AvidBards
Movies

The Mummy: The Golden Gem I Didn’t Know I Needed

You know those movies that just pass you by but they’re such huge icons in culture, and you know of them and yet have never seen it? That was The Mummy for me. Yes, the Brendan Fraser, early 2000s franchise. Until earlier this week, I had never seen The Mummy, and I’ve yet to see its sequels (though it’s on the docket for very soon). But before doing so, I wanted to put some of my thoughts down on (virtual) paper, because, surprisingly, I had a lot! The Mummy 19992h4mPG-13Action/Fantasy Director: Stephen SommersBox office: $416.4 million 61% Tomatometer7.1/10 IMDb Rating Starring: Brendan…

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Reflections

Languishing on Screen

A couple of months ago an article came out in the New York Times that made its round all over my social media. It was entitled, ‘There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing’. As many of you might be feeling, and as the rate of published articles on AvidBards might demonstrate, the urge and motivation to produce has been in short stock in recent months, and this article suggests a reason as to why that is. Described as the ‘the neglected middle child of mental health’, languishing is ‘a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels…

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Books

Books series recommended by BookTok

Reading books series recommended by BookTok so you don’t have to: Reviews by an English lit PhD student Like most people, TikTok became my saving grace throughout the numerous lockdowns in this pandemic. Need a laugh? TikTok. Need a break? TikTok. Need book recommendations? Apparently, also TikTok. Though is took me almost 6 months before I stumbled across what has affectionately come to be known as BookTok, I have thrown myself fully into the world, which for me translated to fantasy and high fantasy new adult fiction.  Always on the hunt for new reading material, I spent the last three…

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Movies

Disaster Films as Appropriated Refugee Stories

I am not sure if it’s the current situation or just a morbid fascination, but I have been binge-watching disaster films for the past few months. The disaster film is arguably one of cinema’s oldest movie genres, from the stories about Pompeii to giant monsters, there is no shortage to be found. But what really constitutes a disaster film? There are so many variations, with the relatively new-to-the-stage environmental disasters, the too-close-to-home disease and pandemic outbreaks, and the creature-from-another-world invasions. Often all housed in different categories such as thrillers or science fiction, they are all cut from the same cloth.…

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Music

The Black History of Sea Shanties

The incredibly catchy tunes and lyrics, these folk songs have garnered so much attention. But like with all things on this blog, it’s the story behind sea shanties that interests me the most. Specifically, the black history and influence on the sea faring tunes.

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Videogames

My Favourite Games I Played in 2020

It seems like an endless loop to keep hearing how much 2020 was a write-off in so many ways to so many people. And while undeniably true, I am a big believer of New Years inspiring us to look back at the year past rather than just looking forward and moving on.  In that vein, where 2020 left me quite socially deprived, it did give me a lot my time to engage in activities that  I previous considered luxuries; Things that could only be done as a reward for getting work done, or in those few and far between moments…

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