#rory sutherland
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timeless ancient wisdom
#led zeppelin#rory sutherland#robert plant#behavioral science#sweet spot#innervations#interventions#two paths#ux#universal#journey#all nighter
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Psychological Futures and Human Behaviour
Bringing knowledge of how we behave and think into our models of the future. My thoughts on linking futures, work, and our models of both
Futures work is a branch of design that seeks to translate trends, ideas, and imagination based on data into visions of where we might go. What happens when we bring psychologists along?
The popular deployment of generative AI tools has put ‘futures thinking’ into our collective imagination front and centre. We humans love futures thinking — fantasizing about what might happen. (I used to spend…
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#AI#behavioural science#craft#design#foresight#futures#generative ai#innovation#psychology#Rory Sutherland#work
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Peter Panto
THE PANTOMIME ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN
Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent, Thursday 29th December, 2022
The title clearly states that this is not going to be the J.M. Barrie classic. In fact, this is more of a sequel to the well-known story. It begins with Tinkerbell, in the panto role of Good Fairy, welcoming Wendy Darling back to Neverland. There is trouble afoot. Something about supplies of…
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#Alan McHugh#Amanda Coutts#Hannah Everest#JM Barrie#Jonathan Wilkes#Kai Owen#pantomime#Regent Theatre#review#Rory Sutherland#Stoke on Trent#The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan
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An economics which seeks to grapple with the real-world circumstance of open-endedness must transcend an analytical framework which cannot accommodate genuine surprise.
—Israel Kirzner, British economist
#israel kirzner#economics#entrepreneurship#entrepreneur#business#startups#logical reasoning#rory sutherland
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#econtalk#rory sutherland#alchemy#econlib#Russ Roberts#Ogilvy#markets#behavioral economics#advertising#corporate decision-making
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'No': Hogg and Russell's non-selection unrelated to the March incident
‘No’: Hogg and Russell’s non-selection unrelated to the March incident
‘No’: Hogg and Russell’s non-selection unrelated to the March incident
Gregor Townsend has revealed that talisman Finn Russell and captain Stuart Hogg have been released from their summer tour of Scotland to prevent burnout ahead of next year’s World Cup. The head coach insisted that the omission of the key duo from the 40-man squad for the trip to South America later this month had nothing to…
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"From Bully to Admirer: The Tempestuous Romance of Ace Merrill and Rory Gilmore"
The dynamic between Rory and Ace would bear a striking resemblance to the tumultuous relationship between Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII in the 1969 film "Anne of the Thousand Days." Like Anne Boleyn, Rory Gilmore would harbor a deep-seated disdain for someone as domineering and bullying as Ace. Her refusal to be cowed by his intimidating presence would undoubtedly bruise his pride and incite his anger.
Ace, much like Henry VIII, would find himself caught in a maelstrom of emotions. On one hand, the defiance and spirited resistance from Rory would stoke the fires of his fury, compelling him to seek revenge and restore his wounded ego. But paradoxically, for someone like Ace, this newfound challenge would be nothing short of intoxicating.
Throughout his life, Ace has likely grown accustomed to people tiptoeing around him, bending to his will, and refraining from questioning his authority. Thus, Rory's audacity would offer an exhilarating departure from the norm. Her ability to effectively put him in his place would act as a double-edged sword—infuriating him on one hand, yet on the other, it would be an enticing deviation from the predictable.
In the same vein as the Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII narrative, Ace would oscillate between anger and fascination, torn between his desire for revenge and the allure of Rory's unyielding spirit. This emotional rollercoaster would add layers of complexity to their relationship, making it a captivating story of passion and power struggles.
Just as Anne Boleyn's presence forever altered the course of history in the Tudor era, Rory's impact on Ace's life would be equally transformative. Their dynamic would challenge both characters to confront their deepest insecurities and evolve in ways they never anticipated, creating a love story filled with tension, passion, and personal growth.
#gilmore girls#stand by me#rory gilmore#ace merrill#fanfiction#stephen king#kiefer sutherland#alexis bledel#queen anne boleyn#henry viii#romance#romantic#romeo and juliet#unrequited love#enemies to lovers#lovers#enemies
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Scottish Folklore Creature: Lavellan
The Lavellan is sometimes described as a Scottish folkloric creature, while other times is said just to be another name for a water shrew.
“What then is the Lavellan of Caithness? Should it be considered as the water Shrew ?”—(Wernerian Society’s Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 1.) Certainly we think so, and that the species has belonged to Caithness since Pennant’s time. Others, however, assign the name to a lizard.”
📖 “A Vertebrate Fauna of Sutherland, Caithness, and West Cromarty” by Harvie-Brown, J. A. and Buckley, T. E. (1887)
However, unlike a water shrew, the Lavellan is said to be a venomous giant water rat which is capable of making cattle sick, even from great distances away.
“The country people have a notion that it is noxious to cattle; they preserve the skin, and, as a cure for their sick beasts, give them the water in which it has been dipped.”
📖 “Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland” by John Gregorson Campbell (1900)
So the debate remains on if the Lavellan is a true folkloric creature, or simply an unfortunate animal that had folklore put upon it as a way to explain sickening cattle.
It is also mentioned by Rob Donn, the Sutherland bard, in his satirical song on “Mac Rorie’s Breeches”: “Let him not go away from the houses, to moss or wood, lest the Lavellan come and smite him.”
📖 “Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland” by John Gregorson Campbell (1900)
#scottish folklore#scottishfolklore#folklore#lavellan#scottish#scottish mythology#scottish myths#mythical creatures#mythological
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BALIOC'S READING LIST, 2023 EDITION
This list counts only published books, consumed in published-book format, that I read for the first time and finished. No rereads, nothing abandoned halfway through, no Internet detritus of any kind, etc. Also no children’s picture books.
(There were so many children's picture books.)
Hand of the Sun King, J. T. Greathouse
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney
When the Angels Left the Old Country, Sacha Lamb
Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us, Rachel Aviv
Elder Race, Adrian Tchaikovsky
Yamada Monogatari: Troubled Spirits, Richard Parks
Victory City, Salman Rushdie
Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America, Richard Rorty
Cage of Souls, Adrian Tchaikovsky
A Morbid Taste for Bones, Ellis Peters
One Corpse Too Many, Ellis Peters
Priest of Bones, Peter McLean
Priest of Lies, Peter McLean
Demon Summoner: Apprentice, Greg Walters
By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions, Richard Cohen
Tsalmoth, Steven Brust
Priest of Gallows, Peter McLean
Priest of Crowns, Peter McLean
Waybound, Will Wight
Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata
The Tatami Galaxy, Tomihiko Morimi
These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong
Death in Venice, Thomas Mann
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, Rory Sutherland
The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton
Storming Heaven, Miles Cameron
Against Worldbuilding, and Other Provocations: Essays on History, Narrative and Game Design, Alexis Kennedy
From Ritual to Romance, Jessie L. Weston
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Rats and Gargoyles, Mary Gentle
Labyrinth's Heart, M. A. Carrick
Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
The Long, Long Goodbye of "The Last Bookstore," Mizuki Nomura
The Last Sun, K. D. Edwards
The Hanged Man, K. D. Edwards
The Hourglass Throne, K. D. Edwards
Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi
The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief, Adin Steinsaltz
The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
Untethered Sky, Fonda Lee
The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius
The Star-Child, Oscar Wilde
Monk's Hood, Ellis Peters
St. Peter's Fair, Ellis Peters
The Leper of St. Giles, Ellis Peters
The Virgin in the Ice, Ellis Peters
The Nutcracker, E. T. A. Hoffman and Alexandre Dumas
The Sanctuary Sparrow, Ellis Peters
Child of God, Cormac McCarthy
The Devil's Novice, Ellis Peters
Dead Man's Ransom, Cormac McCarthy
Plausible works of improving nonfiction consumed in 2023: 10
["plausible" and "improving" are being defined very liberally here]
Balioc's Choice Award, Fiction Division: The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney
>>>> Honorable Mention: Rats and Gargoyles, Mary Gentle
[This seems like the correct place to point out that, for the Balioc's Choice Awards, I consider only works that were first published with the last 100 years. Otherwise it would just be "surprise, old classics are often classics for a reason."]
Balioc's Choice Award, Nonfiction Division: The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief, Adin Steinsaltz
>>>> Honorable Mention: A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
The Roscommon Princess Award for Luminous Trembling Beauty in the Face of a Bleakly Mundane World: The Star-Child, Oscar Wilde
The Anguished Howl Award for Somehow Making Me Regret Reading a Book About a Demon Summoner in the Thirty Years' War: Demon Summoner: Apprentice, Greg Walters
The Tamsyn Muir Award for Demonstrating that Popularity Really, Really, Really is Not the Same Thing as Quality: The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
The G. K. Chesterton Award for Being G. K. Chesterton, I Mean, to Whom Else Could I Compare Him, For Someone So Avowedly Stodgy He is the Ballsiest Motherfucker I Have Ever Read: The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton
**********
...this year was much like the last several years, only somehow even more so. Not in a good way, I fear. My current lifestyle continues not to be super-conducive to reading, and writing a weekendlong LARP kind of knocked the wind out of me, both during and after. If it weren't for a massive silly-fun historical-mystery binge in December, my numbers here would be shameful. And you will notice that a whole lot of the things on that list are very short.
Most of the contemporary fiction was pretty much what I expected it to be. There were few real standouts. Things by good authors continued to be mostly good; things by shlocky authors continued to be shlock.
I should probably drive less for my various solitary recreational jaunts, just so that I can spend more of that time with a book. I should definitely read more old stuff, because old stuff continues to be the most reliably rewarding. (The cream of the cream of the old stuff, anyway, which is...what you read.)
I continue to be Extremely In the Market for recommendations of really good, deeply-informative nonfiction.
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Dark Academia: An Inspired Reading Recommendations List (Part 3)
Part two is available here!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Killingly by Katharine Beutner
We The Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Vicious by VE Schwab
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
The Odyssey by Homer
House Of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
A Study Drowning by Ava Reid
The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven
An Education In Malice by S.T. Gibson
In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan
#dark academia books#dark academia vibes#dark academia aesthetic#dark academia#dark acadamia aesthetic#dark academia lifestyle#dark academism#darkest academia#dark acamedia#dark acadamia#books#book blog#booklr#readblr#book reccs#book recommendations#bookaddict#book list#bookworm#books and reading#book community#book lover#dark academia blog#book blogger#bookish#bookblr#dark academic aesthetic#dark academia season is coming
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Rating: 4.5/5
Book Blurb: Gripping, romantic, and impossible to put down, this dark and immersive post-apocalyptic debut YA novel is about two teen girls who loved each other before the end of the world — and before one of them became infected with the virus that turned her into a monster.
Perfect for fans of Krystal Sutherland, Adam Silvera, and the darkly human side of the HBOMax horror-drama, The Last of Us.
Seventeen-year-old Mara is dead—mostly.
Infected with a virus that brought the dead back to life and the world to its knees, she wakes up in a facility to learn a treatment for the disease has been found. No longer a Tick, Mara is placed in an experimental resettlement program. But her recovery is complicated by her destination: she’s sent to live with the best friend she hasn’t seen since the world ended—and since their first and only kiss. Seventeen-year-old Rory is alive—barely.
With impaired mobility from an injury and a dead sister, Rory’s nightmares are just as monstrous as the Ticks that turned her former best friend. Even after the Island—one of a handful of surviving communities—rebuilds itself, Rory is prepared for the Ticks to return at any time. She never expected them to come in the form of the only girl she’s ever loved.
As the girls struggle with their pasts and the people they’ve become, the Island’s soldiers go rogue and come after the Ticks and anyone harboring them. With the Island’s fragile peace in the balance, Rory and Mara must lean on each other to survive—or risk losing the girl they love all over again.
Review:
The Last of Us meets a love story about two girls dealing with the aftermath of of a virus taking over the world and what happens when one of them is infected... and now is being let back out into the world. Mara and Rory were best friends, they've even thought about being more... until a virus known as "the Tick" happened turning people into flesh hungry zombies essentially and Mara gets infected... and that was two years ago... and now she has been rehabilitated and been put on a treatment program to treat her disease. Mara is put into an experimental resettlement program... and who better than to be her host family than her godparents... aka the same family with her old best friend and the girl she loved who she knows now hates her lives. Mara is still traumatized from what happened to her, she remembers everything she did as a Tick... everyone's she's killed including her parents. Rory is reeling from losing her younger sister, having sene her been killed, and she has impaired mobility from an injury. She is still plagued by nightmares and she's dreading facing Mara again. Rory has spent her time preparing to face off against Ticks, what she didn't expect was facing it in the form of the only girl she's ever loved. Both girls struggle with dealing with their pasts and the girls they have become since then, all the while the island's soldiers have gone wrong and are coming after the rehabilitated ticks and anyone who is harboring them... with the leader of the island's soldier particularly going after Rory and Mara, the girls will have to learn to lean on each other and grow past their differences in order to survive this new horror... and maybe fall for the new girls they are now. This was the perfect read for anyone who loved The Last of Us or loves a post-apocalyptic Romance!! The angst was real and the tension was so good. The world building in this one was fantastic and I loved how the book has you so interested in what was happening all the way to the end of the book. The romance was so well done and I loved that the girls were both healing and trying to get to know the new version of the person they loved. This is a fun read and I would absolutely recommend it!
*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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All the Movies I Watched in 2023
This is a very long post so buckle up! (And I'm sorry. I love movies.)
Ticket to Paradise (2022)
5/5. I expected this movie to be a bad cash-grab, but was surprised to find that it had plenty of redeeming qualities. Maybe that's attributable to the charm of Julia Roberts and George Clooney. A lighthearted watch that's enjoyable if you allow yourself to relax and not treat every movie like it has to be a cinematic masterpiece.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
4.5/5. I am so, so ready for a Knives Out, Sherlock Holmes-esque series. This movie was so, so entertaining, and presented a mystery that was different from the first in Knives Out, yet equally enjoyable.
Signs (2002)
4.5/5. Mel Gibson, Rory Culkin, and Joaquin Phoenix are absolutely amazing in this movie. Definitely one of Shyamalan's stronger films, but the ending is weak and doesn't support the weight of the rest of the movie. The concept of combining a tragic backstory for characters in a horror/thriller movie certainly isn't new, and by all accounts this movie could suffice without it, but I think it is a good contribution to its depth and themes. I was watching this in class and when M. Night Shyamalan appeared someone said, with full sincerity, "Who's that random Indian?" 🫥
The Theory of Everything (2014)
4.5/5. I love Eddie Redmayne, and his performance was pretty good. This biopic suffers from the pitfall of refusing to portray their subject as a human (someone who makes good and bad choices), opting instead to paint them as a god-like figure (insisting that they are incredibly moralistic even if it's clear that they aren't), which I think takes away from the intelligence of the film. There's no harm in showing Stephen Hawking as a normal person, and I think more biopics should have a little less bias. Good soundtrack.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
2.5/5. It was fine. It was hard for me to stay invested or care about the characters. Pretty cliche, and didn't have much nuance considering the plot. I think you could live without ever seeing this movie.
Twilight (2008)
2/5. A great movie to play in the background while doing something else. That baseball scene is fantastic though. Romance is bad. I'm pretty sure Carlisle Cullen is Lestat. Alice Cullen's hair is my everything.
Senseless (1998)
2.5/5. This movie is bad, but somehow I can't help but love Marlon Wayans' surprisingly vulnerable performance. He has an effortless charm. David Spade and Matthew Lillard are two of my longtime favorites, and both of them give a solid delivery in their respective typecasts.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
4.5/5. More children's movies should take themselves seriously!!! More children's movies should treat their primary audience with respect and intelligence!!! Children are more intelligent than we give them credit for!!! Thank you to this movie for understanding that. The animation was incredible, such a beautiful watch. I've said this before and I will not be quieted: Puss is Zorro's fursona.
The Lost Boys (1987)
3.5/5. "AAA THEYRE COMING AAAA" I love Keifer Sutherland, and I wish there was more of him in this movie tbh. Kind of boring. I think this could be remedied with more Keifer Sutherland.
Grease (1978)
2/5. I honestly do not get the appeal of this movie. I like Sandy and love Frenchie, but the musical aspect is a little underwhelming and the story is (and I'm sorry) just godawful. I'm referring less to its problematic aspects and more how frustrating it is, misunderstandings and such.
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
5/5. Peter Jackson Gets It. His love for the book series and the world of Middle Earth is just so evident in this movie's intricacies and imagination, yet it also strays away from the book in ways that I think are really good, such as some of the dialogue choices (Frodo's a little bit meaner in the books, which I don't think would make him very likable if we were actually hearing it be said.) I want to live in Bag End SO BAD.
LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)
5/5. Legolas, my beloved. A bridge between the first and last installments that doesn't feel plot-deprived. Balances perfectly between mounting the tension for the final installment and also maintaining its solitary plot points. I want to include my Letterboxd review because it's ~sO fUnNy~
LOTR: The Return of the King (2003)
5/5. Man. Wow. I cry. I cry. I cry. Literally cannot even give a review bc of the overwhelming mixture of emotions I feel when I think about this movie.
The gayest installment of the series, though that's a hard trophy to hold considreing the competition.
A League of Their Own (1992)
5/5. I do not think it is so bad to be a stereotypical underdog sports movie if you can approach the convention with a story as entertaining and genuinely as heartfelt as this. Very funny. Geena Davis!!!!! Geena Davis!!!!!!! Many of these women are lesbians in real life and although that was conveniently left out of the movie... you can still tell. I was scared that the conversation between Geena Davis and Tom Hanks meant a stupid romance subplot was going to happen, but thankfully this movie has too much dignity for that.
Suburban Gothic (2014)
2.5/5. I didn't really enjoy this movie because there wasn't a single strong aspect of it that I could rely on to forgive it. All of the characters were unlikable, the plot was strange and inconsistent (and I was upset because I was looking forward to it in this aspect). However, Jeffrey Combs is his usual amazing self and the humor is pretty good at times.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (rewatch) (2016)
3.5/5. I watched this when it came out and it was one of my favorite movies. It still holds a special place in my heart for the surprising breach of conventions it makes. Newt, as a leading man in a big-budget film, is shy, sensitive, and polite. I love him to death. (This is the movie that started my love for Eddie Redmayne) However, considering that it is a big-budget blockbuster, it's only allowed to go so far with its breach of conventions.
It's very beautiful to watch. The romance between Newt and Tina actually feels like a romance, which I find is surprisingly hard for movies to do. It's also the strongest installment in the series, and it goes downhill from there.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (rewatch) (2018)
3/5. I wanted to like this movie so bad when I first watched it, and I do, sort of. I love everything in this movie that replicates the last movie: Newt's characterization, Tina's characterization, the visual effects, the beasts!!!!!, the time period, the worldbuilding, the sophisticated air. I also love the addition of Newt's brother and Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam is just incredible!). And that's where my love for this movie ends. Everything else annoys me. Like, I understand that Queenie loves Jacob so much she'd do anything for him, but I find it hard to believe she'd be convinced by Grindelwald. She's smarter than that. And, I don't really care about the Dumbledore, Lestrange, and Credence Barebone/Nagini storyline. They just aren't that captivating. This is where the series starts to tip from an equal balance between the beasts and 1920s Wizarding World Politics into more WW Politics, which makes me sad.
Fantastic Beasts:The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
2/5. This movie makes me so fucking mad. Out of all the movies in the series, this one is the worst. It's not even about Newt Scamander anymore! If you wanted to make a Dumbledore/Grindelwald origin story, just make a separate movie series! I wanted to see beasts! I wanted to see Newt travel the world! Goddamn this movie for taking that away from me, and every other Scamander fan!!!! The last shot of this movie is of fucking Albus Dumbledore, for christ's sake!!! I just don't care!!! Fuck this!!! WHY.
I'm actually so sad.
(J. K. Rowling can't write for shit and she's a TERF. Neil Gaiman can write for shit and is a trans ally. Coincedence? I think not.)
I think Mads Mikkelsen is great as Grindelwald. He delivers a sophisticated and somewhat sinister performance to this movie that I think does more service to it than Johnny Depp's campiness, which isn't really right for this type of movie. If the stars had aligned differently, I would have liked Mikkelsen to play Grindelwald from the start. But not even that could have saved this shit movie.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
5/5. Beautiful and visually captivating. Very nuanced plot that I will not pretend to understand in its entirety, though I'm sure a rewatch would do it justice in that regard. This is not a movie you want spoiled, so look it up with caution. Jane Campion? More like Jane CHAMPION. Definitely recommend.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
4/5. Maybe a controversial take, but I actually really enjoyed this movie, as someone who hasn't read the book. Maybe I would enjoy it less so if I did read the book, (which I do eventually plan on doing) and I understand people's complaints about the movie. I don't think this movie (and the Hobbit series as a whole) should be considered with the same judgment as the LOTR series: despite being made by the same director, their appeal and intended demographic is vastly different. While LOTR's appeal was more based on its faithfulness to the books and authenticity, and intended demographic is more longtime LOTR/fantasy fans (nerds), the Hobbit trilogy's intended appeal is more of a meatheaded likability intended to appease more widespread audiences (everyone who's not a nerd). I don't think it lives up to LOTR, and I do think a singular movie should have been made more in the vein of LOTR (faithfulness to source material and avoidance of blockbuster stereotypes), but this movie is still fun. The performances are good and overall I can't hate this movie.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
4/5. This is probably my favorite in the Hobbit series. The romance between Kili and Tauriel is pretty solid. Bard is fantabulous. Smaug is an absolutely terrifying villain. Bilbo is a Chad. The story never feels stretched out or annoying. I dunno, I just like it. :)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
4.5/5. Again, I don't expect anybody to agree with my opinions on the Hobbit trilogy. I just find them fun. This one is heartbreaking. But still fun!
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
3.5/5. Very interesting to watch this as a Columbo fan.
I expected this movie to be kind of boring, and while there are some slow bits, it's very entertaining throughout. The tension simmers on the back burner for almost the entire movie until the end, when it boils over and everything catches on fire. I think it's good that there are moments where the tension takes a backseat to let some of the other themes develop, particularly regarding the character development and relationship between Mikey and Nicky. I also love this movie's concept. Def recommend.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
4/5. I didn't expect too much from this movie, and found that it was good. Very entertaining. Johnny Depp is wonderful as Jack Sparrow (this is the type of movie where his campiness is appreciated). I love pirates. I'm so annoyed about the "You like pain? Try wearing a corset." Line sm. Like... they're called stays in that time period, for one thing. Secondly, they shouldn't hurt if you're wearing them properly. Like my god that line was so written-by-a-man it hurts. Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley were great. Fun.
Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
5/5. If people have told you to watch this movie, go watch this movie. If people haven't told you to go watch it, I'm telling you right now. Animation is gorgeous and it maintains and elevates all the appeal of the first movie. The diversity just exists in this movie, because this movie understands that diverse people just exist. PLEASE go watch it.
Bridesmaids (2011)
4.5/5. This is a movie for the girls who are morally grey and fear they may be a bad person and are just trying their best to trudge through a burned out existence. Emotional aspect is just as strong as the comedic aspect, and they transition in and out of each other really well. Just... skip the bridal dress scene.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
5/5. One of the most entertaining and lovable movies I've ever seen. A good watch for when you need to clear your head and just relax.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
5/5. Intelligent and revolutionary-for-its-time movie that still has modern relevance. Sidney Poitier deserved an Oscar for this, and I'm really sad he didn't get one. (However he did get a British Academy Award for this movie.) Love the concept, though I do wish the racial aspect had been carried through to the end, as it kind of drops off in favor of the murder-mystery aspect, culminating in a resolution that's essentially just "I guess I'm not racist anymore because you're really good at solving crimes." I think Virgil deserved a better end to his story.
Rango (2011)
5/5. This is one of those rare children's movies that feels older, mostly because it takes itself seriously and delivers on that 100%. Animation is wonderful.
War of the Worlds (2005)
3/5. It's sort of fun, but so annoying and underwhelming that it's not even worth it. Tom Cruise's character is supposed to develop but we never really see that. Dakota Fanning screams so much. I was pretty scream-y when I was a little girl, but not even I screamed that much.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
4.5/5. Maybe I do believe in love.
I think this is like the Hobbit trilogy version of book adaptations: not totally faithful to source material but pretty enjoyable. Had me sobbing.
I always get a little annoyed when period pieces feel like they have to sacrifice historical accuracy in costuming and customs in favor of appealing to a modern audience because I think audiences are smarter and more open-minded than they give us credit for.
Stand by Me (1986)
4/5. Even though this isn't really horror, you can definitely tell it's a Stephen King movie: self-insert writer character, set in the pacific northwest or northern east coast, gratuitous 1950s-ness, psychopath bully, and bad parents.
This movie has so much heart behind it. It's such a genuine and heavy portrayal of boyhood and the emotional topsy-turviness of male adolescence. I can't say female adolescence because there's hardly any women in this movie at all. I think it's fine if it's a boyhood-centric movie (but when did boyhood mean that women don't exist?) but it is by no means a commentary on adolescence as a whole.
Clue (rewatch) (1985)
4.5/5. Witty humor and a well-crafted mystery. Very fun, even if it falls short in some of its intended appeal. You know what never falls short? Tim Curry.
Batman Begins (2005)
3.5/5. My least favorite installment in the Dark Knight trilogy. Just not as appealing as the other two in terms of tone and storytelling ability.
The Dark Knight (2008)
4.5/5. My FAVORITE installment in the trilogy. What can I say about this that hasn't already been said before? I'll tell you: YEAAHHH GARY OLDMAN!! I LOVE GARY OLDMAN!!!!
This movie is THE quintessential neo-noir movie.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
4/5. Again, what can I say that hasn't already been said before?
SPOILERS: I'm so glad Gary Oldman didn't die because I was almost certain he was going to. Also I love when Batman reveals his identity to Gordon by quoting what Gordon said to him when he was a kid, and of COURSE Gordon realizes because that's just the amazing person he is.
Apostle (2018)
4.5/5. I get that not everybody thinks this movie is good, but I can't help but love it. I think part of it is that it holds a lot of personal appeal (that being Michael Sheen, in case my 10,000 Good Omens posts didn't allude to that).
Here's a list of stuff I liked:
Michael Sheen
Dan Stevens (Now I know he'll never leave me.)
The solid romance subplot.
Michael Sheen
Religious symbolism.
Cults.
Solid historical accuracy in terms of clothing.
I liked this movie up until the very end, where it kinda feels underwhelming. I didn't like the supernatural aspect, which kind of undercut the themes of the movie.
1917 (2019)
5/5. I made a whole slide presentation on why this movie is amazing so I think I'll just link it here.
If you don't want to read all of that, just know that this movie is, a) incredible with historical costuming, b) an effective anti-war film, c) soundtrack is wonderful, d) it will rip your heart out and you will like it. You will like it.
Young Guns (rewatch) (1988)
3/5. A classic slightly-historically-accurate cowboy movie of the eighties. Keifer Sutherland :). Kinda gay. It's a bit boring and forgettable, and the romance aspect isn't that good. If I ever gave it another rewatch, I think I would just turn it off after Billy shoots that traitor, turn it back on for the peyote scene for a laugh, and then turn it off again.
Master and Commander (2003)
4.5/5. My rating may lead you to believe that I like this movie somewhat, but not very much. However, I love this movie so much I can hardly put it into words. There's just something about it. I didn't know I was starving until this movie fed me, to be dramatic. I love how precise it is with historical accuracy. I love the characters. I love the strings duet. I love James D'Arcy. I love Paul Bettany and his flightless birds (GOD I love him in this movie. Doctor characters in period pieces are always my favorites). I love bros. I want to live in this movie, it's so cozy. I want to be a sailor for the British Royal Navy in 1812 so damn bad.
I would recommend this movie. It happens to fit in a personal niche of mine, so I think it's the greatest thing ever, but I understand that not everybody has that same niche lol.
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
5/5. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I prefer this miniseries to the 2005 movie. Maybe it's just because of its intense historical accuracy and closer allegiance to the book (if 2005 is the Hobbit trilogy of P&P adaptations, this is the LOTR trilogy), but this series really makes the book come to life. I think it's mostly because it has way more time to tell the story. Jennifer Elhe is so good as Elizabeth: her sly glances and clever deliveries have made me, a straight girl, fall hopelessly in love with her. Colin Firth falls in love. Just look:
I can't breathe. Look at him.
Damn this series is good. Definitely recommend 100000000%.
Surf's Up (2007)
4.5/5. So damn funny. A good story about penguins surfing to Green Day. A fun relaxer.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4.5/5. A Christmas classic that I had never seen before. It has charm. It has a Good Omens reference 44 years before it was published ("angel" being confused to mean something gay)
Off Track (Ur Spår)
3.5/5. A Hallmark-y Swedish drama-comedy about an alcoholic single mother who is trying to turn her life around for her daughter, her ex-husband and his new wife, her brother (an amateur athlete training to compete in the Vasa race--a cross-country skiing competition), and his issues with his wife and their inability to conceive. It's not the greatest movie ever made, but what it does have is heaps of heart. Lisa is a character with so much determination, and it's incredibly satisfying when (spoiler) she crosses the finish line--the final person to do so--and she is given a celebratory wreath and the announcer calls her the true hero of the race. I cried. She's been at the bottom of the rank with every chance to turn back, but she endures, just as she does in life. Love her. Her brother on the other hand is sorta scummy and remains scummy throughout the entire movie. It's very easy to not root for him because his arc never really has a resolution. Klara deserves better.
Man of Steel
3.5/5. It's enjoyable. Henry Cavill is perfectly cast as Superman. Love how much of a sweet country boy he is. I kinda hate the way Lois Lane is written, but at the same time she has her moments.
Final Thoughts: I've watched a lot of really popular, big-budget blockbuster movies this year (e.g. LOTR series, Dark Knight series, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.). In the past I would have avoided movies like these because I always assume that I won't enjoy these types of movies. However, I think this year I was less over-assumptive and was able to sit back and enjoy movies without expecting every single movie to be the greatest thing I've ever seen.
I watched a lot of "dudebro" and male-centric movies in 2023, and though I enjoyed a good number of them, I'd like to watch more movies that are female-centric/feminist/have a good portrayal of women in 2024. I think I enjoyed male-centric movies like Master and Commander because of their nuanced characterization, mostly stemming from the fact that they were written by men and about men. (I don't think it's a bad thing to enjoy movies that celebrate masculinity, like Master and Commander, as long as it's not misogynistic in its celebration.) Some of the movies I watched that feature women are written by men, and therefore the women were underdeveloped and fall into the misogynistic storytelling pitfalls that portray women as stereotypes (whether conscious or not), which is why I'd like to see more movies written by women and about women, to see an honest and nuanced portrayal of women.
#tricia’s 2023 at a glance#knives out#glass onion#george clooney#daniel craig#julia roberts#signs#mel gibson#joaquin phoenix#m night shyamalan#eddie redmayne#the theory of everything#daisy edgar jones#where the crawdads sing#twilight#kristen stewart#robert pattinson#marlon wayans#david spade#matthew lillard#puss in boots#puss in boots the last wish#the lost boys#keifer sutherland#grease#lord of the rings#lotr#lotr trilogy#peter jackson#elijah wood
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Successful people can afford to engage in countersignaling—doing things that signal high status because they are associated with low status. It is a form of self-handicapping, signaling that one is so well off that they can afford to engage in activities and behaviors that people typically associated with low status.
An example from Ogilvy Vice Chairman Rory Sutherland: If you’re a top executive, turning up to work on a bicycle is a high-status activity because it was a choice and not a necessity. But if you work at Pizza Hut, turning up on a bike means you can’t afford a car.
Or consider arriving “fashionably late” to a social gathering. For most people, there is an opportunity cost of socialization for arriving late. Each additional minute past the start of the event is a minute you did not spend interacting with others—maintaining and enhancing social bonds, forming potential business partnerships, seeking profitable opportunities, and so on. Tardiness is a bad habit for most people. But for high-status, prominent individuals, the opportunity cost of being late is comparatively smaller. Their social connections are already assured, their reputations already established, their economic positions already secured.
A final example of how countersignaling is differentially costly depending on social position: If you are an extremely successful author, you don’t have to self-promote your writing anymore. You can wait for others to share it and simply retweet or re-post their endorsements. Some don’t even do that. Some writers are so well known that, despite having millions of followers, they literally don’t promote anything they write on social media. That is some strong countersignaling.
Countersignaling is a poor strategy for new writers (or podcasters, or musicians, or others in creative domains). People just starting out should look at those who are a little ahead of them. They’ll usually find that novice writers who are accruing some success regularly post their stuff online and ask others to share it.
One form of countersignaling is excess humility. It increases status for those who are already high status, but humility decreases status for those who are not high-status.
Summarizing her research, Leslie K. John, a professor at Harvard Business School, has written:
“Humility is admirable. But if someone requests information or an answer that requires you to reveal positives about yourself, you should oblige. Research indicates that when someone details an accomplishment in response to a direct question, others don’t judge that person as any less agreeable…we found that if you’re given an opportunity to brag—for example, by being asked, ‘What are your greatest strengths?’ or ‘How did you finish that so quickly?’—forgoing it can raise suspicion. We found that not answering or being coy about such questions may cause people to think you’re neither trustworthy nor likable.”
A bestselling author who never posts about their writing seems humble or above it all. An aspiring writer who never posts about their writing seems shy, or unconfident, or unserious.
A lot of successful people talk about how their achievements are primarily due to luck (a humblebrag). Don’t listen to them. Even though they are right to some extent, you’re more likely to excel if you look at people slightly ahead of you. Besides, whether you are looking for moderate success (generally within anyone’s grasp) or extreme success (which requires a lot of luck), hard work is still a requirement.
Be Wary of Imitating High-Status People Who Can Afford to Countersignal
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“The trouble with market research is that people don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.” — Rory Sutherland
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