Logging

TV: Oz s.1e.2-4

Loving this show. Very theatrical. Uses numerous devices I don't care for - breaking 4th wall, flashbacks, but overall, I don't mind the artifice. The Wire owes a heavy debt to this show and I wonder why this isn't more talked about. Or maybe it was, but I wasn't paying attention.

Logging

TV: Oz pilot

HBO Go! Turning this on was like stepping into a time warp. 4x3. Crappy production value. Strange breaking of the 4th wall narrator like character. But boy, by the end of the pilot, I was incredibly into it. I thought it was quite terrific and the detailed portrait of the different prison faction was incredibly thorough and realistic. Very impressive. I know the Wire was inspired by the show and you can see it. Also, quite a strange structure to the pilot with little to no interweaving of the main story arcs. Almost like they start with a B-story, run with it and then hand it off to an A-story. The characters overlap, but still, it was a nice contrast to the way most dramas are told these days with constant cutting back and forth. This is old fashioned stuff - just good acting and sharp, realistic writing. Some is stagey and almost play-like, but the show deals with big themes and questions. I'd wish HBO would return to this type of programming rather than its current obsession with prestige and massive production value.

Logging

Book: Chinaman's Chance by Ross Thomas

I was into the first half more than the second and the end wasn't particularly satisfying. Still, I like Thomas' style. His descriptions and prose are among my favorite of crime writers.

TV: True Detective s. 2. e. 6

That orgy scene was straaaange. What was up with the score? It felt like I was in a DePalma movie or something all of a sudden. The tone got real wonky for me in this episode. I found the Colin F and VV scene in the opening incredibly awkward and stiff and like the guys were talking in fake-deep Bain-esque voices. I was totally confused about the plan at the orgy. What exactly were they trying to accomplish? Also, why do the bad guys choose to do big time land deals at these massive orgy parties? Why bring important contracts to a social gathering where you will be soon having sex in public in front of all these people? Do rich people really do this? I'm trying to picture if I somehow became a billionaire real estate mogul, would a big public sex party with drugged up ladies appeal to me?

I actually think this was my least favorite episode of the season. I found the scene talking about the LA riots to be historically off. If I remember correctly, Beverly Hills was not a place where riots and looting were taking place. I feel like the stories are all over the place. They're chasing diamonds, they going under cover at sex orgy parties, they're investigating corruption, I can't even tell you how many murders and of who...., Frank's trying to find his money...I can go on and on. It feels like the stories are totally spiraling out of control to no apparent conclusion. I'm a little bummed and not really looking forward to the next two episodes now.

Logging

TV: True Detective s.2 e.5

Colin Farrell figures out what the audience knew the beginning: Frank tricked him. Still, the acting was incredible. Farrell is carrying the season like LeBron carried the Cavs in the finals.

My favorite LA detail was Frank moving to Glendale as a sign of his star falling. It looked like a nice neighborhood to me. But I wonder...isn't that a pretty long commute to Vernon? So then I looked it up and it turns out to only be 30 minutes down the 5. The move makes a lot of sense, especially for adopting because the schools in Glendale are decent.

Also, I liked the Lloyd Braun (from Seinfeld) cameo.

Logging

Film: Back to the Future

My earliest "Oscar" memory was watching the event with my parents and telling my dad that the best picture contest was absurd because Back to the Future was clearly better than "Out of Africa" and frankly, all the other nominees. To this day, I can't say that I was wrong, although I see why adults don't quite respond to the film -- frankly, it's pretty cheesy in tone. But the formal aspects of the story construction are absolutely brilliant and I say it without any sort of irony. Also, the film is quite taboo -- way moreso than The Color Purple or Witness or Out of Africa -- when you boil down the story to idea that Marty must make sure his own mother doesn't fall in love with him. I mean, that is a crazy fucking idea! Preston Struges probably rolled over in his grave cursing Zemeckis and Gale for coming up with that one.

I've heard Nic Refn talk about how Pretty Women is one of the most subversive movies ever made because they couch an incredibly dark tale of a rich man falling in love with a prostitute into this made-for-everyone romantic comedy. But think how much more taboo and subversive the idea of Back to the Future is -- a kid traveling back in time must make sure his mother and father fall in love -- so he and his family can survive and it's for KIDS!

The other element of the film which works fantastically is the score -- is rousing and simply perfect in spots -- the moment when Marty is on his skateboard and walks over the car, causing Biff to crash into the manure truck was as good yesterday as the first time I saw it in 1985. Pure cinematic joy and by the standards of most effects today, relatively simple and entirely based upon character. The movie also clocks in at 2 full hours - long for a movie for kids - but the story has so much going for it and is so perfectly constructed, the 2 hours is fully earned.

To me, Back to the Future far surpasses any Pixar accomplishment.

Fallacy of Mood Affiliation

How did I miss this concept put forward by one of my favorite bloggers, Tyler Cowen?

I actually think this does a great to explain how critics and audiences talk about movies and television these days (and politics).

Logging

TV: True Detective s.2e.4

The freeze frame suggests, I think, a major time jump into the next episode. I only figured this by seeing the preview where Colin Farrell shaved his moustache. I could see the episode jumping to Taylor K having a baby, Farrell working for VV, and Rachel McAdams...who knows. I think this would be a cool and make sense from how the first season played out. Still...the storytelling is wonky this season.

Film: Force Majuere

One excellent moment and several other quite good ones. Overall, quite a decent movie, but not great.

Logging

Film: Inside Out and Night Moves (Penn)

TV: Rectify, ep. 1

A strange double on the 4th of July, I'll be the first to admit. Inside Out was by the wife's request, obviously. What can I say? I can start off by saying I fell asleep. Then I awoke and watched most of the movie. I don't care for the aesthetics of Pixar animation. It doesn't do anything for me. I find it weird so many adults connect with it. Of course the movie is brilliantly constructed and makes what I guess is taken for a "complex" point, that sadness is a part of life and can lead to joy.

All I know is that when I got home I badly needed a cleanse. Rectify didn't do it, but Night Moves did.

Logging

Film: Me Earl and the Dying Girl

An occasionally decent film.

Random thoughts:

Sundance movies are incredibly formulaic.

Wes Anderson's dick must be sore from getting such a long filmmaking hand job

Best line of the movie, "Books...nice." I laughed out loud, but I don't think anyone else in the theater did.

Molly Shannon best side character, IMO.

Didn't buy he and Earl were actual friends.

Econ Getting Interesting

Is Kevin Love a better player on a bad team? And how it can apply to other situations. Very smart post.

Logging

Book: Yellow Dog Contract by Ross Thomas

Elmore Leonard has some competition. My qualms with these last two crime books I read - this one and Somebody Owes Me Money are the finales. The final resolutions doesn't entirely make sense, nor do they tie up the proceedings in a satisfactory way. I guess I'd like to read a book when the end makes the experience of reading the book greater than the sum of its parts. Still, lots of great lines in this one, particularly the descriptions of characters. This guy Ross Thomas must've been a real wise-ass in real life.

Gay Marriage Decision: Absurd

I support gay marriage and find the Supreme Court case utterly absurd. The decision is clearly political and not legal in nature. The Supreme Court has merely checked the winds and determined the country is "ready for gay marriage," as if they were running a movie studio and now know what the public wants and is ready for. Our system of laws was designed to be flexible and change with the times. We have a process designed to handle such changes, a process every 7th grader learns (or should learn) about turning a bill into a law. 30 plus states have already done this. Gay Marriage is winning as a political issue and the court has jumped onto the bandwagon and now will compel society to change at the rate the court deems acceptable. I'd hate to have a minority conviction these days in a country of 350 plus million where the courts decide the law based upon which way the political winds blow.

Logging

Book: Somebody Owes Has My Money by Donald Westlake

Fun, but not as fun as the Parker novels. Also, didn't enjoy the mystery reveal at the end much. Felt like a bit of a cheat and I think Westlake knew it.

Film: Sound of Music

Quite enjoyed the movie more than I remember (from childhood). Did the sing-a-long at the Hollywood Bowl, which is a fairly remarkable event. The place gets packed and people get dressed up and participate with the movie in all sorts of strange, ritualistic ways, the meanings of which passed over my head. For instance, people hold up flash cards during certain songs and let off poppers during certain moments in the film.

Logging

Film: Don't Bother to Knock

Marilyn Monroe plays a suicidal nut. But other than that, and the cool title, this wasn't a standout noir to me.

Another One Bites the Dust

Video Journey's going out of business. Soon, all we'll have is the crap on Netflix streaming and many, many great movies will no longer be available. Welcome to the digital revolution, folks. We get the world we deserve, indeed. If you think we suck.

Logging

Films: Ong-Bak, Stray Dog, The Raid (re-watch)

Had to return both of these before getting a chance to finish. Was really enjoying Ong-Bak in a campy JCVD sort of way. Good filmmaking, too. Lots of wide shots where you could see the actual stunts.

Stray Dog didn't capture my interest at all. Kurosawa movies in general rarely grab me. I think his work was more of the time vs. stand the test of it. I prefer Ozu for the big Japanese directors.

The Raid is quite good, except for the attempts at emotion.

TV: True Detective S.2 E.1, Hannibal S.3 E.1/2, Wayward Pines random episodes

TD was a bit of a rough start plot-wise and new cast-wise. Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams can do no wrong, but poor old Tim Riggins is tough to watch with a straight face. Every word out of his mouth is Riggins. And VV is questionable... Got a little bit of the Luck (after the amazing pilot) feeling watching this one. The back room business nonsense is gonna drag. HBO mercy killed Luck under the guise of animal murder. It'll be interesting to see what cover story they come up with for TD if it continues on this path.

(Also note: last time, I checked, you can't just arrive at someone's house and beat their face with brass knuckles in front of their son without consequence. It would take exactly three minutes for that father to put together who Colin Ferrell was and about six minutes before he was fired and put up on criminal charges. I felt similarly about some scenes from TD 1 when Woody goes around poking his gun in people's faces and stupidly executes the pedophiles in the 4th episode... You gotta earn the ability to put the fear of God in people. For good reference, check out Nick Nolte in Q&A. There, you believe a cop can run around doing this stuff because he has angles on people and a willingness to murder. Here, these cops are doing it to near strangers and out of impulse. It just doesn't stand to reason.

Hannibal. The show the continues to be bonkers and I cannot believe it exists. On NBC!!!

Wayward Pines is not for me, although there is some interesting stuff. The mystery mini-series form has really worn me out. Top of the Lake, Broadchurch, and TD 1 were all terrific, albeit, the ends were almost always less satisfying than the journey. But there's so much of this stuff these days - The Fall, The Whispers, Under the Dome, Wayward Pines, The Killing, they all go on and on, and it gets pretty tiresome to watch hours and hours of TV that is withholding the "BIG REVEAL," which always turns out to be not all that interesting. (After all, if it were, it'd be revealed right away).

Guest Blogging

I wrote a guest blog post for Financial Finesse on Financial Planning Tips For Irregular Income Earners.

Logging

TV: Game of Thrones Finale Season 5

I did not enjoy this episode. Perhaps killing off two of my favorite characters has something to do with it, but also the way the deaths happened felt illogical and unsatisfying. In chronological order:

1. Stannis. I found very little satisfaction in Brianne's revenge. But more, the entire Stannis storyline was devoid of any twist whatsoever. He should've at the very least, seemed to benefit from the sacrifice of Shireen before plunging his army into total destruction. Also, they've played up Stannis as a great battlefield commander. The man outlasted a siege of Storm's End, unseated the Targaryens, defeated the Wildlings, and nearly took King's Landing. It seemed a bit strange to plunge his remaining forces into total destruction. Or was the battle meant to suggest that literally everyone on both sides was killed except for a few Bolton's at the end? That Stannis was miraculously able to mount a defense of foot vs. horse soldiers? Also, was Melisandre just totally wrong in her prophesies? Anyhow, none of this was answered very well and I suppose it is still possible he or Jon Snow are raised from the dead.

2. Jon Snow. Again, it felt an illogical time to mutiny against him. Why let all the Wildlings through only to turn on Jon Snow after? Now, can't the Wildlings destroy the Night's Watch, being on the other side of the Wall?

Anyhow, I hold out one or both of these characters is coming back. If not, it'd be pretty annoying.

I Don't See Why Not

She's transblack.

Our collective treatment and valuation of gender and race have become absurd.