Didn’t make time for Joyful Things in the last 30 days, so double Joyful Things!
Phoenix Fan Fusion
I went to Phoenix Fan Fusion! And I presented! I also had a really good time seeing the creatives’ at the expo, poking around the vendors, seeing lots of presentations, and various excellent speakers! I saw the voice actors for the previous Joyful Things: X-Men ‘97 as well as Gina Torres and Alan Tudyk! It was great! I presented comic spotlights on Hellboy and on John Constantine. Curious? I’ll share the presentations in an oncoming newsletter with sultry (not really) voiceover!
Perfect Blue (AMC+, Shudder)
This is so dang good. I have been meaning to watch Perfect Blue for over a decade and I should have watched it a long, long time ago. Satoshi Kon’s 1997 anime follows Mima as she leaves her pop group CHAM! and becomes an actor. As she tries to broadcast herself as a more adult and mature performer, we see her fanbase turn. She discovers the blog, “Mima’s Room,” which includes uncanny details about her personal life, but also confessionals that tap into her growing insecurities. Meanwhile, her acting work follows a dark, psychological route in the police procedural, Double Blind. The story is emotionally gripping and often hallucinogenic. Be wary of graphic content, but it is an incredible watch.
I finally watched Perfect Blue because of the lovely series on Satoshi Kon from Blank Check. Satoshi Kon’s other films, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika, are all on the (re)watch list!
Succession (Max, but also the Library)
Well, not exactly joyful, but I finally circled around to the final season of Succession. I hard-binged the first two seasons, then avidly watched the third season, and with the dirty treatment of animation at the HBO Max/Max streaming platform, I just let this slide. But it was at the Flagstaff library!
Succession is a dark, caustically funny drama about the tumult of the fictional Roy family and their entertainment and media empire: Waystar RoyCo. In short, everyone is the worst person you have ever met in different ways, while also being exceedingly, disgustingly wealthy. In the final season, every generosity is burned away and each flaw is cracked ever-wider. To say more would delve into spoilers for it or previous seasons. While exceedingly competently crafted by Jesse Armstrong with painfully good acting from its cast, it is hard to recommend this show because of how brutally off-putting each character reveals themselves to be, some from the jump. That said, I did think it was excellent, especially as the relationships between the Roy children bridge and crumble.
1899 (Netflix)
Oh my… Well, 1899. I got sucked into this science-fiction/fantasy mystery but when I heard it was cancelled, I let it sit. I returned to it this weekend and I have thoughts.
1899 takes place aboard the Kerberos (Greek for Cerberus, the three-headed hound protecting the Underworld), a steam ship crossing the Atlantic to New York. The cast of characters is incredibly interesting in its cosmopolitan multilingualism and diverse national and ethnic identities. The show feels both huge and claustrophobic, while the mystery plumbs the depths of memory and trauma among its leading characters. The costuming and set-dressing are sumptuous, the violence brutal, and the mystery intriguing.
And yes, the mystery of the show does reveal itself in the confines of the first season. But! I kinda wish it hadn’t.
Nevertheless, the show has exceedingly interesting visuals, incredibly competent performers, lovingly designed sets, and just a lot going on. I may eventually use it as inspiration for a horror-mystery game.
In the meantime, I am strongly considering diving into the creators’ (Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar) previous series, Dark (also on Netflix).
Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor (The Library)
So, Doctor Who isn’t my show. It is incredible fun, but I haven’t felt the gravitational pull to dive into the TARDIS and explore the universe of the Doctor and the Doctor’s companions. My partner has been watching it and Jodie Whittaker is just the best. I found myself charmed again and again by her earnest goofiness and robust facial expressions. Several incredible performers have taken on the mantle, and this is throwing no shade, but Whittaker’s performance and characterization of the Doctor is just lovely.
Especially as I finished up some dark and grim shows (see the above), the optimism and playfulness of Whittaker’s Doctor is a deliciously bright contrast.
Your Community Library
You may have noted the mentions of our local library above. Holy cow, show your local library some love! I love an opportunity to stroll through shelves of physical media! Grab a book, a magazine, a movie, a TV show! Flip through some pages and see what grabs you! And the special events they have going on! There is so much to do! The Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library is a real treat. Wherever you live, though, take the time to check out your own local library!