What the hell I was thinking?

I read the book around ten years ago, and since then, a lot has happened, causing me to forget almost everything. However, it was refreshing to see an adaptation so well done that it brought back memories of what I read so long ago in such a vivid and vibrant manner. 'Shōgun' powerfully captures the differences between cultures as well as the bewilderment of overcoming those dissimilarities. The strong contrast between how the West views life and death compared to the East is embodied by the main character, Anjin-san, played by the British actor Cosmo Jarvis. He confronts the cultural shock of Japan and everything thrust upon him, going head to head with the other characters while learning their incredibly different ways. In many moments of the show, I was like Anjin-san, shocked and often amazed by the cultural uniqueness Japan holds. I realized how great this show is during the first two episodes, particularly when I witnessed the scene of the live boiling of an Anjin crew me...

At this point, I am such a fan of A24 studio that I will play anything that comes out from them without even thinking. I've heard here and there some stuff about  Lady Bird , and I am familiar with most of the cast, which made pressing play a no-brainer. Even though I wasn't able to finish the movie in one sitting, yesterday we watched the second half and were instantly sucked back into the world of Christine. Her journey is so familiar in so many ways that I was transported back to high school two times in a row. This period of time seems far away, yet  Lady Bird  was able to capture the essence of most of what I was going through. Hiding identity, finding it, and evolving into your own is a path every hero has to take. During this dynamic yet slow period of our lives, we fought different battles, often with our peers and family, which you can be reminded of very well here. I know the movie is set in the early 2000s, in Sacramento, California, telling the story of a youn...

On the first listen, the third studio album by the band doesn't reach the excitement created by 'Garbage' and 'Version 2.0.' After listening to the conversation between Joe Rogan and Shirley Manson,  I realized what Manson meant when she explained how it feels to fight for the spot that artists often reach upon entering the industry, only to see it slip through their fingers.  Getting more niche occurs when the band starts creating their own identity, yet this album sounds the most like a POP album compared to any of their previous work so far. The new project has some RnB and POP elements and rhythms that are easy to miss under Manson's vocals and the guitars, but they are there. This album has the least recognizable music so far; to be honest, only one song stuck with me years before I opened it again last week. I bet you know which song stood the test of time. 'Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)' is a powerful anthem that will play well even after 30 years on ...

The third project opens with an emotional prologue that introduces the band’s new sound. Here, they sound more niche and experimental compared to their first project, tackling familiar themes that affect every human being, yet which we often keep to ourselves, never releasing the stress. This is why artists are so important—they give a voice to the things we are afraid to say. Remaining true to their culture and faith, Mashrou' Leila ignites a fire with their new album and lyrics. There are some EPs sprinkled throughout their career, as well as notable collaborations worth mentioning and exploring. I will check their body of work one by one, going through all of the band's art in chronological order. Among all the Arabic bands and singers, Fairuz and Mashrou' Leila are the closest to me. I realize this immediately after the second song, "Abdo," ends. The name "Abdo" brings back emotions that are difficult to control. "Ala Babu" heightens those ...

The band's second project, "El Hal Romancy," translates to "The Romantic Solution." It combines a pure Arabic sound with incredible rock influences. The first track opens the album as an introduction to the band's new direction. The melody of "El Mouqadima," the introduction to "Habibi," takes you on a journey where you dive heart-first, head-second. I love the extended use of my favorite Arabic word, "Habibi," which is also the title of the second track. This track starts immediately after the intro, blending the two pieces into one extraordinary rock performance. The lyrics of the second song are powerful, expressing the detachment of someone who is not eager to self-reflect but rather blames the forces around him. The band never fails to deliver poetry beyond words, with absolutely stunning truths that evoke feelings and memories that are not easy to control. Immersing oneself in Arabic culture and music reveals masterfully w...

We all know that Marvel and Disney, in general, have been suffering losses because of their lack of quality releases in the past two years. Since 'Avengers: Endgame', Marvel has been trying to recreate the experience with less input, doing the brand a disservice. Even I, who became a huge fan around 'Captain America: Civil War', felt fatigue after a while. Even during this movie, I had some issues that I am going to write about in the spoiler section, but this movie went hard. It went hard on all the Marvel, or I should just say Disney, mistakes by twisting them in the most humorous way, making them fun. It was like I was in a psychiatric office, in hypnosis, reliving every traumatic memory after 'Endgame', while the psychiatric doctor, in this case, Deadpool, replaced the emotion I was feeling about them. Once, not that long ago, I saw this incredible PR move by RuPaul. In the current season of 'RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race', he played with the cont...

Lately, Disney has been under attack because of their political views, park management, etc., but the main problem was really picking quantity over quality. The movies and shows that came out in the past two years ruined the reputation of the brand, making their theatrical releases unwatchable and their Disney+ productions the last nail in the coffin. It is nice to see the tables turning back to normal and Disney once again standing for quality content across the board. With the great reviews from 'Deadpool & Wolverine' that are coming out (I am seeing this tonight, review tomorrow), the success of 'Inside Out 2', and the most Emmy-nominated show for the 76th Emmy Awards 'Shōgun' (go ahead and check it out right now, incredible series, review soon), Disney is once again dominating the industry. Slight spoilers ahead: 'Young Woman and the Sea' is another masterfully done drama bringing back a forgotten hero from the depths of human history. The story...

  This Barbie is a mermaid! After listening to the main album for a while now, I realized that there is one song that annoys me. Dua Lipa is one of my favorite artists, someone who moves the music industry in a new direction every time, but making 'Anything for Love' so short (2:21) is an absolute crime. And this damn intro of the song is half of that length. Finding the extended version of the whole album on Spotify made me realize how business-savvy she is. Not only does she have an ear for music, but she also has the ability to pick the right people around her. Let's be honest, she may be on the cover of the album, but behind this project are a lot of gays and pop culture athletes.  In this fast-paced world, the marketing team and Dua Lipa had the nerve to extend the promotion for this album for months. After they delivered 'Houdini' in November, we got the album many months later in May of the next year. The extended version of the album seems to have been out s...

Man, if I were still a smoker, there is nothing more I'd want to do than play the first two albums by Garbage and chain-smoke, diving into the lyrics and melodies blue-skying from the afternoon till the next morning, feeling my fantasy. The band did it again; this album contains some of the greatest Garbage hits and serves as a great continuation of the wave they are still riding. The second studio album came out in 1998, but now I am listening to the remastered version from 2018 on Spotify. Shirley Manson sounds incredible, injecting the same vibe into the project while creating a new sound with the whole band, moving them forward into the new millennium. In the second album, 'Version 2.0,' many songs that didn’t make the final cut found a place here. The first two albums of the band reek of high school in the best way possible. We were dirty teenagers—parties, weed, cigarettes, and alcohol, lonely nights, school yards, missing appointments, sleepy youth. An absolute emoti...

After experiencing my favorite concert at the beginning of this month, I vowed to go through Garbage’s discography and become even more familiar with the band. The concert showed me that they have much more to offer, and as I do with well-established groups and artists, I decided to go back to where it all started. This way, I can observe their growth, change, and artistry chronologically, just like the big fans usually do. I became a fan of this group way back, but I never explored their albums as thoroughly as I will in the next couple of weeks. Starting with their self-titled album, released in 1995, which cemented the group as an astonishing and fresh alternative band that remains relevant to this day, is a pleasure for my ears. Many of the songs on this album are the reason why the band exists on my radar. "Supervixen" serves as a great intro track; immediately, I recognize the band's style. Everything sounds familiar, and I’ve heard that song before. Now, going thro...

I am not a glued-to-the-television kind of fan of this show, but sometimes I scream at the TV while watching it. You'd be surprised how much I gasped during the finale, especially at the end of the show. I hate when Disney leaves the best parts for the next season and makes us watch a whole lot of crap during the ongoing one. So, I won’t let "The Boys" and Prime Video fly by, because although it was a good season, the finale made the whole thing feel like a trailer for the next part. I want to know exactly what is going on now. Why did I watch all this, and why did it end on such a strong note? I got way more interested in the show once it ended than while watching it. Some fucked up shit happened during this season, but I hate that we never see Homelander lose his temper in a more destructive manner. I would love to see him go batshit crazy. With such power, does he have any responsibilities? Apparently, he cannot exist without the people supporting him, which was well e...

After the pandemic and rediscovering the comfort of my own home, plus adding a huge brand-new television that serves as our cinema, going to the movies has become an unpopular activity. An activity that lately costs at least 40€. Since the Dortmund cinema (cinestar) refused to refund and cancel one of my ticket mistakes, I totally lost interest in paying this amount once, sometimes even four times a month. I even told the brainiac how business-oriented they are and why I would never enter a cinema under their umbrella. I miss Zamunda, but we tip the artist, etc., we try to be fair. The other day, we rented 'Abigail' for 5 bucks, and the next night, we did the same with the new Godzilla vs. Kong movie. One of those turned out to be a stupid decision, and the other was a win. Can you guess which movie made me ashamed that I watched it in the first place? Yeah, let's first trash talk about the huge disappointment that is 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire'. A huge letdow...

Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer is a novel by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray," states the first sentence in Wikipedia. When I went there to recover what I had already forgotten, I found myself contemplating a common experience: How often do you find a story better told in a movie than in a book? Not quite often, right? But it pains me to say that in this case, I found the story much more focused in the movie. There are a lot of additional twists and elements in the book that I was happy to discover, of course, but what I am saying is how impressed I am by Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara's ability to streamline this chaotic story and turn it into a focused project. After I saw a certain clip , I almost lost respect for the director and his vision, thinking it was an imitation of the "Metropolis" (1927) movie. What finally made me realize that this was not a cheap copy-paste trick, but a homage,...

Something about these cheesy stories and the way they are told doesn't sit right with me. Still, if I force myself, I can find problems with both the book and the movie. Regardless of my natural negative reactions, I found myself loving the book. Like with music and sometimes TV shows or movies, art in general, most of the books I read come at the right moment in life, answering my dramas, preparing me for something, or just providing that sweet escapism we all look for at some point. The author began her journey while living in misery with her husband, whom she was trying to divorce. Eventually, she escaped to search for herself in several beautiful locations. Even though I watched the movie, I barely have memories of it. Now, when I think about it, there is this warm feeling. I can still remember the pictures the author painted in my mind about the places she visited. I needed some time to adjust to Elizabeth Gilbert, but where I related to her was in her struggles and pain. As s...

Let me try my best to revise my memories from that night to explain what happened at the Garbage concert and why it's my top concert experience so far. Of course, we were late. With the newfound love of football and living in Germany, we couldn’t miss the game between Spain and the host of the European League 2024. We watched until the last seconds, even during our ride to the new venue where Garbage moved their concert. I have no idea why and what happened to the old place, but the new one was so cozy and welcoming, not big, but enough for all of us. Sometimes I forget how old Garbage are, not in a bad way. No, I never mention years to make someone feel bad—old like a good wine. But I was absolutely sure that I was the youngest there. Since the 90s, Garbage has won the hearts of millions of fans with so many hits, building their base like the bricks of the building that constructed the new venue. The set started with an incredible song that didn’t sound very good, and for a moment...