We've all lost somebody close. It is this film's breathtaking premise that the only thing shopping us from slipping the surly bonds of earth is... information!
For nearly two hours it is the film's genius to make the viewer wonder Why not just off myself? If that's your idea of a good time you're welcome to it. Me, I'll be cueing up Joshua Judges Ruth or watching the TV of David Lynch yet again.
The Hamilton Fire occurred across the street from me. And yet it kinda wasn't a big deal?
It was hot and windy. I heard sirens around four o'clock. I could smell the fire when the wind blew a certain way, but that was rare. The wifi came down as did the Internet and cable. So did power.
One girl checked all the rooms, another called my wife. I lay back, put on the cans and listened to Led Zeppelin. Like I said: no trouble.
When the power came back up I videoed the wife and kids and did my best Stevie from "Malcolm In The Middle" -- one breath per word, and a wheelchair. White as the driven snow, but what are you gonna do? I'm just glad to be alive.
Because I wish I wrote it (though I don't begrudge Gerald Howard the drug trip) here is Performance Anxiety.
Choir -- a non-starter. I sound bad. I used to sound good -- as in Mennonite basso good. Now I just sound bad
Oscar Isaac -- I'm watching Moon Knight the same comic book that a young Bill Sienkiewicz cut his teeth on in the early '80s. (Yeah, I remember, Bill. Hey, Dear Reader, you should follow him on Facebook. He's not fussy (witness...)). The Corporate Rodent gets Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID) wrong (it's kinda the flavour-of-the-month in TV-land) but Oscar gets the character of Marc Spector. And any soundtrack with Engelbert Humperdinck is bad in a good way (unlike my singing (or guitar playing -- about which, more later) which is just plain bad).
"Ramble On," Led Zeppelin -- how does a song which doesn't make a lick of sense last over 50 years? Rick Beato lays it all down.
"Hey, Google: what are the best headphones to practice guitar in?" Boss Waza-Air rates a mention, but only just. After that it's Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and other expensive brands. I mention Sennheiser HD 650 because I already have the Yamaha THR10c and as with other THR amps placement is all. If you're not standing in the "sweet spot," forget it. There's no tube "feel," nothing. It just sounds tinny. Try tilting it up, or something. Or mebbe try expensive headphones!
Linux -- it's ridiculously easy. If you already have an old laptop, tablet, whatever why wouldn't you give it a try? I don't know where it's got this difficult "programmer's" reputation from.
And lastly , John Darko is worth following. Entirely out of my price range, but worth following.
Song of the South is a non-starter, of course (you were looking for Riley's First Date or The Sound of Music maybe?).
But Pinocchio is a go, as are the Don Bluth years. I recommend Obi-Wan Kenobi. But I'm also the guy who recommends Star Wars Vintage: The Clone Wars. Hey, it's by the same team that delivered Samurai Jack and that's not bad!
While you're there you may as well watch Mickey and The Three Musketeers. I hate that little turtle, but what are you gonna do? Move the story forward, always move the story forward.
I spent most of 2021 and some of 2022 in a coma. I "woke up" and I'd lost my wife's brother and mother. You want to write a book? Hey, me too! In the meantime read Maud Newton's Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation -- it's what I'll be doing.
"For the most part writers from my tribe produce work I'd rather not read" I said so here. Julia Kasdorf is the exception, and Michial Farmer is the reason for that.
Full disclosure: Michial is somebody I Facebook-know. Hey, you can Facebook-know him, too! Just say Prajer sent you.