Notes from a bibliophile

Indie films are fantastic. While mainstream Hollywood is beating the same dead horse it's beaten for the last few decades (e.g. A Star is Born was first made 81 years ago! ), the indie scene is where the creative and innovative films get made. Unfortunately they rarely get seen. I think social media helps get the word out for new films, but if you aren't following the right people, you still may not hear about interesting little gems that are hitting the market. I was lucky enough to follow at least one right person who made me aware of the film Sorry to Bother You . After reading a bit about it, watching the trailer, and seeing the talent involved, I decided it was something I really wanted to see. The story is about Cassius "Cash" Green, played by Get Out 's Lakeith Stanfield, who gets a telemarketing job. His first day there, he learns about the power sellers and how they have their own private elevator. But his initial attempts to sell don't go over w...

It’s been a while since I posted anything on here. Part of the reason is that I haven’t really had anything to write about; the other part is I’m not sure anyone really cares what I think. Now at least, I’ve found something I want to tell people about, no matter how few people see it. I joined Moviepass a few months ago. I won’t shill it here, but I think it’s great. If you want more information let me know & I’ll wax rhapsodic there. The thing I love most about it is that it makes me feel able to see films I wouldn’t normally see. There’s at least four films I’ve seen since joining that I wouldn’t have seen without Moviepass, and every one of them I have enjoyed. Maybe I’ll write more on those later. Three Identical Strangers is a documentary that is hard to believe is true. What would you do if you suddenly found out you had a twin? When 19-year-old Bobby attends his first day of college, he is greeted warmly by every stranger he meets, but they all keep calling him Eddie. Af...

We live in an age where people are shouting about freedoms everywhere. And it's great to be able to live in a country where we are so free, but one thing we often forget is that other people are also free to disagree with us. Just as we are free to shout our beliefs and opinions from the rooftops, we have to allow others to do the same, no matter how wrong we feel they are. Freedom is hard won and difficult to foster. But it's beautiful just the same. One of the most discussed freedoms (especially now) is freedom of speech and press. I've only recently gotten interested in comics/graphic novels, so the history of the genre is lost on me. I'm not surprised though to learn that comics have suffered the same strong-arm tactics that face controversial novels. It just seems sillier. To arrest people for selling comics that have boobies drawn in it seems truly a waste of law enforcement's time. That's one of the scenarios addressed in this collection of comics, w...

Last month American Vandal was one of the shows I blogged about that was coming out in September that I really wanted to see. I binged it this weekend and so here's what I thought. First, let me explain what this is on the surface. American Vandal is a mockumentary spoofing the recent multitude of true crime shows (a few more of which are coming to networks this fall). True crime as a genre (across all media) seems to be on the rise, maybe since Ann Rule published The Stranger Beside Me about her friend, serial killer Ted Bundy. Our fascination with true  crime goes much further back, I suppose to when Jack the Ripper was terrorizing Whitechapel, but now with TV and movies, we seem to be reaching a glut in the market. It is, therefore, the perfect time for a parody. The story is about Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro). Dylan is not the sharpest crayon in the box. He's continually disruptive in class, and he and his stoner friends make ridiculously awful YouTube videos. He als...

I have been a Netflix subscriber for many years, and honestly I'm really impressed with the quality of their originals. I've become a fan of Grace and Frankie, House of Cards, The Ranch, Travelers, The OA, Stranger Things, and probably some others I've forgotten. So when I get an alert that they're releasing a new original, my ears perk up a bit. It could still be crap, but I'll at least give it the benefit of the doubt. They just released a feature-length original called What Happened to Monday. It begins by preying on a lot of fears. Overpopulation produces a worldwide food shortage. Switching to GMOs helps alleviate that shortage, but has the unexpected side effect of boosting fertility, which again, puts a stress on the food supply. To counterbalance this, the government enacts a strict one child policy. Any family with more than one child has to give up the extra so that they can be put into cryosleep, suspended animation until the time comes when they are ab...