So, it's getting closer to my novel deadline and the holidays are here, and I have got to focus. And I need to get myself off of social media for a while too. Sorry, y'all. It's just time.

See you on the other side.

Posts have been pretty scarce around here lately. The reason why is because I'm nearing the end of the rewrites on my new novel Persephone Station. And it's time to really focus on making that ending great. Also, it's the holidays. This is a very busy time of year for me. So much baking to do. All to say...Friday's post is going to be sketchy until I turn the novel in. After that, I've a new project on the fire. We'll see how that goes. :) 

Anyway, on to the links. First, the videos. First, Hannah Gadsby talks about "The Good Men" & Misogyny. 

I have to admit that it's a little jarring to see some late night tv comic personalities talk about misogyny because I can't help feeling like they're two steps ahead of a "Me Too" moment themselves--not all of them. Just most of them. And yes, it's weird watching them draw the boundaries and not women. I like how Hannah pushes it farther and says these things apply to white people too, and CIS people, and abled people...and so on. 

It always amuses me when women talk about Barbie and clearly have no earthly idea about her origins as a sex doll. (yes. there's an honest to god reason for her weird proportions. and people wonder about why i bitch about comic book portrayals of women's bodies.) 

​And now...the links.

Dane and I love Comedies--particularly Dark Comedies. He'll watch the schlockiest stuff and giggle. Me, I can't risk my precious StoryBrain Meats.[1] So, every once in a while Dane suggests movies that are far, far better than they have any right to be--or far better than their trailers and budgets indicate. It's how I discovered The Final Girls. and Happy Death Day. That's also how I found myself in a theater watching this delightful little gem. It's called Anna and the Apocalypse, and I'm here to tell you that it's a scrummy little holiday treat--not in the sense that its a holiday movie because it isn't. Well, not in a "Winter Holidays are central to the story". More in the sense that Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie. Also, parents don't take your eight year old to see it, thinking it'll be the next High School Musical.[2] Bad Idea. So, think Shaun of the Dead mashed with a small bit of Rock Horror Picture Show and you might be prepared. Dark British Humor all the way. I love the "I'm cluelessly going about my business as the world falls apart around me" trope. The Brits do it so very, very well. I suspect there's a cultural reason for this. (Remember the UK government response to a possible Nazi invasion partly involved the development of "Keep Calm and Carry On" post-invasion posters.)

I'm extra fussy about musicals, btw. (I often just tell people I don't like them.) This one is brilliant. I definitely want to find the soundtrack. The dance routines are great too. It's well-written. The dialog makes sense and fits the characters. The transitions between dialog and songs make sense. The actors' singing voices are amazing. I seriously want that soundtrack.

And now the Naughty and Nice List. Warning: Contains spoilers behind the cut. Like seriously, I'm not even going to try not to spoil it because the things that make it cool are the things that the does different from Hollywood movies. In fact, the song There's No Such Thing as a Hollywood Ending says it all.