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“El Hoyo,” a sci-fi horror film by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, debuted in late 2019 at film festivals but because I’m not cultured, I don’t find out about films like these until they hit Netflix. I watched it earlier in the year in quarantine but revisited it again recently. The premise is simple: people are imprisoned in a large Brutalist structure where they are separated into hundreds of floors. A platform of food is lowered down and each floor may eat to its heart’s content for a short time before it descends further for the lower levels to eat the leftovers. I’m not saying the message is anything deep, but the idea of learning to share what we have with others seems to ring even truer in today’s climate. The cinematography is great and the vibe reminds me a bit of Cube.
Nov 19, 2020
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Unequivocally the most harrowing film I have ever seen and I cannot get it out of my head….
Deeply disturbing , anxiety inducing, compelling, stomach churning. Shot and written with effective precision, without overkill or gratuitous exploitation. Movies about the human will to survive are hard to do without being either corny or played out and this does follow a similar narrative arc but I really appreciated how it was told. I recommend watching the little docu about the making of the film. I love production. Unbelievable true story and really compelling film
Jan 28, 2024
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? 🧪✨
Coralie Fargeat’s ‘The Substance’ was my most anticipated movie of the year. It’s neon, horror, cerebral, has 80’s vibes, and a synth driven soundtrack. Everything I could want in a movie. This movie eviscerated my brain in the best way possible. I left the theater wondering what in the world did I just experience, but knew I wanted more.
The themes of this movie hit home for me as someone who deals with the pressure of unrealistic beauty standards.
Demi Moore gave her all to this movie and her performance blew me away. Margaret Qualley stole the scene every time she was on screen. Dennis Quaid plays a great sleaze ball. The actors understood the assignment.
That being said, if you’re not a body horror fan, this will be a tough watch. I was definitely squirming in my seat 😅 It also ran a wee bit long for me but do I want to see this again in a packed theatre? Yes.
The last movie that made me feel like this was Gaspar Noé’s Climax, and it does have a similar energy to it.
Overall, this movie was pure madness but utter genius and I highly recommend you go into this movie with as little knowledge as possible.
Sep 30, 2024
I’m not sure why this is rated so badly when I really enjoyed it. It’s a slow burn indie folk horror, it’s my favourite kind of horror when I don’t feel jumpy scared but a real lingering sense of dread. It’s also nice to see some gorgeous shots of Yorkshire.
Nov 12, 2024
Top Recs from @andrew-chen
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My partner at 3sixteen, Johan, started an incense company together with his wife a few years ago and it really changed my perspective on what incense could be. I was so accustomed to the super cheap and piercing smell that comes with bodega Nag Champa that I had no idea that premium incense could smell so much richer and complex. These are a godsend for when you’re stuck working from home for months at a time. My favorites are Knoll, Savannah and Velo but I haven’t been mad at any of the other ones that I’ve tried.
Nov 19, 2020
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There is something very special going on in the UK jazz scene right now. Several years ago I started catching wind of various emerging talents through Gilles Peterson’s BBC radio shows and his record label Brownswood Recordings. One artist that is on an absolute tear right now is tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia; she put out an excellent EP, “Nubya’s 5ive”, a few years ago so I was super stoked to see her put a full length out this fall. “Source” effortlessly blends dub, reggae and Caribbean rhythms into her unique sound. Listen to the album, and then watch her perform a few tracks with her backing band on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
Nov 19, 2020
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I found out about Goods & Services through my LA team. One day I saw they were all gramming a spot that did crazy custom resoles on shoes and I asked them where it was - turns out it’s right around the corner from our LA headquarters. I hit up the owner, Rory, to have him do up a pair of AF1’s on a Christy sole and he did not disappoint.
Nov 19, 2020