Today marks the one-year anniversary of Watched and Read! Fifty-two postings! Whoa! Looking back, I have learned a few things about myself. I watch at least three movies every week. My television viewing diminished and intensified throughout the year. It was also difficult to write weekly short reviews of books. It usually takes me about 10 to 14 days to read a book, especially theoretical ones. That’s why I sometimes share brief comments on books I’m currently reading.
MOVIES
The Buddy Holly Story (1978), dir. Steve Rash, is one of the great rock biographies, with an outstanding performance by Gary Busey. Having played in many bands, I can tell if an actor knows how to play their instrument. Busey not only knows how to play the guitar, but he plays the songs correctly. But most importantly, he plays and sings from his heart. That’s what elevates this film. If you love music, this is a must-see film.
Tramps! (2022), dir. Kevin Heggeis, is a good documentary on the New Romantic movement in the UK during the late 1970s. It focuses on the fashion that emerged from the nightclubs and venues during that time. I’ve watched many documentaries on punk and New Wave, and it was very interesting to learn about how this subculture was intimately connected to it.
Mother (1926), dir. V.I. Pudovkin, one of the masterpieces of Soviet Montage cinema. The cross-cutting between the prisoners’ escape and the flow of ice is an iconic sequence. Mother and Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin are two great movies to compare in terms of different theories and styles of editing.
The Drama (2026), dir. Kristoffer Borgli, is a dark comedy filled with uncomfortable moments. I went back and forth between covering my face and laughing out loud. This is the type of film that you know is great but never want to see again. Great performances by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. And what a year for both actors!
TV
I am Evel Knievel is a good documentary about the legendary stunt devil. The footage of Evel’s motorcycle jumps is breathtaking and really frightening! I kept thinking about Johnny Knoxville and the crew from Jackass.
The Story of Pixar chronicles the creation of Pixar Studios. I knew the studio made several box office hits, but I did not realize how many in a row! Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles.
Elton John: Never Too Late (2024), dir. R.J. Culture, is not a bad documentary. Most of the stuff I already knew. But the section on John Lennon was a complete surprise.
BOOKS
Rupture by Paul Eisenstein and Todd McGowan is an excellent book on political philosophy. The core of their argument is that rupture is the result of the divided subject. Eisenstein and McGowan draw their notion of rupture mainly from Hegel, Freud, and Lacan. If the subject is split or divided, the symbolic order must also be divided. The split in the symbolic order is what Eisenstein and McGowan identify as the site of rupture. The book offers many examples, ranging from history to the arts, to explain the potential of rupture. But what I found most enjoyable was their engagement with different philosophers.
