Netflix February 2024_day.29 – 20th Century Girl (2022)

_As per tradition, no long intro for the final day, because we do a real outro~

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“In 1999, a teen girl keeps close tabs on a boy in school on behalf of her deeply smitten best friend – then she gets swept up in a love story of her own.“

A companion piece to Jurassic Park. If you get it, you get it. 20th Century Girl.

Netflix February 2024_day.28 – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

_We got a new toaster about a month ago. The old one was in rough shape. It still toasted things, but the handle was falling off, so we were pressing down on a nub, and it wasn’t particularly great at toasting heavier object like bagels or english muffins. So, I upgraded. And it’s nice. But the new toaster makes me wonder if our old toaster was just terrible the entire time, cause this new one? The lowest toast setting is like… the 2/3 setting on the old toaster. The old toaster max power is the new toaster’s 2/5. I’m honestly scared to toast something on a 5 on the new toaster. I feel like it won’t even be toast, like it’ll just get incinerated.

The most interesting thing is when you get something like this and you realize you were missing something you didn’t even know you wanted. I didn’t know I wanted a wide-mouthed toaster. I didn’t know I wanted a toaster where you could lift the handle up to raise the contents higher so you wouldn’t burn your knuckles on the heated interior part. Kudos to the designers out there thinking of solutions to problems that a consumer like me had just subconsciously accepted as the norm.

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“As a string of mysterious killings grips Seattle, Bella, whose high school graduation is fast approaching, is forced to choose between her love for vampire Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob.“

We’re back, but should we be? The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Netflix February 2024_day.27 – Jurassic Park (1993)

_I don’t think I like being swaddled that much, but I do like the feeling of… I guess some compression? Kind of like the fetal position. The feeling of limbs being held in place. Arms holding legs. A leg hooking the other leg in place. Lying against a wall… some kind of slight pressure. Is this something akin to just wanting to be held? Wanting to feel something touch your body? I don’t really know. But it definitely is part of why I sleep in weird positions, though I also fidget a lot when I’m lying down. That’s why I don’t really like the swaddle, no fidgeting room.

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“Science, sabotage and prehistoric DNA collide when cloned dinosaurs escape their enclosures at a top-secret theme park and begin preying on the guests“

A Netflix February adventure 11 years in the making. Jurassic Park.

Netflix February 2024_day.26 – Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

_I’ve had a really runny nose, today. A couple months ago, I was super stuffed up, and was blowing all of this junk out of my nose, when suddenly, I felt this *pop* and this massive chunk appeared in the paper towl, and my left nostril was so clear and wonderful. Then for the next month, that nostril was open for business, and any time there was a bit of blockage, it would instantly pop out with a hard blow and would feel fresh again, and it was a wonderful feeling. Now? I’m back to a general feeling of congestion. I can blow stuff out, but it always feels as if there’s a flap that’s formed in there, fused to the nostril linings that will never come out.

The general congestion of the nasal cavity is something I wonder about, in that I wonder how much is normal? Is the amount I have more or less than average? Does it bother me a whole lot when in actuality, my nasal cavities are actually clearer than a regular Earth denizen? Does everyone typically have super clear nostrils and whatever is going on with me is an abnormal amount of junk?

I would say “There’s no way to know without living in everyone else’s shoes,” but Ear/Nose/Throat doctors exist and would be able to tell me my status in relation to the everyday person.

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“An audit of Evelyn’s laundromat triggers a heroic journey through alternate universes where the only constant is her complicated love for her family.“

This is a better title than “Omnipresence,” though admittedly less succinct. Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Netflix February 2024_day.25 – The Blues Brothers (1980)

_Exercise is a hard thing. Not even from a physical perspective, but the mental aspect of it is tough. I know it’s good to be active and get some exercise, but it’s not as exciting as that… anything else you could do with that time. It can be hard to keep up the work when you aren’t seeing tangible results. When you don’t see tangible results, it can be hard to get over the thought of “Why even bother if I’m not getting anything from it?” Exercising is like a personal-life version of “Trust the system.” You just gotta trust that there’s a benefit to doing it even when you can’t see or feel what it is.

I’m saying all of this here to try to motivate myself to be more active. I don’t know if it’ll work, but you need to say thing things to yourself, sometimes.

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“Jake and Elwood set out on a mission from God to save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised by reuniting their R&B band for a charity gig.“

It’s basically holy wars. The Blues Brothers.

Netflix February 2024_day.24 – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

_Woof, I was tired today. I had to take a nap and set a 30 minute alarm, closed my eyes and it was like that alarm went off instantaneously. OK, 30 more minutes… instantaneously. OK, an hour… yup, alright, no alarm, let’s just close my eyes and I’ll get up when I get up. And now that I’m up and have watched this movie, I want wait to finish this write up and go to sleep proper~

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“When his legendary feats bring his nine lives down to one, Puss in Boots sets out to find a magical Wishing Star in his most daring adventure yet.“

I sometimes wonder what makes pajamas made for cats so great. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Netflix February 2024_day.23 – Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

_I actually had a very vivid dream last night. I dreamt that I was attending elementary school, but I was a grown adult. I was there trying to gain insight on how the kids were being taught by simply attending grade school. I wasn’t treated like a kid, everyone knew I was an adult and were just… on board with it. The only activity I actually remember doing was helping fix a ceiling light. Dreams, man.

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“In 18th century France a young painter, Marianne, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse. Day by day, the two women become closer as they share Héloïse’s last moments of freedom before the impending wedding.“

I’ve been led to believe that posing for a portrait is a surefire path to someone’s heart. Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Netflix February 2024_day.22 – Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

_I know I’ve been a bit of a sad boy in these intros, lately. I am not unawares. I’m not trying to be dramatic or depressing or anything… just trying to be honest. This is typically… what’s going on in my head, constantly. I can’t really stop that part of me, it’s just part of who I am. But I am going to make an attempt to not be as dreary as I’ve been. We’ll see how that goes.

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“An Austrian mountain climber’s escape from a WWII POW camp brings him to Tibet, where he builds a transformative friendship with the young Dalai Lama.“

Seven years. Seven years is all I can spare to play with you. Seven Years in Tibet.

Netflix February 2024_day.21 – Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)

_I’ve hhad multiple people tell me that there are some things they would never do by themselves. Two I hear the most often? Go to a restaurant and go to the movies. I’ve found the notion strange, honestly. I love going to a restaurant solo. I love going to the movies solo. If you haven’t done it in a while, try it out. It’s crazy how much of a social obligation one associates with activities like these and then you try them out by yourself and it’s just… liberating. Suddenly, the weight of wondering if you’re paying too much or too little attention to your company is just… gone. There’s no dancing around to check if everybody is ready to leave, you just… get up and go the moment you’re ready.

And if you feel like people will think you’re weird when they see you alone, just remember this – the average person is too self involved to even notice you, and if they do, they’ll forget about it once you leave their field of view.

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“Two years have passed since the ruins of Midgar stand as a testament to the sacrifices made in order to bring peace. However, the world will soon face a new menace.“

When Tifa isn’t on screen, I will be asking “Where’s Tifa?” Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Netflix February 2024_day.20 – A Whisker Away (2020)

_I’ve had people tell me that I’m smart my whole life. I’ve had multiple people tell me I’m the smartest person they know. I know it’s meant as a compliment, but even so, it personally just serves as a reminder to me of my failings in life. Any time I hear it, I always think to myself “If I’m so smart, why am I like this?” Why do I feel like I don’t know how to function around other people? Why do I feel like I’ve got so little figured out? If I’m so smart, why do compliments make me sad?

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“A peculiar girl transforms into a cat to catch her crush’s attention. But before she realizes it, the line between human and animal starts to blur.“

It’s amazing how smoking has almost disappeared from American cinema but they’re totally lighting up in an anime romance about a girl turning into a cat. A Whisker Away.