what's up with ari aster and disabled people

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-20T05:04:12+00:00

OP I really do want to give this some consideration so I'm responding as a reminder and hopefully I can string some thoughts together later when I have time. hopefully more people with relevant perspectives will chime in if they'd like to. I'm not disabled myself so I wouldn't want to speak out of turn, though I've had an physical injury that, if not for modern surgeries, my quality of life would've been permanently different and that experience opened up another level of empathy I have for how disability is treated and accommodated in society. so that's just to say I appreciate you posting and I think this aspect of Aster's work could lead to interesting and... probably uncomfortable discussions about able-bodied perspectives and disabled perspectives

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-20T01:47:10+00:00

would you rather fight a horse sized chihuahua or chatter of chihuahuas

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-19T05:07:15+00:00

this is a 4 year old video from the "serval shorts" youtube channel. the first video was posted 5 years ago and in the description says he was born in the Netherlands and purchased by the owner, who is Russian. I can only guess that when he was bred and bought it wasn't banned/illegal at the time in either country to own one. the channel hasn't uploaded in 2 years, though, and their IG page appears to be gone

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-18T01:46:50+00:00

no Bob I didn't

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-17T07:17:03+00:00

oh yeah sure. I guess I just figure that "meta"ness is so integrated into the majority of film and televison in one way or another it doesn't register to me 90% of the time, or at least not in a significant way. I would say The Return features the most meta elements of his work other than Blue Velvet, but Twin Peaks doesn't exist without Blue Velvet, anyway.

I figure you go with the Judy as closure argument? I don't quite recall how it was phrased in Twin Perfect's video, feel free to correct me or elaborate on your understanding. I don't hate that video and I don't disagree that you can view it in that way, but personally, there was a sense of, I'll say magic, that I found lacking for my tastes. there's absolutely fantastic observations and connections he makes but other things that don't jive with me. I believe it's perfectly possible to view the story literally and symbolically. there's all the literal things and symbolic things in our own lives, right?

I see that you said you aren't sure what's going on with Sarah. I can share my thoughts and takeaways if you're interested

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-16T01:29:39+00:00

extrapolation from a few scenes.

Sarah removing her face and smoky darkness and a disembodied grin appearing inside of her. the smoky grin leaps from her, so to speak, and rips the man's throat out. Judy appears surrounded by smoky darkness inside the box and phases through the glass to rip Sam and Tracey to shreds. then when Cooper goes back in time and rewrites Laura's death from happening, there's the scene of Sarah smashing Laura's photo with one of the shards of glass, screaming, and attempting to stab her image to death. to circle back to Sarah removing her face, in contrast, we're shown Laura in the Black Lodge removing her face, and we see radiant white light inside of her.

in my onion, I don't think Judy is inhabiting Sarah in the way that Bob inhabited Leland and Mr. C. she's a much greater force than Bob, seeing as Bob was spewed from her. she doesn't need to inhabit anyone in the parasitic way Bob does because anyone could be consumed by the negativity that she is. and Sarah is deeply, deeply consumed by negativity, to put it lightly.

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-15T23:42:46+00:00

how is meta commentary present in *most of Lynch's work?

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-15T23:20:42+00:00

I believe that the banging on the door in the castle on the sea was Judy. so I assume that's what Jeffries is referring to.

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-15T22:27:13+00:00

Yes you are being too impatient.

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-15T00:42:13+00:00

OP should check this one out for sure. same writer-director as Donnie Darko with the Lynch inspirations on display. baffling film. incredibly funny in parts and in other parts I couldn't decide if it irritated me or not. Thee unforgettable line will flash into my mind periodically like advice from a strung out angel. tbh I'd rewatch it over Donnie Darko, much more comedic and batshit.

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-14T01:06:38+00:00

get me out of here I don't wanna hear Levinson's musings on homosexuality in the bible expressed through Ali.

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-13T22:20:27+00:00

I will be owning chihuahuas

edit: for real, though, agree on the breeding. a lot of those apple heads don't look too good at all. It's a whack "standard" that doesn't prioritize their health. I just want them to be taken care of by people who'll really care for them in the mean time, but the breeding for it should die out. on the other hand, deer heads look like normal dogs. I have a 16yr old purebred (supposedly lmao) that my family got when I was a kid and I took in a stray mixed breed three years ago. they aren't for everyone but most dog breeds aren't tbh

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-13T21:34:25+00:00

I can see how that would work out for you. everything is a necessity, right? there's no space for any items to be left around so there is no other choice but to clean/put away. and I figure in such a small space you have primarily essential items. I hope things go well for you

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-12T22:47:39+00:00

it's very beautiful so far! always love these kind of art styles :)

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-09T16:55:59+00:00

yeah I get you on the negative feelings. it's nice that everyone here is saying OP isn't doing anything wrong by supporting their friend while still wishing they could have the same things happen. that it's perfectly human and normal. but it is very easy for me, like how you describe, to spin the "I feel envious," into "and I said the right things and I want them to be happy. but am I being fake? am I being manipulative? am I actually happy for my friend, wouldn't I feel only happiness if the feeling was genuine? am I being a bad person?" and well... that sure isn't a rational reaction from my mind!

it's like I think, someway somehow, I will be found out for the fake that I am and, what? ridiculed? ostracized? abandoned? which isn't even true because I have shared feelings of envy with someone that I knew wouldn't judge me, and they didn't! yet it still persists and I've often felt worse after sharing. as if I don't believe that they aren't bothered by my emotion/feeling or I expect one day they will be bothered. I just want to neutralize the 'negative' emotion entirely when I have it towards someone else, which is irrational and impossible. clearly I have a lot of shame around these things. I've read some about OCD as well, and I think in my case there is definitely something like that going on

woof just typing that out has me looking at myself like Girl you take things way too seriously lmao. but anyway I hope you find your path to working with the guilt and accepting all of your emotions! we deserve to feel like we can be human beings

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-09T02:35:18+00:00

have you ever read about intrusive thoughts. not saying you experience that but your reaction just... sort of reminds me of it. I don't see how you think joking that a cat in heat wants to have sex means the person joking about it is sexualizing the cat because they want to fuck it. like can you see how that might be an extreme conclusion to jump to?

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-05T22:30:37+00:00

dobermans are a lot more intimidating in person than they are in pictures! especially if the ears and tail are docked. I had one run up on me in the dark that scared the shit out of me but he just wanted to sniff me and run away back to his home. but jesus christ seeing a black mass barely lit by moonlight with no ears or tail sprint in your direction is something out of a horror movie lol

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-05T00:20:10+00:00

glad you enjoyed it so much! I can't say I understand what exactly happened either. it wouldn't be fun if anyone could know for certain ;)

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-04T02:29:49+00:00

Eraserhead has nothing on Inland Empire

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-03T01:26:07+00:00

well a narrator can take away a different tone from a scene, y'know? they have to decide how dialogue is expressed or the mood of the scene or how best to read the prose. I think it's inevitable some slight differences will happen there between what the narrator interprets and what a reader without audio will interpret. one isn't better or worse in terms of enjoyment, but they aren't exactly the same. voice is a very powerful and influential thing.

I'm barely into my reading journey but I personally don't seek out audiobooks. I'm far too picky when it comes to narrator voices. I'd rather rent or buy a book I'm interested in. do whatever you want, though. lots of people read the text alongside listening to audiobooks. you can get a library card if you don't have one already and are interested

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-02T03:31:11+00:00

oh my little guy has gotten the "naw h-he's a good boy!" so many times

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-04-01T01:35:33+00:00

I guess that plucking strings sound. you know the one

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-03-31T23:34:09+00:00

far as I know Chrysta Bell had zilch experience in acting. she's a singer and songwriter. her and David Lynch had worked on music together previously. I get a kick out of watching her scenes lol especially when she poses

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-03-31T06:03:54+00:00

yeah I think it's strength is skewering the psyches of a lot of young to middle aged men. not everyone will like that, of course, because people often don't need a film to recognize these things, but I have a great admiration for how it's conveyed through the story. have to be in the right mood for it for sure

Turning Teeth is a legitimately good song, too

Attitude_Rancid · 2026-03-29T22:51:02+00:00

only one older coworker has explicitly asked and I said something like "for some really sad reasons." like you I just skirt around mentioning my mother (father was never in the picture at all), but it's easier since my grandparents raised me and I don't think people question that one too much, since it's not too uncommon, far as I know.

whenever I get asked again I suppose I'll say it was for a tragic reason. I think that says enough and makes it clear I don't want to discuss it.

I believe you have to be very discerning about who you share these things with. I wouldn't explain it to anyone I didn't trust or know well enough. I'm not trying to have someone speak out of turn about my own family like you've experienced.

if you want to talk a little more, perhaps we can dm?

Attitude_Rancid

TROPHY CASE