Out & About #587 | The Apple Factory

Kind enough to spare me several hours of her scarce vacation days, I roped my birthday buddy in on an annual tradition: a drive to The Apple Factory.

It was the designated destination for all things autumn-related - where peace and pleasure were procured by way of pies.

​Fun fact: Last year's visit had coincidentally been executed on the precisely the same day! Differing this time around was the absence of the giant pumpkin display (and the fact that I had a fellow photo-snapper for the journey). Straw bales and scarecrows retained their presence, on the other hand.

​With raindrops materializing from the grey blanket above us, we dove into the market in search of dryness. Once inside, interest was piqued by cheese curds (that ultimately went unpurchased), apple cider samples, Hewitt's Dairy cartons (previously only observed east of the city), and a supposedly limited edition Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Pie.

The opportunity to indulge had been presented, and we, as wary of our daily sugar intake as enthusiastic about sweet treats, exhibited zero reluctance to taking two pies home each. Blueberry, No Sugar Apple, and the new Pumpkin Pecan Crunch were our picks of the day.

​Since the 9-inch rounds were intended for sharing, immediate satisfaction could only be obtained through individual pie slices. As such, we stashed our possessions in the trunk and returned for a duo of Strawberry Rhubarb and Apple Streusel pies.

The first was my personal favourite, as it has been for the past several years. Tart and delicious with chunky bites of fruit, it was the ideal complement to the much slicker Apple Streusel. Occasional swaps were made to cut sweetness in the absence of water glasses. We concluded that while the crunchy streusel topping was delicious, the filling was overwhelming; meanwhile, both slices had ought to been served warm for maximum enjoyment.

​Municipal roadwork has finally ceased along the corridor, so the return trip on local roads wasn't too fearful. We arrived at the Square One exit soon after, in preparation for our scheduled visit for Inju-Oreo Bingsu.
Passing by Cineplex, however, the topic of JOKER was brought up. K-Idols had posted about the movie on the day of its release, and I, as one to be easily swayed by such idols, conjured up the suggestion of verifying its showtimes.

Thus, a detour ensued. We veered from our original path of more dessert, confirmed that the movie would be airing at a decently convenient slot, and then proceeded to secure CoCo with the remaining time.

​Again, I'm not entirely sure why I find myself catching new releases for which I never feel the hype. Each successive viewing further eradicates the need to watch movies in theatres, in addition to relinquishing hard-earned funds altogether.

JOKER is intended to be the back story to the villain's origins. Diving into the mind of a man with a shocking upbringing and consequently sustained neurological condition, the series of events sheds light on those suffering with mental illnesses and the impact of society turning a blind eye.

JOKER is intended to be the backstory to the villain's origins - a prologue rather than a standalone story with a definite start and finish. Diving into the mind of a man with a shocking upbringing and consequently sustained neurological condition, the series of events sheds light on those suffering with mental illnesses and the impact of society turning a blind eye.

The setting is Gotham City, a grimy, graffiti-slathered borough with corrupted souls and despair around each corner. It was set in an earlier point in history, where pagers were not used and television programs were rewinded manually by turning a knob. That said, guns were still readily available, even to low-income households with questionable connections.

It was very much American, and very much stimulated flashbacks of Brooklyn - an aspect that made me quickly grow unfond of it.

​Videography was also lacking in my opinion. The closeups were frightful, and while that was likely the intention, the distinct variance in depth of field across the piece is not to my liking. Drone shots were also done quite poorly - not as amateurish as Crazy Rich Asians, but nonetheless disappointing for a Hollywood production.
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It is unknown whether the purpose of the tale is to evoke feelings of pity or sympathy, or to spread awareness on recognizing that not all illnesses are visible to the human eye. Regardless, it is not a film I would be looking to watch over and over; in fact, I nearly fell into a slumber within the first thirty minutes. There was also a noticeable amount of blood and violence, which deems it unsuitable for watching after meals and/or with children in tow. And with the number of smokes witnessed, I could almost sense the smell of cigarettes wafting about me.

"It's kind of like The (First) Purge." remarked my birthday buddy, who calmly patted my hand as my fingers clenched around her wrist, head tucked underneath my DAY6 hoodie and face flattened firmly into her shoulder.

​We later headed to The Rec Room after obtaining credit vouchers distributed at the Cineplex entrance.

​With that, we parted ways for home. Dinner awaited us.

​Unveiling my roster later, I confirmed Pumpkin Pecan Crunch to be an interesting combination, but also one that, sadly, didn't earn any favours in the household. Back to classic Pecan we shall revert for next year.