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Hang on to your hats, it’s time for an entertainment update! It’s been a moment and we’ve been gorging on all manner of delectable morsels. We offer these micro-reviews to tantalize your taste buds. As always, our ratings are entirely subjective and ranked on a scale of 1 (meh) to 3 (yar) sheets to the wind.
Audiobooks
Having discovered audiobooks, our walks are now an opportunity for erudition in addition to exercise. Here’s a sampling:
Invisible Man – All the pathos and anarchic humour of Ralph Ellison’s towering novel is brought to extraordinary life. A must listen for Joe Morton’s performance alone. – MN [3]
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared – A lighthearted comedy with a cast of oddball characters written with dry, Scandinavian wit. Think Tom Sharpe without the mania. We have yet to see the film, but it’s on our list. – CK/MN [3]
Little – Edward Carey’s factional biography of Madame Tussaud worms its way through the wax castings of every beheaded statesperson in Revolutionary Paris (v1.0). Wonderfully macabre and engaging. – MN [3]
North Woods – Daniel Mason’s multigenerational story of a house in Western Massachusetts traces its history from colonial times to the near present. It is beguiling and wonderful. – CK/MN [3]
Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver updates David Copperfield. Carol and the Pulitzer committee loved it. Even at 2X listening speed Mike found it wearing, predictable, and not nearly as good as the original. Now it’s your turn. – CK [3] / MN [1]
Film
Dune I & II – Hollywood’s second attempt at filming Frank Herbert’s ‘unfilmable’ science fiction classic. It is worth watching if only to marvel at how much better Denis Villeneuve’s is than David Lynch’s technically hamstrung 1984 version. If you’ve read the book, then you will appreciate that both directors could only capture the spirit of the novel. Villeneuve’s is an engaging and effective precis underpinned by 40 years of advances in special effects. Dune II is a little less assured. Probably because it needs a third instalment. – CK/MN [3 for I, 2.75 for II]
Barbenheimer – Ever slaves to media hype, we watched Barbie in Sweden and Oppenheimer, appropriately, in New Mexico. We found Barbie engaging, while Oppenheimer is the first Christopher Nolan film Mike enjoyed. Outstanding performances in both. – CK/MN [3]
The Creator – AI escapes America’s genocidal onslaught. A decent popcorn flick that nerds will find interesting because it was filmed with prosumer Sony cameras that any aspiring indie filmmaker could afford. – MN [2.25]
Music
The Goldberg Variations – Beatrice Rana’s exquisitely emotive interpretation of Bach’s piano lessons is played transcendently. This is the version to own. – MN [3]
the record –– The indie supergroup boygenius released its first album a year ago. If you have never heard of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, they are the Baker, Winwood, and Clapton of our time. – MN [3]
Hit Me Hard and Soft – Album oriented rock makes a comeback with Billie Eilish’s latest release. Forget the singles, you’ll only get it if you listen to it the way we did back in high school. – MN [3]
Black Sabbath – On its release, Black Sabbath’s freshman outing completely pissed off Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. Don some black eyeliner and stream it to hear why. A little cliché today, the album is nothing as frenetic as Metal became over the following 30 years. – MN [2.317]
Telly
Colin From Accounts – Aussie rom-com meet-cute with beer and a stray dog. What’s not to love? – CK/MN [3]
Dark Winds – Strange things are afoot in Navajo country. Filmed in New Mexico, Tony Hillerman’s novels are competently adapted and played by an ensemble cast. – CK/MN [3]
A Gentleman in Moscow – A fully mustachioed Ewan McGregor tackles the leading role of a gent-trapped-in-a-hotel-by-the-Bolsheviks. If you enjoyed Amor Towles’ book, you’ll enjoy the show. – CK/MN [3]
Trying – A British couple try to adopt children when natural childbirth is no longer an option. Hilarity ensues. It is very sweet and humane. We’re loving it. – CK/MN [3]
