Watched and Read - July 26, 2026

 

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

 

MOVIES

The Odyssey (2026), directed by Christopher Nolan, is an amazing film. I won’t say too much about it, but I highly recommend watching it in the theater. There are many excellent action sequences, some of which are mind-blowing. And the performances are great, especially those of Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. I think they might get the Academy Award, or at least be nominated. The theater we watched it in had the volume too loud, which sometimes took me out of the film. But I plan to watch it again.

Marc by Sofia (2025), directed by Sofia Coppola, is an okay documentary on fashion designer Marc Jacobs. I really enjoyed hearing how the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Bob Fosse influenced his approach to fashion. But I would have liked to learn a little more about Jacobs. Great soundtrack. 

---

TV

I finished the third season of The Wonder Years. There were a lot of great episodes and a few that didn’t land with me. The best were the three episodes involving Kevin’s math teacher Mr. Collins. “Goodbye” might be the best episode in the entire series. I was not surprised to learn that the episode won an Emmy for comedy writing.

Watching the series again, I was reminded of the benefits of the longer TV season and that most prime-time television is scheduled around the school year (at least for appointment television). Alan Sepinwall points out in his article “TV Seasons Have Gotten Shorter. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Better” that it allows the writers to experiment with characters and storylines. Sometimes you get a filler, like The Wonder Years’ season three episode, ‘“Glee Club.” Sometimes, you can get a great episode, such as “Square Dance” in season two. I love binge-watching, but I do think we’ve lost some of the collective viewing experience in the age of streaming.

We finished the third season of Stranger Things. I love the mall versus downtown theme that the Duffer Brothers take up. Having grown up in the 1980s as a teenager, I am amazed at how well they captured the era. I thought it was a smart move to incorporate Murray Bauman’s character into the series. He knows how to speak Russian, likes good food and drink, and is really funny. I also love the comedic banter between Steve and Dustin.

---

BOOKS

I finished I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, an oral history of the cable channel. I absolutely loved this book. I was ten years old when the cable network launched, and I can remember watching all these videos and big events, such as the 1992 VMAs and the Axl Rose and Nirvana feud. I loved Headbangers Ball and watched it every week. And I loved 120 Minutes, which introduced me to bands, such as Swervedriver and The Jesus and The Mary Chain. I highly recommend it.

 

Watched and Read - July 12, 2026

 Here is what I watched and read last week...

 

MOVIES

Minions & Monsters (2026), directed by Pierre Coffin, is a very good and funny movie about the minions going to Hollywood. This was my first time watching a Minions movie, and I enjoyed it very much. The references to Hollywood are hilarious, and the animation is outstanding. What struck me was the underlying message about the history of theatrical cinema, which I think is especially important in the age of clip culture and streaming. I’ll have to check out the other Minions films.

Violent Saturday (1955), directed by Richard Fleischer, is a great film about a group of characters who come to a desert-mining town to rob a bank. Throughout the story, we are introduced to a series of characters and their situations leading up to the robbery. The cinemascope is amazing, with many shots filmed on location, giving the film both a spectacle and a realist look. The film is streaming on Criterion’s “Murderous Melodramas.”

Leave Her to Heaven (1945), directed by John M. Stahl, is an excellent noir film about a jealous woman who becomes obsessed with her husband. The technicolor cinematography is amazing, and the set design is beautiful. However, lurking within this beautiful setting is a monstrous figure played brilliantly by Gene Tierney. The film is streaming on Criterion’s “Murderous Melodramas.” Definitely check out Imogene Sara Smith’s analysis of the film, which is also available on Criterion.

---

TV

I finished the second season of The Wonder Years. There were many great episodes. Highlight were: “Our Miss White,” “Walkout,” and “Square Dance.” The series does a great job of balancing nostalgia, melodrama, and comedy.

We re-watched the first and second seasons of the Stranger Things series. The Duffer Brothers do such an amazing job of weaving together a cast of characters. The first season focused mostly on Lucas, Dustin, and Mike as they searched for Will. However, the second season is structured around a web of narratives, crosscutting between different groups of characters, such as Dustin and Steve; Lucas and Max; Jonathan, Nancy, and Murray; Joyce, Bob and Jim, etc. Arguably, this is why the episode “The Lost Sister,” which involves Eleven and Kali, feels out of place. They should have done a better job of threading that storyline together with the others. Besides that, the second season is really good.

---

BOOKS

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein is an excellent novella. I first learned about the story through a chapter in Slavoj Žižek’s Looking Awry, where he discusses the story’s ending in regard to the Real (the thing that disrupts the symbolic order) and fantasy. I finally checked out the book from the library and read it. The story is a good example of the fantastic, capturing the hesitation between reality and fantasy. Heinlein does a great job of holding the reader’s interest until he finally reveals Hoag’s profession.

 

 

Watched and Read - January 4, 2026

 

Happy New Year! 

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

 

 

MOVIES

The Lost Bus (2025), directed by Paul Greengrass, is an intense survival narrative. Matthew McConaughey is excellent, and the film’s special effects are awesome. I’m not sure whether the film is eligible for Academy Awards, since I don’t think it had a theatrical release, but it is definitely worthy of some nominations. Greengrass previously directed United 93, a film I don’t think I could ever watch again, but he clearly knows how to create tension and suspense.

The Mastermind (2025), directed by Kelly Reichardt, is a slow-paced story about an art thief played by Josh O’Connor. The film has a touch of Robert Bresson’s influence and reminded me of Pickpocket and L’Argent. A good film overall.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991) features martial arts sequences that are much stronger than the story. If nothing else, it’s worth watching to see Jet Li, who is amazing.

City on Fire (1987), directed by Ringo Lam, is one of the better Hong Kong action films I’ve seen recently. This is the film that influenced Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Definitely worth checking out.

The Big Sleep (1946), directed by Howard Hawks, is one of the most complex stories in the film noir canon. If film noir is defined by its labyrinthine plotting, this may be the ultimate example. I won’t even try to summarize the plot, but I agree with Roger Ebert’s view that the film isn’t about solving the mystery so much as experiencing the process.

---

TV

Stranger Things. The fourth season was one of my favorites, but I also enjoyed the fifth and final season. I particularly liked the last episode and thought the Duffer Brothers did a nice job wrapping up the story. There are always going to be complaints about series finales—the only one I can think of that avoided this was Breaking Bad.

One of the things that impressed me most was how well the Duffer Brothers mapped out the characters. Stephen King is one of their major influences, and it’s worth noting that his epic novels—’Salem’s Lot, The Stand, Needful Things, and Under the Dome—all feature ensemble casts. King is great at weaving a complex tapestry of characters without confusing the reader, and I felt the same way about Stranger Things. It will be fun to watch the entire series straight through.

---

BOOKS

James Patterson’s Return of the Spider is one of the top books in the Alex Cross series. I think the novel works best for longtime fans of the series rather than for readers who have never read a Cross book. That said, newcomers shouldn’t avoid it altogether. Having read all of the Cross novels, I found this one especially effective as a backstory.

Understanding Lacan’s Objet A by Juan Pablo Lucchelli is an excellent book on how Lacan developed the concept of objet petit a—the object-cause of desire. For Lacan, the subject is always divided between consciousness and the unconscious. Once one becomes part of the symbolic order, one becomes a subject of desire, which means the subject must tarry with lack for the rest of their life. This is what Lacan terms the barred or split subject. However, Lacan also argues that there is a remainder—what he calls objet a, the lost, impossible object. If you want to read about objet a in more detail, check out my blog post. Another great example is Slavoj Žižek’s analysis of Coca-Cola in The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology.

 

Watched and Read - November 30, 2025

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

 

MOVIES

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) is an animated film that takes place in 1969, not long before Apollo 11 lands on the moon. The story is told through the eyes of Stanley, a fourth grader living in the Houston suburbs. What I loved about the film are the small details Linklater captures from the era—food, TV shows, board games, pop music, and more. Linklater’s emphasis on the everyday is never boring; I found myself completely absorbed by the film.

Sangre Del Toro (2025) is a documentary about filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and his love of horror. I’ve heard del Toro speak many times on horror and the Gothic—especially in his video on Bleak House—but this is by far the most in-depth exploration of his passion for the genre.

Big Eyes (2014) tells the true story of Margaret Keane, an artist known for her paintings of figures with oversized eyes. It’s a low budgeted film directed by Tim Burton, and Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz deliver excellent performances—I’m surprised they weren’t nominated for Academy Awards. The costumes and sets are outstanding. The court sequence is a bit over the top, but overall I really enjoyed watching Burton’s film.

Marvin’s Room (1996) is a powerhouse of actors, starring Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro. It’s a strong story with excellent performances, particularly from DiCaprio, who would go on to become a global star later in the 1990s.

Quadrophenia (1979) is based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera and follows Jimmy, a Mod living in 1960s England. Whereas Ken Russell’s Tommy (1975) uses surrealist imagery to capture The Who’s first rock opera, Quadrophenia emphasizes realism and working-class grit. Phil Daniels convincingly embodies Jimmy’s schizophrenia, and it was cool to see a young Sting play the Ace Face. An excellent film from one of my all-time favorite bands.

Eddington (2025). Ari Aster’s new film is kind of a mess. There are some funny moments, and I always love seeing Joaquin Phoenix on screen, but it felt like I was watching two different films. The mix of graphic violence and comedy didn’t work for me. And, like Beau Is Afraid, the movie went on too long.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012). I watched the Criterion edition, which looks amazing. There are some great extras, including a making-of feature. Moonrise, along with The Grand Budapest Hotel, represents Wes Anderson at his best.

---

TV

I finished the first and second seasons of Slow Horses. Both seasons were exciting. I love the labyrinthine storytelling, with all its twists and turns. The characters from Slough House are complex and interesting, especially Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). I’m looking forward to season 3.

Watching season 5 of Stranger Things took me a little time to settle into the story, especially while trying to ignore how much older the characters have gotten. But I’m really enjoying it. It definitely feels like the show is moving toward its endgame. I love the crosscutting between the different storylines—it’s such an engaging series. I just wish they hadn’t broken the season into parts.

Welcome to Derry has a Stranger Things vibe but is much darker. They just introduced an element from Doctor Sleep connected to Dick Hallorann’s character, which I won’t spoil. There are only three episodes left, and I’m curious to see how it will all come together.

---

BOOKS

King Sorrow is Joe Hill’s latest novel and might be one of his best. If you haven’t read it, I won’t say much about the plot, but there’s definitely a dragon involved—something the cover makes clear. The novel is epic in both scope and storytelling, blending fantasy and horror with medieval scholarship. There’s plenty of humor, but it’s never snarky, and I love all the references to popular culture. I’ve read most of Hill’s work and think he’s one of the best descriptive writers out there. Don’t be intimidated by the novel’s length—it’s never boring.