I was an early adopter of Fleet Foxes. I thought their Sun Giant EP had some really great moments ('Mykonos' in particular) and was disappointed by the subsequent albums, in relation to the promise I thought they had and the overboard critical adoration. They took a lengthy hiatus, during which we were subjected to the loathsome Father John Misty, and they quietly returned last year with a very fine album. The scenester zeitgeist has moved on and left them behind, but that doesn't mean you're obliged to do the same.
PS I had a weird thought the other day, that if kids eating lead paint chips (and really, how many paint chips were these kids eating? Not exactly Doritos) gave them brain damage, what the hell did breathing in leaded gasoline do to the brains of urban dwellers before it was banned? Turns out they've done the research, and it correlates nearly identically with the rise and fall of violent crime rates in America. In summation, nationalize the energy industry.
over a year since we got to see Bernie at the old opera house. just after Super Tuesday, still a bit of hope. yelled myself hoarse. as we were leaving, I spotted him exiting the stage door and yelled "BERNIE!" so loudly he visibly startled and a big crowd gathered to say goodbye.
keep swinging and you'll die beautiful, no matter what
I'd really like to post more but the weather has been ideal for like 5 straight months and there's lots of hikes and beaches to explore so I'm gonna do that until I twist an ankle or something (I AM *NOT* MANIFESTING THIS, MR. UNIVERSE)but in the meantime keep cool my babies!
I ran 20 miles Friday before last from Downtown Monterey to Moss Landing (the fishing village that is about halfway up Monterey Bay to Santa Cruz) and I forded the Salinas River with my shoes and running pants held aloft and yes it was a sandy bottom and yes the quicksand tried to eat your beefy boy, but never fear, I was borne up on eagles' wings and made it back home, thanks to the Good Lord and a loyal wife and dog that waited past sunset for me and drove us home, where I drank a half-pint of TJ's purple drank, threw up, and went to bed. A supposedly fun thing that I'm never doing again.
the world is so goddamn beautiful I hope some good humans survive and see it back again
10. BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (dir. Jason Woliner)
9. LA VÉRITÉ (dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda)
8. THE INVISIBLE MAN (Leigh Whannell)
7. SHIRLEY (dir. Josephine Decker)
6. EMMA. (dir. Autumn de Wilde)
5. KAJILLIONAIRE (dir. Miranda July)
4. THE VAST OF NIGHT (dir. Andrew Patterson)
3. PALM SPRINGS (dir. Max Barbakow)
2. ANOTHER ROUND (dir. Thomas Vinterberg)
1. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (dir. Céline Sciamma)
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mention honorable
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (dir. Regina King)
ON THE ROCKS (dir. Sofia Coppola)
BAD EDUCATION (dir. Cory Finley)
DOWNHILL (dir. Nat Faxon, Jim Rash)
BLOW THE MAN DOWN (dir. Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole)
pas pour moi
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (dir. Aaron Sorkin)
WONDER WOMAN 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins)
DA 5 BLOODS (dir. Spike Lee)
HAPPIEST SEASON (dir. Clea DuVall)
THE TRIP TO GREECE (dir. Michael Winterbottom)
(((Special Schrodinger's Cat Zone: TENET (dir. Christopher Nolan) Did I like it? Kinda! Did it annoy the fuck out of me? Yes!)))
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I had adrenaline energy at the start of the pandemic/lockdown, but it sure waned itself on down. Luckily, had enough in the tank to make it to CA before winter.
Didn't get to see as many 2020 films as I would have like, will try to make it up. *Really* miss going to the theaters. Our last trip was the night before our local lockdown was announced. We weren't even sure about going out, but I'm glad we did. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is incredible, and if any film understands social isolation, it does. A lot of people planted victory gardens. I planted an ornamental pumpkin patch and Indian corn. The raspberry bushes didn't take.
This version is from their first album, which came out in '89 if you can believe it. More raw, Midwestern spirit, sounds like the Replacements, if you dosed their beers with caffeine pills. All-timer.
almost everything should be faster
PS Saved a cat within a month of moving to CA. Waiting to reject the call to adventure now, I think.
