Quick January Roundups
What I watched, read, listened to in January 2024, and some quick updates.
It’s February! Last month I talked about my deliberate attempt to expose myself to movies in a productive manner. Right now I want to quickly update you on what I watched and share which movies I found very meaningful. I also finished some books I started late last year and want to quickly share about them too.
I didn’t tell you this before, but I also made some kind of exposure list of music albums in an attempt to diversify my references and discover new music. This one’s low priority though, because I still allocate most of my time to watch movies. At the end, I have some quick updates on projects I’m working on this year.
What I watched
According to my Letterboxd diary, I watched 17 movies in January. Out of all these, the most special viewings were Bicentennial Man (Chris Columbus, 1999) and Not Friends (Atta Hemwadee, 2023).
I rewatched Bicentennial Man after looking for it for sooo many years. I finally found a legal streaming at SBS Australia (it’s a free AVOD, but you’ll need an Aussie VPN). I loved this movie as a child, and upon reviewing I still loved it so much. I honestly don’t understand why this movie got so much hate. I think it got a lot of heart (and great performance by Robin Williams as always).
I was also very excited to watch Not Friends because I loved the trailer sooo much. I laughed my fucking ass off watching it. The movie’s also very touching in a way only Thai drama can. It’s got amazing writing, it blew my fucking mind. As of today (3 Feb) the movie’s still playing at CGV. I’d suggest you watch it this weekend.
I also want to recommend Agak Laen (Muhadkly Acho, 2024). Technically I watched this movie in February, but it’s so fresh, I really think you should watch it. On the first day, they had 181,000 admissions. I think they’ll hit 1 million before their first week.
Some content warning, this movie does contain some homophobic, transphobic, and ableist jokes. So beware of those. Other than that, it has a lot of heart and good writing. And have I told you it’s so fresh?
Great time for a double feature of Not Friends and Agak Laen!
What I read
I read five books in January. Out of these, I’d like to recommend Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us (Rachel Aviv, 2022). I’ve had this book for a while now on my bookshelf, but for some reason I only got to read it this year.
The book talks about the lived in experiences of people diagnosed with different mental illnesses. It covers anorexia, major depression disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Not only that, Aviv also wrote about the changing landscape of psychology and psychiatry; from the popularity of psychoanalysis to how (relatively) overmedicated we are nowadays. It also tries its best to be inclusive, recognizing how culture, economy, and the sociopolitical play a crucial role in our mental health.
I feel so hugged by this book, I wonder why I waited so long to read it. The book has given me the words to describe some of my own experiences and how I’ve felt over the years. May it hug you too.
What I listened to
I only got to listen to SZA’s Ctrl (2017) and Frank Ocean’s Blonde (2016). This was my very first time listening to a Frank Ocean music despite how popular he is. Honestly, I don’t really understand the album. The lyrics are heavily in AAVE, I had to rely on its critics to understand what his music’s really saying.
SZA’s Ctrl on the other hand. Good god, I’ve been listening to this album for so long, but this was my first time really listening to it in silence. You know how some art feels eerily accurate, like it’s made about you and your life story? That’s how I feel about this album. It basically sings about the series of trainwrecks that were my relationships lol other than that, her music’s really nice on the ears.
Ctrl is so wild I really hope SZA’s okay lol but then this is my favorite song from her sophomore studio album that she released in 2022 and I’m just :)) welp. Send thoughts and prayers.
“Now I’m ovulating and I need rough sex.” Girl really said it.
2024 projects
Lastly, I have some projects lined up for the year. Currently I’m writing a feature based on a classic children IP. Genre and story-wise, it’s everything that I’ve been hoping I get to write, but alas it’s not as easy as I thought it’d be. It’s been a tough challenge and it stresses me out from time to time. This one’s slated to be produced next year, so I can’t talk much about it yet. Crossing my fingers though!
I’m also showrunning a new high school series. This one’s slated to be released in Q3 of this year, so wait for it! I’m also writing a short story for my favorite independent publisher’s new anthology. This one’s also scheduled for a release in H2 2024.
Oh yes, all of these projects are giving me anxiety (occasionally), but I’m so grateful I get to write full time as a vocation now.
Before I forget, I’m also gonna teach scriptwriting this year. There’s the formal masters program in UK Petra and the informal short courses in IDS Education. Both are still open for enrollment, in case you’re looking for something to do ;)
Thus concludes my quick update for the month. Don’t forget to get some rest and fun this month! See you in my next post~