Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

 As the summer rolls to nearly a close, I continue to add to my ambitions.   I know everyone does different things on their whiteboards, but I like to add my plans for reading and watching.  Something catches my attention, I go down a rabbit hole, decide I need to learn more and it gets added.  I can't speak for folks trying to solve equations or crimes though. And I also can't quite explain how Drugstore Cowboy showing up on my Tubi got me to researching the indie film Paris, Texas or how Amy Irving got me to The Roches which lead me to discovering Laura Nyro and Judie Tzukie and how I think I've heard their names mentioned in other songs like maybe the awesome local band Pulloever and realizing I need to update my kid's playlists so he doesn't get burnt out on the same Yacht Rock and how could I have never watched Helter Skelter and did all of the Manson family members die in prison yet?????

  This fresh and well-researched take on the representation of high schoolers in movies had me watching clips of "Rebel Without a Cause" and thinking about how much I still love Regina King and Morris Chestnut.  This book respects the actors, the writers, and the genre all the while continually noting the cultural changes to the lives of teenagers and the reasons why Andy Hardy and Katniss Everdeen could never hang. And speaking of wild teenagers, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one.  Should this girl be punished? For sure.  For murder?  Definitely not.  This doc reminded me of my time on jury duty when we were instructed that we didn't have to "like" the defendants.....we simply had to weigh the facts fairly.  I wish these kids would learn that their social media bragging will never do them any favors later, but hell......would they ever listen? Goat is funny and cute and has a great message for kids.  It also has completely over-the...

So I did end up watching the film after reading the book , and I was pretty pleased with it.  This could have so easily been a completely hokey movie, but it was actually presented with taste and tact......even when some of the subject matter was difficult. Released in 1986 , this film featured the beautiful Daryl Hannah, who at that time was mainly known for Ron Howard's Splash.  (Incidentally, a childhood fave of mine.)  And while it's hard to watch with a sensibility of modern times, the clan mores of female subservience are treated as well as they can be.  And the female heroism and stoicism are lessons for any time period.  I really didn't stress enough in my original review just how empowering this novel and film are.  Just what stops Ayla?  Unforgiving rules of gender?  Male dominance and rape?  Unflinching fear?  Being considered weird and ugly by her cohorts?  Nope.  None of the above.  It's as much a lesson ...

 So.  We had a pretty prolific snowstorm here in North Carolina in late January.  I cooked, I read, napped, journaled and watched a lot of streaming services! This fascinating documentary, set in Providence, Rhode Island, is a timely and sophisticated look at modern consumerism, gentrification, gorilla art, underground music and city politics.   I only watched about 20 minutes of this before I pulled the plug because it that amount of time, it seemed to me, that this film would do whatever it takes to shock, titillate and pretty much gross the viewer the hell out. I'm no prude, but I didn't see it getting any better.  Even with its stellar cast. It kinda reminded me of the shitty overhyped Hollywood from a few years back. It could have been a great series.  The cast and the subject matter almost guaranteed it.  But like Babylon it was trying so hard to shock that it failed to be engaging.  I bailed on this one after just one episode I think. ...

 If you're looking for a timely, rebellious, insightful and insane flick.....welp.....you have found it. And if you're like me and consider Running on Empty one of your favorite films and love books like The Company You Keep and have a lot of respect for Set It Off and Public Enemy and BLM and pretty much all things anti-government.  Yeah.  This one's for you. And no, it is absolutely not like your typical Paul Thomas Anderson film, which by the way, are not usually my bag.  But this one......well.....even though some of the plot was fairly predictable, I was still on the edge of my seat until the last scene.   Of course, the performances are stellar, but it's no wonder everyone is talking about Teyana Taylor.  She's like Dame Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love .....not a lot of on-screen time, but every second of it matters.  Of course my favorite is Benicio.  I mean, we go way back.  I haven't gotten over him since Traffic . ...

 

 If this is the state of today's rom-com, I feel sorry for the current generation of romantics since I found this movie to be neither very rommy nor commy.  You won't find a Ronnie and Loretta or Frankie and Johnnie here. It's very modern and the problems are very eclectic of our current dating times.  Throughout, it feels very ham-fisted and without emotion.  To be sure, there are no warm fuzzies here, and in the end, the whole thing feels like one big settlement.   Also worth noting: height, age and weight are big deals in this flick so be ready to be triggered.  But if you've been dating for a few years, you already know this.  Lucy's big speech to John about her foibles did hit home for me and probably would for anyone who ever felt they fell short of a man who truly loved them in a way they didn't feel deserved.  I couldn't help feeling at the end that her choice was okay for that day, but wouldn't ultimately last.   But then a...

 It's almost a damn shame how much I love ragging S&TC nowadays.  But I think that was my favorite part of Susan Seidelman's memoir.....her discussion of her involvement in the HBO mega-hit.  She directed the pilot and also two of my favorite first season episodes: The Power of the Female Sex and The Baby Shower.  That was when that show was fun and unique.  Later even Susan recognized it as becoming tone-deaf and out of touch.   I also liked hearing her stories about Lower East Side Manhattan in the late 70's and early 80's.  It's one of my fave historical times of NYC for its creativity and grit.  When I was a kid I didn't understand how the different neighborhoods and boroughs of NYC worked.....I just thought it was funny how different the places looked in films.  Her effort to keep the Lower East Side and the "dirtier" life of New York was so much more real and entertaining than the glossier films of the city. Probably her bigges...

 Sure, you can watch them any time of year.  But watching in the summer makes them sooooo much better! And true, these films do seem to have a stamp of Gen X on them, but have we ever steered y'all wrong? One Crazy Summer, 1986 Dazed & Confused, 1993 Jaw, 1975 Stand by Me, 1986 Stealing Home, 1988 The Love Letter, 1999 Rear Window, 1954 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, 2005 Dirty Dancing, 1987 Woodstock, 1970 Secret Admirer, 1985 Mystic Pizza, 1988 Summer Catch, 2001 Southside With You, 2016 How I Spent My Summer Vacation, 1997 Beaches, 1988 Little Manhattan, 2005

 If you're not sure who Mike Nichols is, chances are you have enjoyed at least one of his films.  I'll wait here while you check IMDB. Mike Nichols as a director, comedian, actor, and person......each embodiment is fascinating.  He is a man who has presented his foibles, triumphs, failures and sensibilities to his audiences with each performance. In listening to his story on audiobook (which I highly recommend for the unpretentious tone of the reader) I was intrigued by his early story of Jewish immigration to America, trying to fit in as a boy without hair and eyebrows, and how he navigated his own feelings about his parents and his new country. I had NO idea who Nichols and May were and IMMEDIATELY had to go back and watch their old sketches.   I was immediately jealous because I have tried to create a heterosexual writing partnership for years and have never been able to make it happen. I also loved the honesty of this book in addressing Mike's downfalls........