When was the last time you did something enjoyable without feeling guilty about the time or money spent?
Life cannot be one continuous cycle of working, paying bills and planning the next financial milestone.
There seems to be a new American cinematic movement emerging.
Well into the second half of the 2020s, the defining independent film movement of the decade is beginning to make itself apparent. I might call it “New Weird America” if that wasn’t already a thing. It seems to have coalesced around the late 2010s (the earliest definitive example I can think of is DRM’s excellent Under the Silver Lake) as a response to developments in American culture and society.
A few key stylistic devices appear to be ubiquitous: a reverence for Kaufman and the Coen brothers, absurdist satire of social media and internet culture, nightmare-inducing worst-case-scenario plots, the irreverent inclusion of magical realism and metafiction, a heavy emphasis on black humor and “cringe comedy,” and suggestions of an unseen, omnipresent malevolent force at the heart of it all.
Though Digger and Eddington were enough to prove that most audiences won't find this bizarre brand of social commentary particularly palatable, its influence has been creeping into the mainstream, slowly establishing itself as a major ideological force in American pop culture. When I watched Obsession, I was especially struck by its similarities to The Curse in its approach to the supernatural.
This movement seems particularly modern in its rejection of the distinction between different forms of cinematic art. Note how many of its leading auteurs (Nathan Fielder, Connor O’Malley, Tim Robinson) seem equally comfortable working in film, television, and internet video.
Another interesting feature of this style is a kind of giddy excitement about the very act of constructing the film itself: the numerous visual callbacks that form the mystery of Under the Silver Lake, the epic five-act structure of Beau Is Afraid, the wild imagination of The Rehearsal, the many stylistic shifts in Coreys, and so on.
I'm sure what I've identified is simply the latest phase of a much older, broader tradition in cinema. Still, I bring up these films and filmmakers specifically because they seem to have their heads on their shoulders in a way I don't see in many other modern filmmakers, particularly when it comes to engaging with contemporary issues.
I'd love to hear your thoughts or suggestions.🤺
I SLEPT WITH MY WIFE’S YOUNGER SISTER DURING HER HALLOWEEN VISIT… BUT THE NEXT MORNING, MY WIFE ASKED ME A QUESTION THAT TERRIFIED ME. 😳
I’m a married man, and I never imagined I’d find myself in this kind of situation.
My wife’s younger sister came to spend the Halloween holiday with us. Everything was going perfectly at first. We laughed together, watched movies, and enjoyed the holiday.
But one night, while my wife was asleep, something happened between her younger sister and me.
We crossed a line that should never have been crossed.
I slept with my wife’s younger sister.
The next morning, I felt completely different. I couldn’t look my wife in the eyes, and every little thing she said made me feel guilty.
I thought I could keep the secret forever.
But then, while we were having breakfast, my wife suddenly looked at me and asked:
“Babe, did anything happen between you and my sister last night?”
My heart dropped.
I froze. I didn’t know whether to lie or tell the truth.
Then she added something that made the situation even worse…
“Because she came into my room this morning and told me everything.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Now I’m wondering whether my marriage can ever survive this.
If your wife’s younger sister confessed that she slept with your husband, would you blame your husband more, or would you blame your sister more?
And would you ever forgive either of them? 💔
At 52, Linda never imagined she would have to start over.
For 20 years, she had worked as a receptionist at a medical office in Ohio. But when the office closed, she lost her job.
At first, she remained hopeful.
"I'll find something soon," she told her daughter.
But weeks turned into months. Her savings disappeared, bills piled up, and one Friday morning, she found an overdue rent notice under her door.
She sat on her bed and cried. She wasn't afraid of hard work. She was simply exhausted.
That afternoon, her neighbour, Mrs. Parker, knocked.
"Linda, I haven't seen you lately. Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine," Linda replied, forcing a smile.
Mrs. Parker gently responded, "You don't always have to pretend you're fine."
For the first time, Linda opened up about her struggles.
The next morning, Mrs. Parker returned with a newspaper. She had found a job opening at a local community centre and offered to help Linda apply.
Linda got an interview and eventually secured a part-time position.
The pay wasn't enormous, but it gave her a fresh start. Slowly, she began catching up on her bills and rebuilding her confidence.
One evening, Linda knocked on Mrs. Parker's door with a box of homemade cookies.
"Thank you," she said. "You didn't give me money or solve all my problems. You simply reminded me that I wasn't alone."
Mrs. Parker smiled.
"That's what neighbours are for."
She arrived in heaven expecting to reunite with her husband.
But then she saw the man she had loved before him.
Now she faced an impossible question: Who should she spend eternity with?
Apparently, even heaven comes with relationship complications, and eternity is not long enough to settle matters of the heart.❤️
Who would you choose?