A maybe regular post about with short notes about things that I’ve liked recently.
Movies and TV
Fair Play
A relationship drama/thriller about a couple that work together, when suddenly she gets promoted to be his boss. Really good. Stressful movie that leaves you with a lot of questions. A couple of scenes will stick with me for a long time.
Eighth Grade
Even though it feels rooted in the present day, the themes of isolation, awkwardness and social anxiety are universal. Bo Burnham is a genius.
NY Times presents: To Live and Die in Alabama
This documentary explores the story of a guy on death row – the efforts to save him and the bizarre circumstances that put him there.
This was upsetting and very good. It doesn’t strive to resolve ambiguity, but lets the viewer marinate in discomfort. It’s hard to think that any justice was served in this story, and the only real conclusion is that some parts of America are deeply broken.
Savior Complex
Three part documentary about a missionary trying to do Gods work in Uganda. You think you know where the story is going, but you don’t. What it makes clear is that so many in the western world are still exploiting poor nations for their own benefit. There are no white heroes in this one.
Afflicted
I loved this low-budget Canadian vampire movie. It’s certainly nobody’s idea of a classic, but what the filmmakers were able to do with limited resources is impressive. There are some fun ideas in here, and even when it bogs down a bit it still surprises.
Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan has outdone himself with this. It’s an instant classic, reinterpreting Poe in a very of-the-moment way. This will probably last well as a product of this era. Monologues are a tough thing to sell on screen, but this show and this cast does it flawlessly, again and again. I will definitely watch this series again.
Music
Dancer by IDLES
This has been in my head since the moment I watched the video. It’s lights-out good. James Murphy needs to do more of this and less of this.
Unluckiest by Featurette
Local Toronto group with the catchiest single of the year. The video is low-budget fun, but the song is a banger.
Good Kid live at Sonic Boom
My kid put me onto this band, and we went to see them play in a record store in Toronto on Friday night. It was a great show, the band is excellent live, and if they keep doing what they’re doing, they should have a pretty solid career ahead of them.
Endtroducing… by DJ Shadow
Caught an interview with him on the Zane Lowe show on Apple Music, and put this on for the drive home from the Good Kid show. It’s still unbelievable. Every bit as fresh and engaging as it was in ‘96.