I need your help guys. I'm usually very professional and work in a field with high ranking people. I've been working here for a year and some change and have been told my my immediate report that my performance is much better than the guy who i replaced(I'll call the guy I replaced Dylan) But we both report to a high ranking person who i will call John for the purposes of this question.
Anyway... In the months leading up to the guy I replaced being let go i noticed that John has a habit of trying to humiliate or making people look like a fool in front of the whole team by asking absurd questions and then throwing little fits when he doesn't get the right answer back. I watched him do this to Dylan in front of everyone before and Dylan just sat there and took it.
John had never done this to me, until a few days ago when he started asking me absurd questions which were outside the scope of my presentation and which my immediate report did not tell me to prepare for. John kept asking really technical questions and trying to put me under pressure by saying 'think about it now' and when i said I didn't know he would turn to the team and say that we all need to know our job (basically saying i don't know what I'm talking about) and he just kept doing this slide after slide. And 40 min into my presentation i noticed that it was HE who had spent the majority of the time talking.
Anyway this kept going but I felt like he was trying to make a fool out of me in front of everyone. My job is to have a broad understanding of the topic but he kept asking questions that would be more appropriate for an engineer to answer. Anyway .... Everytime I would say that I didn't know exactly he would roll his eyes and keep turning towards the team and spout out stuff as if he was schooling us.
This kept going and I eventually kind of lost my cool because it was obvious he was trying to destroy my credibility in front of everyone. The last thing we said was "you know what I don't know" but I will admit it had a slight tone.
After that happened he said "I've had enough" and then he slapped his pen into the printout i had given him and slapped his book on the table and turned towards my immediate report and said "if you can't find someone who does know then find someone who does" which i took as a threat to fire me / him trying to hold my job over my head. Then he got up and walked back to his office. About an hour later i was told to telework from home for the next few days.
I understand i lost my patience but I don't feel like his behavior is appropriate and I'm not going to let him treat me like he did Dylan. I honestly feel like he tries to make a fool out of people during their presentations... Like he gets a kick out of it.
What should I do?

Hi, I've been only four times in movie theatres in my entire life, which is kind of strange because nowadays everyone and especially teenagers go there but for me it wasn't a thing until I decided to go there on my own, the first experience was 50/50 bad and good at the same time, well I have noticed that my ears can't really get with loud sound levels in cinema, Today I went to cinema to watch "Fast X", But the worst part was that I had realised the movie was going to be really loud and I should have brought there ear plugs which I considered it weird and that's why I didn't bring them, so I'm watching the movie and It's louder than people who are screaming while burning in Hell 😀, I've also been to "Guardians of Galaxy", the new one, it was loud but not as loud as "Fast X". I've been worrying about it for hours now, Would it have damaged my hearing? Next time, Should I bring ear plugs ? Or is it just me who isn't used to cinemas yet.

So I have the classic “loud brain chatter radio channel switching” type of thoughts. I have been paying more attention to my thoughts and I just realized how fucking strangely my brain thinks. Part of me thinks adhd is the cause but I’m curious if anyone else relates or if there is another issue going on. Here are some examples:

1. Was scrolling through Instagram and I saw a video of three Indian girls dancing. I saw that some random guy from work liked it and I think “I’m Indian and kind of look like the middle girl so maybe I’m his type. maybe he has a crush on me, remember that one time when..”. Im not attracted to this guy at all, I don’t care in the slightest what his type is, I don’t want to pursue him or anything like that and no, I’m not in denial. I dont want him to have a crush on me. He’s a random guy I speak to once every few months at most. But I catch myself going on these weird tangents about random people all day and I feel like a narcissist or something.
   
2. I posted a video on my social media and a very specific random picture popped up into my head of my crush from 5 years ago looking at the video, looking up the song I tagged, and adding it to his Spotify. Like what???? So oddly specific and it just popped into mind.
   
3. Bought a dragon fruit from the market then went home and started daydreaming that I was raised on a tropical island and had to grow dragon fruit for a living. The whole time I was cutting up the fruit my mind was wandering. I ate it, then started getting ready for a date. I ended up daydreaming about my date and I living on an island and raising our child on the beach. Like, such a an intense fantasy.
   
4. I saw a girl who looked like my younger sisters childhood friend who I haven’t seen in decades. I then decided to look up the girl on Instagram and I ended up social media stalking her and other random people from our childhood for an hour.
   
5. My boss mentioned that she likes Taylor swift and I started thinking about how if she ever asked me to play music for the office, I wouldn’t be able to play Taylor swift without looking like a suck up. Like when will she realistically ever ask me to play music??
   

I feel like such a weirdo sometimes and now that i am more conscious of these thoughts, I get anxiety whenever I notice them. Was I dropped on my head as a kid?? Am I a narcissist that thinks everything revolves around me? What is wrong with me.

i have been told so many times “oh yeah being a cashier is easy!!” NO. IT IS NOT. ANYONE WHO DISAGREES..STFU!! try to be on the register for 8 HOURS STRAIGHT, no breaks, nothing. just constant people and them being FUCKING STUPID i’m so sick of this i’m sick of everyone and eberything i want to QUIT but i can’t because i need a car first BUT GODDAMN I AM SO SICK OF EVERYOJE WHO COMES IN THIS STORE AND TREATS ME LIKE SHIT. like bitch i’m not fucking telepathic?? how am i supposed to know where anything is in the back when i can barely even go in the front.. i fucking hate this, i hate my store i love SOME of my coworkers and i hate almost all the customers because goddamn they’re stupid as hell.

There is probably no karma. No deity keeping count, no higher being to mold us into moral behavior through punishment and reward. Life is probably highly random, and we can be pretty sure that all of us have great highs and great lows before we die.
So I know that whenever you encounter your next Great Low, it won’t be because of how you treated me. No one will make you see sense by giving you a particular bout of bad luck. The universe cares as much about you as it does about me: zero.
And of course, as a good sport, I won’t do anything to harm you. I don’t even actively wish you bad things. Hatred eats the soul of the hater, and all that jazz.
But the thought that something bad will inevitably happen to you, someday. The thought that you will experience grief, pain, sadness, anger, disbelief, denial. The thought that at some point, SOMETHING will break through that seemingly impenetrable, cheerful barrier of yours, something will slid right past your talisman of potent, selfish happiness. The thought that someday in the future, you will be devastated, if even only for a little while…
… pulls me through these dark times of mine, which, on a side note you DID cause. And these times will pass, too.
There is no winning or losing between us, but there is passing. And the difference between us is that I already know.
I’ve got the marshmallows ready, babe.

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
First dog that I am primarily responsible before but experienced in training not necessarily caring for a dog
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
I would prefer to rescue a dog
3) Describe your ideal dog.
Small to medium sized. Happy loving and hungry
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
I’m not sure I was looking at beagles recently
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
My dog will be trained on his day to day and his capacity to continue to learn beyond that would be stimulated but I don’t really want my dog to do “something”
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
No
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
2 hours max
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
For me I understand the dog needs daily exercise but some days it’s 20-30 min and other days I have 2-3 hours of walking. For reference I averaged 3.5 miles walked per day working from home last year. I’ve walked/hiked 20+ miles in a day though
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
I do not want to regularly have to brush and trim hair. I have significant issues with my hands that make things like that difficult. I would hire someone if I could not perform
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
30-50 lbs
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Barking and slobber are eh prefer not to much shedding but definitely not a deal breaker I’m outside a lot so I track in my fair share of dirt
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Not important
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
I want a dog that is ok if I give it tons of attention but I’m gone for 8 hours
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Does not matter to me we are all our own person or in this case dog 🙂
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
Someone at the house let me know I live in a semi secluded area on a walk or in a park i definitely want them to be friendly to people and dogs
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
I can manage and train a dog that reacts incorrectly but would prefer not to have to do that
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
No
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
I’m gone for 4-8 hours every day, but I’m a giver I go out of my way to give to others so I’d prefer a dog who isn’t going to freak out
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
N/a
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
N/a
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
N/a
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
Own home
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds
N/a USA no covenants
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
North Carolina hot and cold
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
Just looking for a Best bud to share a large home that I live in alone. I cook and walk/hike a decent amount so a buddy to enjoy that with
26) Feel free to ask any questions below

We're replacing old galvanized pipes in our 1956 home. I'm trying to avoid plastics for ecological and toxicity reasons. PVC is just about as bad as plastic can be on that score, and it being noisier doesn't thrill me, either.
Are there any good non-plastic options for drain lines in modern plumbing? From what I'm reading, I can't tell if cast iron is still an option or just a historical artifact.
Our water is treated with chloramines, has low-moderate hardness, and a neutral to slightly acid pH.

My ~3yr old ~4lb female lop has issues leaving large clumps of cecotropes around her pen, which also get stuck in her fur and are difficult to clean out. We’ve brought this up to our vet multiple times, but our vet always seems to dismiss it and acts like it’s not a problem. I wish I could get a second opinion from another vet but all the other offices in our area have not been accepting patients. Does anyone have any input on this? She eats very well, and gets unlimited hay, a bowl of salad twice a day, 1/4 cup pellets, and the occasional oxbow treat or carrot.

So for my finaly project for university i wanted to make a 2d 3d hybrid film - everything was quickly cobbled together and this is my first ever project on blender. I want to be able to have the hair's on the tree and leaves to be moving to the wind and reacting to the grease pencil character. Now, I know that the grease pencil isn't treated as an object - it can't cast shadows or really interact with stuffs.
I was wondering what the best course of action would be in order to get that hair moving with the wind and the reacting to the character? You can kind of see the type of "hair" im using, its more so fur like on a fluffy stuffed toy. So far, the dynamic hair animation has not been the greatest: the hair shoots out of the world even with - i think its called - pinning put on high, the entire physics of the hair would just break and only point downwards like a stick. I can't recreate these issues right now as baking currently crashed blender instantly (I am not worried about this as I assume this is an issue because of the new experiemental or something blender version 3.6 with geometry node simulation).
I guess im looking for either advice for a workflow that can achieve this or another way to animate hair - even if its painful as all hell (i've been pencil and paper animating for a while so im used and willing to experience of combing hair to animate).
https://preview.redd.it/c9xutn619v3b1.png?width=1916&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fe69095380a7bb17739a0f2f270b3d763a15313

I very recently got promoted to supervisor on my audit team which means that among other things it’s now my job to make sure agents are appropriately using their time at night. My supervisor doesn’t care if we have our phones at the desk as long as we are not on them when there are guests in the lobby and we aren’t playing music or a show loudly. We have an employee who is on the younger side and she has a tendency to act out when she doesn’t get her way. Doesn’t get the schedule she wants? Emails our managers supervisor (and then is of course told this is a job and she’ll work the hours she’s scheduled). Gets told we won’t have set days off through the busy season and we need to request off when we need days off, requests the next ten weekends off for no reason (which is of course denied because that’s not how jobs work), isn’t fond of a coworker or is having a bad day, literally will not talk to you even if you ask her a direct question (which does nothing but make her look even younger than she is not to mention childish and prevent work from happening efficiently ). So yesterday I’m working with her, the lobby is finally empty, and she takes out her phone, calls someone, and puts them on speakerphone AT THE DESK. Now maybe some of you are allowed to do this overnight but we most definitely are not. And I personally think it looks horrible if a guest were to come down and she didn’t see them or something. So I just gently say put your phone away please you can’t be on it at work, you can text but not call. So she rolls her eyes, tells the guy she has to go and proceeds to give me attitude and tell me our manager said she could and she’s always on her phone. So I said oh really he says you can talk, out loud, on your phone, at the desk? And she says yeah, why, are you going to tell on me? Am I, as your supervisor, going to tell our manager that you were not only on your phone but then gave me shit and I lied when I asked you to put it away? Again, I feel like we need lesson on how jobs work here because, yea, of course I am! It’s literally in my job description, supervise staff and report to manager. So I ask him if she had permission, he said fuck no and sent an email about phones at the desk and I proceeded to work an eight hour shift in silence and being ignore when I said anything which made working with her super fun and easy 😒I understand that it often takes time and experience to curb a lot of the issues we’ve been having with her, but $1.50 raise isn’t enough to babysit children who throw tantrums at their place of business. I just want to look at her and say “grow up”. I’m trying really hard to be kind and maintain a professional if not great relationship but she’s testing me friends

I don't know what to do.I have been raised Catholic my whole life. I've been taught that leaving the Catholic faith is a mortal sin. But I don't understand Catholic masses, I don't understand Catholic bible studies. I don't understand Catholic bibles. I wanted a bible that would help me take notes in but every single good bible is a protestant bible and I've always been told not to get those. They've always said that those protestant bibles don't teach the faith right and that they're wrong but they're the only bibles who actually try to help people to better understand the bible. There's a lot more resources to understand the bible with protestants so I don't know what to do. They've told me to get books that help explain the bible more like The Word on Fire bible but me reading that huge book is so hard for me to stay focused. I attended one bible study in my church but all they did was give us homework with really difficult questions where we had to dive into the bible and find the answers (I loved this). I thought when we attended the class again that we would discuss the answers more, but no. We just watched an hour video on the lesson (that made me zone out and start dozing off. I don't remember anything that lady said in the video except for when times are tough, say "come holy spirit" and that's all i got from those 5 videos i've seen from those bible studies) and went around reading off our answers. I really wanted to discuss the bible and answer the questions together as a group. I can never find that in a Catholic church community in my town. I want to find good devotional CATHOLIC book but I can't find any good ones.
Another thing is NFP. I do not agree with natural family planning. I would love to be able to get married and not HAVE to be open to life. Yes, I want kids. But I want to be able to have comfort in knowing that I'm not going to have a kid when we can't financially support one. Catholics have told said, "yes, but that's a good reason to use NFP to avoid. You can be intimate when your spouse isn't fertile." which is like less than a week each month and even at that, there's a chance of falling pregnant. I just don't think this is fair.
I am struggling so much with this. I love being Catholic but I also want to learn more and understand my faith with God as well because I don't know anything about the bible. Our masses we just read from the bible but I don't understand the bible at all. So half of the time when I go to mass, my grandmother asks what I learned and I always said I didn't remember. Catholic masses are so confusing to me. And any books trying to help me understand are so serious and I fall bored trying to read it, I can't stay focused.
I also don't want to give up going to confessions with a priest either. I believe in confessions. Praying the rosary has helped me numerous times and asking saints to pray for me on my behalf has also helped me. I don't want to get rid of those things that protestants don't believe in.I am stuck. I don't know what else to do.
What are your thoughts?
Is anyone a former Catholic or a Catholic going through the same thing as me or a non-catholic in general that could give me some advice?

This week I was on vacation in Bucharest. Yesterday I went to a pharmacy in Bucharest to buy some nasal spray and in front of me in line there was a guy, a young man, buying something. The pharmacist lady was talking to him and unconsciously I heard that she said something about a student, she probably asked the client a question, to which he answered "no" in an extremely trembling voice and in a different tone. I looked up to look at them and I saw him reach out to take his wallet out of his pocket, but he dropped it on the floor. And when he was looking for the money in it to pay, his fingers were running between the bills as if he was unable to grasp any of them. After he paid, and the pharmacist handed him the bag of medicines, he grabbed it hard, paused for a second, and then turned around and walked out with quick, in pressed steps as if he was at the speed walking Olympics.
Passing by, later in the evening when I was returning from visiting some museums around Bucharest (by the way, beautiful city!) I saw that boy again in front of the same pharmacy waiting for an old woman who was just leaving the pharmacy. that woman was crying and that boy looked a bit guilty, gloomy as if he was caught doing something wrong. I would like to ask you, did something happen to a student in Bucharest these days or what was the phase? That boy didn't seem to have a lot of money or to be extremely rich, but he wasn't poor either, but he looked as if he had done some tricks with some pharmacies to make money
from what happened, something makes me believe that I witnessed a mother whose child, being a student, was killed/suffered something bad. was a student killed in Bucharest these days? is there a drug world? cartels?

i was just recently released from a behavioral hospital where they put me in abilify for anxiety and vitamin b6 for nausea. while i was there i felt fine but after i was released i wasn’t taking the b6, after a few days the akathisia set in and got so severe i went to the ER, they gaslighted me into thinking it was purely anxiety and shipped me off to a psych ward, the psychiatrist there knew immediately it wasn’t anxiety and that it was akathisia, they gave me ativan and propranolol and it knocked me out, they released me the next day as mentally i did not need to be there. I am still struggling with the restless feeling, does anyone have any tips or tricks that help? i went out and got the vitamins and they seem to help a little bit but i don’t know how to stay still :(

English: grape

1. the plant which bears this fruit
   
2. a mangy tumor on the leg of a horse
   
3. a well-known edible berry growing in pendent clusters or bunches on the grapevine. the berries are smooth-skinned, have a juicy pulp, and are cultivated in great quantities for table use and for making wine and raisins
   

––––––––––––
Translations

• Catalan: raïm
  
• Chinese: 葡萄
  
• Esperanto: vinbero
  
• French: raisin
  
• Galician: uva
  
• German: die Weinbeere
  
• Hindi: अंगुर
  
• Italian: uva
  
• Portuguese: uva
  
• Spanish: uva
  
• Swedish: vindruva
  

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Word of The Hour's Annual Survey @ https://wordofthehour.org/form

Should I cut ties with my (best)friend?
Should I (18F) cut ties with my (best)friend (18F)?
Hey everyone, I wanted to get your prospective on a matter that’s been bugging me for te last few months. My (best)friend, let’s call her M., and I have known each other for 7/8 years and through all of them we’ve been close and supportive of each other. We’ve gone through a lot in all these years and we were always there, no matter what was going on.
This last year though, we’ve grown apart a lot, ever since she made a new friend, a girl who’s really similar to her that’s in her same class (we’re not in the same classes). I’m happy for her, I really am glad to see that she finally gets along with somebody, but at the same time it also feels like she only was my friend so she wouldn’t be alone and because she knew that I would support her no matter what (from giving her my notes to listening to her 100th rant about her toxic bf. Btw he’s a real jerk but she always refuses to listen to my advice, because she’s afraid of being alone, that she’ll never find anyone again).
We used to text a lot, not necessarily talking but even just sending a TikTok or a funny post said a lot, it was our way of saying “I’m thinking of you”. One day I suddenly realized “Hey, I’m the only one sending stuff these days” and that she’d always answer with a brief text, no more than two/three words. So I thought I’d see what would happen if I stopped sending stuff. Turns out we stopped chatting and that we’d only speak briefly when we saw each other by chance in the hallway at school or when she’d come see me to my classroom (and even then she’d say “oh my friend isn’t at school today” which basically means that without me she’d be alone).
I don’t want to be her second-rate friend anymore. I can’t be the only one who’s keeping this friendship alive, I think I deserve to be more than just a safety net for when other people aren’t available.
Also we don’t have a lot of things in common, and our political views are opposite. She never takes things very seriously, so even talking with her about important matters is impossible. She’ll get all defensive and take it personally, when really all we’re having is a normal conversation (I do it with my other friend all the time). So we can’t really talk about anything. The only thing we do talk about is sex/sexual preferences, but that’s because we know each other so we’ll that it’s become sort of a routine to talk about our experiences.
Anyway
I’ve tried keeping my distance but I’ve found it hard to actually go through with it. I keep on doubting myself, thinking “what if I’m wrong and delusional? What if it’s all just in my head?” I don’t want to lose our friendship over nothing but at the same time I’m really starting to resent her for never being there for me when I actually needed her and taking me for granted instead.
Once I used to call her my best friend without a single doubt. Now I’ll say she’s my best friend and then I’ll think “Is she really though?” We hardly ever speak and we only see each other by chance and only for a few minutes at most. Or are we just people who used to be close… Hell, once we didn’t go out for 3 months to celebrate her birthday because she was “busy” (her birthday is on the 31st of January and we “celebrated” it in the middle of April). But then I’d see her Instagram stories of her going out with her friend when she’d told me that she couldn’t go out because she had to study. Yeah right. Is it too much to ask? For her to celebrate her 18th birthday with one of her oldest friends? I mean in three whole months she couldn’t find one (1) hour to have lunch with me.
Is this even friendship at this point? I used to think we’d always be friends, I couldn’t imagine being without he. Now…. I’m barely holding on, because I’m so attached to our friendship, I don’t want to lose it. And at the same time I grieve for what we used to be an for what could’ve been. How did we go from having lunch every Friday to this?
Anyway, sorry about the rant, but I really needed to get this out. What should I do, in you opinion? Am I right for wanting to distance myself from her? Or should I try to reconnect with her?
TL;dr My best friend and I aren’t really friends anymore but I don’t want to lose our friendship. What should I do?

Hello everyone! Summer is almost here. It is the favorite time of the year for many. We will be making our way to the beaches, outdoor concerts, visiting the library, the zoo, exotic countries and Islands, and much more fun travel, activities, celebrations, and meetups.
Anyway, please remember that this month–on June 11, 2023, is National Children’s Day. National Children’s Day is a day to honor our children. It is a special day to recognize the goodness that children bring into our lives. As siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and those of us who are in constant contact with youths, it is a day of reflection, and reassurance that we are there for every child.
Children are the future. They are the ones who will inherit the world, build, and improves it, and make it much better for generations to come. Children bring with them a ray of sunshine, joy, eagerness for learning, and a unique curiosity. They are very loving and appreciative of our endless love, care, support, and protection for them. Hopefully, some of us will read this blog with our little ones at their sides, even if they are not yet reading at this level.
I write interesting, fun, and educational books for children because they deserve it, and much more. In the recently released book, My Island Jamaica. The hero Marc is very knowledgeable of what is taking place on the Island. Some things are good, and other things not so much.
Although Marc’s Island is limited in opportunities, Marc has decided that one day he will be the one to make his Island better. If you have not yet done so, you may treat your child to a paperback, or an eBook of My Island Jamaica. I can assure you that you will be happy with your purchase.
See what ideas the little ones can adopt from the main character Marc. The link is www.amazon.com/authoalexandriajsnowdon Also, you are free to leave your reviews. Until next time take care. Love always, and Happy Reading.

I don't have any major side effects, or physical effects at all, when my medications turns on but I've started to notice I get reddish cheeks approximately a hour after I've felt the medications beginning to ebb out.
It's nothing major and I didn't really think about out it until my partner pointed it out.
Now I feel naked in a sense, before my disorder was hidden - I think so at least - and knowing my it's now visibel to the outside world when my medications wears off freaks me out.
Is this something you guys have experienced and how do you handle it? Because it really makes me self-conscious.

Requirements:
-Storytelling (being good with pacing, music and sound effects) as the channel with be a documentary/informative channel
-Has to know about Fortnite and is familiar with the general history of the game
-Experience with graphics and smooth titles. (AE experience would be a bonus but it will be needed if the channel succeeds. )
-Experience with using stock footage and youtube videos.
-Experience with creating montages would be a positive
Pay:
-$10-15/hr , most videos will take generally 3-8 hours. Depending on the video of course, but for the first few videos the work will be in the 3-5 hour range. As the channel grows, so will the pay and the bonuses.
*You can comment here with some of your work or just message me.

Was looking for a lazy afternoon horror to put on, scrolled past this on Max and thought despite absolutely adoring The Ring I truly couldn’t remember anything about the sequel.
About an hour in now and jeez this is quite the stinker. Even brushing aside the distractingly bad acting from the kid (not his fault, he’s a kid, but whew), this movie just reeks of a shoehorned follow-up to a film that had a fairly tightly wrapped ending.
It reminds me a bit of Freddy’s Revenge, where we take a seemingly established character in Samara and turn it into something completely different. Combine the change in direction with the literal change in directors and we just end up with a mess.
Plot aside, the film is just ugly and has an odd direct to video feel. Gore Verbinski’s first Ring film is gorgeous, with an impeccable aesthetic and very cohesive visual design. This one feels like it can’t decide whether it wants to re-create that or do it’s own thing and suffers greatly for it.
The pacing and lack of engaging mystery is also a big letdown compared to the first. Scenes seem half-hazardously put together with no real momentum building. The tone feels off straight from the get-go with the opening kill and just never really recovers.
Any thoughts on this one? I remember not being the biggest fan of the Ringu follow-ups either but at least had a better time than this one.