YAY a new Butt News, and for one of my favorite movies!
The thing about Pelle's parents always bothered me too. In my mind I'm like - well, maybe they have smaller festivals w/ less sacrifices sometimes and they died that way?? That's my theory.
Agree that this movie isn't scary at ALL but it's genuinely enjoyable. Have you seen The Wicker Man (original, not Nicholas Cage one - although, lol, I'd love a Butt News about that version!)? Very similar vibe/aesthetic. Folk horror is the BEST.
How if they kill off all the sorta-old people and only do this Midsommer thing every 90 years how how how does anyone even know what to do? (I mean, I know the answer is "we read the tapestry and just kind of get the vibes" but what if it's supposed to be a puppet show or something?
Ok I have not finished reading the review yet, I haven't even made it past the fifth paragraph because first I had to come here and say BRAVA for linking to mutherfucking Teen Girl Squad, a staple of my formative years. Now I probably need to watch a little don hertzfeltd for posterity/nostalgia. you are doing the lords work Lindy!!!!
I had to rewatch this before reading your review and I honestly had forgotten how funny it is and how satisfying the ending is. My favorite exchange is the one between Christian and Siv ("I think I ate one of her pubes...") It absolutely confirms my feeling that "real life" is so much scarier than any horror film. The real horror here is the suicide/murder of Dani's family, the complete jackassery of how Christian treats Dani, and how she twists herself into knots to justify that treatment ("it's my faut", "I'm lucky to have you" etc. UGH). I also picked up on a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism I missed the first time I saw it in the theater. I will argue that this has a happy ending and Dani goes on to live a happy life with her new family (at least until she's 72 then they'll toss her off a cliff).
That’s exactly what’s so perfect about this movie! Our “normal” world is the greater horror. Dani’s trapped with Christian because of just how horrifying and alienating her real life is. Between escaping back home and doing breathing/screaming exercises with her girls in the murder cult? Our world is the unlivable one. You gotta take murder cult 🌸
Plus! In an amazing semi-inversion of our sexual economy, the old women of the cult are in charge of inflicting the pregnancies. Christian & bros’ rapey milk-maid-impregnating fantasy led directly to their own destruction rather than the milkmaids/eventual babies. Maybe that’s why the movie was only “scary” to the men I talked to lol
Idk if I'd call it a happy ending, they literally love bombed her and used her recent tragedy to rope her into a cult so that they can have genetic variance while still maintaining their white, blond Nordic looks
Even before I clicked on "Burnt or Dead", I knew what to expect, but I was so happy nonetheless. Thinking (and talking) in a Teen Girl Squad voice is generally an affliction of mine, and I absolutely prefer people who can reference Homestar Runner. So glad you could work it into this overview like the old lady shoving Christian's bum.
I can't post every quote that made me laugh out, but this one got me pretty good: Christian: A dogshit boyfriend and an EVEN WORSE DEAD-DOGSHIT friend, and that’s the Christian Guarantee!
This is one of my all time favorite movies and I found it a very comforting rewatch right after the Dobb's decision. (I have so many nominees for the fire hut) Also I find myself shipping Pelle and Dani which might be super fucked up? And now I'm off to buy one of those incense holders too, thank you for this, it was hilarious.
There's an excellent YouTube video about this called something like "how Midsommar brainwashes you" that really made me appreciate the movie even more. It's the perfect cult movie, they show every phase of cult indoctrination -- love bombing someone who suffered a recent tragedy, separating her from her only remaining link to the outside world, etc. Nothing happened by accident -- she was meant to see Christian fucking that other woman, and they used that to ensure she chose him as her sacrifice vs one of their own. The outsiders they brought in were clearly chosen because of their skin color, there's some clear racism at play. She "won" the May Queen dance because they arranged that, they want her to stay so that they can have genetic variance but she still looks like one of them. They told Josh that that little house was off limits and he couldn't see their book because they knew he'd break the rules and that would be their excuse to kill him. The sacred log thing was probably made up, too. Pelles parents probably didn't die in a fire, he just said that so that she would identify with him and trust him. They also use the constant daylight and the drugs to keep them all constantly disoriented. We're disoriented, too, as viewers, because everything is so aesthetically pleasing and we've been rooting for her from the very beginning, so we get love bombed just like her. We hate Christian from the very beginning so we don't feel bad when he's chosen to die a really horrible death. We don't feel bad for Josh or Mark, either, because they broke serious rules. We don't really care about Connie and Simon because we didn't know them.
Hi Lindy, I wanted to start off by saying I love Buttnews and have been following you since the Jezebel days. That being said, however, Substack has publicly come out and said they will not be removing the Nazis that have proliferated on their platform. That they believe it would do more harm than good to silence them. I cannot in good conscience, especially as a Jew, continue to support a platform like this. I would hope that you feel the same. I was curious if you had any plans on moving Buttnews off of Substack because I would really hate to have to stop reading/listening. I have linked pertinent articles in case you hadn’t heard the news.
Brilliant as always. I can't decide which is the funniest line. "Christian: A dogshit boyfriend and an EVEN WORSE DEAD-DOGSHIT friend, and that’s the Christian Guarantee!" or "Ulf: [ULF SOBBING]". Someone help me decide.
So good (as always), Lindy! Sincerely, Terri, age 42 😀
YAY a new Butt News, and for one of my favorite movies!
The thing about Pelle's parents always bothered me too. In my mind I'm like - well, maybe they have smaller festivals w/ less sacrifices sometimes and they died that way?? That's my theory.
Agree that this movie isn't scary at ALL but it's genuinely enjoyable. Have you seen The Wicker Man (original, not Nicholas Cage one - although, lol, I'd love a Butt News about that version!)? Very similar vibe/aesthetic. Folk horror is the BEST.
How if they kill off all the sorta-old people and only do this Midsommer thing every 90 years how how how does anyone even know what to do? (I mean, I know the answer is "we read the tapestry and just kind of get the vibes" but what if it's supposed to be a puppet show or something?
Ok I have not finished reading the review yet, I haven't even made it past the fifth paragraph because first I had to come here and say BRAVA for linking to mutherfucking Teen Girl Squad, a staple of my formative years. Now I probably need to watch a little don hertzfeltd for posterity/nostalgia. you are doing the lords work Lindy!!!!
Yessss to Teen Girl Squad!
I had to rewatch this before reading your review and I honestly had forgotten how funny it is and how satisfying the ending is. My favorite exchange is the one between Christian and Siv ("I think I ate one of her pubes...") It absolutely confirms my feeling that "real life" is so much scarier than any horror film. The real horror here is the suicide/murder of Dani's family, the complete jackassery of how Christian treats Dani, and how she twists herself into knots to justify that treatment ("it's my faut", "I'm lucky to have you" etc. UGH). I also picked up on a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism I missed the first time I saw it in the theater. I will argue that this has a happy ending and Dani goes on to live a happy life with her new family (at least until she's 72 then they'll toss her off a cliff).
That’s exactly what’s so perfect about this movie! Our “normal” world is the greater horror. Dani’s trapped with Christian because of just how horrifying and alienating her real life is. Between escaping back home and doing breathing/screaming exercises with her girls in the murder cult? Our world is the unlivable one. You gotta take murder cult 🌸
Plus! In an amazing semi-inversion of our sexual economy, the old women of the cult are in charge of inflicting the pregnancies. Christian & bros’ rapey milk-maid-impregnating fantasy led directly to their own destruction rather than the milkmaids/eventual babies. Maybe that’s why the movie was only “scary” to the men I talked to lol
Idk if I'd call it a happy ending, they literally love bombed her and used her recent tragedy to rope her into a cult so that they can have genetic variance while still maintaining their white, blond Nordic looks
Even before I clicked on "Burnt or Dead", I knew what to expect, but I was so happy nonetheless. Thinking (and talking) in a Teen Girl Squad voice is generally an affliction of mine, and I absolutely prefer people who can reference Homestar Runner. So glad you could work it into this overview like the old lady shoving Christian's bum.
Butt News 5eva
I can't post every quote that made me laugh out, but this one got me pretty good: Christian: A dogshit boyfriend and an EVEN WORSE DEAD-DOGSHIT friend, and that’s the Christian Guarantee!
Ibsen-with-big-eyes really got me.
"Ever wonder how I got two spouses?? It took a LOTTA PUBES." had me in absolute stitches, thank you so much. It's true!
This is one of my all time favorite movies and I found it a very comforting rewatch right after the Dobb's decision. (I have so many nominees for the fire hut) Also I find myself shipping Pelle and Dani which might be super fucked up? And now I'm off to buy one of those incense holders too, thank you for this, it was hilarious.
Is there a way to stream Thin Skin?
Yes, you can stream it at the Amazon link above!
This is an absolutely perfect run down of this movie. Great work!
There's an excellent YouTube video about this called something like "how Midsommar brainwashes you" that really made me appreciate the movie even more. It's the perfect cult movie, they show every phase of cult indoctrination -- love bombing someone who suffered a recent tragedy, separating her from her only remaining link to the outside world, etc. Nothing happened by accident -- she was meant to see Christian fucking that other woman, and they used that to ensure she chose him as her sacrifice vs one of their own. The outsiders they brought in were clearly chosen because of their skin color, there's some clear racism at play. She "won" the May Queen dance because they arranged that, they want her to stay so that they can have genetic variance but she still looks like one of them. They told Josh that that little house was off limits and he couldn't see their book because they knew he'd break the rules and that would be their excuse to kill him. The sacred log thing was probably made up, too. Pelles parents probably didn't die in a fire, he just said that so that she would identify with him and trust him. They also use the constant daylight and the drugs to keep them all constantly disoriented. We're disoriented, too, as viewers, because everything is so aesthetically pleasing and we've been rooting for her from the very beginning, so we get love bombed just like her. We hate Christian from the very beginning so we don't feel bad when he's chosen to die a really horrible death. We don't feel bad for Josh or Mark, either, because they broke serious rules. We don't really care about Connie and Simon because we didn't know them.
Literally one of my favorite movies ever.
Hi Lindy, I wanted to start off by saying I love Buttnews and have been following you since the Jezebel days. That being said, however, Substack has publicly come out and said they will not be removing the Nazis that have proliferated on their platform. That they believe it would do more harm than good to silence them. I cannot in good conscience, especially as a Jew, continue to support a platform like this. I would hope that you feel the same. I was curious if you had any plans on moving Buttnews off of Substack because I would really hate to have to stop reading/listening. I have linked pertinent articles in case you hadn’t heard the news.
https://www.businessinsider.com/substack-nazi-problem-free-speech-money-analysis-2023-12
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/business/substack-nazis-content-moderation.html
Brilliant as always. I can't decide which is the funniest line. "Christian: A dogshit boyfriend and an EVEN WORSE DEAD-DOGSHIT friend, and that’s the Christian Guarantee!" or "Ulf: [ULF SOBBING]". Someone help me decide.
“Always trust knitting celebrities!” WORD.