Here's what I watched and read last week...
MOVIES
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), directed by Nicholas Meyer, is a major improvement over the previous Star Trek film. I especially enjoyed the parallels between the end of the Cold War and the attempt to establish peace between the Federation and the Klingons. Meyer also balances humor and drama effectively. And of course, it wouldn’t be Star Trek without plenty of Shakespeare references.
In the Name of the Father (1993), directed by Jim Sheridan, is a powerful film about the Guildford Four, featuring incredible performances by Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, and Emma Thompson. It’s an important film and a moving father-and-son story. A must-see movie.
Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words (2025), directed by Matthew Miele, is a great documentary about one of Hollywood’s greatest screenwriters. The film does an excellent job highlighting key monologues and passages of dialogue from Chayefsky’s work, including Marty and Network. I also enjoyed the interviews, particularly with Aaron Sorkin, who is now one of Hollywood’s leading screenwriters. The documentary is currently streaming on HBO and is a must-see for writers.
TV
Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, this has been a Star Trek week! I watched “The Game,” the episode in which Wesley Crusher returns in season five. It’s not a bad episode, though the ending feels a little too easy. It was also nice to see Ashley Judd in one of her early roles. However, “Unification,” Parts I and II, featuring Spock, are really strong episodes. The episodes aired around the time Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was released in theaters, and they are dedicated to Gene Roddenberry, who had just passed away.
Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind (2005) is a great episode about Nirvana’s landmark album, filled with insightful interviews about the band at the time. One of the highlights is producer Butch Vig at the mixing board, explaining how many of the songs were recorded. One thing that is often overlooked about Nevermind is how much Dave Grohl contributed vocally to the album.
BOOKS
Absolute Recoil by Slavoj Žižek. Because I have read so many of his books, it is sometimes difficult to identify the central premise, as many of them share similar structures. Žižek often returns to examples from his earlier work, but this has never bothered me. In fact, I find the repetition helpful in clarifying complex concepts such as Hegel’s “negation of negation” and the “night of the world.” As always, Žižek draws on Lacan to explain Hegel’s ideas, particularly concepts like the death drive and objet petit a.
No comments:
Post a Comment