Movies, New Term, and a Responsibility

[davetheanalyzer]

I’m finally getting around to watching my monster DVDs. I have bought but been sitting on them for so long and noticed recently there was some open time in my weekend evenings. Well, The H-man and Battle In Outer Space aren’t technically monster movies in the Godzilla sense but they are Toho speculative fiction movies close to each other. So far I’ve found Varan dull after the first third and Battle in Outer Space not very exciting. But The H-Man and Mothra were entertaining. It seems that decent enough human characters and engaging plot with some themes is what makes these films stand out. I look forward to going through the others, including the ones I haven’t seen yet.

I’m not going to post another We Will Hold On Forever chapter by the end of the month. I was busy working with the next set of chapters and there are changes I need to implement in the current set to align them. I hope to post them by mid-September at the very latest. I’ve paused working on my next one-shot Exile’s Lone Company because classes have started up and that takes up a lot of time. I managed to sneak in a bit of writing for it this week, but it’s not much. I’ll see how much time I’d have for it when the routine settles in. I also have put aside my weekend times writing We Will Hold On Forever so I can write a original story for class, so output on that might slow down a bit (Well, slower than it already is.)

Have been given a sort of daily responsibility. Don’t want to give too many specifics but it’s important. A relative has been doing it first to give me an example and to set consistency but by Wednesday, I was in charge of it. I was a bit concerned about this adulting job but it went alright enough. I’ll how it goes on other days. Also finally saw the lung doctor concerning my recurring cough. I did some weird breathing tests and the doctor assigned me a stronger dose of medicine to kick it out. I’m three and a half days into it, so I’ll see how it does. Maybe I can finally get off Nightquil to help me sleep.

In film news, I saw BlacKkKlansman, apparently based on an actual investigation. It was good. The concept of a black officer pretending to be white to infiltrate the KKK had the balance of the comedy and the real damage that can come with coming into contact with a hate group. Since real people are involved, I’m a bit limited in how much I can talk about them as characters but here you go. Ron Stallworth as depicted in the film is disrespected as the first black officer by his colleagues but knows what he’s good at and is driven to do actual good. Him initiating a investigation into the KKK is an audacious move that aligns with that.

Ron seems to have some rapport with Flip Zimmerman and a few other officers, with banter I sometimes had a hard time telling was friendly or not. Flip having to interact with the KKK members undercover and their sometimes threatening antisemitism leads to some interesting character stuff with him, as he has ignored his Jewish side but now can’t stop thinking about it. Speaking of bonds, there was the romance between Ron and Patrice, giving me an interesting view of how two people with differing views can get along in a relationship. Still, I don’t blame her for saying they might break up at the end. Even if he saved her life and she appreciates his kind points, he is still a cop, part of what she considers a racist system.

I did love that after all the crap Ron had to face when assigned to guard David Duke, he then got the last laugh by revealing who the KKK leader was speaking to this entire time. Unfortunately, the police department shutdown further investigations, showing they still don’t take the KKK threat seriously. The ending that transitioned to the Charlottesville Alt-Right rally and their violence against counter protestors that murdered Heather Heyer nicely warned about the dangers of white supremacy now and being a call to action.

I also saw Crazy Rich Asians this Wednesday. I’m not generally interested in romantic comedies but this one is as good as the reviews said. Everyone’s acting was incredible; I hope it dispels once and for all Asian people can’t act expressively. Rachel Chu was our main character, a smart professor in a loving relationship with Nick Young. Despite being new to this world of the elite, her first instinct is to get along with her boyfriend’s family. Many of them are cool and even cruel, and her struggle with her self-worth and fitting in was interesting. Her takedown of Nick’s mother was great. Nick himself is sweet, treating others with respect even if a few might not deserve it. He claimed he hid his wealth from Rachel because he didn’t think it was a big deal – and that might be a bit true – but mostly he liked how she didn’t treat him like a prince and didn’t want to spoil that. He has good ethics, as seen when he repeatedly floats walking from the family for their ill treatment of her and really wanting to be with her.

Eleanor is a mixed figure. Her buying up a UK hotel after racist treatment is glorious. She had similar experiences with Rachel in not being accepted by her husband’s family but instead of sympathy, the experience makes her think Rachel isn’t a good fit. She really had me fooled when they talked on the stairs. This can make her easy to hate but there are moments where we are shown the genuine affection between her and Nick. After Rachel confronts her late in the film, she is troubled by the thought she might make her son unhappy. Family is important but she decides to consent to the couple. Though the final look between her and Rachel doesn’t signal they would get along rightaway, it does show they have reached a sort of compromise.

As for other characters Peik Lin is the fun hip best friend who is intrigued by this rich (Erm, richer, due to her class) world but has Rachel’s best interests at heart. Oliver T’sien is a great camp scene-stealer and though he can be snarky, he’s firmly on Rachel’s side and he and Peik Lin make a fun double-act. Astrid is a sweet, successful businesswoman who tries not to be too lavish around her more modest husband Michael. But after he has an affair after never feeling he could measure up, she decided she would stop hiding her successes for a man’s feelings and says she would be in charge of custody. Though something about it did give me pause, with the class differential between them and my feelings about the rich, it seemed like the right thing to do for her. Araminta and Colin were nice friends, Araminta with her zest for life and Colin with a close bond with Nick that makes him honest about the challenges of marrying Rachel. These are the most prominent but there are others and they are distinct and memorable. A special shoutout to Rachel’s mom. She didn’t appear much but she held my attention and her look to Eleanor didn’t need any words to explain its meaning.

There were some complaints it was more a political movie than a romantic one but that’s inevitable when dealing with race and class and I believe it made the movie all the better. There were more substantial criticisms about it not representing Singapore’s diversity. There was also some unfortunate implications with how others reacted to the Sikh guards, the only Sikh representation in the movie. Since there is a sequel coming, I hope they keep those critiques in mind and make changes accordingly.

That’s all for now. Due to certain events, I have to keep reminding myself that today is not Saturday and I’m relaxing after finishing next week’s readings and responding to all the available online class posts. Until the end of September, see you!