Watched and Read - September 13, 2026

 

Here’s what I watched, listened to, and read…

MOVIES

Obsession (2026), directed by Curry Baker, is a very good dark comedy horror. I laughed a lot watching this one, although there were some very dark and graphic moments in the film. The film is a take on the short story, The Monkey’s Paw. The main character, Bear, purchases a toy called “One Wish Willow” that allows for one wish. I won’t say much more, especially because it’s a new film. Overall, I thought Baker did a great job of pacing and stretching scenes without becoming boring. There are some good jump scares. I also thought Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki was outstanding. I hope she gets nominated.

Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains (1982), directed by Lou Adler. I caught this one on the Criterion Channel. A good musical drama, with great performances by the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Paul Cook, and The Clash’s Paul Simonon.

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TV

We finished season two of Mr. In Between and thought it was amazing. I can’t believe I had not heard about this series. If you love shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, this is one to definitely check out.

I am halfway through the third season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. The main characters are fully developed. They have increased the humor and campiness, something I’ve always loved about the series. But you do get the sense that Cordelia is becoming unnecessary baggage. They would create Angel after this season, and it was a smart decision to move her character there. I’m not sure what other storylines they could have come up with for Angel and Cordelia in Buffy.

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AUDIOBOOKS

Horns by Joe Hill. I’ve read the book but wanted to hear the audio version. My drive to work is long and gave me a good opportunity to try it out. It was also my first time listening to an audiobook, which I very much enjoyed. This is a great and gritty book that involves a young man named Ignatius “Ig,” who discovers he has grown devil’s horns. We learn that Ig’s girlfriend, Merrin, had been raped and murdered, and many believe Ig was responsible. But with the mishandling of evidence, Ig was cleared as a suspect. The town of Gideon, however, still thinks he’s killed her. Hill has a great gift for words. Hearing them spoken made that even more evident. My only gripe is that I did not believe Ig’s older brother, Terry, was a trumpeter. Otherwise, an excellent novel by one of our great Gen X horror writers.

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YOUTUBE

I stumbled across a live performance of Mad Season in 1995. I love seeing Mike McCready play metal. He is a metalhead after all! And what a great song written by Layne Staley. It reminds me a little bit of “Angry Chair,” a song he wrote for Alice in Chains on the album Dirt.

 

This is a great interview with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter. We recently saw him perform Miles Davis songs at the Hollywood Bowl with Herbie Hancock. It was a very memorable performance. 

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PODCASTS

If you love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, check out Fresh Air’s interview with Flea. He recently released a jazz album. Who would have known he could play jazz? They played a few clips during the interview, and they sounded amazing! songs at the Hollywood Bowl with Herbie Hancock. It was a very memorable performance. 

 

  

 

 

Watched and Read - September 6, 2026

 Here's what I watched, read and listened to last week...

 

 

MOVIES

China Girl (1987), directed by Abel Ferrara, reimagines the gangster film through the story of Romeo and Juliet. There’s a gang war between the Italian and Chinese gangs. Tony is from Little Italy and Tye is from Chinatown, and they fall in love. You can probably guess what’s going to happen, but I very much enjoyed the film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), directed by Jon Favreau. I watched the movie with low expectations but wound up really enjoying it. The film had some great surprises, especially in the last half. I also liked that they brought in some characters from The Clone Wars and Rebels. I heard some critics saying that the film is more like television than cinema. I would say it is an intimate and quieter film than the epics we typically associate with the Star Wars universe.

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DOCUMENTARIES

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, a new documentary streaming on Netflix, is a startling and shocking documentary about the corporate brass putting money over the safety of people. This was a frightening one to watch.

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TV

I finished the fourth season of The Wonder Years. There were a lot of great episodes, especially the ones involving Kevin and Winnie. But I also enjoyed many of the episodic ones, such as “The Cost of Living,” “Who’s Aunt Rose?,” and “Separate Rooms.”

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BOOKS

The Children by Melissa Albert. I read almost 300 pages and wasn’t sure what to make of this novel. Stephen King’s quote mentioned that the prose reminded him of Ray Bradbury, which I definitely agree with. But I didn’t find the characters to be likable. However, when I read the last 100 pages, most of my thoughts on the novel changed. I read that this was Albert’s first adult novel. I’d be curious to read her next book.

Now and Forever by Ray Bradbury is a book of two novellas, “Somewhere a Band Is Playing” and “Leviathan ’99.” The first is about reporter who arrives in a mysterious town to learn that the residents never die. The second is Bradbury’s take on Melville’s Moby Dick as a space expedition. Both embody many of Bradbury’s themes. “Somewhere a Band Is Playing” has a nostalgic vibe, one that reminded me of Dandelion Wine. “Leviathan ’99” has a Martian Chronicles feel, especially the part where the crew comes across a moon with an abandoned civilization. I also loved the scene where they make contact with the famous broadcast voices of the past. The story reminded me of Star Trek, given that the crew’s mission is to explore and report their findings.

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PODCASTS

The Kingcast is a podcast I have been listening to since it debuted in 2020. They have had many great guests on talking about Stephen King’s books, including King himself. But the episode they recently did with Sam Weller, who wrote Ray Bradbury’s biography, was one of their best. If you love Bradbury and King, you should definitely check it out.

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YOUTUBE

If you like or even love Pearl Jam, I highly recommend Rick Beato’s interview with Mike McCready and Jeff Ament. Beato asks great questions about their songs and their techniques. I also learned some new history about the band, especially about its formation. It is definitely worth the watch.