July 29th: 2.0

A new direction, and some fast-paced fun for these hot summer nights.

Hello everyone! It’s almost August, amazingly, and this summer has just been flying by. I’ve been jumping back and forth to Fishers, going to concerts with friends, and finding my footing at the bookstore - lots going on! But I haven’t forgotten about you, and future posts will be coming with more regularity.

This post is going to be the first in a new direction for this newsletter. I’ve loved writing about movies with you so far, but there’s so much more media out there that I want to share with you all, and so while I’m still going to focus on movies, it’s going to be a little more loose from here on out. Some weeks will still be three movies and a song, but there will be more books, albums, and other exciting things getting airtime as well. Let me know what you think, as always, and for now, here’s a group of crime-filled high-intensity joyrides to push you through your summer doldrums.

The Stuff:

I never watched the Wire, but if writer David Simon’s follow-up miniseries We Own This City (HBO MAX), is any indication, I’ve been missing out. A true-to-life depiction of the rampant corruption in Baltimore’s police department over the last decade, the series is a timely meditation on institutional power and the difficulties inherent in enacting change within a flawed system. The abuses of power and abandonment of duties shown here are bone-chilling, made all the more relevant in the wake of recent policing disasters in towns like Uvalde. It’s all brought together by an excellent ensemble giving life to even the most reprehensible of characters. It’s disturbing but essential viewing, a reminder of how much further this country has to go when it comes to protecting all its people.

Watch if you’re in the mood for: being at a loss for words.

The density of jokes in Hot Fuzz (Hulu) is basically unparalleled in modern comedy movies. Every single scene is crammed with asides and sight gags that would be the funniest joke in most other movies; here, they are glossed over in favor of the next. Edgar Wright’s precise, rhythmic style of editing keeps the action flowing, and brilliant performances from a murderer’s row of British actors (seriously, the amount of familiar faces here is frightening) mean that there’s truly never a dull moment. And on top of all that humor, they somehow found room to fit in a compelling murder mystery? It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and a guaranteed pick-me-up whenever you’re feeling down.

Watch if you’re in the mood for: Dumb jokes, smart jokes, smart dumb jokes.

Korean director Park Chan-Wook has made a career out of grisly yet transfixing movies (Oldboy and Memories of Murder come to mind), so I knew to be on guard when I sat down to watch The Handmaiden (Amazon Prime). But even going in wary, this movie managed to swiftly and thoroughly undermine my expectations. It’s violent, yes, but shockingly tender, and often very, very funny. Much like another Korean success Parasite (which I’ll write about soon enough), this film follows a group of con artists as they attempt to ingratiate themselves into a wealthier family, but the narrative twist and turns here are radically different and equally stunning. It’s sexy and scary and riveting, a great option for when you’re hoping to have something mess with your head.

Watch if you’re in the mood for: Complex narratives, insane cinematography, Ocean’s 11 but sexier.

The Book:

Since I’ll be moving TV shows in with the regular block of content, and because I talk about books all day every day and need another outlet, here I’ll be highlighting a book every week instead.

If there’s been one book I’ve been able to hand-sell to people this summer more than any other, it’s The Plot (Celadon, 2021), Jean Hanff Korelitz’s brilliant literary thriller following a hapless creative writing professor who steals a story from his student. There are so many reasons why I’m obsessed with this book (her writing, the pacing, the ingenious structuring, etc.) but I was particularly enamored with the protagonist, who’s refreshingly lame and relatably overwhelmed with the situations he finds himself in. Authors, write more losers - they’re more believable! It’s so enjoyable, so clever, so relentlessly enjoyable that even its moments of predictability don’t ruin the fun. It’s the perfect book to bring to the beach when you want to feel cool and high-brow but still enjoy yourself.

Read if you’re in the mood for: Great writing, just enough foreshadowing, not putting your book down.

The Tune:

You may remember Jessie Ware from her wildly popular 2014 single “Say You Love Me”, but while you weren’t watching, she’s reinvented herself from folk-pop singer-songwriter to nu-disco dance QUEEN. Her impeccably produced 2020 album What’s Your Pleasure? is one of the great modern dance albums, and her follow-up singles have taken her from strength to strength, cementing her as a master of her craft. “Please” is one of my favorites, an infectious, groovy tune straight out of the eighties that is sure to get even the most reluctant dancers tapping their feet. Just listen to those textures!

That’s it for me! See you all next week (or sooner, if you come buy a book…)

Love,

Nick