jakecooper.xyz

Media Diet, February 2018 Edition

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:34:00 +0000

Short reviews of some of the things I’ve been watching, reading, hearing, and gawking at. I’ve been in between about 5 different books at the moment, but I’m hoping to have a few more finished and shelved next month around so I can round out this media diet.

Black Panther

For sure, one of the best Marvel movies to date. The story itself was easily one of the most thoughtful and refined takes yet. Many comparisons have been made between this movie and Hamlet, or the Lion King, and those influences are both clear and worth it in the final cut. Most importantly, the motives behind every character were believable and significant (which is a common thorn in Marvel’s side) although in some ways under-acted (sorry Michael B. Jordan). (A-)

The Shape of Water

I will always love Guillermo Del Toro’s movies. Pan’s Labyrinth has been one of my favorites ever since I first saw it. While the cinematography was gorgeous and elegant, the film emphasizes plot overacting, making for a memorable movie without necessarily memorable performances. Sally Hawkins is the one exception. For a silent role, she did a great job of servicing the story and conveying the emotional weight of the story without overacting the part. Michael Shannon on the other hand did not give his best (I hate to say). (B+)

Queer Eye

I haven’t seen the original, but I have to admit I really enjoy this show. It’s not exactly hard to imagine myself in the role of a nice but unkempt guy in need of a makeover. The series hosts do an excellent job rehabbing a person’s game in a week’s time, with the exception of Karamo who’s role seems a bit under-baked and overinflated. While all hosts can pull their own weight some segments unfortunately feel abbreviated to fit the episode. The best thing I could hope for in a season two (fingers crossed) is spending more time teaching instead of showing. (B+)

I, Tonya

Margot Robbie and Allison Janney steal every scene they’re in, but what’s amazing about this movie is that the story itself supersedes the great acting. The craziest thing about this crazy movie is that it’s (*mostly) a true story. (A)

The West Wing

I’ve been re-watching this series for months now and it’s serving as a great antidote to often soul-sucking buffoonery of the Cheeto in Chief. It’s bittersweet to see such a courageous, intelligent, empathetic and emotional president on one channel, and to see another president on the next channel completely lacking in all those ways. I’d vote for Jed Bartlet in a heartbeat, even if it’s just Aaron Sorkin telling Martin Sheen what to say. (A)

For a sample, here are 10 examples of Jed Bartlet flexing as president

Sapiens

I’ve barely started this book and already I feel like I’ve learned more about humans as a species than ever before. It’s fascinating to see how so many factors from 200,000 years ago affect our modern day psychology and culture. Definitely worth picking up and taking your time with. (A)

Tambourine

Chris Rock’s latest special brings us a more vulnerable Rock exploring the aftermath of his recent divorce and his frustrations with the justice system, Trump, and religion. It’s a great set, but ironically it felt a bit short at just under an hour. The through line: “Sometimes, you sing lead. And sometimes, you’re on tambourine. And if you’re on tambourine, play it right.” (B+)

SpaceX Launches the Falcon Heavy

I watched the live stream of SpaceX making history and it was definitely one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen. That space-age dreaming of the future optimism, yeah I’ve got it now. (A+)

Robert Downey Jr. Covers Sting

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The infamous RDJ has got some pipes. Sounding more like Dave Matthews than Tony Stark, Downey Jr. takes over for Sting in this live performance of “Driven to Tears”.

It’s not the first time the two have sang together however, check out their Alley McBeal duet of “Every Breath You Take”.

On Moonlight

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

I watched Moonlight last night for the first time and really enjoyed it. Where other best picture-nominated films are overblown with complicated stories and flimsy characters I was most enamored by Moonlight’s simplicity.

I knew some pieces of the story — time jumps, crisis of identity / sexuality within a black community — but was intrigued by how the film’s form and structure was used to depict the emotions of the characters. The film is filled to the brim with gorgeous, long shots with much of the dialogue dubbing multiple points of view unfolding in slow motion.

Here’s a great video from ScreenPrism detailing how it all comes together. The movie says so much with so little, and uses the camera as a means of communicating internal thoughts.

Moonlight’s release started a wave of high-art depictions of young black culture. In ScreenPrism’s video, the director, Barry Jenkins, talks about the flipping the script of showing the same old stories about growing up in poor neighborhoods. Instead Jenkins intended to bring “the arthouse to the hood” instead of the other way around.

Kendrik Lamar, Element.

The same could be said of Kendrik Lamar’s music video for Element, which released the year following Moonlight’s release. Largely inspired by, and frequently referencing, the works of Gordon Parks, Element. unfolds in vignettes both raw and violent, but beautifully framed and composed. It begs the viewer to question what is beautiful and what is real.

Jay-Z, Moonlight

To follow up the debut of Element, Jay-Z released the music video for his track Moonlight. The video depicts the production of a shot-for-shot Friends remake helmed by an all black cast. The video ends with Jerrod Charmichael (cast as Ross Geller) questioning the merits of a show that swaps in diverse actors without updating their context. He exits the set and sits on the bench from the Friends intro, staring at the moon, as the audio replays from the 2016 Oscars incorrectly announcing “La La Land” as the winner for Best Picture.