of the songs in the later portion of the album felt kinda same-y to me.

Magnificent City - Aceyalone (2006)

He has good flow. There’s good versatility in the album from higher energy songs to more chill songs. Pretty good but I doubt I’ll listen to it again.

Bite… Plus - Altered Images (2004)

It was fine. Didn’t think too much of it. Nothing was really catchy for me though there was some fun songs to listen to.

Mosaik - Frames (2010)

Starts off very serene and gains more energy as the next songs come in. It’s all done very cohesively. I liked horizon and listening to the album as a whole piece. Overall listening to all the songs in the album was pretty seemless. I don’t know why there was a minute long silence in the final song.

Friends & Family 2 - Various Artists (2013)

Side A super chill. There was a couple a great songs on Side B. I think they should have definitely ended on Chai Latte. It was the best song in my opinion and really hard to follow up.

Friends & Family 3 - Various Artists (2014)

I thought the album was really good. It was overall pretty comfy. The songs were all pretty good. There was no standout song(s) like there were in the previous one, but all the other songs were better on average. It was more middling but the overall quality was better in my opinion.

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008)

A lot of it sounds very experimental to me, but it could be that I’m not used to the genre. A lot of the sounds, beyond just the chiptune, really makes me think it could be in the Scott Pilgrim movie. The arcadey sounds plus the vocals screaming vocals that are peaking the mic sounds like it could’ve been a bit in the film. I found the babble effects in the last song pretty cute.

Soon It Will Be Cold Enough - Emancipator (2006)

Really chill. I like the album a lot. Put it in on while I worked on some school work and it really got me in the zone.

Underground - Chris Potter (2006)

I thought it was alright. I like first part of Underground, but the song itself was too long for me. I don’t have a good enough ear to appreciate jazz it feels like.

Grow - CHON (2015)

Pretty chill. I don’t listen to a lot of Math/Prog Rock, but this was a pretty good listen. I wasn’t a huge fan of the lyrics or vocals, they just weren’t very memorable and felt bland to me.

Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders (2015)

Really good listen. It’s relatively intense but I like the build up of the song and where the song goes.

Weightless - Animals as Leaders (2009)

I prefer this album to the first one.

The Joy of Motion - Animals as Leaders (2014)

I like this one too.

Homework - Daft Punk (1997)

Discovery - Daft Punk (2001)

Human After All - Daft Punk (2005)

Took the opportunity to actually listen to the Daft Punk albums I had after the news they split up. I only really listened to Discover in full because of the accompanying animation with it. It’s what you’d expect from Daft Punk.

Below the Heavens: In Hell Happy With Your New Imaginary Friend - Blue & Exile (2007)

Pretty good. Some really good songs.

Music Has the Right to Children - Boards of Canada (1998)

Geogaddi - Boards of Canada (2002)

Twoism - Boards of Canada (2002)

The Campfire Headphase - Boards of Canada (2005)

Good background music.

Balmorhea - Balmorhea (2007)

River Arms - Balmorhea (2008)

All Is Wild, All Is Silent - Balmorhea (2009)

Constellations - Balmorhea (2010)

Stranger - Balmorhea (2012)

Really chill music. I really liked it. Nice and relaxing while I was working on my school presentation.

Sunburst Finish - Be Bop Deluxe (2012)

Feels like a movie soundtrack sometimes. A lot of the songs are a huge bop.

The Robots in Love EP - Beautiful Small Machines (2009)

Starts off really strong with a super catchy song. The other songs were pretty good but the first one was by far my favorite.

Flint - Bill Laurance (2014)

Swift - Bill Laurance (2015)

Good background listen, the first album more so than the second. I thought the second album was more interesting/fun to listen to than the first but they were both good.

Masters of the Universe - Binary Star (2000)

Really solid from what I can tell. I’m still pretty burnt out on hip hop, but it was still good seemed relatively “old school”.

Music by Cavelight - Blockhead (2004)

Downtown Science - Blockhead (2005)

Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book - Blockhead (2007)

The Music Scene - Blockhead (2010)

Fun Dough Nation is pretty interesting. Overall pretty good. Uncle Tony’s coloring book is more upbeat and a bop at the start.

De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta (2003)

Friend recommended it to me. He wants to see if I’d be down to check out an Omar Rodriguez-Lopez concert when things open up.

Frances the Mute - The Mars Volta (2005)

They are a fan of starting albums out really quite then getting really loud. Not really a fan of the glitchy audio in The Widow; like it’s OK I suppose, but I don’t really get it makes me think I’m somehow listening on youtube and my internet connection is causing it to buffer. I like the start of L’Via L’Viaquez. Cassandra Gemini songs flow together seamlessly, not exactly sure why they are separated into different songs.

Amputechture - The Mars Volta (2006)

I feel like this album is stylistically very different from the previous two. It’s pretty good though. I have to wonder why some songs on these album are 20 minutes though. It’s not a good or bad thing, it just makes me wonder.

The Bedlam in Goliath - The Mars Volta (2008)

Really good. Feels a lot more conventional than the previous 3 albums.

Octahedron - The Mars Volta (2009)

Also more conventional and pretty good.

Living-room - Paris Combo (1999)

I listened to a bits of the album. I finally decided to listen to it in full after listening to Homeron for the 100th time which slaps. Overall the album is pretty good and catchy.

Locket - Crumb (2017)

I’ve listened to locket a bunch of times and finally have the opportunity to listen to other music made by these people. Super calm and relaxing.

Jinx - Crumb (2019)

This seems to be a much more developed album that the previous one with more fleshed out songs. Even still, with the newer album Locket is the standout song for me.

Dernière chance d’être disque d’or - Oldelaf (2009)

Le Monde Est Beau - Oldelaf (2010)

Goliath - Oldelaf (2018)

L’Aventure - Oldelaf (2020)

Always heard random one offs from this artists that I found funny or cute. Decided to listen to a bunch of albums. Still like the songs I already knew (Le Café, Les mains froides, Et Si on Chatiat). Lot of variance and nice upbeat songs. He’s not the best singer but I think his songs are mostly pretty endearing and his music style compliments his singing. The instrumental used in Elle dit is sampled from somewhere but I can’t put my finger on it and it’s bothering me¹.

Waking the Fallen - Avenged Sevenfold (2003)

City of Evil - Avenged Sevenfold (2005)

Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold (2007)

The only thing I remember about Avenged Sevenfold is that I used one of their songs in a Youtube video I made about how to make money in Runescape as a F2P player in like 2007. Unholy Confessions might have been that song, it songs a little familiar. I think I’m coming along to hard rock genres more. I’m still not a fan of screamer type of vocals but I do enjoy the heavy/intense drums and instrumentation.

Celestial Ocean - Brainticket (1972)

Some of it is interesting and calming, other stuff is experimental and I guess cool.

Colma - Buckethead (1998)

Super calm.

Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars (2010)

Lot of super catchy songs. I’ve obviously heard many of these over the years, but it’s nice to actually listen to the album where a lot of these songs are from.

Crying Over Pros - ediT (2004)

I’m not usually a big fan of glitch music (for example I didn’t really like it in Frances the Mute) but I thought it was well incorporated and fun to listen to

Certified Air Raid Material - ediT (2007)

I feel like the songs on this album are a lot more developed in terms of sound and style. I much prefer this album to the previous one.

Pop Negro - El Guincho (2010)

Pretty catchy. I don’t really know how I feel about vocals I can’t understand. On one hand it sounds good (I especially like the sound of Spanish in general), but on the other hand I don’t understand or am able to follow the song. I used to have a much stricter mindset that was I didn’t see the value at all of listening to songs with no vocals or vocals I didn’t understand and I’m trying to grow away from that and try to broaden my musical experiences.

Through the Window - sayCeT (2010)

Super chill and relaxing. This music feels like it’s from some animated movie set in Scandinavia and these are the peaceful ending songs where they left you to sit on some Norse coast on a calm night.

Things Go Better with RJ and Al - Soul Position (2006)

Pretty solid all around.

Departure - Samurai Champloo (2004)

Impression - Samurai Champloo (2004)

Masta - Samurai Champloo (2004)

Playlist - Samurai Champloo (2004)

Katana - Samurai Champloo (2005)

Super chill. I thought the soundtrack was really well made and super good. Makes me want to watch Samurai Champloo at some point. I feel like the anime would have a lot of style and character and I’ve heard it’s similar to Cowboy Bebop in that regard.

Chasing The Light - Polarization (2011)

I enjoyed this album.

Laika Still Wants Go Home - Powder! Go Away (2011)

We Don’t Know When It Has Begun, but We Know That It Will Never End - Powder! Go Away (2012)

I enjoyed the albums a decent amount, though I do notice some songs had this similar screeching sound that kinda made a lot of them sound the same (I don’t know how else to describe it). I particularly liked the sample in Laika Still Wants to Go Home. Something about old radio or media style speeches in songs sounds really nice in music. Maybe I’m just particularly fond of it because I listen to Totalitarianism all the time.

Ocean’s Twelve - David Holmes (2004)

It was fine. Favorite song from the track was the Italian one L’Appuntamento.

Outworld - Outworld (2006)

I liked it a decent amount. Had the elements of metal I liked and didn’t have much in the way of raw screaming type of vocals.

A Forest of Polarity - Rooftops (2009)

I like the rhythms a lot. The vocals when there were any were pretty boring to me.

Odyssée - L’Impératrice (2015)

Séquences - L’Impératrice (2017)

Matahari - L’Impératrice (2018)

Tako Tsubo - L’Impératrice (2021)

I’ve had a Agitations Tropicales on my youtube playlist since forever and really like the song. I found out that they made a new album this year and figured it would be a good opportunity to listen to a bunch of their stuff. All their stuff is super nice and really great to listen to and feel unique in their own interesting way. Their earlier albums pretty short (Odyssée and Séquences) and I wish they were longer and had more amazing songs. Really liked the first two album’s songs, but thought Tako Tsubo was a much better complete package.

Drums and Wires - XTC (1983)

I don’t know if it’s just me, but the mixing on song Scissor Man is pretty bad. I can barely hear the vocals. I don’t know if that was intended or I just have bad ears. It was fine, reminded me of those old rock songs and genre from the period. Some of it was a little weird and out there, specifically Complicated Game.

Little Grace - Yasushi Yoshida (2008)

Super calm and pretty enjoyable.

Oh, Inverted World - The Shins (2001)

Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins (2003)

Wincing The Night Away - The Shins (2007)

Pretty good. Nothing really stood out to me.

Jusqu’À L’Amour - Les Sages Poètes de la Rue (1998)

Friend recommended it it me. It feels pretty standard/decent/classic.

Pasta Flora - Monsieur Minimal (2010)

Picked this album at complete random. Was a decent listen.

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1. I figured it out, the rising tune is similar to Happy Together tune ↩︎