That Paul Moffett

a person is swimming in the water with a hood on their head . Alt: A figure in a hood and mask lowers the mask and the caption reads "Now ... run."

I would like to watch it again.

This movie is very interested in the themes of life and death, fatherhood, creativity as (failed) redemption, the Romantic Promethean desire to remake the world, cycles of abuse. It gestures toward but is surprisingly uninterested in themes of vengeance, motherhood, or even (really) monstrosity.

a woman wearing a green scarf around her head Alt: Slow zoom in on a woman wearing a green scarf around her head

I've never seen Mia Goth in anything I liked her in. Maybe a personal prejudice. Having her play both Victor's mother AND Elizabeth is brilliant though (she's barely recognizable as Claire).

Although at two and a half hours it's already longer than average, I think it needed another half-hour at least. The final act seemed rushed and the resolution unearned. Without spoilers: neither Victor nor the Creature's final emotional state connects with what we've seen to bring them there.

a man with curly hair is standing in a dark room with a light shining on him Alt: Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein putting on a glove as the camera zooms in slightly.

There are substantial changes in plot from the novel. Don't worry about it. A movie isn't a novel. The novel still exists and you can read it whenever you want to. This movie emphasizes particular themes and downplays others; that's what all adaptations always do and should do.

a man wearing a hood and a mask looks at the camera Alt: The Creature from del Toro's Frankenstein, wearing a hood and a mask, looks at the camera

Visually, this is an amazing movie. Del Toro excels at visuals that are both compelling and symbolically rich, and this movie is no exception. It looks really good, and visually it is also a rich text.

Frankenstein Course — Clockworks Academy An eight week course on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: a quintessential gothic novel, a foundational text in the history of science fiction, and a gripping monster story. It is beautiful, horrible, and ...

I love Guillermo del Toro, and I have thought a lot about Frankenstein (take the Frankenstein Course at Clockworks Academy: clockworksacademy.com/courses/frankenstein-course). I have some thoughts about the new movie. No spoilers (or only very vague ones).

A blusky post “Feeling like an abject failure lately" with the error message "Post failed to upload"

There is some irony here.

Do you think modern tech savvy Will O' The Wisps manifest as gps directing people into dead ends and canals and such?

No you're wrong this was funny

If we're going to have handy mnemonics to help us to remember dates there should be one for February 29th. I think people are far more likely to forget that one than the fifth of November.

Just kidding. I knew it was the fifth. That's how I figured out today is the sixth. By adding one more on to yesterday.

Oh no! I forgot the fifth of November!

I don't really follow sports, but I hear the Maple Leafs are doing well.

Fun connections today!

I would watch the Addams Family, then Star Trek, then I'd be done.

I've seen a few mentions of a new show called "Welcome to Derry". A prequel series to "Derry Girls" I assume!

As a math tutor, I am begging teachers and textbooks to just hold off for a SECOND at making everything an acronym. Don't call it GCF and LCM until the kids at least have some idea what a factor is, and what a multiple is. Please. For the love.

Also I just watched an episode of Strange New Worlds that is basically exactly the same as this, but with Ortegas and a Gorn instead. It was pretty good, but it maybe doesn't make quite as much sense for pilot Ortegas to jury-rig stuff as for engineer LaForge.

Low points:

The cave parts are mostly fine but a little slow.

High points:

Picard's interactions to Tomolak are all great. Especially:

"Who will take the initiative? Who will make the first gesture of trust? [pregnant pause] I will. Lieutenant, lower shields."

This is what makes Picard so great, that balance between thoughtful and decisive.

I like Geordi MacGyvering his way out of a hole. He's an engineer. Makes sense.

Worf refusing to donate blood to save the Romulan's life is great. Romulans killed his family and he hates them. I like that he's imperfectly moral. It makes things hard for him and the whole crew but it's in character.

Geordi and a Romulan (Bochra) covered in dirt and smiling at one another.

TNG rewatch 307 - The Enemy

Immediately after the last Geordi episode, we have another Geordi episode! And the last one was all about how he can't relate to women because they're too foreign, but this one is all about him relating to a Romulan because he's so personable.

Thank you.

A typically generous response from you, living up to your name once again.

I think I've learned to enjoy editing. This is huge.

Ok I think this is going to make me sound (be?) a little douchy, but I read my play and it made me cry. I was moved to tears by my own writing.

Got four short story rejections today.

Jewel heists are tight.

I wrote a play! I think I really like it!