Here’s what I watched and read last week…Lot’s of documentaries this week.
MOVIES
The Ice Storm (1997), directed by Ang Lee, is one of his best films. It’s a nuanced story with complex characters. I also highly recommend Rick Moody’s novel on which the film is based.
Dead Presidents (1995), directed by the Hughes Brothers, is an okay film. I appreciate the The Deer Hunter–inspired vibe they were aiming for. The Hughes Brothers have a great sense of style, which unfortunately is stronger than the story itself.
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (2024), which aired on Nat Geo, is a wonderful and beautiful documentary. The cinematography is incredible, and it’s available on YouTube. Definitely worth checking out.
The World Beneath Your Feet (2018) is an excellent documentary that follows Matt Green, who set out to walk every street in New York City. Green, once a civil engineer, not only journeys through every street but also seems to know everything there is to know about the sites and places he encounters. I highly recommend it.
Secret Mall Apartment (2024) is a documentary about a group of artists who built an apartment in an unused space inside a mall in Providence, Rhode Island. The characters are a bit hard to identify with, but I really enjoyed watching how the apartment continued to grow over time.
Lily Topples the World (2021) is a very cool documentary about Lily Hevesh, a domino artist.
Carmine Street Guitars (2018) is a rocking good documentary about a shop that makes handmade guitars in Greenwich Village.
Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds (2020) is a good documentary about meteorites that have impacted the Earth. I love that Werner Herzog preserves the quirks and oddities of the characters he and Clive Oppenheimer interview.
Sliding Doors (1998), directed by Peter Howitt, is a romantic comedy that depicts two alternate timelines in the life of Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow): one in which she catches the Tube home and one in which she doesn’t. It’s an interesting premise. I hadn’t seen the film in a long time and, for some reason, remembered it as more of a psychological thriller, so I was in for a surprise. Ultimately, I didn’t think the film worked as a whole, and the ending didn’t work for me at all.
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022) is a really good documentary directed by Sam Jones. I was shocked to learn that skateboarding declined in popularity in the early 1990s. And I couldn’t believe that Tony Hawk and his friends are still skating in their 50s!
TV
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Timescape,” Season Six. I’m doing research for my new novel, which involves time, and this episode has a bit of a Twilight Zone feel. Captain Picard discovers the Enterprise frozen in time while in battle with a Romulan warbird. It’s really cool how they resolve the story. Definitely one of Star Trek’s top episodes about time.
Besides that, I’ve watched all the shows I wanted to see! I’m now looking forward to All Creatures Great and Small.
BOOKS
Insomnia (2022) by Sarah Pinborough is a good whodunit with a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde–style storyline. It also makes effective use of the unreliable narrator.
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