Hey, guys. It’s Saturday, which means today’s a freebie for everyone, and whatever you want to post about or talk about, it’s okay by me.
I’ve got a pick for today, and it’s on Netflix. Let’s do something way left of center today. Let’s watch a movie I find incredibly soothing and restorative. It’s a movie about art, about the pursuit of perfection at a task, about tradition, and about so many other things, and yet, on the surface, it all just seems to be about one guy making sushi in a subway station.
If you haven’t seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi, it may sound like some ponderous arthouse thing. It is not. It is a documentary about a man who makes amazing sushi, and whose whole life has been dedicated to the idea of making great sushi. It’s a visually stunning film, but the reason I’ve seen it more than once already is because it speaks to the drive that any artist has to create something special. There are so many shows about cooking now and about food culture that it might be easy to lump this in with all of them and just dismiss it as one more of them, but it’s really not about the sushi itself. It’s about what the sushi means.
It’s so easy to rush through life and through each of the moments that make it up, and we are often pushed to live in this state of near-constant frenzy. Right now, the world is on pause, whether we like it or not. Making something great requires focus and an ability to push the rest of the world away, and it can be a brutal exercise, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. Jiro Dreams of Sushi honors the passion and the mental focus it takes to get up every day and so something you’ve done a hundred thousand times already and still treat it with the same reverence and respect. Whenever I need to remind myself that it is a discipline to do good work every day, this is a potent and powerful tool to use.
Here’s my open question to you for the day: are you taking advantage of any of these new releases that have been moved up? Did you PPV Invisible Man or The Hunt? Or did you buy Onward for the kids? And how are you guys staying sane as we really start to hunker down for what may be a long haul?
See you back here tomorrow with a subscriber-only issue. Thanks, as always, for your time and attention. Stay healthy.
I would have bought Onward if I didn’t already know it would be on Disney+ in two weeks. Very much appreciate the transparency, Disney.
Wondering how many of the films in April, May, and June will go the VOD/theater route all at once? You’d think the smaller films could find a release date anywhere later this year, but the studios must be thinking that they need some sort of revenue stream in its place now.
That's an interesting question! I won't normally buy a digital copy of something I'll own on disc. I like building my physical library. When I want to watch Friends or Battlestar Galactica, I prefer not being subject to stupid ideas like creating 100 new streaming services that no one wants. While I do stream and watch the digital copies of films I own (until they disappear because the rights run out; yes, this happens!), it's reassuring to walk to the shelf and pull down my copy of Dogma, a movie not available to stream anywhere.
Although I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime, I don't for any music service. I have over 3,500 songs in my iPhone, so my playlists destroy anything on Pandora or Spotify. I listen to those mostly in the car, though. At home I listen to my album collection (mostly original pressings when I can find them). I started collecting in college back when Athens had two great record shops (RIP Schoolkids Records!), and nothing gives me more pleasure than looking through liner notes while listening to the Beatles or the Doobie Brothers or The Cars.
There's something about holding your media in your hands. It feels more alive even if the blu ray disc in your hand has the same exact 1's and 0's as a data stream. It's even better when it's an LP. I wonder what it would be like to have a library of analog film? Collecting vinyl is expensive enough, so I can only imagine how expensive it would be to start collecting film reels. Maybe if I win the lottery. 😉
I'm supportive of the VOD move, but none of the ones released so far were of interest to me. I'll check out Birds of Prey when it comes out but am giving the rest a pass.
I’m taking FULL advantage of the VOD’s being released. IMO this is Hollywood’s chance to get this model up and running fully. I’ve been waiting years for this and I’m excited. Family bought and watched Onward today. (My sister and brother-in-law-law worked on it) We really liked it. Great movie for brothers to watch. We’ll be watching The Invisible Man tonight. I hope it's good. Tomorrow will be The Hunt. I’ll be getting The Gentlemen and Bloodshot also. Being a comic book artist I’m usually home so this isn’t much different except my boys are doing school from home. Hunkering down with a fully stocked fridge and freezer so we’re making the best of it. Hope all of you are good. Stay safe and kind out there.
Rented Invisible Man with my brother, and it was great. I certainly loved seeing it in theaters last month, but this was something my brother and I could do together during this madness. Thinking about The Hunt, but we’re unsure about that one.
I work at an essential service so I am not wholly housebound, but still...
I caught up with "Revenge of the Sith" yesterday, the only one of the Star Wars prequels I skipped in theaters and was watching for catch-up purposes. 15 years on, it does sadly presage the weightless, point-A-to-point-B feel of a lot of today's tentpoles, but is much more boring about it, and the lead performances are unforgivably bad for the money that was spent and the talent that had to be out there. No lie -- I was streaming this on Disney+ and my iPad tipped over during the climax; from there it crashed and I had to bring it back up. For some reason the app put me on the page for "The World According to Jeff Goldblum", probably because I love that show. Maybe it was trying to tell me something.
Now as it happened I was in the mood to watch Cronenberg's "The Fly", one of my all-time favorites, again that night. I know that's a weird choice in these times (especially with the brief stretch in which the characters are worried that Seth's mutation might be contagious; it was hard not to think of the line "I'm sure Typhoid Mary was a very nice person too when you saw her socially" given some of the stories coming out of Florida, et.al. this week). But that movie, and especially Goldblum's performance, is like a weighted blanket -- wholly embracing and ready to pull you away from gloomy old reality into one that is no less dangerous, but heightened, passionate, and cathartic, where the concerns of three little people feel like a lot more than a hill of beans. (Of course, it helps that like Carrie Rickey I don't find Cronenberg's grue and gore disgusting so much as beautiful and funny.) Also, because it's so lean and tight, it's an easy movie to pop in.
One kid wants to see Trolls World Tour, and may pony up for it. We watched Snow Falling on Cedars (wife had read the book) and it was even better than I'd hoped. When I see an older movie, I sometimes check reviews, and I couldn't find a Moriarty one in the archives. :)
As a single lady, I can’t justify spending $20 on one movie rental. I can see it being a good deal for families or small groups. But I do look forward to seeing Onward on Disney+ in April.
I intend to rent some of the newer movies. There hasn’t been a release I care about yet. “The Way Back” will likely be my first rental. I would have bought Onward, but when I heard it was hitting Disney+ in 2 weeks, I can wait.
I have not taken advantage of the VOD releases/rentals yet, but do plan on it.
Since my work closed on Monday, I've been neck-deep in movies, and not just screeners. There's not too many shows that really have me interested in seeing them other than catching up with "Watchmen," at some point.
Movie-wise, I watched "Local Hero" and "Battle Beyond the Stars" for the first time, finally catching up with a couple from '80s All Over I've wanted to see. "Local Hero" I really loved- it's the type of movie, from an emotional standpoint, that connects to me at this point in my life. "Battle Beyond the Stars" was a fun B-movie adventure. Will be doing more catching up with some of the movies from the podcast I've wanted to see. I also finished up the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series a couple of days ago, which might be one of my favorite franchises, and did "Shogun Assassin" afterwards.
Also caught up with "Prime Cut" for the Movie Club, and it was an interesting watch. The performances were pretty good, and that was a look at sex trafficking I did not expect.
What a serendipitous choice, Drew! Shortly after you sent this my girlfriend and I found out that our local sushi place had figured out how to stay open for pick-up (in an admirably efficient and sanitary fashion as well), and decided to direct some of our "Quaran-treat" budget towards a luxurious sushi dinner.
We watched Jiro while we ate; this time around my thoughts drifted more toward Yoshikazu, the son stuck in his father's shadow. He had dreams once, too. But his father's unrelenting (and yes, brilliant) vision won out, and even now, 40 years later, he has the same work ethic as his father, and few of the accolades or recognition. I felt for the guy.
To answer your question: The Invisible Man was my last pre-COVID theatrical experience, so that's taken care of. Seriously considering ponying up for Emma. in the next few days. Also discovered Kino Lorber is offering Bacurau for $12; that one is a near certainty.
I would have bought Onward if I didn’t already know it would be on Disney+ in two weeks. Very much appreciate the transparency, Disney.
Wondering how many of the films in April, May, and June will go the VOD/theater route all at once? You’d think the smaller films could find a release date anywhere later this year, but the studios must be thinking that they need some sort of revenue stream in its place now.
That's an interesting question! I won't normally buy a digital copy of something I'll own on disc. I like building my physical library. When I want to watch Friends or Battlestar Galactica, I prefer not being subject to stupid ideas like creating 100 new streaming services that no one wants. While I do stream and watch the digital copies of films I own (until they disappear because the rights run out; yes, this happens!), it's reassuring to walk to the shelf and pull down my copy of Dogma, a movie not available to stream anywhere.
Although I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime, I don't for any music service. I have over 3,500 songs in my iPhone, so my playlists destroy anything on Pandora or Spotify. I listen to those mostly in the car, though. At home I listen to my album collection (mostly original pressings when I can find them). I started collecting in college back when Athens had two great record shops (RIP Schoolkids Records!), and nothing gives me more pleasure than looking through liner notes while listening to the Beatles or the Doobie Brothers or The Cars.
There's something about holding your media in your hands. It feels more alive even if the blu ray disc in your hand has the same exact 1's and 0's as a data stream. It's even better when it's an LP. I wonder what it would be like to have a library of analog film? Collecting vinyl is expensive enough, so I can only imagine how expensive it would be to start collecting film reels. Maybe if I win the lottery. 😉
I'm supportive of the VOD move, but none of the ones released so far were of interest to me. I'll check out Birds of Prey when it comes out but am giving the rest a pass.
I’m taking FULL advantage of the VOD’s being released. IMO this is Hollywood’s chance to get this model up and running fully. I’ve been waiting years for this and I’m excited. Family bought and watched Onward today. (My sister and brother-in-law-law worked on it) We really liked it. Great movie for brothers to watch. We’ll be watching The Invisible Man tonight. I hope it's good. Tomorrow will be The Hunt. I’ll be getting The Gentlemen and Bloodshot also. Being a comic book artist I’m usually home so this isn’t much different except my boys are doing school from home. Hunkering down with a fully stocked fridge and freezer so we’re making the best of it. Hope all of you are good. Stay safe and kind out there.
Rented Invisible Man with my brother, and it was great. I certainly loved seeing it in theaters last month, but this was something my brother and I could do together during this madness. Thinking about The Hunt, but we’re unsure about that one.
I work at an essential service so I am not wholly housebound, but still...
I caught up with "Revenge of the Sith" yesterday, the only one of the Star Wars prequels I skipped in theaters and was watching for catch-up purposes. 15 years on, it does sadly presage the weightless, point-A-to-point-B feel of a lot of today's tentpoles, but is much more boring about it, and the lead performances are unforgivably bad for the money that was spent and the talent that had to be out there. No lie -- I was streaming this on Disney+ and my iPad tipped over during the climax; from there it crashed and I had to bring it back up. For some reason the app put me on the page for "The World According to Jeff Goldblum", probably because I love that show. Maybe it was trying to tell me something.
Now as it happened I was in the mood to watch Cronenberg's "The Fly", one of my all-time favorites, again that night. I know that's a weird choice in these times (especially with the brief stretch in which the characters are worried that Seth's mutation might be contagious; it was hard not to think of the line "I'm sure Typhoid Mary was a very nice person too when you saw her socially" given some of the stories coming out of Florida, et.al. this week). But that movie, and especially Goldblum's performance, is like a weighted blanket -- wholly embracing and ready to pull you away from gloomy old reality into one that is no less dangerous, but heightened, passionate, and cathartic, where the concerns of three little people feel like a lot more than a hill of beans. (Of course, it helps that like Carrie Rickey I don't find Cronenberg's grue and gore disgusting so much as beautiful and funny.) Also, because it's so lean and tight, it's an easy movie to pop in.
One kid wants to see Trolls World Tour, and may pony up for it. We watched Snow Falling on Cedars (wife had read the book) and it was even better than I'd hoped. When I see an older movie, I sometimes check reviews, and I couldn't find a Moriarty one in the archives. :)
As a single lady, I can’t justify spending $20 on one movie rental. I can see it being a good deal for families or small groups. But I do look forward to seeing Onward on Disney+ in April.
I intend to rent some of the newer movies. There hasn’t been a release I care about yet. “The Way Back” will likely be my first rental. I would have bought Onward, but when I heard it was hitting Disney+ in 2 weeks, I can wait.
I have not taken advantage of the VOD releases/rentals yet, but do plan on it.
Since my work closed on Monday, I've been neck-deep in movies, and not just screeners. There's not too many shows that really have me interested in seeing them other than catching up with "Watchmen," at some point.
Movie-wise, I watched "Local Hero" and "Battle Beyond the Stars" for the first time, finally catching up with a couple from '80s All Over I've wanted to see. "Local Hero" I really loved- it's the type of movie, from an emotional standpoint, that connects to me at this point in my life. "Battle Beyond the Stars" was a fun B-movie adventure. Will be doing more catching up with some of the movies from the podcast I've wanted to see. I also finished up the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series a couple of days ago, which might be one of my favorite franchises, and did "Shogun Assassin" afterwards.
Also caught up with "Prime Cut" for the Movie Club, and it was an interesting watch. The performances were pretty good, and that was a look at sex trafficking I did not expect.
What a serendipitous choice, Drew! Shortly after you sent this my girlfriend and I found out that our local sushi place had figured out how to stay open for pick-up (in an admirably efficient and sanitary fashion as well), and decided to direct some of our "Quaran-treat" budget towards a luxurious sushi dinner.
We watched Jiro while we ate; this time around my thoughts drifted more toward Yoshikazu, the son stuck in his father's shadow. He had dreams once, too. But his father's unrelenting (and yes, brilliant) vision won out, and even now, 40 years later, he has the same work ethic as his father, and few of the accolades or recognition. I felt for the guy.
To answer your question: The Invisible Man was my last pre-COVID theatrical experience, so that's taken care of. Seriously considering ponying up for Emma. in the next few days. Also discovered Kino Lorber is offering Bacurau for $12; that one is a near certainty.