July 2024: Reading, Watching

Who remembers July?
Greatest hits: the Netflix Ripley series, Blood and Wine with Jack Nicholson, Geology: A Very Short Introduction, Stefan Zweig’s Mary, Queen of Scots
Lowest lows: The Flash.

7/3
— The Flash (2023), 20 minutes
Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson; starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.
This was just so dumb that I could only take 20 minutes. Mind you, in two different moments.
— Code 8 (2019)
Directed by Jeff Chan, written by Chris Pare; starring Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell, Chris Pare, Sung Kang, Kari Matchett, Greg Bryk, and Aaron Abrams.
The independent movie. Not bad. Eh.
— Mary Queen of Scots, 20 pp.
— Jan Zalasiewicz, Very Short Introduction to Geology, 10 pp.

7/4
— Out of Sight (1998), 30 m
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard‘s 1996 novel of the same name; starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Nancy Allen, Steve Zahn, Catherine Keener, and Albert Brooks.
Having recently rewatched The Limey, why not also consume Out of Sight, which I guess I’d forgotten was Elmore Leonard material. I wonder if Clooney could do this character again. I guess I’m doubtful.

7/5
— Finished Out of Sight
— Ripley (2024), 1-2
Directed and written by Steven Zaillian, based on Patricia Highsmith‘s 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley; starring Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, and Johnny Flynn.
Moments of such brilliance, certainly outshining the 1999 Anthony Minghella film The Talented Mr. Ripley, which I haven’t viewed again. But that film was bound up with the power of Jude Law’s performance. I do not remember Damon’s Ripley possessing this same malevolence, nor the same uncertainty. Whereas Andrew Scott’s Ripley has genuine depths. And I preferred Johnny Flynn’s Dickie Greenleaf as well. He was a character that you could sympathize with, regardless. Whereas, you were pretty ready to dispense with Law’s version.
— Mary, 20 pp.

7/6
— Rest is History, Assassination of Frank Ferdinand, 1-4
Another brilliant, fascinating series of podcasts, beginning with attention to the antagonists in the event, describing the political conditions bringing on global conflagration! Appreciating what is interesting about the Archduke himself, not just another blue blood, but a person whose intentions would ironically have been in concert with his murderers.

7/7-10
— Finished Mary, Queen of Scots
The last of a series of works by Stefan Zweig, although I am curious to read The World of Yesterday. As a biography I think this does much of what we want from a biography, in that it carefully effects a psychological portrait. But Zweig’s misogyny slips through here and there. And I cannot give up the sense that this was a caricature.
— Geology: A Very Short Introduction, 10 pp

7/11
— The Grey (2011)
Directed by Joe Carnahan, and written by Carnahan and Ian MacKenzie Jeffers; starring Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson, Nonso Anozie, and James Badge Dale.
Knew the trajectory, but hadn’t seen the film. I guess the message is, choose your story carefully? Or maybe, all suicides go to hell?
— Geology, A VSI, 15 pp.

7/13
— O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
Directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen; starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning.
An unsung film from that passing moment between the Cold War and the War on Terror. My riff is that this was a moment of political vertigo, historical uncertainty. And I think that is right. But where then does OBWAT fall in this sketch?
— Luck (2022)
Directed by Peggy Holmes and Javier Abad, written by Kiel Murray; starring Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Flula Borg, Lil Rel Howery, Colin O’Donoghue, and John Ratzenberger.
Just when you worry what had happened to the career of John Ratzenberger …
An Apple TV film that Disney passed on?
I actually like the idea that luck has causes, despite how anti-Aristotelian this concept is.
— Gerald Griffin, “The Hand and the Word”, from the Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries [hereafter PBMM], edited by Michael Sims.

7/15
— Ripley, 3

7/16
— The Lego Movie (2014)
Directed and written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a story they co-wrote with Dan and Kevin Hageman; starring Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman.
— Thomas Waters, “Guilty or Not Guilty?”, PBMM

7/17
— The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Directed by Chris McKay, written by Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern, and John Whittington; starring Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, and Ralph Fiennes.
Eh.

7/19
— Scarlet Street (1945), last hour
Directed by Fritz Lang, written by Dudley Nichols; starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea.
Robinson is great, so pathetic and mystified. Duryea is Duryea.
I still haven’t seen the beginning of this film, so I’m not sure how he’s not married.
— Casino Royale (2006)
Directed by Martin Campbell, written by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis; starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright.
Why do I keep watching this movie. Yes, it’s good. So the fuck what?
— Finished Geology: VSI

7/20
— Deadwood (2004-06), 2.1-2
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, and many others, especially Garret Dillahunt (who first played the killer of Wild Bill Hickok and then a robber baron’s [Gerald Raney as George Hearst, actually, although Raney was outmatched) personal assistant with his own demons.
“A Lie Agreed Upon (Part 1),” written by David Milch, directed by Ed Bianchi.
Aired March 6, 2005.
“A Lie Agreed Upon (Part 2)“, written by Jody Worth, directed by Bianchi.
I contend that the second season is the best. The language is incredible. This is really about the writing, to be clear. But it’s amazing. Honestly, I think this is as close as our historical moment can get to Shakespeare.
No hyperbole.

7/24
— Mary Fortune, “The Red Room”, PBMM

7/25
— Richard Dowling, “Negative Evidence”, PBMM
— Charles W. Chestnutt, “The Sheriff’s Children”

7/27
— Geraldine Bonner, “The Statement of Jared Johnson”, PBMM

7/28
— Blood and Wine (1996)
Directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Nick Villiers and Alison Cross; starring Jack Nicholson, Stephen Dorff, Jennifer Lopez, Judy Davis, and Michael Caine.
The third and apparently last film Rafaelson made with Nicholson, the first being Five Easy Pieces (1970). Yeah, no slouch. You haven’t seen Five Easy Pieces?! Don’t tell anyone. But don’t expect me not to make fun of you. But I admit I have not seen King of Marvin Gardens, their second collaboration. And you know what I have to say about you making fun of me: go fuck yourself!
So this was made long after the romance had begun. This is the Jack Nicholson of the original Batman (1989) movie, A Few Good Men (1992), and The Crossing Guard (1994). I only saw the latter once and never since then. AFGM isn’t really a movie. Do I need offer judgment on Tim Burton’s contribution?
His character here is complex, despite the fact that he seems one-dimensional. He’s more than just a greedy asshole with a dying wife, sleeping with Jennifer Lopez. Stephen Dorff is good here, very competent. But the best character is Michael Caine’s lascivious bastard.
Viewed on Criterion Collection, their most recent noir collection.

7/29
— Ellen Glasgow, “A Point in Morals”, PBMM

7/30
— The Rockford Files, “Black Mirror”
Aired on Nov. 28, 1978. I was five and totally woke.
Directed by Arnold Laven, written by David Chase. Yes, that David Chase. Who knew these fuckers lived so long.
— Richard Powers, The Overstory, 40 pp.
Started this book in June, right? At this pace, I’ll be done in November. Which is not to say it’s not compelling. But the characters do feel a little like cartoons. Abstractly drawn. Not real.
— Douglas Palmer, Earth Time, 5 pp.
The second in the geology reading series, the first being Geology: VSI.

7/31
— Earth Time, 25 pp.