Just a casual journal of the culture I consume because I like to have a place to lodge my thoughts and opinions. I’d love it if you want to comment or debate. Book, movies, tv, theater, music.
Severance
Now watching.
The Northmen
I’ve seen a lot of Viking movies and series. I’m sucker for them. Not sure why. Anyway, I tried to resist watching yet one more, but couldn’t. So I watched it. It was different than many of them in that it was both more authentic in some ways and more artistic or poetic in others. A kind of Oedipus story, or a Hamlet of a Viking prince who comes to to take revenge on his uncle who murdered his Viking kind father. Along the way, there’s a romance and a fair amount of Viking religiousity. Use of old Norse and also integrating Russian slaves was a nice twist. And the Icelandic landscape was gorgeous, if not totally coherent with the story. On wikepedia, I see that it’s based on a Scandanavian legend of Amleth, which was the inspiration for Hamlet. Also, I noticed some of these stars in roles, but not all: Alexander Skarsgård (who also produced), Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, with Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. Generally, it’s a bit overwrought with maybe more Viking lore than the average audience cares for. Gruesome and troubling. Good Viking content.
Lolita
10 part podcast recommended by Amy Allina.
The Color of Water
I don’t know how I missed this book when it was published. It came up in conversation recently with some friends who all referenced it. I realized I should go back and read it. It was great. Very entertaining and fun to read and I resonated a lot with the story of his mother, a Jewish Polish immigrant and her unhappy, difficult family. Her eventual escape to New York, Harlem, and to happy marriages with two black men and 12 children.
Number 24
Netflix. The story of the most decorated Norwegian resistance fighter. Very strong film although nothing especially new in it — except seeing the war in a different corner of the world.
Emilia Perez
Netflix. I liked it and was pretty impressed with Zoe Saldana. I see it’s catching a lot of heat from various directions, including having bad Spanish translation. I’m not going to argue. I liked it, but wouldn’t try to defend it.
Challengers
Boring. Got nothing against Zendaya, but don’t find her smoking hot. Tennis is boring and everything about tennis is boring. Don’t care, don’t know why anyone else would. Josh O’Conner is good as the bad-boy tennis louch.
Yellowstone
I watched 5 seasons of this. It was a guilty pleasure. I don’t like Kevin Costner, and despise most of the embedded ideology of the show. But it’s also beautiful and cool and fun. With lots of Trumpian parallels: a deeply corrupt family taking over public offices and running the government to their own interests, hating on cities and modernity. But it’s beautifully shot and nicely written — although many of the rhetorical and plot tricks wear a bit thin by season 5. There isn’t a lot of character development — most of the characters are who they are and their fates cast from the beginning. But they are still interesting enough. Some of the intra-family hatreds just don’t make emotional sense — in particular the villification of Jamie. But, every story needs a relatable villain. He just doesn’t seem that bad, and there are a lot of mitigating factors that argue in his favor. Some of the characters could have been played differently — maybe more interestingly. I like the Kayce character and the actor is quite good at expressing his equivocal emotions.
One thing is: there are white settlers and ranchers, there are white tourists and newbies from California, there’s one black cowboy, and there are the Indians. But why aren’t there any Mexicans? I’m pretty sure that most cowboys anymore are actually Mexicans, even in Montana. So, just blotting that reality out is a bit weird and also telling. Even the Texas ranch portrays has no Mexicans or Spanish or Tex-Mex culture. That’s just dumb.
Sir Gawain & the Green Night
An old favorite, although I don’t think I’ve read this version. Competes with other translations of the old english (Tolkien, for example). Very readable and quick and a good story. It’s strange, though, to read a translation of English, however old, because it’s easier to wonder if the translator is getting it right. It’s quite a feat to translate into alliterative poetry. The copy of the book was from my aunt, Nanette, in her college era 1960s, in Berkeley California.
Saturday Night
Saw it on the flight back from Puerto Rico. Fun. The actors do very good versions of the comedians: Andy Kaufman, Belushi, Gilda Ratner, Chevy Chase. There’s a tiny bit of history her, but mostly it’s just zany fun about putting on the first SNL episode and following a young Lorne Michaels around.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Saw it on the flight to Puerto Rico. I hadn’t realized there was so much side commentary. Is that true of all the Deadpool stuff? Kind of amusing and the fighting and effects are pretty good. Not really my thing, but it was fine. The acting is camp and fun.
The Room Next Door
I meant to see the Dylan biopic, but it was sold out, so I saw this instead. My first movie in a theater in months. I went alone. It was fine. I like Julianne Moore and am interested in Tilda Swinton, so I thought, what the hell. But it was only ok. Both of them are great actors, but there’s a missing chemistry between them and their supposed (friendly) love just doesn’t come across. Both of their performances are a bit stilted, which I imagine is the script and/or the direction. So, not a big success. I still haven't seen anything by Almodovar that I love, even though I would like to. I did like this line: “There are lots of ways to live inside a tragedy” as a way to reconcile joy in the context of tragedy.
My Personal Best
A book and a life from another time. Sort of sweet and as a memory, but I’m not sure it hasn’t any lasting import for our lives now.
ENDS//
