With how much fun I’ve had writing the first edition of my new series “The Mood Bored” along with the conversations it sparked here on Substack, figure why not continue! This week’s theme is along seductive, sexy, and bloody derranged all the same. Just look at this edit below and keep reading to see why.
Watched - The Substance
Do yourself a favour and watch this in theatres because the reaction of other audiences is worth the price of admission compare to catching it on streaming. It’s considered “body horror” but I think it’s much more than that. It’s like watching an entire Black Mirror season in 2 hours. Yes you will have questions on the logic of some things, but if you’ll have to ignore them to fully get invested in the “what if?” more than the “how?”. The plot, the intensity, and the acting was all ace. Me, a music guy appreciated the soundtrack selection. My wife, the film makeup artist kept complimenting and saying how the makeup and costume inspired her.
Straight up deranged, sexy and fun. This showcases the kind of fearless filmmaking I look for when I go to the movies! Up there for movie of the year for me.
Now Spinning - Nine Inch Nails “The Fragile” (1999)
This classic turned 25 years old last week, so I figured it was time to revisit it on Vinyl. This to me is Trent Reznor’s best work to date. When I talk about fearless filmmaking making above this is fearless songwriting!
The tone of the album is moody, and ominous, there isn’t as much catchiness as their other works but this doubles down on soundscapes. This record is quite ambitious having 23 songs packed with a variety of tonal approaches from industrial bangers to abstract soft, yet visceral tracks. The packaging of the vinyl is a 10/10 as well being a 3 disc with 2 booklets, one containing art and lyrics while one is a literall magazine of the “creating of”.
Attended- Charli XCX Brat Summer’s End Dance Party
I’m in love with this album. And while it isn’t quite like seeing her perform it live, I figure going to a dedicated dance party to Brat and her past works was the next best thing to experience. I was not disappointed.
As a group of mid-30-year-olds, us, entered a venue full of 22-25 year olds at this event I noticed we stood out as much older but not in a way I’d expect:
I had a nap before as this was a “Doors open at 10pm”. These days I don’t leave my house past 7!
We were dressed to impress and it showed. Everyone loved our Y2k-inspired fits, but that’s just it, the rest didn’t dress up at all so it looked like we were trying to hard!
We had so much cardio. With little alcohol in our system I was surprised how hard we hit the dancefloor for 3 hours straight as we watched everyone switch in and out. Then I remembered, in my 20’s I just partied so much and always lacked sleep as opposed to our 30 year olds self now who pick and choose when we go out, and when we did it was special. We also all hiked, skate, biked, swam for fun nowadays so in some ways better condition than our 20 year old selves. The bad side to this; it now took 2 days to nurse a hangover at this age :(
Anyway, it was a blast. Brat is one of my favourite albums to drop this year so I danced my ass off and yelled all the words but this a rare thing to see me out this late.
Reading - The Silver Nitrate
This is the author of “Mexican Gothic”, a book I was into because of its seductive horror story telling that reminded me of Haunting on Hillhouse on netflix but with a Spanish romance twist.
It’s a dark thriller set in the 90s centered around a gorgeous male actor and a sound editor both working in the indie film scene of Mexico. They eventually fall in love (though I’m not at a part where they admit it yet), but the more interesting plot is how they are looking for a lost film on a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy.
My only complaint so far is the lack of description from the Author when the described Mexico-specific locations, names for things etc. Because I’m having to put the book down constant to google what it is and sometimes can take me out of a flow when reading.
Fashion Inspo- Shawn Michaels
If you know who this wrestler is and have never seen his Legends Biography then I highly recommend seeing that. The “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels is my favourite wrestler growing up in when I was a wee lil 7-10 year old. I don’t know the technicalities of wrestling nor did I care for it then but I just remember dancing like him to his theme song, ladies throwing themselves at him as he struts to the ring in the craziest outfits before kicking some ass. I wanted to be like him when I grew up haha!
I bought this long sleeve and reminded me of his career, rewatching some of his classic matches lately like his ladder matches with Razor Ramon and the first Hell in a Cell match vs. The Undertaker. Whole time thought like man, this guy is definitely one of the most skilled, charismatic performer anyone has ever seen. And his entrance music, the sweet chin music, all of him is the definition of AURA.
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Have you watched, read, listened, danced to Charli or fanboy’d Shawn Michaels? Let me know in the comments and let’s geek out about it! I look to keep the mood bored going with my current hyperfocus and aesthetic obsession so feel free to give me a sub as well. Cheers.