A non-exhaustive list of notable media (movies, TV, books, music, etc.) that I’ve watched, read, listened to, or otherwise ingested.
Movies
- Ghostwatch (1992) – Ghostwatch ran so Late Night With the Devil could walk. Everything Late Night tried, this already accomplished a thousand times better. I can only imagine tuning into what you think is a regular Halloween special on your favorite news broadcast, and then seeing this unfold. What an experience, even now knowing it’s all fiction. What a blast!
- Trick ‘r Treat (2007) – The platonic ideal of a Halloween movie. Fun, spooky, adventurous, and sharp. Could and should easily fit into any annual Halloween rotation.
- Rebel Ridge (2024) – What’s the point of Netflix pumping so much money into movies and talent when it barely advertises the existing of anything remotely approaching quality? Does Netflix even want people to watch these? This movie rips. Tight and tense throughout with a lot on its mind; imagine if Jack Reacher had a no-kill rule.
- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) – There have been a lot of attempts to merge the coming-of-age genre with the supernatural. Some are fun enough, like Warm Bodies. Others, not so much. This one easily takes the crown. Cute and heartwarming without ever approaching twee. Real stakes: not life-or-death (though some of that is here), but things personal and close to the heart. A real emotional payoff.
- I Saw the TV Glow (2024) – Sometimes you see a movie as an adult you know would have had a profound and lasting impact on the trajectory of your life had you seen it when you were young enough. Just like We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, this captures such a hyper-specific wavelength. It’s incredible to feel so seen.
TV
- Reacher – This 250-pound neurodivergent gorilla’s special interest is killing bad guys and doing the right thing. And he never runs out of bad guys. Good pulpy fun.
Books
- Heading Home With Your Newborn (Laura A. Jana MD FAAP, Jennifer Shu MD FAAP) – Title self-explanatory. There is a newborn around. 🙂
- Hyperion (Dan Simmons) – An SF adventure that serves as an elaborate frame around a series of short stories. Dan Simmons dips his toes in various short story forms and genres throughout. Some hit better than others. Does the Star Trek thing where a character mentions two classical artists / scientists / persons of renown, then one or two fictional, which once you notice the pattern can get a little tiresome. Still, these are nitpicks. It’s a great read and a genre classic for a reason.
Music
- Raye – My 21st Century Blues (2023) – Every once in a while an album comes along to remind us how important the album listening experience can be. You could take any track from this album and listen to it alone, and it’s still remarkable. But not as great as the album listened from front to back. Raye dips her toes in a half-dozen genres on an introspective journey through seven years of songwriting that can’t be missed.
- Joy Oladokun – Proof of Life (2023) – Another collection of great songs, excellently produced, impeccably arranged. The kind of album that’s so good you’d swear you’ve always known these songs; they were just waiting to come back to you.
- Oxygène – Jean-Michel Jarre (1976) – Having grown up listening to Vangelis, I’m amazed I’d never heard of Jean-Michel Jarre before. But this is right in that neighborhood. Prescient and still futuristic 50 years later. A soundscape that artists are still unsuccessfully aping.