IRIS IS BACK! And cancer sucks.

It’s been a rough couple of years for two of our bloggers at FtB. They had colon cancer. Caine at Affinity was open about her experience, and had a public cancer journal. Iris at Death to Squirrels kept it quiet, and only a few of us knew about it — she also maintained a private account of her travails, sent by email to a few friends. The experiences of both were harrowing, both approaches were valid, although I’ve got to say even getting second-hand accounts of their treatment was terrifying, and I can’t imagine what it was like to go through it personally.

The good news is that Iris’s cancer is gone, although as you’ll discover, the second-hand effects are going to be with her for years. She’s dealing with it by explaining everything in a webcomic. It’s very good. It will make you uncomfortable. It’s art. You really should read it.

As for Caine, she gets a significant mention. I miss her, and I’ve missed Iris.

Meanwhile, here at Skepticon, the first talk of the morning is going to be from Miri Mogilevsky, who is also a cancer survivor.

Yesterday is a good movie!

I saw Yesterday yesterday. You will be shocked to learn that I really liked it.

I have some nitpicks. Lily James is lovely and charming, but she’s playing the same sweet innocent she was in Baby Driver. I hope she gets a chance to extend her range a bit. The premise of the movie is that everyone in the world except for a scattered few completely forget the existence of the Beatles — those few have basically found themselves in a timeline where the band The Beatles never existed. The protagonist, Jack Malik, is a musician who becomes famous for simply recalling and replaying Beatles songs as if he were creating them fresh. This had me wondering…would Beatles songs be as popular and appreciated if they were removed from their social and historical context? Could just any old random person have achieved the heights of fame if they’d composed “Hey, Jude” out of thin air, with no foundation or build-up to the populace?

OK, a more pressing concern: is Ed Sheeran really that popular a starmaker? He’s played up as a fabulous rock star in the movie, and I can’t think of a single song he’s done.

Kate McKinnon was a cartoonish, over-the-top villain, and I cringed every time she was in a scene. She may be a good comedian, but she’s an awful actor, and it didn’t help that she was given a role that demanded she practically twirl an imaginary mustache and cackle.

Those are minor nits. What appealed to me most is that this is an original movie that doesn’t depend on anyone putting on Spandex and punching bad guys — nothing is resolved with violence. It was so refreshing. There was a constant build-up of tension, and how could there not be? It’s about an artist who is aware that he’s using other people’s creativity (even if those other people don’t exist in this timeline), and he’s wracked with doubts. He discovers there are others like him who remember the Beatles, and there is a confrontation…and it doesn’t turn out like I expected at all. All of these situations are dealt with in a very human way.

Also, slight spoiler ahead…

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I am totally out of sync with my community

I went to this movie last night.

I’ve never heard such vocal unanimity from the Morris people as we left after it was over.

“Worst movie I’ve ever seen,” said one attendee.

“I would have walked out halfway through if you weren’t watching it,” said another.

“What the hell did I just see,” someone chimed in.

I loved it!

It’s all deadpan humor and cynicism, mocking the genre and subverting expectations, with a plot that meanders meaninglessly, occasionally puncturing the fourth wall and letting the actors go full-on weird. The only resolution for anyone is ultimately being eaten. It’s a bitter commentary on capitalism, America, human shortsightedness, environmentalism, and the inevitable futility of battling stupidity. It’s my kind of movie.

But then, I’m a Jarmusch fan, which puts me in a minority already — Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and Dead Man are two of my favorite films.

P.S. See? I don’t hate every movie I see at the theater.

P.P.S. I knew the Scots are all aliens.

What do Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Jesus have in common?

It’s the same old scam the rich and powerful have been exploiting for years.

By the way, you did know that Oglaf’s creators have a patreon account that includes amusing cartoons, some not safe for work?

Also by the way, I just realized it’s Sunday, and am feeling like I had a couple of days totally stolen from me.

Iceland should have won Eurovision 2019

They get bonus points for reflecting my mood so well.

English lyrics:

The revelry was unrestrained
The hangover is endless
Life is meaningless
The void will get us all

Hate will prevail
Happiness comes to an end
For it is an illusion
A treacherous pipe dream

All that I saw
Tears ran down
All that I gave
Once gave
I gave it all to you

Multilateral delusions
Unilateral punishments
Gullible poor fellows
The escape will end
The emptiness will get us all

Hate will prevail
Europe will crumble
A web of lies
Will arise from the ashes
United as one

All that I saw
Tears ran down
All that I gave
Once gave
I gave it all to you

All that I saw
Tears ran down
All that I gave
Once gave
I gave it all to you

Hate will prevail
Love will die
Hate will prevail
Happiness comes to an end
For it is an illusion
A treacherous pipe dream

Hate will prevail

At the final performance in Israel, they also whipped out a Palestinian flag at the end…triple score! How could Eurovision have given the win to the Netherlands, especially since all they had to offer was treacly pablum?