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

Date: May 2019

Film review — The Wandering Earth

It’s hard to put a finger on why this doesn’t quite work, but it probably has something to do with the emotional disconnect between the grounded but standard drama at its core (family and its meaning, etc) and the entirely separate, ultimately lifeless spectacle of Jupiter threatening to swallow the earth. As well as it’s technically put together, it also feels a lot longer and more meandering than it is. More…

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Only have the stomach for boiled rice and water today, ugh #aside

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Film review — Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I came out of Godzilla II feeling a lot better about it than when I went in. Are there too many humans in it? Yes, and in particular it could do without all of the family drama that feels glued on in appeal to an audience that has no business seeing a monster movie in the first place. (Vera Farmiga’s character… I don’t even know what’s going on there.) Are the monster fights smothered in darkness? Of course; we should all know by now that it hides a multitude of sins for hard-pressed CG artists. Do these things ruin the experience? Not even close to the point of exasperation. This is the direction the Legendary franchise hopefully wants to go in; not the cerebral pretensions of 2014’s seemed-good-at-the-time-but-in-hindsight-a-bit-dull Godzilla, or the cynical mean-spiritedness of Kong: Skull Island, but the popcorn crowd pleaser of the Roland Emmerich school (and I also suggest this film serves as an up-yours to said director of Godzilla ‘98). More…

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Saw the new Godzilla today. You know what? I didn’t hate it #aside

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I quite like this new/last Cave In album, people #aside

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New desktop speakers that arrived today are a tad larger than expected. But they sound great and that’s the most important thing #aside

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I hear MCD are papering Raheny with Kodaline tickets for this weekend. No freebies for the Chic concert, though, I note #aside

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‘Groot skelm’ is a great, onomatopoeic South African phrase that describes most Irish politicians #aside

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Work today was too stressful for IT-related reasons. Resolved, thankfully, but I could have done without that #aside

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It’s not out for a month yet but Auto-Portrait by Spirits Having Fun is one for your Bandcamp list. Proper off-kilter yet life-affirming vibes; if you like Palm’s Rock Island you’ll dig it https://t.co/XKlALQBtOQ #aside

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Democratic duty done. I’ll tell you, after the first three preferences it was a hell of a job putting the other 14 gobshites into sequential order #aside

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Flipper Euro tour with David Yow on vocals and Watt on bass?! But no Irish show. Boo to that #aside

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Film review — Dead Man’s Shoes

It feels like Dead Man’s Shoes one doesn’t get the love it deserves, even compared to Shane Meadows’ other work like This Is England. But it’s one of the best horror films I’ve seen, that’s for sure. Warts and all. What a crying shame it’s hardly ever regarded as such. More…

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Pouring one out for Owen Hart tonight #aside

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Film review — Spring Breakers

I was not expecting Jeff Jarrett to pop up in the first few minutes here. Anyway, he’s only on the fringes, where the promise of a more interesting story lies. The main thrust is a fairly confused mash-up of violent crime thriller, exploitation aesthetic (I do not get Spring Break; isn’t it just Rumspringa for assholes?) and Malick-esque impressionism that carries no message; it’s only provocative like someone poking you with a finger. Yet I didn’t not like it, and I can’t quite put my own finger on why. Maybe it’s because I’m reading into the depth implied but never explored. More…

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Hold up, why did no one tell me Jeff Jarrett is in Spring Breakers? #aside

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So did PAC’s US work visa not clear or what? #aside

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I’m watching Chopped for bladesmiths, which in fairness should also be called Chopped #aside

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Seven weeks into the fantasy baseball season and I’m getting pretty ruthless with my roster at this stage #aside

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WWE reportedly moving away from Sky after 37(!) years marks a sea change, for sure. I’m not quite sure it’s what everyone seems to think it is, though #aside

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I just remembered there’s a bit in John Wick 3 that puts the infamous eye splinter scene in Zombie Flesh Eaters to shame. It’s funny how times change #aside

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Funny, this guy seemed very interested when he was having the last word on a subject he was then roundly schooled on by people who know what they’re talking about https://t.co/d2ssBF8Uia #aside

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If you always wished Pelican made another record like City of Echoes, Nighttime Stories comes pretty close, even more than Forever Becoming #aside

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I have no doubts at all about the talent, passion and commitment of everyone involved with AEW. But putting on a large-scale weekly live broadcast, with the logistics of a touring show? That absolutely remains to be seen #aside

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Only two days into this year’s #njbosj and I’m already behind but that Shingo/SHO match from Day 1 was something else, eh? http://bit.ly/30kvtkN #aside

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Catching up on last night’s UFC and that main event finish looked nasty. Hope they had a concussion protocol for Namajunas; she was basically power-bombed on her head and neck https://t.co/b0CNkRWWp2 #aside

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I will be missing the start of #njbosj tomorrow morning for the John Wick press screening so all I’m saying is: Keanu, you’d better be worth my time #aside

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Silver King was only 51? That’s far too young to go #aside

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The only poem I’m proud I’ve ever written is my clerihew about Mr T #aside

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Weekend postponed till tomorrow, but at least last week is over. That was a slog and a half #aside

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The Gino Hernandez thing brought out the Wrestling Twitter gatekeepers, I see #aside

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My cold’s been gone for a week and a half but my sinuses are so congested it’s affecting my eyesight #aside

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This is a first step, but a comparison to real-time passenger info systems in other cities would be more revealing https://t.co/nsrEjsHAe1 #aside

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Nile Rodgers and Chic are playing next month in the park literally down the road from where I grew up. What a time to be alive #aside

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