Hello, world. I’m MacDara Conroy, and this is my blog.

Date: September 2017

If you haven’t yet seen Year of the Dragon or To Live and Die in LA, get that sorted before watching this great discussion of two of the 1980s’ finest crime films. (Be forewarned, the video is NSFW.) #video

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Bethune Park VIII, by Paul Regan

I like art with an eye for the uncanny in the mundane, and the work of London-based painter Paul Regan fits that bill to a T. #image

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Not watching the New Japan show that’s on right now. Haven’t seen any of the G1 yet, either. It’s all too much #aside

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Missed out on tix to the Vermeer exhibition, drat. But you know what? We've seen some pretty amazing art in person over the years #aside

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Peak Werner Herzog moments

Vanity Fair marks the filmmaker’s 75th birthday with some of his finest remarks. Take this, on the South American jungle while filming Fitzcarraldo: “The trees here are in misery, the birds are in misery. I don’t think they sing, they just screech in pain.” [c/o LinkMachineGo] #link

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Someone on ILX said Bob Mould’s singing on ‘Chartered Trips’ sounds like Squidward trapped in a garbage can and I can never un-hear that #aside

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Finally saw A Dark Song now that it’s on Netflix. It comes highly recommended from me, if that’s worth anything #aside

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Anyway, I’ve got nearly 3 hours of old Hüsker Dü tunes to dig into today. Not bad for a Saturday #aside

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Three-plus days later and my HD preorder is finally itemised with DL available. Can’t say I’m pleased Numero opted for radio silence #aside

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No aurora, only clouds. The moon looks bright, though #aside

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Blue sky through my skylight, I haven’t seen you for days! #aside

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If Kairi gets sacrificed to the MMA gimmick sidekick (not even the one WWE cares about) then this whole tournament can gtfo #MaeYoungClassic #aside

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I'm all for heels getting heat, but Shayna Baszler should've been disqualified for not breaking that submission on Candice #MaeYoungClassic #aside

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This Deafkids record is a brain-melter; so much density for 23 minutes #aside

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My Thumped review of The Drummer and the Keeper

It’s won awards and it’s getting rave reviews, but I thought it was awful. And I get the feeling if it were anything but an Irish film it would get ripped apart. The only grace is the genuine connection between the two leads, but it’s not a saving one. #link

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My concentration is totally shot this morning; no focus at all. Looking at my to-do list doesn’t help #aside

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Everyone but Kairi: awkwardly interrupts their entrance routine to acknowledge the trophy. Kairi: Oh hai trophy didn't see you there! #aside

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Watching Clash of the Champions XII; so many Confederate flags in this Freebirds/Southern Boys opener #aside

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One bonus about Bake Off moving to C4 is being able to watch it on catch-up legally #aside

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Mia Yim is automatically on our list of Good Wrestlers because she bridges a suplex pin on her toes #aside

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Webp image files are the bane of my existence #aside

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That sinking feeling when you’ve written a bad (but honest) review of a film that’s getting raves from everyone else #aside

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So I plonked down for the HD preorder from @numerogroup a while ago but haven't yet got email confirmation. Should I be concerned? #aside

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My Letterboxd reviews for July & August 2017

The Boy and the Beast

I may not have been blogging much here, but I did ramp up my movie-watching over the summer — mostly thanks to my dive into ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series (not all of which I’ve reviewed, mind).

Among the films I watched in July and August is one of the best of the year thus far in War for the Planet of the Apes. And on average the quality has been pretty good, with only a handful of duds to speak of. More…

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Hüsker Dü, ‘Savage Young Dü’

I’ll admit I’m a tiny bit disappointed this isn’t the start of a confirmed reissue campaign (“Never say never,” says Greg Norton…) but you better believe I’m getting it. So many previously unreleased tracks! See also: Do You Remember?, a new documentary podcast on the band and their legacy. #link

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Never knew about this! All I remember is one week Flair had the Big Gold Belt and the next it was mosaic censored https://t.co/w63Bj9tGEV #aside

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Never realised so many people in my timeline were into a band named after a… ah you can fill in the rest yourself #aside

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So many feckin' MYC spoiler gifs in my timeline. Come on people, it's only been on the Network since this afternoon! #aside

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Badd/Pillman from Fall Brawl '95 on the Network just now was like Okada/Omega or something #aside

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It’s not implausible that Regina Doherty genuinely doesn’t understand photos are data. Still DQs her from being a minister, really #aside

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Rewatching the first Clash of the Champions and this Dr Death promo is pretty much at the same level as Jumpin’ Jeff Farmer #aside

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Monthnotes for July & August 2017

Wow, summer just kind of came and went, didn’t it? Nose to the grindstone for the most part, meeting deadlines and whatnot. It’s difficult to write about here, as I can’t yet show the work. But that’s the problem with writing, about anything: every day involves countless little problems that, once solved, don’t bear thinking about. Hence two months since my last update. I expect September to be a little more show-and-tell.

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The Limehouse Golem opens in Ireland today, and I quite liked it. Read my review sometime this weekend (I’ve had a long week) #aside

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September is the worst #aside

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