Redemption:
Best served cold in the Citi Field parking lot alongside a sequel to a movie that I hated
Happy New Year ya filthy animals! BCLF took a two week break at the end of the year but somehow I managed to gain like 50 subscribers in that time?! Happy Hanukkah to me. How are you all finding me? If someone recommended BCLF to you, drop their name/publication in the comments so I can thank them.
Has anyone been reading the Notes I’ve been posting while on break? I’ve finally embraced the social media-y aspect of Substack and it made me realize that I really miss sharing my random thoughts on Twitter. So if you download the Substack app, you can also follow me there for short thoughts, pictures of my travels, and other little extras.
I also took some time during my break to do some admin work and zhuzh up the BCLF website. I finally removed paywalls from all past posts, so if there was something you couldn’t read - now you can! I also tagged every single thing I ever posted so that I could create some handy links on the home page. The About Me page even got a little refresh. It’s almost like I’m a real professional person🕴
In other news: I’m starting a new job this week! I actually wrote and pre-scheduled this issue back in December so I could take the time to ease into things. Look at me being forward thinking and responsible 💅
Let’s get to it though! You may remember a couple of months ago that I visited the Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail at NYBG and…I hated it. It was a bunch of glorified photo ops and I have no patience for that. So when the algorithm fed me another light-themed attraction I was wary, but I went for it. I guess I was in the mood to try things I thought I might hate because I also watched Joker: Folie à Deux. Cinema has not been kind to the Joker so my expectations were in the sewer for this one and I was incredibly confused by my reaction to it.
I have been known to be lured in by flashy things; I’m only human. The promise of sparkly lights and beloved Nightmare Before Christmas characters sold me a fantasy that ended up being, well, a nightmare. So when I saw an ad for the Tianyu Lights Festival I was sus. Here was another festival promising me light up shit that I would have to travel pretty far to see - it’s located in the parking lot of Citi Field near Flushing, Queens. The last time I was at that location was when I worked at Vegandale so my memories were of, frankly, madness. Nonetheless, I texted Jina and suggested that we try this thing one more time.
Lorenzo and I hopped in an Uber (because the Brooklyn to Queens subway situation is deplorable) and once we got near the Citi Field parking lot it became apparent that this was an upgrade from The Nightmare. The lights were huge! You can see the light structures from the road and that might honestly be the only marketing they need. This looked promising and became increasingly so as we walked through the parking lot and watched as the lights grew larger and larger.
But like, what the heck even is a Tianyu Lights Festival? The website has a cutesy story about this kid named Koda traveling through the Amazon rainforest and merging his imagination with the actual plants and animals he saw, so the light structures are the physical embodiment of his little fantasy world. The story doesn’t really do much for the experience, but there are a few seek and find opportunities scattered about that I enjoyed. The signs will tell you that you need to find 4 of Koda’s memory fragments and a treasure chest to get a prize at the end, but you actually just need to find the treasure chest (which I obviously found, duh). The prize is a sticker sheet and a magnet which is cute; I was hoping for something a bit cooler but this is very obviously an activity for kids and Henley loved the stickers so it’s a win.
The light structures were actually impressive AF. Like these fuckers were huge and there were tunnels to walk through, big domes to frolic in, and it was just all around very impressive. The whole thing looks like it took a lot more effort that the Nightmare Trail, which was just comprised of some statues scattered about. That said, most of what you’re doing here is just walking around and looking at lights. Yes the lights are cool and some of them move, but if you’re not in the mood to just chill and enjoy the vibe, then this might be a bit underwhelming. There were a few other activities around, though they were kind of hit or miss.
We went on a brick ass Thursday at 5:30pm, so the place was pretty sparse. That alone made it a better experience than the Nightmare Trail because we didn’t have to wait to get into any of the structures or play any of the games scattered around. I imagine the place gets more crowded at peak times, but the parking lot is pretty freakin huge so I feel like even then it might not be terrible. The games were super basic, but that didn’t mean I was going to take them any less seriously - I play to win. The panda game above gave you points for every time you bopped the lit up button. The kid before me scored like 200 and I scored a cool 750 - bitch never stood a chance 😎
The website mentions that there are live performances, but there wasn’t anything going on when we were there. That might be something scheduled for peak times and it’s kind of a bummer we missed them! The website says that the shows include face changing (a la Chinese Sichuan Opera), music, acrobats, and some crazy Chinese yoyo called Diabolo which sounds fantastic. There’s a tiny food court/gift area too, but it was also a bit sparse when we were there. The bulk of the merch available were these little aluminum braided figurines, which were pretty cool, but I don’t need a little aluminum peacock taunting my cat to just knock it over. The food options included popcorn chicken, tanghulu, noodles, hot chocolate, and a few other things. But I’d say skip the food (grab a hot chocolate if you need a hand warmer).
There’s a little area with two carnival games but what really caught my eye were the cars! You can pay $5 to get a token to ride these little light up cars around in a circle for a few minutes and I obviously made Lorenzo hop in so we could live our lives a quarter mile at a time, if only for a moment. I think deep down I wanted these to be bumper cars and I think if I was with a bunch of people and we were all riding around it would have been cooler. Lorenzo hated it, but if you can’t tell by my expression I was having the time of my life.
So, is this worth it? It was certainly better than the Nightmare Trail, but mostly because of a bunch of external factors. For starters, it was about $20 cheaper. Prices start at $30 on weekdays and max out at $45 for untimed entry, whereas the Nightmare Trail was like $50+. I also feel like this is slightly easier to get to; it’s literally right outside the 7 train or LIRR at Mets-Willets Pt. And that brings me to the other factor that makes this better that is actually completely unrelated to the event itself - its proximity to Flushing. We drove 8 minutes to the Asian food mecca and enjoyed a fabulous dinner of roast duck and accompaniments at Juqi (you can also take the subway literally 1 stop). I think the best way to experience this is to grab some friends who wanna be goofy, bounce around the light trail, and then head to Flushing for a delicious meal. If you do that then yes, this is 100% worth it. Visit before it closes on Jan 19!
I have been so incredibly conflicted about my feelings for Joker: Folie à Deux. I hated the first Joker, which was basically an incel manifesto (despite the director saying that wasn’t what he was trying to do). We were in a Joker rut at that time after Jared Leto’s godawful performance in Suicide Squad and I was actually looking forward to Joaquin Phoenix doing something cool, but instead we got a movie about a little turd of a man who couldn’t handle a girl not liking him. This was not my Joker. I swore off seeing the sequel entirely until I heard that Lady Gaga was in it. Maybe I’d give it a shot? But then I heard it was a musical (despite the director saying it wasn’t quite a musical) and just figured this was simply not for me and gave up. The movie came and went without much fuss so I just figured it sucked and that was that. And then I happened upon it on Max and figured I’d give it a watch. What happened next surprised me.
So I guess first things first: was this a musical? I cannot believe I’m saying this and agreeing with Todd fucking Phillips, but I don’t think it was. Yes it was a movie that happened to have songs and characters singing in it, but I don’t think it was a musical despite falling under nearly every definition of what a musical is. I’ve spent a lot of time this year looking inward to figure out exactly why it is that I say I don’t like musicals and against all odds, fucking Joker helped me figure it out.
While a movie/play/etc must contain songs to be considered a musical, it’s the way in which those songs are incorporated into the story that makes all the difference (for me, at least). I’m gonna use Disney films as classic examples of musicals because that’s what I’m most familiar with. Disney movies are generally a mix of standard dialogue driven scenes with musical numbers mixed in. One minute a character is saying goodbye to her dad and the next she starts singing while walking down the street, the townspeople join in, and the next thing you know people are tossing baguettes and dancing on library ladders (Beauty and the Beast, from what I remember). And then before you know it, the song is over and everyone goes on existing as if the collective townspeople did not just engage in a moment of shared musical madness. What the fuck is that? I don’t like that. It takes me out of a story because it so unbelievably unrealistic and it simply shakes up the narrative too much (again, for me, if you like this go off queen). So, what of Joker?
Despite all the singing and dancing, Phillips struggles with the idea of labeling “Joker: Folie à Deux” a musical.
“Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue…I just don’t want people to think that it’s like ‘In the Heights,’ where the lady in the bodega starts to sing and they take it out onto the street, and the police are dancing,” he says, pointing out that most of the musical numbers exist in Arthur and Lee’s warped imaginations.”
And, again I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Todd Phillips is right. This is not a musical. Nearly all of the musical numbers are simply extensions of the dialogue. Our two main characters, Joker and Harley (Phoenix and Gaga) struggle to express themselves in typical ways due to their particular forms of madness and occasionally breaking out into little sing-songy bits is how they’re able to say what they’re feeling. And, once again can’t believe I’m saying this, I can totally relate. BCLF readers have seen pictures of my sweet cats sprinkled throughout and it is no secret that I love my little loaves with every fiber of my being. And sometimes when spoken words simply aren’t enough, I sing them little songs while I feed them or rub their bellies or just stare at them and am overcome by my love for them. I make up little songs while I cook or clean and while I don’t think I’m delusional or mad, I recognized that this is essentially what Joke and Harley were doing. When expressing their love for one another or their desire for power or revenge, simple words wouldn’t do so instead they drifted off into a little musical reverie with one another. And the real kicker was that each time this happened (except for like 1-2 dream sequences), other characters confirmed that they could hear Joker and Harley singing, but they themselves did not join in and begin singing and dancing with them. This is important!
So for me, I think my ability to tolerate a musical comes down to whether the songs are diegetic or non-diegetic (I wrote about this a bit re: the Wonka movie). Diegetic refers to elements within the story world of a film or narrative, meaning the characters can perceive them, while non-diegetic refers to elements that exist outside the story world and are only perceptible to the audience, like a film score or narration.
So let’s look back at Disney movies as our generic musical examples. The musical numbers generally exist outside of the film world in that it never seems like the characters notice that they are singing. Sure stuff happens during the songs, but the songs are sort of musical sidebars that exist alongside the main story; everyone breaks out into uncharacteristic song and dance and then the story gets back on track as if a crab was not just encouraging two people to kiss via Calypso musical arrangement. But let’s look at one Disney movie in particular that’s sort of a unique case - The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Fun lil fact about TNBC: the songs were written before there was a script for the movie. Tim Burton was busy working on Batman Returns and just gave Danny Elfman little story tidbits here and there to work off of. Because of this, the majority of the movie was written first as songs, with some additional dialogue and writing added in after. So in this case, the songs are essentially the dialogue vs random musical sidebars because they existed before there was an actual script. Because of this process, we got a movie with a runtime of 76 minutes and a soundtrack runtime of 61 minutes, meaning that TNBC is about 80% songs. And even stranger: I do not hate it. And the reason for that is something I’ve struggled to put into words until seeing this goddam Joker movie: I don’t mind when music is diegetic and simply an extension of dialogue. See also: Josie and the Pussycats, Wizard of Oz, OG Willy Wonka.
“People know me by my stage name, Lady Gaga, right? That’s me as that performer, but that is not what this movie is,” Gaga said. “I’m playing a character. So I worked a lot on the way that I sang to come from Lee, and to not come from me as a performer…How do you take music and have it just be an extension of the dialogue, as opposed to breaking into song for no conceivable reason?”
Ok so now that we’ve all learned about how my brain works, let’s continue dissecting Joker: FaD. If I hated the first movie so deeply, why didn’t I have the same viscerally negative reaction to seeing Arthur Fleck back on screen? While the first movie had heavy incel undertones, the sequel has Arthur mostly in Arkham awaiting trial, so we’re dealing with the fallout of the first movie rather than watching Joker create more destruction. This film is introspective AF and is really an exploration of our inward and outward selves, as exemplified by the Arthur/Joker alter ego relationship and also Harley’s own two-faced personality (we actually do get an appearance by Harvey Dent/Two Face, but barely). And so one way this dichotomy is explored is actually through the use of music; only the “crazy” characters sing and the prison guards make fun of them for doing so vs joining in like they would in a classic musical.
And I think it’s because of this introspective approach that fans of the first movie fucking hated it (incels don’t seem like a particularly contemplative group to me). But it also just so happened that folks who hated the first movie (me) avoided seeing the second one altogether and missed out on experiencing a complete tonal shift that is actually, can’t believe I’m saying this again, not terrible. This movie seemed like an unintentional fuck you to the people who reveled in the violence of the first film and whose main takeaway was that we should let our Id flags fly free and stop suppressing our more rational thoughts if we want to create any sort of change in our lives. Because all of a sudden, Arthur Fleck is reckoning with his actions from the first movie and figuring out that he actually isn’t the Id-fueled Joker and he doesn’t want to be a figurehead for violence. And if you liked the first movie, then you probably felt a lot like Harley did when he renounced his Joker persona.
Phillips has said that he didn’t intend for Joker: FaD to be a middle finger to fans of the first movie. He genuinely just wanted to create art. And I’d argue that he did. Joker: FaD is beautifully shot. Even Lorenzo, who generally watches movies for the funsies and doesn’t think about technical stuff, commented on how gorgeous the cinematography was. Sure the first movie looked nice and it was nominated for (and won) a bunch of awards, but I think any of the technically impressive elements of the first films were overshadowed by how violent the story was. Joker: FaD was a much more understated story, so there was ample time to revel in the beautiful shot compositions and really take in the scenery.
So, was Joker: FaD a good movie? Should you even watch it? This movie has me more confused than my sexuality after watching 1999’s The Mummy. I don’t think it’s a good movie, but it’s also so unlike the first Joker that I feel like it’s worth giving it a watch just to see how it makes you feel. Todd Phillips was allegedly given a huge budget and final cut, which might explain why we got something that was clearly not geared towards gleaning more money from the original Joker crowd. Although most of Todd Phillips’ films are your classic bro-y comedies, he’s apparently a very intelligent and thoughtful dude in the same way that Joaquin Phoenix appears to be. So it really seems like Phillips made the movie he and Phoenix wanted to make, and he used the clout from the first Joker to make that happen. So go off king, stick it to the incels, make an unnecessarily beautiful looking Joker movie, make Lady Gaga sing badly on purpose, do something weird. The movie has been stuck in my head for weeks, so whether it was objectively good or bad, it was clearly a good enough movie that left an impression on me and at the end of the day, I consider that a good movie.
Christmas is over and the sidewalks are littered with discarded trees. The DSNY will happily take your tree, but you can also recycle it at Mulchfest with NYC Parks! It runs through Jan 12 and there are multiple sites across the boroughs. You’ll even get to take home a tree-mento; a bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree.
A few weeks ago Kathy Hochul signed the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act into law. The idea is to stop folks from using bots to scoop up reservations and then resell them later at a higher price. I have no idea how Hochul plans to implement this, but I would really love to not have to set alarms for midnight anymore to get reservations at certain places so let’s fuckin goooo.
I think this event is geared towards children, but it sounds really fun so I still think you should show up even if you’re an adult person. The NYC Park Rangers are having a Nature Detective Mystery Adventure in Ft Greene Park on Jan 11. Put your nature detective skills to test to crack the case of Pauly Pigeon by solving clues that will test your knowledge of the natural world and outdoor skills. If I wasn’t making a ceramic tea set on Saturday mornings for the next few weeks, I’d so be there.
Also on Jan 11 - a Neon Painting Workshop! I’ve always wondered how artists manage to get that cool neon glow in paintings and now you can find out. One of my favorite Instagram accounts - @ramblingsketcher - will be teaching this workshop that only ever happens once or twice a year. Tickets are $60 and again, if I hadn’t already committed to building a tea set I would love to do this.
If you’re interested in figure drawing, Tiny Arts Supply in Ridgewood just released their calendar for the whole year! Individual sessions are $25 and all supplies are provided; they also offer class packs if you plan on attending multiple sessions.
I love a Sip n Paint, but I don’t drink alcohol so the vibe isn’t always for me. Thankfully, Tea and Milk is hosting a Boba Sip n Paint at Chelsea Market on Jan 17! Tickets are $40 and boba and painting accoutrements are all supplied.
Another Clothing Swap is coming up on Jan 12 at P.I.T. in Williamsburg again. Bring your in-good-condition clothes to swap out for something new-to-you.
I’m an old bitch so the classic N64 Super Smash Bros is my jam, but if you play Super Smash Ultimate and think you’ve got what it takes, head to Wonderville on Jan 11 to enter their tournament. $2 to enter, free to watch. Team Kirby rise up!
I’m a daily NYT Crossword person and I recently learned that there’s a blog that not only posts the daily solves, but provides a little commentary too! I love word nerds so much. Please add me to your Mini Crossword Leaderboard if you puzzle too.
Congrats - you made it to the bottom! If you’re here, then I really value your opinion. So I’d love to have you vote in a few polls to help give me an idea of what you’d like to see here. More context in the comments is super welcome!
I’d love to hear literally any other opinions you might have in the comments, so get at it!
Joker is the movie that made me realize I'd lost my stomach - it was SO upsetting to me, especially seeing it as a new mom. But Joker is also responsible for one of the single best moments of my life, the story of which you will appreciate:
Miles happened to visit my house shortly after the Joker trailer came out. Being Miles, he was PUMPED on it and started a conversation about it. He said something along the lines of, "And Joaquin Phoenix's acting looks CRAZY!" But he didn't actually say "Joaquin." He said "Joe-quin." Joe-quin Phoenix. It took a minute to register and then I said, "Miles, you do know his name is 'Joaquin,' right?" He did not. He had no idea that was how you pronounced it, and he had been talking to EVERYONE in his social circle about this movie, and no one corrected him before. It is an entirely innocent, silly mix-up, but it is SO funny to me. To this day, Joe-quin will just randomly pop in my head and it brings me so much joy. Joe-quin!
Congrats on the new job! They’re lucky to have you and enjoy your recs as always! I want to take an art class this year for sure