Here's what I watched and read....
MOVIES
Jackass: Best and Last (2026), directed by Jeff Tremaine, is a mix of old and new skits and stunts. I’ve seen all the Jackass movies, and some of the stunts are hard to watch. But I still laughed pretty hard watching the new movie.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), directed by Wes Anderson, might be one of his best. I teach this film for cinematography, especially for its use of multiple aspect ratios. We usually associate widescreen (2.40:1) with spectacles. But it’s the classic film aspect ratio of 1.37:1 where we locate the spectacle of the hotel in the Grand Budapest.
TV
We finished Mr. Inbetween and thought it was amazing. I think it ranks highly among some of the great gangster and crime TV series of the past thirty years. The mixing of episodic and serialized storytelling reminded me of The Sopranos. And much like The Sopranos, you’re always on uneven ground, never knowing if Ray is going to be murdered. I’ll be curious to see what television series Scott Ryan creates next.
BOOKS
I started reading Tales from the Crypt again for my yearly Halloween reads. I’ve noticed the later issues are a little more graphic. As I was reading them, I kept thinking of the Comics Code Authority seal, which came out of the Senate hearings on graphic imagery in comic books. Check out Stan Lee talking about it with Kevin Smith.
YOUTUBE
I’ve been a big fan of Quicksand since the beginning and attended one of their first shows back in 1990 at Club Anthrax in Norwalk, CT. This is a good interview. Although I wish Zane had asked questions about their connection to New York City’s hardcore scene. He missed a good opportunity to cover some interesting history, like Walter’s connection to the Straight Edge scene, and how he played bass for Youth of Today and guitar for Gorilla Biscuits. But the interview is worth checking out.
