Down the Fox Hole is a collection of fanatical stories that look at some of my various fandom related passions within the realms of music, film, anime, and more. Take a journey down the fox hole of fandom with this memoir that was a blast to write, and which has been described as a fun read by those who've already taken that journey. Now available!
I'm happy to say that I've spent the past year in quite a good groove, writing multiple different themed short story collections in the process, and soon I'll finally have something to share with you all. And it all starts this month with the first of those collections, titled Down the Fox Hole, a collection of fanatical stories that look at some of my various fandom related passions within the realms of music, film, anime, and more. Take a journey down the fox hole of fandom with this memoir that was a blast to write, and which has been described as a fun read by those who've already taken that journey.
And keep a look out for what other collections I've got lurking around the corner, too.
Life imitates art, and art imitates life. The 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car was a movie about many things, from the power of a story, to loss and grief and regret, and finding the courage to accept the past and move on, so that you can continue living your life and sharing your story.
At three hours in length, this film is a surprising breeze to sit through. So much of the film consists of actors just sitting around talking and telling stories, and yet it's so compelling to watch, and the language so clear that they're able to paint a vivid image in your head. It might be a story from their personal life, or something that they've made up, which might perhaps hold some inspiration from their personal experiences. It's a true testament to the acting and direction on display that they were able to relay these stories in such a manner that is both minimalist and yet absolutely enrapturing.
The film also incorporates the use of multiple languages throughout, including Japanese, English, Mandarin, and even sign language, weaving them all together so seamlessly. It tells a tale that's universal to grasp, and I feel this interweaving of languages helps to emphasize that point. Throughout the story, we see as the characters are rehearsing for a play, and the more they connect with the material, the more they're able to feel its power and truly connect with one another, despite the barriers between them. And I think that's the core of what this film strives to achieve, is to really drive home the power that a story can hold over us to not just relate with it, but to find a lost sense of humanity within ourselves, and bring it to the light.
From the page to the screen, this was a simply gorgeous film to watch, and it's one that I certainly felt touched by. A technical marvel as well as a stunning work of literature all its own, watching this movie felt like watching poetry in motion, and is one that has left me reflecting on a deeper level since experiencing it. I was reminded of the movie Clouds of Sils Maria while watching this, which touches on similar subject matter as it concerns the fruition of creating art and sharing it with the world, and this is definitely a movie that I feel is worth sharing with others.
Recently, my mom lost two of her cats in a matter of months, first Tom, and then Daisy. I wrote this short story in memory of those cats, and to all the other cats that we’ve lost over the years as well.
Tom was always sort of a lazy cat. He had this aloof swagger to him as he walked, like he was in no real hurry, and nothing could get to him. But Daisy noticed when the manner in Tom's step changed. He still walked with no hurry, and he still couldn't be bothered. And yet, there was a frailty in his pace, which Daisy had recognized in other cats before.
Daisy recalled how recently the reclusive Honey had disappeared, and how not long before that, the always odd Chloe had disappeared as well. And both times, before they left for good, they had also grown frail, like Tom was doing now.
Daisy worried that she was about to lose another member of her cat family. And then one day, after Tom had wandered off to be by himself, it wasn't long before he, too, left their home for the last time.
After Tom disappeared, Daisy found herself sleeping in all of Tom's usual resting spots. She could still smell his scent left behind, and it brought tears to her eyes. She still had her sister Josie, and she still had her mother, Mia. But even so, Daisy missed the family she had lost.
It broke her heart to lose so many in her family in such quick succession. Daisy wondered where her family went. She wondered if she'd ever see them again. The more she wondered, the more she missed them. And the more she missed them, the more her heart ached.
But then one day, from the other room, Daisy heard Mom crying tears. So she quickly sprang up from Tom's old resting spot and rushed over to comfort Mom. She could see that Mom was in pain, too, and that only broke Daisy's heart even further.
Eventually, Daisy secluded herself in sadness, and she, too, began to grow frail. She had lost her appetite, and as she cried over her lost family, she closed her eyes for the last time...
…
… When Daisy reopened her eyes, she was met with a bright, cloudy sight. She had to shield herself from the shining light. But once her eyes adjusted, she made out figures up ahead, standing just within a glorious gate. She then realized those figures were other cats. She then further realized that they weren't just any cats, but they were her cats. And her tears of sadness turned to tears of joy at the sight of her long lost family.
Tom waved her over first, no longer looking frail, and she waltzed up to him with glee. But as she looked past him, she saw both Honey and Chloe were there, too. And not just them, but her other family members who had disappeared long before, including Pepper, and Zoe, and Stan. Even her brother Mickey was there, who she hadn't seen since they were both still kittens. Daisy was overwhelmed with happiness at the sight of them all.
But that moment of happiness was fleeting, and Daisy worried that she had made Mom sad again. Tom reassured her though that of course Mom was sad, but that she had given her so many wonderful memories to look back on, and that those memories would make Mom happy again. And besides, she still had Josie and Mia to cheer her up.
Daisy then looked behind her, only just then realizing that neither Josie nor Mia had come with her. But Tom turned her head forward, and he once again assured her that it would be okay. In due time, they would reunite with everyone else here, too. But hopefully that time wouldn't come for a long time from now, and he winked.
Tom then ushered Daisy through the gates, telling her to come on, they've all been waiting, and it's been too long since she's been acquainted with her old family. And as they stepped into the shining light, he told her that they had all decided that they were going to collect here in heaven.
#10
Babymetal Legend - 43 The Movie
(Hiroya Brian Nakano - 2024)
#9
Zack Snyder's Justice League
(Zack Snyder - 2021)
#6
Three-Way Tie
The Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy
(Jeff Fowler - 2020, 2022, 2024)
#5
Flow
(Gints Zilbalodis - 2024)
#4
Godzilla Minus One
(Takashi Yamazaki - 2023)
#3
Raya and the Last Dragon
(Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada - 2021)
#2
RRR
(S.S. Rajamouli - 2022)
#1
Belle
(Mamoru Hosoda - 2021)
And now, onward to the rest of the decade!
Turtles All the Way DownThis movie about a girl suffering from an extremely debilitating case of OCD definitely struck home with me. It was an unnervingly realistic depiction of the condition, and the various ways it can obstruct your life. This one made me pretty emotional watching it.
Heavier TripI only even heard about this movie because it features recurring appearances from the band Babymetal throughout the film. I'm glad I gave it a chance because of that, though, because it wound up being an incredibly charming film, and one of the most genuinely hilarious movies I've seen in years. And speaking of Babymetal...
Babymetal Legend - 43 The MovieThe first Babymetal movie gave me a WTF reaction upon first viewing, which is a more than fitting reaction for this band. I love film analysis, and I love that a concert movie of all things was able to spur on an analysis of the film from me. It may not have been what I was expecting going into it, but I wound up loving it for what it is.
Who would've ever thought that Sonic the Hedgehog would make for a perfect film trilogy? Each new entry has been even better than the last, and that holds true for this latest entry in the series, too. I've said it before, but these movies are an absolute love letter to the franchise and the fans, and this movie goes even bigger in that regard and has some of the most satisfying crowd pleasing moments of the series thus far.
FlowOne of the most unique films that I've seen in years is also by far the year's best. An epic fantasy following a common house cat and the various other animals it encounters on its voyage, this film is an absolute treasure, and is an especially rewarding one to revisit over and over again. Operating without a single line of dialogue uttered throughout, this film is a true master class in visual storytelling, and a movie that'll take you on a thrilling and emotional journey as we travel along with this lively cast of creatures.
(And, spoiler alert, it'll absolutely be making an appearance on my upcoming list of the Top Movies of the Decade so far, as we approach the halfway point of the '20s. So stay tuned for that!)
This past week, I managed to make it out to both of the screenings of the first Babymetal movie that were playing in my town. And in this review, I would like to discuss this movie in two parts, looking first at my thoughts from my initial viewing, and then from my second screening after some reflection.
On first viewing, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I was pretty disappointed. I thought the editing throughout the film was chaotic, to the point that it was disorienting and made it hard to really appreciate the choreography on stage. It was less like their usual live releases, and more like some of their live music videos that they post on their youtube channel, which have a tendency to go a bit overboard with the editing and on-screen effects sometimes. And I was also confused as to why they chose a show in a smaller venue to showcase for their first movie. You would think that for the big screen, they would choose one of their bigger arena spectacles, but they went with something smaller and more akin to one of their standard headline shows to feature instead.
After leaving the theater, I was left asking, why would they release the first Babymetal movie in such a manner? Why not go all out and go big, and why not clean up the editing a bit, to make everything on the stage all the clearer to see? And I sincerely gave these questions some thought, because I was trying to figure out what they were going for with this release, since it was seemingly the exact opposite of what one might expect from such a movie.
And then it hit me. A typical movie theater, even at their biggest, is still no bigger than a smaller or midsize venue, not unlike the type that Babymetal usually performs in. So maybe the thinking here was that, rather than look at the screen size to display one of their bigger shows, they were instead looking at the size of the theater, and trying to recreate the feeling of being in a venue of that size and seeing a performance live right in front of you.
This theory also works in regards to the film's editing, too. With as chaotic as the editing was, I wonder if this wasn't their attempt to try and recreate the chaotic nature of being in the pit at one of their shows. Getting pushed around, fighting for a better view, and sometimes even watching parts of the show through either the lens of your cell phone camera, or the phone of someone else in front of you, signified by the occasional cuts to cell phone footage throughout the feature.
So I went into the movie a second time with this idea in mind. Rather than go in expecting something that it's not, I went in accepting it for what it is, and trying to embrace what I feel they were trying to go for here. And doing so definitely made for a much more enjoyable experience. I found on second viewing I was able to immerse myself in the show far better, and I could appreciate what they were going for this time around. Babymetal is a band that's always finding ways to subvert expectations, and this was just their latest take at doing just that.
The show itself was almost a greatest hits showcase, and really a perfect set from start to finish, featuring classics from all of their albums to date. And while the use of on-screen effects could at times be hit or miss, I particularly loved how they played Monochrome in black and white (and if I'm being honest, it did make me almost wish for a full black and white version of the concert, not unlike how some movies these days get rereleased in black and white). I was left dancing in my seat on multiple occasions, and really just vibing to the music like I was right there watching it live and in person.
This night also saw a special performance of the song Metali, where a bunch of ceremonial drummers came out and performed the song along with the band, adding in some new chants along with it, and it definitely made for a cool moment.
All in all, my thoughts on this movie really did run the gamut. I started off disappointed by what I felt going in was surely a disappointment-proof movie for me, but after some thought, consideration, and a second chance, I completely turned around on the film and wound up loving it for what it was, as opposed to what I expected it to be. As a film, I'm not sure if this is a movie that would win people over who aren't already fans of the band, but I do feel like there's something here to enjoy for people who are fans, which is who this movie was definitely put together for.
