My Favorite Things This Week #21
The Friday High 5: On the 90s, the 70s, and the New Hotness
Every Friday I share 5 things I enjoyed this week. Also, high fives are inherently cool, and I think we can all agree Friday is the bestest day. Hence the Friday High Five. 🙏🏻Today’s High Five comes from The Office, which I am currently rewatching. Again. For the 4th time? 5th? One loses count. We’re working through the series with our son, who is enjoying it immensely. Although we have recently started season 8, aka the worst season. It doesn’t matter, it’s still hilarious.
What’s your favorite TV show to rewatch? Give me some recommendations!
Have a great weekend!
5 Things I Enjoyed This Week:
Point Break: Part 2
The Nineties: A Book
The Last Thing He Told Me
New Movie Trailers
Almost Famous
Point Break: Part 2
I know I mentioned it yesterday, but finishing the article was a big deal, and I’m still jazzed about it.
That is all. Link
The Nineties: A Book
A lot of my reading lately has been geared toward “how do I do what I’m trying to do better?” To that end, I picked up Chuck Klosterman’s book while it was recently on sale. Klosterman is one of the smartest culture writers around.
The book is an incredibly thorough deep-dive into all things 90s. It’s the first time I’ve really read something that could be considered a historical account where I distinctly remember the events depicted. Like, I remember watching the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video when it originally aired. I remember when Tupac was killed, and the Gulf War, and when Ross Perot ran for president and somehow got 20 million votes. It’s all just sorta trippy.
Anyway, Klosterman’s takes and commentary are so precise. I’m doing a lot of highlighting. Here’s a fun anecdote from the book, regarding Smells Like Teen Spirit:
The song’s title derived from Vail’s friend (and eventual Bikini Kill bandmate) Kathleen Hanna, who drunkenly wrote the phrase “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on Cobain’s bedroom wall in Olympia, Washington. The joke was that Vail wore Teen Spirit deodorant, thus implying that Cobain and Vail were sleeping together.
The Last Thing He Told Me
Oh look: Another new series on Apple TV that has captured my attention. Apple TV is really starting to give HBO a run for their prestige TV money.
This one had me at Jennifer Garner; been a fan since Alias. I’m not a huge mystery/thriller guy, but the premise—good-guy husband mysteriously disappears after leaving a handful of notes and a duffle of cash—grabbed my attention. The mystery is slowly unraveling. Hopefully it pays out in satisfying faction, but enjoying the ride so far.
We’ll be diving into Silo once we wrap this one up. Can’t wait!
New Movie Trailers
A handful of exciting new movie trailers dropped recently. I am a trailer fiend, and consumed these with great relish.
I’ve read the book several times, but I’m not the biggest Dune fan. It’s fine, as a book. As a movie, however, Part One bowled me over. The visuals, the scale, the drama—it was all exquisite. I can’t wait to return to Arrakis.
On paper, the premise isn’t very exciting, even accounting for the stakes. Science is a slow process. A film about scientists doing science sounds about as exciting as one in which painters paint. However, execution is everything. I’m getting the right sort of buzz off this one.
Almost Famous
I’ve always felt a strange affinity for the 70s. Specifically the music. How can someone feel nostalgic for something they’ve never directly experienced?
Deep-down, most of it can be attributed to my estrangement from my father. I look for connection through music. It’s a poor substitute, but on the other hand, 70s rock music kicks ass.
I mentioned Moneyball last week as a favorite feel-good film. Almost Famous is in the same category. I rewatched it this week and then went down the rabbit hole researching writer-director Cameron Crowe’s real-life inspirations, of which there were quite a few!
What are you into at the moment? Leave a comment and let me know!
If you enjoyed this, please like it and share it with someone. It’s the best way to show your appreciation and it would mean a lot to me. :)
A show I love to rewatch: Daniel Knauf's 'Carnivale.' Though the show only lasted 24 episodes, it provides a lot of rewatch value - you can discover new elements and details all the time. This is a very visual show and a layered show, with little exposition, meaning a lot of things that are never explicitly spelled out.
"Silo" on Apple TV+ is incredible right out of the gate.
Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane in “Almost Famous” is among my all-time favorite movie characters. Cameron Crowe's adventures with Rolling Stone, and his journey to make the film, are fascinating tales of hustle and heart.