Been spending time not only reading, but reconnecting with stuff from the past (recent and medium-recent, if you will). And after a shitty-ass February followed by a calming and considerably more cheerful March, I'm determined to find my center again in April. It's still too early to call, but this month's hit a couple of mild snags, and March's more hopeful energy seems to be carrying over. Knock on wood, obvs.
So, a quick rundown:
CONCLAVE -- as mentioned in a previous post, I decided to rewatch this movie since it's available on Peacock streaming, which we're temporarily subscribing to. On my first go, I fell in love with the performances and the visuals (cinematography heaven!) but wasn't convinced of the movie being a thriller (more of a mystery movie, and it's a very subtle one at that). This time around, though, I was able to focus a lot more on the story itself and took my time with it as I did four separate viewings to complete this movie as opposed to just one the first time around.
What struck me the most in my second viewing was the element of the gothic or even something of the otherworldly in the story and how events unfolded. Bellini said the late Pope always beat him at chess because he was never less than eight moves ahead. And that kept making itself felt, I thought, given how he refused to accept Lawrence's resignation, how he tried to help Benitez and also refused his resignation. How he spied on everyone's activities and kept records of bank transactions (proof of corruption) in a place he seemed to expect Lawrence would go to after his death.
Like he knew everything that was going to happen once he dies and, in a way, helped guide things along. Orchestrate everything after death.
And there were environmental cues as well such as the turtles, Benitez's delight in seeing them, and -- especially this bit -- the nuns almost always awash in light and actively moving around with purpose vs. the cardinals who're sequestered and huddling practically in the dark from start to finish (until the penultimate moment when the car bomb explodes and shatters windows, letting sunlight in).
That touch of the supernatural as I see it. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a place that's locked down completely where people pull friends and allies aside and confer in whispers. The way the filmmakers chose to shoot scenes in a very formal and even rigid way that blessed my eyeballs with some of the most striking visuals I've ever seen in any film. All of those together gave me a sense of the gothic, which actually made me appreciate the movie even more.
I mean, really, seeing the dead Pope's fingerprints in everything that happens is kind of creepy. And that's a major win.
ZINES -- I'm currently on a nostalgic kick with zines and have been checking out videos on their history and their place in counter-culture and punk scenes.
Back in the 'noughts, I used to pass this family-run cigar shop in Berkeley as part of my work commute, and I'd stop by maybe once or twice a week to check out their stuff. They sold magazines from all over the world as well as literary journals and zines in addition to cigars, pipes, cigarettes, etc. I LOVED THAT STORE. I'd spent so much money there, buying literary journals that inspired me to pursue writing and publishing, and I also browsed through their zine collections. At that point, all my cash was already used up by the literary journals I got that I didn't have any more left over for zines.
I honest to God hope they're making a comeback, and I'll go to Half-Price Books or Moe's Books or Pegasus or whatever indie bookstore along my current commute for some zines. Now that I'm older and more aware of a hell of a lot more things in the world, I'd happily shed even more online and scrolling time in favor of some great DIY / passion projects that you don't find everywhere.
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