Here’s what I watched and read last week…
MOVIES
The Odyssey (2026), directed by Christopher Nolan, is an amazing film. I won’t say too much about it, but I highly recommend watching it in the theater. There are many excellent action sequences, some of which are mind-blowing. And the performances are great, especially those of Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. I think they might get the Academy Award, or at least be nominated. The theater we watched it in had the volume too loud, which sometimes took me out of the film. But I plan to watch it again.
Marc by Sofia (2025), directed by Sofia Coppola, is an okay documentary on fashion designer Marc Jacobs. I really enjoyed hearing how the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Bob Fosse influenced his approach to fashion. But I would have liked to learn a little more about Jacobs. Great soundtrack.
TV
I finished the third season of The Wonder Years. There were a lot of great episodes and a few that didn’t land with me. The best were the three episodes involving Kevin’s math teacher Mr. Collins. “Goodbye” might be the best episode in the entire series. I was not surprised to learn that the episode won an Emmy for comedy writing.
Watching the series again, I was reminded of the benefits of the longer TV season and that most prime-time television is scheduled around the school year (at least for appointment television). Alan Sepinwall points out in his article “TV Seasons Have Gotten Shorter. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Better” that it allows the writers to experiment with characters and storylines. Sometimes you get a filler, like The Wonder Years’ season three episode, ‘“Glee Club.” Sometimes, you can get a great episode, such as “Square Dance” in season two. I love binge-watching, but I do think we’ve lost some of the collective viewing experience in the age of streaming.
We finished the third season of Stranger Things. I love the mall versus downtown theme that the Duffer Brothers take up. Having grown up in the 1980s as a teenager, I am amazed at how well they captured the era. I thought it was a smart move to incorporate Murray Bauman’s character into the series. He knows how to speak Russian, likes good food and drink, and is really funny. I also love the comedic banter between Steve and Dustin.
BOOKS
I finished I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, an oral history of the cable channel. I absolutely loved this book. I was ten years old when the cable network launched, and I can remember watching all these videos and big events, such as the 1992 VMAs and the Axl Rose and Nirvana feud. I loved Headbangers Ball and watched it every week. And I loved 120 Minutes, which introduced me to bands, such as Swervedriver and The Jesus and The Mary Chain. I highly recommend it.
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