Mollie Russell

Movie poster for The Black Phone, showing Ethan Hawke in a top hat and a creepy, grinning mask

Day 26/31 was The Black Phone

Ethan Hawke once again having a jolly old time in a horror movie. Some interesting threads in this one about masculinity and male role models, but it didn't follow through on those in the most elegant way

Move poster for As Above So Below, showing a black and red image of the Eiffel Tower, upside down, surrounded by thousands of human skulls

Day 25/31 was As Above So Below

I wasn't really a fan of Dowdle's previous movies (like The Poughkeepsie Tapes), but this one was a little quirky and a lot of fun. The plot isn't all that innovative, but watching people get claustrophobic in the actual Paris catacombs is certainly creepy

On my own time is the easiest way to recharge, but I also have a few people in my life who make socialising feel natural and energising. A partner or a friend who you trust enough not to mask and who encourages that part of you that enjoys info dumping and parallel play and other happy activities

That sounds like my experiences, including the part about talking with other neurodiverse people. The shared diagnoses isn't a guarantee that they'll respond well to my unmasked self. They might care less about details like eye contact, but I'm still catering to their needs rather than my own

Of course it's very hard to speculate about how anyone with a separate mind perceived the world - we're all just going on hearsay. It's possible there are neurotypical people that find this challenging too, but I've never met anyone or heard accounts of it that relates to my personal experience.

Masking for me also goes beyond just "not saying my honest opinion because it's a bit rude". It's making sure I'm giving the right levels of eye contact, nodding at appropriate times to show I'm listening, smiling more than I want to, asking the right questions to maintain the flow of conversation

No problem asking further questions! I think someone else in this thread put it very well in saying that it's about relative energy. Based on the neurotypical people around me, I don't think require as much 'processing power' for those performances, it doesn't exhaust them in the same way.

I think it stems from the belief (whether it's objective or not) that my most obviously autistic features are perceived as rude, standoffish, unlikeable, or difficult. I've spent so long masking that I don't always notice at first when it gets switched on, but I feel the relief when it switches off

It's still 'me' in many senses of the word, but it's a version of me that takes significantly more energy to construct and maintain. A rewarding but exhausting attempt to make sure I'm always the most palatable version of myself

I think the definition of masking is a bit personal for everyone, but for me I'd define it as those moments when my social behaviour is based on the needs of other people, not my own. Masked me mirrors others more, performs positive emotions more, concentrates on polite social conventions more

Yes! I was so pleasantly surprised

Movie poster for One Missed Call, showing a bloody hand reaching for a mobile phone, and a round piece of candy in front

Day 24/31 was One Missed Call

Every review I've ever seen of this rakes it over the coals for not being The Ring, but I still enjoyed it. It has plenty of charm, even if it gets a bit goofy

Three members of the power metal band Battle Beast on stage.

God I LOVE seeing Battle Beast live. One of the most underrated voices in metal. Noora Louhimo just kills it every time.

Movie poster for Anaconda showing the movie title and a snake's eyes

Day 23/31 was Anaconda

Stretching the definition of a horror film, yes, but the snake shenanigans are top-tier.

Move poster for The Taking of Deborah Logan showing an old lady with glowing eyes

Day 22/31 was The Takin Of Deborah Logan

A pretty mid found footage horror for me that was only redeemed by the money shot in the finale.

The Grudge movie poster, showing Kayako's eye peeking out from behind her thick black hair

Day 21/31 was The Grudge

A film that's aged fairly poorly, but it still has qualities I appreciate. The film's overwhelming meanness still shines through, and Kayako still manages to creep me out.

Movie poster for The Ritual, showing four white men stood in front of a dark forest.

Day 20/31 was The Ritual

Tense, complex, and moving, with authentic British humour thrown in. Also, the monster design is cool as shit.

How star D&D player Whitney Moore went from being cast in the worst movie ever made to a lead seat at Critical Role I chat Whitney Moore about her Dungeons and Dragons character Tyranny, as well as the lessons she learned from Critical Role and infamous B-movie, Birdemic.

As a lover of movies that most people would call "utter crap", I genuinely can't overstate how excited I was to talk to Whitney Moore about Birdemic. Oh, and Tyranny from Critical Role, too. www.wargamer.com/dnd/whitney-...

I just want to praise all the impressive work that our art director Daria is doing. Without her it wouldn’t be possible

Excellent feature! 👏👏👏

"No fonts? We'll make them. Other publishers said it's too much trouble? We'll still do it. … No electricity because of airstrikes? Our designers plug into generators and keep going. That's the spirit of the game, defiant. And that's the spirit of Ukraine right now. So… perfect match.”

"Typefaces carry meaning": Why rebellious tabletop RPG MÖRK BORG ditched Russian fonts for its Ukrainian edition I spoke to Ukrainian publisher M87 Games about the deeply political, personal, and innovative process of translating punk TTRPG MÖRK BORG.

Deeply appreciate M87 Games taking the time to talk me through the practical, political, and deeply personal decisions behind creating fonts for a Ukrainian edition of @morkborg.com www.wargamer.com/mork-borg/uk...

Movie poster for Drag Me to Hell showing a blonde white woman screaming as demonic hands grab her

Day 19/31 was Drag Me To Hell

It's really hard to enjoy the Sam Raimi spooks and japes when the characters are all thin stereotypes or downright unlikeable.

Move poster for Thanksgiving showing a Pilgrim wielding a bloody axe

Day 18/31 was Thanksgiving

All the silliness of Scream with less of the smarts. Eli Roth is still good at gore, in case you'd forgotten. A fun ride that isn't going to change your world.

Movie poster for Ganja and Hess showing the two titular characters, a black man and a black woman

Day 17/31 was Ganja And Hess

Not always the most coherent movie, but a moody and unique take on vampires that I really enjoyed.

Poster for The Rule of Jenny Pen showing a baby doll

Day 16/31 was The Rule of Jenny Pen

Most of the enjoyment is from the character work of the two leads. Definitely different seeing a care home horror though.

Movie poster for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Day 15/31 was Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

God this film fucks SO HARD. Might be a bit in love with Donald Sutherland.

Movie poster for Stephen King's Children of the Corn, showing a silhouetted hand holding a farming too in front of a red sky

Day 14/31 was Children of the Corn.

One of those films that's more fun to analyse than to watch. I will probably prefer the book.

Movie poster for Gonjiam Haunted Asylum showing a brutalist building in front of a red sky

Day 13/31 was Gonjiam Haunted Asylum

Delightfully tense found footage film, though the finale left me wishing for a more upsetting reveal.

I'm so fucking stoked to dive into this