Chez VampireBat

I'm not sure how YouTubers are producing some of the best recent horror movies but here's another one! I won't say too much as I think it's best to go into this as blind as possible (I did watch the series to sort of gain an idea and it did provide some context, but it's a completely original story and you don't need to watch them to know what's going on), but it's really impressive stylistically and expands on the lore to a place that feels appropriate for a feature film adaptation yet never gets rid of the inherent fear of someone lost and alone in a never-ending maze. With how well this is done, I'd expect we are going to be hearing quite a bit more from these going forward!

Think this needs a thread as it's one of the most talked about films at the moment - Backrooms is the feature length adaptation of the director's 2022 web series (which is available to watch on YouTube) which was based initially on a viral 4chan post about a mysterious liminal space. At just 20 (!) years old, Kane Parsons (Kane Pixels on YouTube) is the youngest A24 director to date and it's already broken the record for A24 opening weekends at 38 million and is looking to debut higher than the recent Star Wars movie did!

I think that would be in my top 10 (though I think most of what is still to come are ones I enjoy too), very overplayed but deservedly so as one of the best hit songs of the year, it's strange thinking it was originally had an expletive in it as the clean version has really eclipsed it that I often forget it wasn't called Forget You originally, the X-Box-Atari line is still very cool. I did prefer Bright Lights Bigger City though and wish that could've been a hit. Club Can't Handle Me is one of the better songs from both artists, it's very of the time and I don't go back to it much, but it works well and indeed miles better than the Saturdays song it beat (another very clear memory from my early days on Buzzjack). Telephone is OK, but I think was definitely riding the video hype and Gaga's general superstardom, not sure it quite holds up that well as a song these days. Bruno Mars' songs are similar, I do think a lot of his early 2010s material hasn't aged the best compared to what came after, Just The Way You Are is still a competently sung and put together song, but it is quite typical of that sickly sweet 'you're amazing despite how you don't see yourself' acoustic singer-songwriter mega seller of which there are several more to come. Dynamite has the most brainless lyrics ever, but it's still pretty fun purely as a throwback to that mindless party sound. He had already become way too Americanised though and I can't defend what came after.

9 please x

Think I prefer this to drop dead after a few listens, the way it builds and climaxes towards the end with the repeated refrain reminds me a bit of Chappell's The Subway even though it's not quite the same stylistically, although clearly owing a few debts to some the 90s alternative sound. Great stuff.

I enjoy all your top 5 for the number 2s, although that's criminally low for the classic Streets of Philadelphia! I have a soft spot for Mmmm Mmmm..., Crazy For You and I Swear as well, cheesy as they are. Agreed that it's a much better list than the number 1s like most 90s years were. Other favourites from the rest of the top 40: Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds Prodigy - No Good (Start The Dance) Blur - Boys & Girls New Order - True Faith 94 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away Pretenders - I'll Stand By You Oasis - Live Forever Cranberries - Linger + Zombie Atlantic Ocean - Waterfall (can't remember if you were in BJSC last year when I sent this?) Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On (to be Top 10 in '95) Strike - U Sure Do (peaked at #4 in 1995 on re-release) Dr. Dre - Nothin' But A G Thang A lot of big favourites there <3 1994 was very poorly represented by its number 1s it seems. Speaking of, Saturday Night I think is my favourite to drop since, not my usual bag but a really fun, catchy song that is still really enjoyable. I am pleased Stiltskin got to number 1 because it was the only time a grunge related song got there and that was a key 90s movement (Idk if Babylon Zoo's Spaceman counts as well x), saying that, I agree with dandy that I like it when I hear it but can never quite remember it, a shame the genre wasn't represented better at the top.

I didn't know Don't Let Me Get Me was so well liked, I find it quite boring compared to her other hits of the time, sorry x Freak Like Me is obviously a huge classic and watershed moment for girl groups, one I've grown to appreciate more and more as I've got older rather than one I have a lot of nostalgia for, I'd have liked for My Happy Ending to win, but that's still a very good performance, one of my favourite pop-punk tracks from around the time and still one of her most mature and raw moments. and I can't argue with Left Outside Alone, not really a fan of her (don't kill me Toby x) but can't deny that one, a powerhouse of a performance. These Words also has a warm, nostalgic feel so a good top 4. Thanks Jade! Hoping the next one has generally better quality than this x

Sorry I missed this reveal, but thank you all for taking me through! I was fairly confident in this one, but did worry momentarily that it wasn't a great song for the 'pop semi' with some bigger alt favourites. Excellent qualifiers and one I really thought was doomed that I could only just sneak into my votes has made it through so pleased that it may well have made that difference! I only lost my three pointer, Harmonica, a shame but it's length and sound did seem like a borderline one. Lotunia also wasn't far off, a quite interestingly structured song.

Supermode to last long please <3 Blazin' Squad can go first

Towards the end, it definitely ramps up the blood and gore but before then it's fairly light by it, a lot of the horror though comes from the tension built and the sense of real unease as things linger, as well as a few well timed jump scares, though it's great at weaving in comedy as well so accessible enough for non-horror fans, just be mindful you may be watching some of it through your fingers x

01; Kalush Orchestra - Stefania 02; Jamala - 1944 03; DARA - Bangaranga 04; Maneskin - Zitti E Buoni 05; JJ - Wasted Love 06; Loreen - Tattoo 07; Duncan Laurence - Arcade 08; Nemo - The Code 09; Netta - Toy 10; Salvador Sobral - Amar Pelos Dois So DARA the best in a while, top 5 were all amongst my favourites from the years, the other five are all competent enough at what they do but never excited me, much preferred the early 2010s for winners.

Loved this, the trailer made this look slightly generic, but it was one of the most unsettling films of the year and still managed to get some humour in. The use of space, silence and sudden jumps was amazingly done and very impressive for a first time director to master a trope that's been so overdone. Brilliant performance from Inde Navarette as well that's surely made a name for her. The characters felt very authentic too which made it's toxic masculinity themes all the more resonant.

I guessed the -1s would've prevented Crazy in Love from winning, but 7th is quite insulting on this CD for one of the biggest classics and most influential songs of the 21st Century x (though this does give a further chance for my favourite to win I guess)

Doop is unashamedly one of my favourites of the year, it's seen as a novelty song but I think it's quite a genius fusing of styles, I don't think any other 90s dance song sounds quite like it.

California Gurls was I think the first song I was around on Buzzjack for where it felt like a real event release, I remember how it was in everyone's signatures and everyone cheering it on as it went to number 1 on iTunes (those were the days x). It was quite fun at the time, but it's a complete gimmick now and has aged pretty poorly. I remember It felt huge at the time but it's vastly overshadowed these days by what came after it, Teenage Dream is definitely up there with her very best and indeed definitely deserved number 1. Please Don't Let Me Go and Start Without You were again fine at the time, but have aged very poorly and were sub-standard X Factor singles (although I'm glad you've picked the one remaining as the highest as it's easily the best of them), of course, Olly would go on to do much better but Alex really was shafted a bit. Most of the rest of these are quite forgettable one-week wonders which barely raise a reaction these days.

01; Setting Sun 02; Hey Boy Hey Girl 03; Block Rockin' Beats 04; Let Forever Be 05; Galvanize 06; Star Guitar 07; Go 08; It Began in Afrika Very close between the top 2, all are absolutely fantastic except for the last one which I'm not that familiar with. (Although how has no one voted for their number 1s yet?! I mean I know they're all good, but Setting Sun is still absolute peak Chem Bros)

Depeche Mode - Everything Counts Herbie Hancock - Rockit Spandau Ballet - Gold Kraftwerk - Tour De France Genesis - Mama A lot of the classics today weren't big favourites of mine (I'm Still Standing aside which just missed out), Herbie Hancock and Genesis were really good discoveries though. Also enjoyed Asia, New Order, Style Council and Paul Young. Tiebreak: Irene Cara

Well thank God, the contest survives another year at least x Actually very pleased with that winner, was in my top 3 and stood out for miles in a very weak year, Not even close in the televote either and almost 100 ahead of the nearest competitor! It's a joke that Israel are just going to continually do this well though regardless of quality, the juries really should've seen this coming. Voting on the song alone feels pointlessly noble given if they host it in their current state, it will be the end of the contest. Elsewhere, great to see Romania and Greece in the top 10, would've been nice to see Serbia and Croatia a bit higher but not bad considering. And lol oops at the UK, I can't say I'm surprised at all, I still think it's quite fun but a hit it is not.

Bulgaria literally look like the only hope at the moment if they have a good enough televote score, we'll have to pray x

Israel is quite worryingly high with the juries so far given we know how the public vote will go :x

My ranking for tonight: 01. Croatia 02. Serbia 03. Bulgaria 04. Romania 05. Norway 06. France 07. Greece 08. Finland 09. Sweden 10. United Kingdom 11. Austria 12. Moldova 13. Albania 14. Australia 15. Italy 16. Poland 17. Lithuania 18. Ukraine 19. Cyprus 20. Belgium 21. Denmark 22. Germany 23. Malta 24. Czechia 25. Israel Even with my reduced interest, it did feel quite an underwhelming set of songs, think it was only my top 4 that I could say I really liked, you all need to grow some new ears with all this hate for Serbia x Australia, like most of Delta's material, isn't really my thing, but she gave an excellent performance so if it can beat Israel, I'm all for it x Finland feels more of an odd choice of favourite, but I did really like the violin part in the second half. Israel's song at least sounded more distinctive than the last few years and quite inoffensive, but I can't really distinguish any of the bottom songs with how bland they were so they get it just because default x Particularly groan-inducing hosting this year, I know this isn't new but still x

Oh my, I was between two songs here and I see someone else has entered the other one I was considering *.* I won't say which one but it was a great discovery so I guess I'll see what happened had I gone the other way here. And I was considering The Knife too, but I'd already sent them to Club Bizarre last time so held off here but lovely to see that (and I mean who would stoop so low as to recycle themselves across song contests? xx)

A Labour MP stepping down to let the most popular Labour member with the public become an MP and challenge for the PM role only for them to potentially give Reform another MP is beyond ill-judged, it's the stuff of parody, and they promised an end to the chaos...!

Rayner I feel is the only one that could maybe change the narrative at least in terms of being more popular with the public, but given Starmer's treatment by the press, she will get that and tenfold so it won't feel all that different. I'd struggle to find even a muster of enthusiasm in the public for Wes Streeting, and the support from cabinet seems pretty muted, This feels a bit risky and I don't think he'll get the numbers required. Certainly won't get remotely close to solving Labour's issues even if he does manage it.

I didn't even know Eurovision was this week to be honest, advertising has seemed a lot more limited and especially given it's the landmark 70th contest, I do think the boycott has had an effect and even though I'm sure it will still get decent ratings, I think this is going to be hard to shake. I may watch it out of habit, but it'll be a passive one and I won't be voting. If Israel do win, then I'm not even approaching it next year though I will be amused from afar to see how they handle that shitshow x