Here's what I watched and read...
MOVIES
It Follows (2014), directed by David Robert Mitchell, is a great atmospheric horror film with an intriguing premise. The film’s use of offscreen space, deep space staging, long takes, and deep focus photography help to create an unsettling and creepy vibe.
Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple (2026), directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, is an outstanding and heartfelt documentary on the legendary drummer of Rush. This is a must-see not only for Rush fans but for drummers alike. It was amazing to watch drummers Danny Carey, Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, and Gavin Harrison play Rush songs. But I also enjoyed hearing about their personal connection and friendship with Peart.
TV
I finished the third season Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. There are a lot of great episodes in this season, especially “Band Candy,” “The Zeppo,” and “Doppelgangland.” The two-part finale has hints of The Avengers, a movie that the series’s creator Joss Whedon would later direct. This is also the season in which they pulled the episode “Earshot” because of Columbine. Unfortunately, this is an important episode that comes back at the end of the season when Jonathan (Danny Strong) gives Buffy the umbrella at the prom for protecting the school. Jonathan had been thinking of suicide in “Earshot,” and Buffy had talked him out of it. Overall, I very much enjoyed Buffy’s high school years. But I think it is during the college years when the show turns to greatness.
We finished watching Widow’s Bay. What a great season! All the episodes were fun to watch. There were a lot of genuine scares, especially in the last episode. The series has a good mix of folk horror and comedy. Parts of the series reminded me of Jaws, Salem’s Lot, and Lost. I am looking forward to next season.
BOOKS
Alice in Chains: The Untold Story by David de Sola is an excellent account of the legendary grunge band from Seattle. De Sola compiled interviews with different people who were connected to the band, such as sound engineers, friends, family, and various musicians who had played with the founding members. Ultimately, the book is about the tragic and heartbreaking story of Layne Staley who died of an overdose in 2002. If you love AIC, this is a must-read.
I was very fortunate to see AIC play a small and intimate show in October of 1991 in Middletown, NY. This was not long after The Clash of the Titans tour, when I had also seen them in Middletown. They came back and played a show at a club called The Class. I was in the front of the stage and literally was five feet or so from Staley. They introduced a new song that night called “Sick Man.” It was an amazing show, one that I will never forget.
