My February 2025 Wrap-Up
The month is over, so let's recap!
With another month of the year complete, it is time to look back and reflect on everything that went down for me this February in one of the more casual posts here on A Story For Another Day. Enjoy!
Movies
In February, I watched a total of eleven movies. A few were rewatches, a few were new releases, and some were new discoveries. My favorite first watch of the month was Věra Chytilová’s Daisies, an exceedingly enchanting film about two girls who rebel against the materialistic type of life. It is a film for the youth, inspiring them to rise above and live life against the norm forced upon them, and I absolutely loved it. From start to finish, I was entranced. I watched this in my film history class, which is where I watched my next favorite movie of the month: What’s Up Doc. The Barbra Streisand starrer was a hoot, unleashing laughs from me and the rest of my peers. It truly is a top-tier screwball comedy that is so rare today. What’s Up Doc was actually the first Streisand movie I’ve seen, and I am obsessed with her, itching to watch another film with her in it.
Many of my first-time watches have been coming from class, which I enjoy because some of these movies I have never heard of or thought to watch. However, when my screenwriting professor told us we had to analyze the script of a film we had never seen, I knew exactly what movie I wanted to watch. Martin Scorsese’s After Hours has been on my watchlist for a hot minute, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to watch it. Enjoyment filled me quite a bit when watching this film because it was an explosion of poetic nonsense. The script is full of luscious thematic elements surrounding the big topic of what a man sees in a woman. I am not the ultimate Scorsese expert, so I ask, are many of his earlier films like this? From this era of his career, I have only seen Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy; they all have that same absurdist, larger-than-life feel. Why did he stop making films like this? It is truly incredible how he brought Joseph Minion’s script to life—Minion himself is an underrated screenwriter who deserved more praise in the industry. After Hours is a film I would love to discuss more, so maybe its own article will prosper in the future.
As for the new releases this month, I caught three of them. The first one was the rom-com slasher Heart Eyes. It is a decent film that kept me entertained. There is nothing to scream home about, but I enjoyed it. It’s interesting because I rewatched the original Scream a few days after watching Heart Eyes, and it shows how very few creatives know how to capture the essence of a slasher flick. You can have gruesome kills, but if you don’t make your characters deeply intriguing and distinct, then you have already failed. I am looking at you, Heart Eyes.
After that was the newest Marvel flick, Captain America: Brave New World. It was fine. Once again, nothing warrants such resounding praise, but it certainly was not as bad as people made it appear. It is a watchable MCU movie with decent action and some fun quips. The true star of the month was Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey. I was one of the few people who didn’t care for his last film, Longlegs, but I respected it. This film, however, seemed more tailored to me, and my presumptions were assured right after the incredible opening scene. It was the perfect balance of comedy and horror. The ending, just like Longlegs, falls apart a bit in the end, lacking the brilliance of the first half, but all the other aspects are just so good that I cannot help but praise the film as a whole.
I also rewatched Singin’ in the Rain again in theaters, and it was a magical experience, just like any viewing of that incredible film is.
Music
Tate McRae
If you don’t believe people can change, look at me as proof. I used to despise Tate McRae, not loving how her voice sounded and wondering why she chose to have a lack of identity as an artist. Yet, for some reason, everything started to click this era. Maybe it was the pressure from my sister and my friends to listen to her more, or perhaps it is because I saw her live for $8 at an album release party, but I just cannot stop streaming her latest project, So Close To What.
It is just pure pop fun that I cannot get enough of. If you have followed me for a hot minute, you know that I am a pop-lover at heart, and McRae easily pleased me and my love for the genre with this album. “Purple lace bra” is stuck on repeat, and the music video for “Revolving door” is perfection. The album isn’t perfect, as it slumps a bit in the second half. Plus, as much as I have been streaming the record, it certainly will not be the best pop album of 2025 (Lady Gaga’s Mayhem comes out next week, hello!!!). Yet, McRae has got a new fan, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Weekly Albums
I continued my adventure of listening to a new album per week with four more albums I have been meaning to check out. I kicked off the month with untitled unmastered, Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 album that features demos from the previous years of his career. I knew he wasn’t going to perform any of these songs at the Super Bowl, but I had heard one of these tracks while doing research for my article about Doechii’s “BOOM BAP” a while back, and I thought it was the perfect time to check it out. I was not disappointed, as there were some huge bops throughout this project. From the hardcore “untitled 05” to the more funky “untitled 06,” there is something for everyone to enjoy. GNX and untitled unmastered are the only albums I have heard from Lamar, but I will definitely continue diving into his music later in this journey.
This month, Halle released her new song “Back & Forth,” a song she teased nearly two years ago that instantly captured me. After a long wait, she finally released it on Valentine’s Day, which put me in the mood for more classic R&B. That led me to Aaliyah’s self-titled project, a fantastic album from start to finish. You can easily see how this body of work inspired many artists today, with sounds and vocals appearing in many modern-day works. I couldn’t tell you how often “Loose Rap” and “Rock the Boat” were stuck in my head. They would take turns just replaying in my head. There are plenty of songs on here that I would return to later on.
Next up, I continued my journey into Bjork’s discography by getting into Post. All I have to say is that she’s two for two in my book, creating another immaculate art piece I am so obsessed with. I cannot tell you how many times I streamed “Crying” from her debut album last month, and this month, I am obsessed with “It’s Oh So Quiet,” a beautiful jazz tune that effortlessly captures why Bjork has fascinated me the way she has. Post is not exactly a step up from Debut, as they are both perfect, but instead, it feels like she is maturing into the artist she wants to be, and it is fascinating to hear. The same sentiment goes for my last album of the month, Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, which perfectly encapsulates what makes the singer so well-loved. Full of folk-rock bangers, I found myself mesmerized by his way with words, as he pens his thoughts so effortlessly, as if they are the natural thoughts swirling in his head. It is all so rich in lore that I feel like I can spend hours reading into all the intricate details, witnessing the unmatched flurry of passion.
Favorite tracks from each album:
untitled unmastered: “untitled 05,” “untitled 06,” “untitled 08”
Aaliyah: “Loose Rap,” “Rock the Boat,” “I Can Be”
Post: “Army of Me,” “Hyperballad,” “It’s Oh So Quiet,” “I Miss You”
Blonde On Blonde: “Visions of Johanna,” “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later),” “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again,” “Fourth Time Around”
Looking Forward
March is here, which means Lady Gaga returns. I’ll be honest: I was a little worried when this era first started. “Die With A Smile” and “Disease” did not really click with me. Yet, “Abracadabra” completely locked me into this era, as the video literally brought me to tears. Judge me all you want, but that video and song are easily her best in years. I am so hyped for Mayhem. There are no songs under 3 minutes, acting as a sign that pop is returning to its proper form.
I wish I could convey the same excitement for movies, but it will be a rough month for film. March is usually filled with incredible options, but I guess we will have to settle with the Snow White live-action film and the newest Jason Statham action flick. Such incredible options! Okay, in all seriousness, all hope is not lost, as Parasite director Bong Joon-ho has his latest film, Mickey 17, with Robert Pattinson, and it sure seems like a lot of fun.
That’s all for this month. See ya.
