The return of the yap

Welcome back to "no first drafts," a newsletter I’m never going to rush. In fact, this return took the whole summer to write, and a whole month to produce and polish once I realized it wasn’t going to be a blog post. I was waiting until it felt right, an ethos I hope to keep going forward.

“No first drafts” began last summer, as a place for my musings during a period of time that I was not that confident would be the final months of my previous job (but that turned out to be the case). I started to realize I wanted to start something new, to write my own thing. It didn’t help that social media was truly beginning to fracture thanks to Elon’s complete and total paint job at Twitter.

Speaking of sites with nazi affiliations, I pulled the plug on the first “no first drafts" because it was on Substack, where the leadership failed to respond to its Nazi problem with the thoroughness required. Much more prominent writers, who actually made money from their projects, also left. Others didn’t. It’s mostly been forgotten, but I won’t judge the folks whose sunk costs on Substack are keeping them there. I kept my Twitter account as it became X.

Instead, I started posting over at my own website, all the while missing the ability to reach out to people’s inboxes as I relied on them to check social media. I also started to post digests of little movies reviews, compiling what I’d watched each month (or, sometimes, two), pieces of that bite-sized nature that could have gone on my Letterboxd. Except I only use that site for tracking what I see and logging my instant reactions. When I realized I wanted somewhere to post thoughts that had simmered and marinated a little longer, my little Culture Diary format was born. I try to organize the films in order of what I liked the least up top and the stuff I loved at the bottom. The intent is providing folks with varying recommendations for what to track down on movie nights.

This edition of “no first drafts” is both: musings about my summer first, and a culture diary of the movies I saw in June, July, and August after that. It’s also extremely long. Over 5,800 words-long. So long that I have to eschew the usual trailer video embeds I used to do on my personal site. I also had to drop my sections on music, books, TV, and museums for the next edition.

Curious how I came back to email? I remember looking for a Substack alternative, but none seemed to offer the right "free for a small-scale operation" service I required. This whole enterprise had been a hobby or a lark, something I do for myself. I write for a living, and I never stop. Sure, I could wind up needing a platform to communicate other stuff some day, and that's nice, but it's pretty far from my mind. But in August 2024, I realized that beehiiv met my needs, thanks to a post from my long-time online acquaintance Preeti Chhibber (an author and prolific multi-hyphenate, who has her own beehiiv: the perfectly named Preeti Words).

So, in the words of the terminally yearning/online: we are so back.

I: “that summer”

I don’t know how you think of this summer, but chances are you’ve probably heard it called “brat summer” per the Charli XCX album which became kinda ubiquitous thanks to how everyone (yours truly included) loves to cling onto a hue and font. As much as I'm Charli-pilled (more on that below next time), this wasn't a brat summer for me. Because I love a rhyme, I’m destined to think of it as “that summer."

I emerged from cliffhanger spring to live through months stained with yearning. I was (as the song goes) “watching, waiting, commiserating.” But when July turned into August, everything felt a little more fresh.

At the end of July, I visited dear friends I needed to see badly over in London (you can avoid Boeing planes when booking tickets if you look through all the flight information), and I returned ever so slightly reloaded. Not just because I had fresh sheets waiting for me on my bed, but because of the thoughts and conversations I had before I got on the plane.

A false dichotomy — “hubris or modesty?” — rattled around my head for too long. There's a story I tell folks involving that time I found joy in a very bad person's illness, which happened parallel to the biggest familial emergency breaking out. Fast forward to these last 18+ months, which have been as personally eventual as they can get these days, and I’ve finally stopped worrying that pride comes before the LOLs.

In fact, I finally found myself ready to take a victory lap about how I lost weight I’ve wanted to shed for quite some time. I’m proud of what I’ve done, but I’m not done yet. Not only did it require a lot of effort in breaking bad habits and creating new ones, but just writing the above required me to stare down my own concerns. A pair of Damoclesian blades sliced the space in front of my keyboard. On one hand, I worried how much public shame I'd have if I were to back-slide and let myself go, and on the other hand I could not drop the belief that I haven’t done enough.

Eventually, I found clarity around the fact that my concerns were all hypothetical. And fearing failure is no good when it’s stopping you from enjoying yourself. It stops you from making the most of the moment.

I never saw it all so clearly, though, until I interrogated my thoughts about COVID. Yes, I'm using all-caps, because that's how it's done.

Yes, COVID. That thing most people aren’t talking about, many people are still getting (or do my friends share news of their infections more on social media than yours?), and we’re still learning about. The thing that's caused Long COVID for many folks, which is driving some of them into an understandable rage.

And even though the CDC hasn't been great on COVID for quite some time, let's look at some of its "key points" (aka cheat sheet, aka tl;dr, "too long didn't read") on Long COVID:

• Long COVID is a serious illness that can result in chronic conditions requiring comprehensive care.

• Long COVID can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 illness.

• Anyone who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, can experience Long COVID, including children.

• Living with Long COVID can be difficult and isolating, especially when there are no immediate answers or solutions.

I spent too much time trying to analyze those who don't mask anymore. I'm simply going to explain why I do, and what it's like.

Being one of the few remaining people who still masks in public sometimes meant being annoyed with the general slide that society away from masking. I don’t particularly enjoy wearing a face mask, but considering how much the most vulnerable of us are still in danger, I continue to mask. It also probably doesn’t help that my own COVID infection led to a fairly dramatic and traumatic incident.

But for those who don’t mask, yes, I get it. It’s not fun at all. If you don’t have friends or colleagues with chronic illness and pains … (or you just don't know they do)? If you don’t spend time with any elderly or younger children, or anyone who does? I can sort of understand why you're "over" masking. Yes, the government fumbled (and continues to fumble) it all, and paranoids and skeptics didn’t help any, but the posturing that we are “over” COVID when that's not the case is tricky. I get it, people want to move on. To regain their normal.

And boy has the UK gone full pre-COVID. That trip was many things, and it was also full of too many “okay nobody cares anymore, coolcoolcool,” moments.

• Just instantly noticing that nobody — not even the young, who are the most reliable in New York — masked.

• Attending two packed live events where absolutely zero other people masked.

• Getting really weird looks for masking from (presumably) locals. Not even New Yorkers (outside of a weirdo at the Javits Center and one Karen at my gym) do that. We are famously judgmental, but we also give people their space. I’ve seen more than a few people publicly screaming through their traumas lately, and I let them be.

All totaled, I only noticed one actual local masker, a clerk who worked a pastry shop. Of course it’s the most vulnerable shouldering the burden that the well-off can ignore. Beyond that person, there were two other masked folks I remember: someone at the first party I went to, and my wise friend Flo. (Yes, IYKYK, there were others, but that’s not my story to tell).

Eventually, I have had to admit it’s impossible to still live to the always-masked standards I spent years living under. Even if I can stay masked for a whole 8+ hour flight to the UK, I’ll eventually want a sip of water or eat during my much-more-frequent (and often meal-timed) movie trips. As you’ve seen here in previous culture diary posts, I’m not giving up movie theaters.

Put another way: my idealism and my pragmatism had to live together, and I made changes so as to not isolate myself from living. I’ll dine indoors, and I’ll briefly unmask when working with colleagues indoors. All whenever my brain feels comfortable enough, despite the publicly available details of the levels of COVID in wastewater levels. Compartmentalizations of anxieties is key.

I go mask-off when I think the risk isn’t as big as it is at other times. That a movie theater full of quiet people is less dangerous than a wrestling show filled with chanting or ... that one comedy show where I’m sure I caught COVID.

In these little moments, though, I (unwittingly) accrued guilt. Breaking my own rules led to being harder on myself whenever a sniffle or other symptom ran up upon me. I felt like I’d somehow deserved it.

Again: that is not a way to live. It isn’t respectful to myself, it held myself to a higher standard and an untenable one at that. I’m going to continue to mask as I can, and accept the frustrating truth that I can’t be perfect. Nobody can be, and unfortunately the powers that be decided that some COVID is enough because capitalism demands you go back to work.

For the longest time I thought I was sensitive to what people thought about me. But this UK trip sort of helped me figure it all out, because of the strange looks I got for masking (and the brat-fit below, because I really committed to a bit) were undeserved, and anyone who judges you for protecting your own (and their own) health is the lunatic. And I’ve never felt better about myself.

I put my physical fitness first. I don't put guilt on myself when I indulge anymore.

Oh, and before we get to the Culture Diary, I need to share this little morsel I overheard mid-landing. A little kid told their sibling why planes don’t crash: “it would be very bad for the company, people wouldn’t want to fly, so they train their pilots well.”

Isn’t that so … logical and naive?

II: My summer at and with the movies

WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain (2024)

Wrestling fans waited weeks for this delayed documentary, and all they got was this "The Rock takes credit" meme.

via Peacock

The Watchers (2024)

In her directorial debut, Ishana Night Shyamalan makes a strong case to join her father and the fictional Tenenbaum children in the Squandered Potential Society. And she does so with a literal mystery box in the middle of the woods, where survivors play nicely for a titular audience, lest they lost their survivor status.

The cast does their best with the work provided, but the dialogue is so threadbare that the production itself is the only interesting material to work with. And when it gets down to the finish, we get one of the lesser Shyamalanian endings, because it’s not even really a twist. It’s just “okay?” Don’t get me wrong, this is visually interesting, and there’s an “oh you’re in trouble now!” twist at the end, but I just didn’t vibe with the answer twist.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Max

I Used to Be Funny (2023)

As a director’s debut feature film, Ally Pankiw’s dark dramedy serves the most important task: teasing promise and inventiveness. On top of that, you get yet another good (but not great) role for Rachel Sennott to sink her teeth into, playing comedian Sam who we follow through an non-chronological series of events that slowly explain a trauma that broke her until it drove her. Similarly, much of the supporting cast — including Olga Petsa, Caleb Hearon and Sabrina Jalees — get to show some strengths.

Unfortunately, the film’s structure and the terrible casting of The Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones undermine everything else. I don’t know who I would have put in his role, though, as that character is the biggest flaw of the film. Whenever he’s on screen, you see the acting happen (those who saw Daisy Johnson learn how to act on screen in “Agents of S.H.E.I.LD.” know what I’m talking about).

@ the lower Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Netflix

Daredevil & Wolverine (2024)

Outside of standard comic book movie critiques, my big issue here was that this film is less about its beloved titular men who are good at brooding and fighting than it is about the 20th Century Fox-made Marvel movies. And that's not what they're advertising.

There is some good, though. Hugh Jackman reaffirms his talent as one of the best actors in this category (Patrick Stewart’s presence is missed), and the script is full of fan service that delighted many (including myself at times), including those cameos.

But seriously, folks: Ryan Reynolds’s take on Deadpool is marrying the worst tendencies of Seth MacFarlane’s animated shows with a complete lack of nuance. And it’s death for caring about what happens.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

The People's Joker (2024)

I tried to see this film in theaters multiple times, and something kept getting in the way. At home, though, I’ve needed a few attempts to complete it.

That’s possibly because this trans origin story via DC’s Batman lore is visually complicated in ways I would have anticipated had I done a little more research. As green screen’d as it gets, Vera Drew’s film is probably a much better watch in theaters where its mixed media aesthetic is something you just get used to quickly and sort of fall into it all.

A cocktail that looks at transitioning through the lenses of Tim & Eric and DC Comics, “The People’s Joker” is a pretty unique kaleidoscope of cinema.

@ home via digital video on-demand rental

Twisters (2024)

I could nitpick a lot of this barely-a-sequel, but there’s only one real problem. Anthony Ramos’ character Javi takes up so much of the film’s early portion but his character is ultimately given so very little. This plays into the problem created by the “Twisters” marketing: many will probably spend much of the film waiting for Glen Powell to show up and smile his big grin. That wait feels possibly longer than it is because the first act … isn’t much to write home about.

For Javi’s role in the film’s chaotic climax to be so minimal and simple devalues the character (who was made to look like a spineless cog in the system that grinds us all up), and make Powell’s charismatic vlogger Tyler all the better by comparison for having scruples.

Otherwise? Twisters is decent silly fun. Maybe it would be better in 4DX, but I’m not spending that extra money when I have Alamo season pass.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, currently available via digital video on-demand purchase or rental

Trap (2024)

I don’t hate M. Night Shyamalan’s latest feature, I just think its third act and nepotism casting made for the worst landing of a film in quite some time. If you’re at all interested off the premise, go see it in theaters, just be wary when it’s time to go behind the curtain.

Josh Hartnett does fantastic work with the at-times laughable script, and it’s similar to what Willa Fitzgerald does with the meat of Strange Darling. But there’s some real plain-bad nonsense in the ending that kept me from enjoying it. Plus, a case of “The Return of The King“-ending syndrome. Harnett is also not helped by his supporting cast, especially relative newcomer Ariel Donoghue (who plays his daughter) and Saleka (who plays the Dollar General Ariana Grande known as Lady Raven).

The production itself wavers between visually convincing and laughably not, but the first two thirds of the film really do work quite well. Your enjoyment of the climax will depend on your willingness to follow Shyamalan as he goes into the silly.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, currently available via digital video on-demand purchase or rental

Scala!!! (2023)

Often times we go to movies to experience a moment, place or culture we wish to emulate — even though (or especially if) we would not belong. Such was the case when I saw one of the first NYC screenings of “Scala!!!,” a film about a London movie theater that went through various incarnations with its community of wanderers who often had nowhere better to stay. So for those who love their movie theaters, and especially those who had no idea about The Scala, this movie is a treat. I responded to it especially strong because I’m looking for analysis of Third Places (not home, not work, somewhere communal), and I also absolutely love the Scala’s design aesthetic as seen through its monthly calendars.

As a documentary, “Scala!!!” works because you feel like you’re just attending a joyous celebration of a friend who was kind of a mess. Heck, it even features an appearance by The Venture Bros. icon himself J. G. Thirwell.

@ the Metrograph, streaming now on BFI Player Classics (which I’ve never heard of, but Apple’s TV app cites)

Strange Darling (2023)

JT Mollner’s horror puzzle “Strange Darling” landed with a lot of expectation, as whispers of “see it before you’re spoiled!” were only more emboldened if you saw it came from one of the producers of “Barbarian” (Roy Lee). The fact that the preview screenings took place everywhere but New York City was kind of a red flag, but not enough to nerf expectations.

That’s more preamble than feels right, but Mollner’s embracing that preamble mindset with a try-hard opening credits card that brags that “Strange Darling” was shot on 35mm film. And then, well, you discover that this movie’s got a non-chronological narrative, which it presents in a style that screams “recognize me, senpai!” towards Quentin Tarantino. All of that before you learn this film is all about subverting expectations in the least subtle ways.

But, twist, I didn’t hate “Strange Darling.” Actually, I enjoyed a lot of this film, all thanks to the performances from leads Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, who enlarge their roles by brute force. The other positive is that one explanation that had me go “oh!,” and Giovanni Ribisi’s color-drenched take on cinematography (the best thing a Scientologist’s done since “Mission: Impossible Fallout”).

@ the lower Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse

Sweetie (1989)

Jane Campion’s feature debut is a masterclass in discomfort, and it reminded me of Roddy Doyle’s “Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha,” a tawdry book that a friend handed to me before I was ready. “Sweetie” revels in grime and familial chaos, and while there is some symbolism in the treehouse at the end, it’s as slap-you-in-the-face direct as its titular misanthrope.

“Sweetie” is ostensibly about a couple whose relationship is built on a house of various lies including cheating, but it’s truly a moment for Aussie actor/singer Genevieve Lemon. As Sweetie, Lemon fully commits to a nigh-impossible bit: delusional arrested development. First, Sweetie arrives at her sister’s home to make rough matters worse, and then her completely-powerless parents get involved.

If you like difficult movies and family drama, this one’s for you.

@ The Metrograph, streaming now on Max

Longlegs (2024)

"What if “The Silence of the Lambs” by way of “Twin Peaks” and Remedy Entertainment’s video game Control?"

Maybe that's too referential, but that’s my massive compliment about Longlegs’ particular cinematography and tone. What I want to tell people seeing Oz Perkins' serial killer mystery film is to not expect answers or logic for everything. It's not that kind of movie. Some stuff will stick in your teeth and irk if you tongue at it too much, and that's probably the point. It haunts, and that's a good thing.

Also, there’s the whole thing about the title, which spoiler warning, isn’t explained. There are no lengthy legs to be seen, but the more you think about that word, the more you might figure out why it’s used.

Maika Monroe holds the film together, as she had to since it leads on her so heavily. As the much talked about Nic Cage role? I feel like he made it both as silly and unnerving as it needed to be, but people will bring baggage about his career to the movie, so it might just have been too distracting a casting call. The problem with a producer who’s also a bankable actor? Depends on your vantage point.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, currently available via digital video on-demand purchase or rental

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

No disrespect to Jim from The Office and Emily Blunt, but their movies are no longer theirs.

This smaller, more personal spin-out throws the meep-and-you-die calamity of the first two films at iPod-era Manhattan. Lupita Nyong'o owns the film as Samira, who really didn’t need the world to come crashing down: she’s got her own sickness to handle, cats to wrangle, and a very specific NYC pizza shop on her mind. And throughout the film’s tight runtime, Nyong'o uses every single moment available to make you believe in her character even despite the chaos surrounding her.

Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson from Stranger Things season 4) shows decent chops in the supporting role, though it doesn’t make him seem like a natural for Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in the upcoming Marvel Fantastic Four movie. I honestly think he’d be a good Mark Zuckerberg in that Social Network sequel that Aaron Sorkin keeps threatening us with.

“Day One” is so great I saw it twice to confirm it was the emotional powerhouse I thought it was. Just don’t go in expecting the same characters from the first two movies. They’re not here. Instead, you have a story that will profoundly hit with friends of cats and those whose lives were impacted by cancer.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Paramount+

Twister (1996)

What if “The Abyss” but its fractured couple was above ground hunting tornadoes instead? Sure, you lose the supernatural twists of Cameron's film, but Jan de Bont's film is not as divorce-brained — and far better for it. It also has such a great supporting cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Davies, and Anthony Rapp.

Not a whole lot to say about this one, but it’s definitely worth watching if you’ve never seen it before.

via Max

Seven Samurai (1954)

One of my biggest frustrations with failing to get this out in a timely manner was that I wanted to compel more people to see this new 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s classic epic in theaters while it’s still around. I’m not much of a scholar on his ouvre, but this film is a perfect case study on how to tell a big story that doesn’t feel like a slog.

But from this massive epic, one of the most memorable performances is the often comedic riff of Toshirō Mifune’s Kikuchiyo who provides some truly cheeky moments.

4K digital restoration @ the Film Forum, coming to various optical media formats later this year

Infernal Affairs (2002)

I’m happy that when I finally saw the film that Martin Scorsese basically remade with "The Departed," I saw it in a theater. How I got there? Less said the better. What matters is that I got to be surrounded by people who also knew what was coming, and that we all still enjoyed the film along the way.

That’s because I’m not shocked Scorsese felt a need to Bawstonize this phenomenal drama and tryto take some of the camp out of its farcical romance scenes. Seriously, if you've seen "The Departed," you will probably be amazed at how much of that film seems like a shot-for-shot remake.

@ the Metrograph, streaming now on Max

MaXXXine (2024)

The conclusion of director Ti West and star Mia Goth's horny Hollywood horror trilogy, "MaXXXine" is merely good. Consider it an overpriced grilled ham and cheese. Not just because the cast is often hamming it up (Kevin Bacon, I'm looking at you) with cheesy performances (hi Bobby Cannavale), but because it's a low-risk film that will probably leave you wondering how much more could be done with the ingredients.

There’s an odd visual flatness to this affair that didn’t plague West’s first two pieces, and it feels all too unnecessary here. 1980s Hollywood shouldn’t feel like a simple Hipstamatic filter, but that’s the only vibe I got.

As for Goth herself? Her final girl didn’t need to grow that much in this finale, and while she got where she needed to be — and looked comfortable in that role — I still wanted a little more. Again, all the functionality of a solid ham and cheese sandwich, but even a bacon mac and cheese would have been better.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Max

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

I say this in the most complimentary way possible: Jesse Plemons is the perfect kind of sicko actor who enjoys making audiences uncomfortable. I blame Friday Night Lights season 2.

Regardless, the latest Yorgos is (just like “Poor Things”) seemingly a cinematic Rorschach test. Anecdotally, some people love to resent Lanthimos’ films because of crimes against their own agendas.

Emma Stone (who wants to go by Emily) is having a blast here, but she’s barely in the film’s first of three stories. And that’s annoying since it’s also the best of the bunch. Stone is so magnetic and manic in the film’s third chapter that you won’t dare take a bathroom break as this 164-minute behemoth lumbers to its crashing conclusion.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Hulu

Princess Mononoke (1997)

There’s not a whole lot to say on this one, other than it’s beautiful and you should see it if you haven’t already. I really want to watch it again, but either in a theater where it’s easier to focus or at home taking time to pause and rewind for a closer read because it’s packed dense with themes.

via Max

Robot Dreams (2023)

There’s two things going on here, the first is that “Robot Dreams” takes place in a version of 1980’s New York City where animals live in the place of humans. Walking upright on their hind legs, without pets of their own, and just living. It’s glorious, because it seems like they’re all at peace. But when its canine protagonist is so lonely that he buys into the robot companion economy. Then, well, things go wrong.

And despite the fact that it’s so unusual, it’s often more emotionally compelling than at least a third of the movies on this list.

Also, well, spoilers, but: the Twin Towers are here because it’s the 1980s, but their presence in the NYC skyline just sticks out like a sore thumb.

@ the lower Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse, currently available via digital video on-demand purchase or rental

In a Violent Nature (2024)

“Mumblecore horror” isn’t a phrase I made up, and it could have also been applied to the Creep movies, but I got some blank stares when I used it to describe director Chris Nash’s traditional-yet-understated “In a Violent Nature.” The film pivots from the usual point of view to give its audience the unnerving experience of watching how the kills are actually done.

And even when it risks being too spare, the kills are wild and gory enough to shock the audience into following along. If I must make it more obvious: this is a slasher movie for people who love to root for the killer.

@ the lower Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse, streaming now on Shudder and AMC+

Paddington (2014)

A late pass that I truly needed to watch. If you’ve never seen it, fix that tonight. Heartfelt without being cloy, whimsical without losing sight of our reality, and it even has Nicole Kidman.

via Hulu, streaming now on Prime Video and Starz (according to JustWatch)

The Brood (1979)

Back when I used to quote Michael Jordan, these were the kids I was talking about. One of Cuckoo’s influences

via Criterion Channel, currently also streaming on Max and Indieflix

Cuckoo (2024)

I could get hung up on how “Cuckoo” doesn’t quite fit together logically-speaking. It’s what keeps the film from reaching the highest tier of my regard, and a problem that “Longlegs” also suffers under. But Hunter Schafer’s turn as a final girl is truly thrilling, and it’s great that she’s getting an audience beyond the folks tuning into the teensploitation that is “Euphoria.”

Visually, though, “Cuckoo” impresses by wandering between fantastic compositions and a climax that made me wonder if I was in Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2’s office scenes. The latter practically throws a giant ”!“ sound effect on Hideo Kojima’s interest in Schafer. Dan Stevens also impresses with his skeevyness.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Variety (1983)

Bette Gordon’s seedy New York noir follows Christine (Sandy McLeod), a twentysomething searching for both employment and something that earns her interest. Her not-exactly boyfriend Mark (Will Patton) is not cutting it, and maybe that has something to do with why she accepts a job selling admission tickets at a Times Square porno theater. Christine finds some allure in this territory that’s not meant for her, and one of its clientele becomes smitten with her as well.

Meant to be seen in a dark theater at 9pm at the earliest, “Variety” is hypnotic as it sends Christine into increasingly male-driven territories.

@ the Metrograph, streaming now on Criterion Channel

Dìdi (2024)

Millennials of a certain vintage will feel this movie in their bones, especially when the sound effects of AOL Instant Messenger ring out like Manchurian Candidate wake words.

13-year-old Taiwanese American Chris (Izaac Wang) is struggling with every single thing, and it all starts at home where he can’t find a way to get along with his sister Vivian (Shirley Chen) and his mother Chungsing (Joan Chen). When he hits other potholes trying to date and navigate social circles, Chris spirals a bit.

Feature debut director Sean Wang captures a lightning that mixes generational trauma with the nascent days of social media. Cinematographer Sam Davis deserves a ton of credit for blending in computer screen-based interactions naturally, while also giving a distinct look to this period piece of a relatively-recent era.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, currently available via digital video on-demand purchase or rental

Suspiria (1977)

Viewed from today’s vantage, “Suspiria” sits in horror and camp’s Venn diagram overlap, and possibly unintentionally. Beloved for its amazingly oversaturated colors, this trek to the worst ballet school on Earth isn’t as scary as it wants to be, because so much of it seems far-fetched and comical.

@ the Metrograph, streaming for free on Kanopy

Richard Linklater's “Before” trilogy take their own little nook here, outside of my standard attempt at sorting these in some kind of descending order where I talk about what I liked more the deeper you go. And that's because I want to present my thoughts chronologically in one chunk.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) meet and flirt at seemingly the exact wrong time in their lives in Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise.” I’d delayed my time with these films for years, but when I heard “Midnight” was going to be playing locally, I dived in and found these first two films worth the rental fee.

“Sunrise” didn’t quite hit me like I expected, based on the hype, but Celine’s monologue that brings up war hit every mark on the head.

via rental @ home

Before Sunset (2004)

This hurt in the best way. Jesse and Celine reconnect only to flirt their way into arguing about with what happened and what didn’t since they parted ways. This film is an agony of hypotheticals and possibilities, and felt the most honest of the three. Mistakes were made, and the wrong things will continue to be said.

via rental @ home

Before Midnight (2013)

Richard Linklater's trilogy ends on its weakest note as Celine (Julie Delpy) is now the least rational she's ever been, as the film descends into a third act where Jesse (Ethan Hawke) gets to the the logical one in a marital argument I'm told is especially realistic.

@ the Metrograph in 35mm

And that’s it. See you next time for who knows what. Expect a Content Diary post near the end of the month or start of October featuring September’s movies, the music, movies, books and museums I’ve enjoyed.