Recs, etc.: Joker calls, Brian Eno pics, Byrne brilliance & more
Watch out, she'll chew you up ...
Wind and rain and the reluctance to pay a babysitter kept me indoors most of the week, but sometimes that's not so shabby. Now that winter lurks, I'm thinking of finally subscribing to the Criterion Channel and finishing one of the 891 projects that have been gathering dust on my hard drive. (Or, you know, maybe I'll forget it all and just spend the cold months drinking hot toddys and playing pinball.)
In any case, if you have strong opinions about the Criterion Channel or where I can purchase a warm black coat (because ugh, I hate to shop), please holler!
I finally finished Patti Smith's latest book, YEAR OF THE MONKEY. It's not the kind of text you can really spoil--in fact, I still need time to articulate my thoughts--but man, I love her writing so much I wish I could live in it forever. The book is kind of a fever dream that criss-crosses the country and several planes of existence, and it'll break your heart with her reflections on art and aging and forging ahead. (And hey, she also references things like Pavement and MR. ROBOT and Belinda Carlisle amidst such deep and poetic talk, because she's a damn rock star of the highest degree.)
Other stuff:
MOVIES: I saw JOKER, and I didn't *dislike* it ... but I can't say it left me with a lot to think about. I posted a review on Patreon in the form of an imaginary telephone call. It starts like this:
The following is a transcript from a phone conversation you and I had this morning about JOKER. (What, you don't remember me calling you? It totally happened. You're a very good conversationalist.)
You: Hello?
Me: Hey, it's me. I saw JOKER last night.
You: Oh, god. Here we go.
Me: What's that supposed to mean?
You: The week has been paved with JOKER hot takes, each more boring than the next. So what's yours? Is it magic?
Me: It's tragic.
You and Me: It's a loss, it's a win!
Me: Faith No More, man.
You: Is that guy dead?
Me: Mike Patton? Nah, he's still kicking.
You: Good for him.
Me: Right. So JOKER--
You: I heard Marc Maron's in it.
Me: He is, for a second. He makes the most of it, I guess.
You: I'm glad he finally got his facial hair under control. It was touch-and-go for awhile.
Me: Do you wanna hear if I liked the movie or not?
(And on and on ... I plan to post more of these fake phone calls, which also sorta double as diary entries.)
MORE JOKER: A few people have compared JOKER to the 2017 film YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, in which Phoenix plays a similar, albeit perhaps more fully formed, character. I hope to watch the other movie in the next few days so I can make my own comparisons.
TV: I loved EL CAMINO (and also wrote about it on Patreon). How lucky are we that we got to enter this world again? The film's biggest hurdle is trying to convince us no time has passed since the series finale (because, you know, the actors have aged, as we all have), but overall I was satisfied. ... I also loved the finale of HBO's THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, particularly the hilarious scene that takes place in an Applebee's with knockout performances by Edi Patterson and Tim Baltz.
TRAILER: Hey, there's a documentary about GALAXY QUEST! And it's coming to theaters next month! Exclamatory sentences!
AUCTION: The legendary Olivia Newton-John is auctioning a pile of items, including her sexy GREASE outfit and sexy XANADU outfits. Ooh.
READING: Our pal Will Hodge wrote an oral history of the 1994 Carpenters tribute album, IF I WERE A CARPENTER. It's something special--he talks to tons of folks, including Matthew Sweet, Paul Williams and Johnette Napolitano.
HEAR ME: This week I appear on the RIYL podcast, a long-running show hosted by Brian Heater. Brian had me on years ago when I was still doing Pop Candy, so he wanted to know what I'd been up to since. I hope I did an OK job of explaining!
The other day I was flipping through BRIAN ENO: VISUAL MUSIC, the fantastic book of his visual art. I gotta say, this page made me do a double take--this woman looks a little like me, no?
What you're into:
TV: Ed suggests Walton Goggins fans (like myself) check out THE UNICORN, which he says is "SIGNIFICANTLY better than the usual comedies/sitcoms on CBS. ... It's a pretty simple premise of a widower with two daughters who decides to start dating again, and yes, it's as borderline R-rated as much of CBS' comedy fare--but actually kind of sweet and touching at times, too."
PODCASTS: Newsletter supporter Charlie M. just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a podcast he's creating called WHAT HAPPENED AT BRALEY POND. "This will be a six-part investigative project about the murder of Christopher S. Kennedy at the Braley Pond campground in 2003 and a series of bizarre hauntings that took place there six months later," he says. "It's about our search for bigger truths, about life and death and the hereafter, about our need for connection, not just with each other, but with the loved ones we've lost in our lives." Support him if you can!
DAVID BYRNE-ISM: Amy P. recently caught Byrne's AMERICAN UTOPIA performance in Boston before it headed to Broadway. "It was a wonderful night of music and some dance," she says. "There were lots of Talking Heads songs, all performed barefoot. David Byrne was his quirky and charming self. If you get a chance to see it, go!"
MORE TV: Marc B. emphatically suggests we check out AMC's LODGE 49 if we haven't already. "The show has got a vibe unlike anything on TV; it's smart and mellow but with just the right amount of social commentary and zaniness," he says. "Paul F Tompkins made a brief appearance. Paul Giamatti is an executive producer and appears in many Season 2 episodes. ... And if you are watching, I suggest checking out Pod49 the fan podcast a few of my longtime friends have been making this season."
Longtime reader/supporter Natasha P. sent me this righteous pic of her dressed up as "Weird Al" Yankovic a few Halloweens ago. Brilliant.
If you have a Halloween photo to share, send it to whitmath@gmail.com. I may share it next week.
Notable new releases:
TV: Paul Rudd stars in the eight-episode comedy LIVING WITH YOURSELF (Netflix, Oct. 18) ... Amazon Prime debuts MODERN LOVE with Tina Fey, Catherine Keener and other heavy hitters (Oct. 18) ... The WATCHMEN series comes to HBO (Oct. 20) ... Helen Mirren stars as CATHERINE THE GREAT (HBO, Oct. 20) ... Jenny Slate shares her STAGE FRIGHT in a new standup special (Netflix, Oct. 22) ... CASTLE ROCK returns for a new season with Lizzy Caplan (Hulu, Oct. 23) ... And DAYBREAK brings teen apocalyptic comedy-horror to Netflix (Oct. 24).
MOVIES: Take me to THE LIGHTHOUSE with Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe ... I'm eager to see the trippy GREENER GRASS ... ZOMBIELAND and MALEFICENT deliver new chapters.
MUSIC: This week brings new releases from Jim James, Mark Lanegan Band, Battles, Foals and Gucci Mane, among others.
BIRTHDAYS:
Oct. 18: Dawn Wells, Pam Dawber, Rick Moody, Freida Pinto
Oct. 19: Peter Max, John Lithgow, Trey Parker (Divine would've been 74 today.)
Oct. 20: Wanda Jackson, Melanie Mayron, Viggo Mortensen, Norman Blake, William Zabka, Snoop Dogg, John Krasinski
Oct. 21: Charlotte Caffey, Hari Kondabolu
Oct. 22: Christopher Lloyd, Catherine Deneuve, Jeff Goldblum (pictured), Cris Kirkwood, Bob Odenkirk, Spike Jonze
Oct. 23: Jane Holzer, Nick Tosches, Ang Lee, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Raimi, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Emilia Clarke
Oct. 24: Bill Wyman, Kevin Kline, BD Wong, Drake
Here's hoping today is your BEST DAY EVER. (This was written by my daughter. Maybe it's a prophecy.)
Let's hit it,
Email me at whitmath@gmail.com and leave me a text/voicemail at 929-515-1988. Also email for my mailing address or if you want to hire me as a writer/editor/speaker/heavy metal drummer. My sticks keep the beat.
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Your gasoline gut with a Vaseline mind,
Tony the Tiger
"Aim high, and you won't shoot your foot off." - Phyllis Diller
Don't forget to read my kids' book, WE MAKE COMICS, on getepic.com!