Here’s what I watched and read last week…
MOVIES
Song Sung Blue (2025), directed by Craig Brewer, tells the story of a real-life couple who performed as a Neil Diamond tribute band. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are amazing. I’m surprised Jackman didn’t receive an Oscar nomination, though Hudson did. The musical numbers are strong, but I wish they had done a better job casting Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. He looked a little too young in the film.
High Anxiety (1977), directed by Mel Brooks, is a great homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The story doesn’t entirely work, but that’s beside the point. It’s not as strong as Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, but it’s still worth checking out, especially if you’re a Hitchcock fan.
History of the World, Part I (1981), directed by Mel Brooks, has some genuinely funny moments. The “Spanish Inquisition” musical number is especially good. The French Revolution segment was probably my least favorite, but overall, I enjoyed the movie.
Her (2013), directed by Spike Jonze, is a haunting sci-fi romance about Theodore, who begins dating his operating system. It’s essentially like dating ChatGPT. Even though the film was released in 2013, Jonze anticipates many of the uncertainties surrounding intimacy and AI that are now part of our current digital landscape. An excellent and important movie.
The Age of Innocence (1993), directed by Martin Scorsese, is a visually stunning film with beautiful cinematography. This was probably my fourth or fifth time seeing it, but the romance never fully connected with me. Still, it’s worth watching for the visuals alone.
GoodFellas (1990), directed by Martin Scorsese, is a masterpiece and one of the best gangster films ever made, alongside The Godfather. I love the final stretch of the film, especially when the helicopter seems to be following Henry Hill. Scorsese’s music choices are phenomenal. The long take of Henry and Karen entering the club through the back is one of the greatest shots in cinema. The tracking shot parallels the space Henry commands and controls—it’s both spectacle and an assertion of power, capturing him at one of his highest points in the story. This is Scorsese at his pinnacle. If you want to be a filmmaker, this is required viewing.
TV
Nothing much to write about this week. I’ve pretty much watched all the series I wanted to see, so now I’m just waiting for the new seasons, especially The Studio and Slow Horses.
BOOKS
I finished the Cornell Woolrich collection of short stories, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was surprised to learn how many of his stories were adapted into films.
