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

Date: December 2020

The week started with outpourings of grief and love in my timeline for Brodie Lee. It ends with the same for MF DOOM #aside

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I had a ticket to see OXES once, but for whatever reason I didn’t go. Anyway, to make up for that I’ve got the remaster of their first album and it rules #aside

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I’m usually fine with dramatic licence, but even I thought the Cro-Mags shirt in Bridgerton was a bit much #aside

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Been spinning this one a lot the last few days. If you’ve ever heard the original mix test pressing, this redux is vastly superior > @MacDara #aside

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Film review — Black Circle

Pretensions of Cronenberg meeting Lovecraft in this faulty Swedish horror, which nicks concepts from a number recent, better films (It Follows, Get Out) but really falters by telling rather than showing — and telling far too much. More…

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Film review — Friedkin Uncut

Like the similar overview of De Palma a few years ago, this could only be a taster of an idiosyncratic career in film, so for me it’s a step down from Leap of Faith, which really gets into the nitty gritty of what makes William Friedkin tick. More…

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No, I can’t with the Brodie Lee news. It’s not right #aside

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Film review — Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

Far and away the best thing on Shudder right now. It’s less the director on The Exorcist itself as it is about the philosophy behind it, and Friedkin’s own filmmaking philosophy. He’s a learned guy with an enthusiasm for culture in general, and he’s refreshingly honest about working on instinct and going places that even he doesn’t understand all these years later. More…

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It might not be much to you, but I’m grateful I got to enjoy Xmas dinner on the actual day for the first time since 2017 #aside

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As the date dictates, here’s your annual message from the good people of Saccharine Trust > YouTube #aside

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TIL the ‘Da Vinki’ twins are wrestlers? And Colt Cabana of all people introduced them to TikTok? Everything’s a work #aside

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Last post before Christmas had The Last’s ‘lost’ second album Look Again which sounds pretty damn good to me #image

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Film review — The Church

Bava’s Demons but in a church, basically, but with an understatedness that’s peculiar for this kind of thing: subtle characterisations, comparatively little gore and an eye for arresting arthouse imagery. More…

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Film review — The Midnight Sky

The Midnight Sky seems to operate under the assumption that holding off on explaining to the audience the cause of its cataclysmic event will keep us intrigued enough to carry on watching despite its thoroughly lazy chain of sci-fi/daddy-issues cliches. I mean, I saw it through to the end (at 1.5x speed, mind) but you don’t have to be such a masochist. More…

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It’s been months and months and months and I am sick of most everyone, govt and public alike, not giving a shit about how to properly act on or behave in this pandemic > @MacDara #aside

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Happy Wednesday! I’m off the day job for a week, and I got a Secret Santa card from one of my new colleagues. Not a bad aul’ day so far > @MacDara #aside

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Bobby Duke isn’t the only reason to keep on going. But it’s one of them > @ScaredyCatsYT #aside

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Today’s post had the 2013 vinyl remaster of Sugar’s Copper Blue and Beaster. Getting this was a good idea. Do you see? #aside

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Went out early for the big shop and saw a seal #image

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I don’t believe it: after an entire month in postal limbo, my US Maple LP is on the move again! > @MacDara #aside

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This is the worst news. I didn’t know Lync, but Love as Laughter were a deadly band. RIP Sam Jayne > @pitchfork #aside

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It’s that time of year when I surprise myself at how much worse my handwriting has got #aside

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Sure lookit, Tomb Mold are deadly, this song is good, but if ever the ‘make it sound slick for radio’ mix was a redundant move… > @20buckspinlabel #aside

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So, this thing I ordered from the US that arrived in Dublin nearly a month ago and disappeared between the plane and An Post: would it be held up in customs? And who would I contact to find out? #aside

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Just done watching TakeOver. The last five minutes of the men’s War Games were brilliant but it was far, far too long, again. The women’s match was more consistent and engrossing, and much better paced #aside

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Three weeks since this supposedly arrived in Dublin… and I just got an email from An Post saying they never received it > @MacDara #aside

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In fairness I left it late to hit the shops ‘early’ but I came straight back home. Aldi was jammed, I didn’t even check the Lidl. You’re all out of your minds > @MacDara #aside

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Whelan’s, Dublin, Dec 2007: a fight broke out at a High on Fire show, but Matt Pike calmed that shit right down. Take that, Ian MacKaye! > @Yung_Frisk #aside

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Official Ireland is bigoted to the rotten core. If it weren’t, this wouldn’t be happening > @SorchaPollak #aside

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I wasn’t going to get anything this Bandcamp Day, but then I remembered that Big Ups story where yer man from Deafheaven recommended an album as sounding like late-period SST so I had to, really #aside

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Pat Patterson and the Toecutter on the same day is a bit much, 2020 #aside

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