Dark Comedy - Blog Posts
Rant about Indian liquorice because I love poison.
Indian liquorice is also known as Abrus precatorius and is a plant from the Fabaceae family, making it's most famous relative beeeaaannnzzz. It used to only exist in India but every tropical country has loads of this shit now.
The seeds, roots, bark and leaves contain a very Funny Substance™ that's one of the strongest poisons in the world.
Now let's say that hypothetically this liquorice got into the food of a person you coincidentally don't like. If the seeds are whole, nothing will happen, so you need to cut them up WHO SAID THAT. They also lose their toxic traits when you cook them, just like my ex.
After a few hours/up to two days your friend will get severe gastroenteritis, you know, vomiting, diarrhea, period cramps. Side effects often include a series of severe symptoms that transform the eyes into a shadow of their old selves. Oh and hair loss. I mean men are balding at 26 nowadays so it's not like people are gonna notice.
The most important aspect of the Funny Substance™ is the fact that it makes blood clot, and we all know what that does.
Two whole seeds are enough to cause severe poisoning in American adults.
While these little guys only grow in tropical regions, they're sometimes made into necklaces and sold, or placed in rosaries and dry arrangements.
Just saying.
Spin this wheel of ~300 AO3 tags three times.
Spin this wheel of ~300 AO3 tags three times.
"LOL the first one to discover this will look crazy telling the others"
-God
Sir Liar
Sir Liar, how do you manage to be charming?
How can you fool your friends and victims easily?
Oh, you’re a warlock with that magic you’re spinning,
If a skeptic accuses you, you smile sweetly!
Sir Liar, looks like you’re losing your memory,
You’re starting to forget to weave the truth with lies
As you’re begin to forget your identity,
So you do your best to cover it with a smile!
Sir Liar, you’re looking a bit queasy and pale,
And why would a liar ask his friends for the facts?
Your tuxedo’s wrinkled, have you been drinking ale?
You’re losing victims ‘cause you’re forgetting your act!
Sir Liar, you’re walking without your great magic!
Everyone scrambles to hide from you, the faceless!
All say, “He’s a man cursed by a witch, how tragic!”
This warlock can’t speak magic no more, what a waste!
Miss Joker
Miss Joker, you’re funny! You put smiles where you go!
So when the days are tough, you continue to smile,
And it is crazy to think someone is your foe,
But when I said this, why is your smile not so bright?
Miss Joker, are you trying out gallows humor?
Your puns and jokes and tricks are very dangerous,
And it is not crazy to think you like horror,
When I said this, why do you look mysterious?
Miss Joker, can you stop? You’re talking to yourself!
You chatter at invisible audiences,
And all of your former fans have already felt
That you’re falling into a world of craziness!
Miss Joker, you’re no longer funny…stop laughing!
You make jokes to the wall, no longer an inch sane,
And as you are laughing and joking, you’re crying…
Oh, pity Miss Joker in her circus of pain
Review: Frank (2014)
Rating: 9.2 of 10
What do you do when you cast Michael Fassbender in your film? Not cover his face for the entirety of the film, unless your film is Frank.
Frank follows the story of an amateur keyboardist, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), as he becomes the newest member of experimental rock band The Soronprfbs, lead by titular character Frank (Michael Fassbender) who wears a fake big head and never takes it off.
It's a bizzare concept to begin with (which was actually inspired by a true “big head” musician), but the movie, somehow, felt normal. Despite its heavily unusual premise, Frank isn't avant garde at all--it's just a drama about a few weird people intermixed with a few weird songs, and basically that's about it. And it's not a bad thing at all. Frank is honest, a little disarming, but an ultimately charming film. In a weird way, Frank is about what it feels like to be a mediocre artist--and in another way, about how it’s like to be with the mentally ill.
The most important thing to be discussed about Frank, for me, is the acting and/or casting. Domhnall Gleeson is cast quite often as an "everyman" type of character, and for good reason. He's not only got the range, he also is able to infuse unexpected shades of personality into his characters. Jon is wide-eyed as he is misguided, a visionaire as he is a cynic, and hopeful as he is selfish.
But Michael Fassbender as Frank, is definitely something special. We can't see his face, but we emote to him instantly. With every way he stands, sits, talks, and twitch his hands, you'd never once at lost as to how he is feeling. It's a beautiful performance that we almost never think twice about, which is a hard feat considering he wears a literal fake giant head. But my favorite part of him is (mild spoiler alert) actually how his demeanor changes when he doesn't wear the head. It's subtle acting that definitely makes a movie. Even Maggie Gyllenhaal is kind of restrained in her role as the troublemaking band member, Clara.
But acting isn't the only thing that works in this film. Its score was a delight, especially in the early part of the film which sounds so whimsical and airy--almost kid adventure-like--sending Jon off into his journey. In general, the movie Frank is filled with restrained but effective directorial choices, without trying too hard or being too muted (which for me, is the case with a lot of indie films). It’s a wonderful film to watch.
"Road to fame" band films are a dime in a dozen, but TL;DR Frank, with the help of few amazing performances from its actors, brings a new twist worth seeing.
