Cabrillo Monument. The place was full of people with room still to move around.

Turning up the volume

On the 4th this year we went to the Point Loma Cabrillo Monument to watch the fireworks with another couple (“Bring it, 2019,” Best Buys, January 2). We brought a small cooler and chairs. Hotdogs, veggies and chips. I brought my bluetooth speaker and set it up with 4th of July music. The place was full of people with room still to move around in several areas. A women came over and said she was so happy we brought it to listen to the radio simulcast of the fireworks. Folks were laced along all the wall and pathways like ants. We listened to Pandora generic 4th of July music while having our hotdogs and chips. The mood was happy as folks around us smiled. Passer bys gave us thumbs up. Not loud harsh music, just right. Until a mid- aged women came over and said we have to shut it down. “Why”!!! Because, she said, not everyone has the same music venue. She said, besides, it isn’t allowed during the ceremony. Only earbuds are. I didn’t get mad. I just shut it down to avoid trouble with the event staff or perish the thought from the park rangers. Throngs of us all watched quietly with the bombs bursting in air miles away. It was our first time there for the 4th. We will not be going back next year. It cost $50 per car to get into the park. Zero tolerance for an event that is well known and advertised for its radio simulcast of patriotic music.

• Paris vonRabenau
• Ocean Beach

Midsommar poster. It is only right to provide an appropriate buffer warning.

Midsommar’s nightmare

I feel like it is only right to provide an appropriate buffer warning before seeing this movie (Midsommar, Movie Reviews). It is not for the faint of heart. If you have a weak relationship, have recently lost a family member, suffer from bipolar disorder, chronic depression, or are traveling to rural Scandinavia you might want to hold off on viewing this until it is released digitally. Midsommar is about tragedy, dishonesty, and catharsis. They try to advertise this as a horror movie, and while there are some creepy moments, it really isn’t horror. This movie is going to turn off a lot of viewers. Not a lot of violence, but has very disturbing imagery, up-close male and female nudity and sexuality.

Without giving too much away, the movie has literally one gore sequence and it is not visceral at all, but the use of sound and practical effects make it seem very realistic and disturbing. It is a very slow burn movie, and spends a lot of time character building, before driving the plot. It's a very small story with not a lot there, but the artistry pushes it making it fill out the movie as much as possible, even when there is seemingly nothing going on. The cinematography, though, saves a lot of the slowness. The scenery is nothing short of epic. There is a lot of silence where you just take in each shot by shot. There are some amazing camera shots in this movie. The use of double framing two shots in one with the use of mirrors is perfect from a technical standpoint and stands out as a high-fidelity low-tech visual achievement in this film. They use these mirror shots several times throughout the movie and it is always impressive. Also, the use of lighting, dimming, and exposing is masterful.

Speaking of lighting this is probably the brightest A24 film ever, and they “mirror” that with lighthearted character banter. Not so much that it outshines the darkness of the tone, but just enough comedic flare to show the contrast between the two cultures, and the foreboding awkwardness that is looming on the cusp of discomfort. Its as if someone has told an inappropriate joke at the wrong time, and you release a pity chuckle to break the tension. It blends in well.

Florence Pugh’s performance is top notch. It’s very convincing and is extremely powerful. Her character Dani, goes through a traumatic loss and is seen grieving throughout in multiple panic attacks. When she cries, you feel the emptiness and the pain in each of her shrieks. It is uncomfortable, it is raw, and they capture what it feels like to lose someone, and is honestly probably the most tense sequences the movie has to offer. If you’ve ever gotten one of those calls, its like swallowing a rock, while watching everyone else eat banana creme pudding.

The other characters outside of Dani are also given a lot of time to develop and have their intentions clear. All of them are very unlikable, selfish, and dishonest with one another for their own selfish goals. The boyfriend of Dani in particular is extremely unlikable and makes you question why she is so low power with him and in need of his affection. Some of the scenes feel slightly forced, as if someone was in the directors ear reminding him that they have to pitch this as a horror movie to get butts in the seat. And other sequences seem to have absolutely nothing to do with anything and seemed to just be approved writing drudgery. The sound design in this is also on point. The drowned-out sounds of feeling numb, or the lingering strings of tension, the breeze of the wind against long grass and flowers. There are some very interesting visual effects to portray the feeling of what it is to be under the influence of psychedelics. It’s more of a dark thriller, with horror elements and even some black comedy. Midsommar is more of an experience than it is a movie, and because of the lack of story It is a hard pass for the average movie goer. I simply cannot recommend it. But if you like art house films, pour yourself a glass a wine, burn some incense and give this one a go. This is something very different.

• Vincent Tilghman
• Mid City