Rec
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caught a matinee of āNickel Boysā. one of the best adaptations of a book Iāve ever seen. Captured the nuance and complexities of the story, particularly around identity, race, and perspectives of self and history.
Feb 11, 2025
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Rec
šŗTruly the best movie released last year!
Story points: Beautiful but heartbreaking film about the horrors of the jim crow south intertwined with snippets to remind you how recent all of that was. The final scene and a hug scene are the most difficult and heavy moments but i am obsessed with how emotional they are. Honestly, thereās no way you dont cry and feel anger towards what this country stands for by the end of watching this.
Technical points: Performances were amazing, the sound really puts you into these scenes (the boxing scene is insane and the use of sound really elevates the weight of what is going on in that moment). Camera work and coloring were really unique and some have complained about it being confusing but i bet those ppl also thought Little Women (2019) time jumps were hard to follow (derogatory).
Please rent this, need another project from everyone involved in this asap.
Story points: Beautiful but heartbreaking film about the horrors of the jim crow south intertwined with snippets to remind you how recent all of that was. The final scene and a hug scene are the most difficult and heavy moments but i am obsessed with how emotional they are. Honestly, thereās no way you dont cry and feel anger towards what this country stands for by the end of watching this.
Technical points: Performances were amazing, the sound really puts you into these scenes (the boxing scene is insane and the use of sound really elevates the weight of what is going on in that moment). Camera work and coloring were really unique and some have complained about it being confusing but i bet those ppl also thought Little Women (2019) time jumps were hard to follow (derogatory).
Please rent this, need another project from everyone involved in this asap.
Rec
a HIGHLY underseen movie at the moment, especially going into awards seasons where it's not getting all the love it deserves. If you can see it in a theater I highly recommend it, there are a few places still showing it, but I am pretty sure it should be available online too. So good, so moving, so important, it's one of the best directed movies of the year with such a compelling pov style. Absolutely adores this and have seen twice in theaters now, I recommend everyone get out there and see it so you can be mad when it inevitably and unfairly loses the only oscar its nominated for (insanity).
Feb 17, 2025
Rec
As far as material for satire goes, the literary world is pretty low-hanging fruit, perhaps only bested by fine art collecting. Still, when the jokes are as on point as they are inĀ American Fiction, it can make for very satisfying viewing. Writer / director Cord Jefferson (who has previously written forĀ The Good Place,Ā Watchmen, andĀ Station Eleven) does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Percival Everettās novelĀ Erasure, the experimental structure of which would make a successful adaptation seem unlikely.
Author and professor Thelonious āMonkā Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, eminently watchable as always) is known for writing acclaimed but poor-selling novels and is growing frustrated by the lack of interest in his latest effort from publishers, who dismiss it for not being āblack enoughā. On top of that, he finds himself placed on leave from his university and then dealing with a series of crises with his family. One bright spot emerges however when a chance encounter with neighbor Coraline (a charming Erika Alexander) promises to develop into something more.
One night after a few drinks, Monk knocks out what he intends to be a satire of the stereotypical āBlackā novels the public seems to want featuring high melodrama, broken families, gang violence, and written in an over-the-top āghettoā vernacular. His agent reluctantly agrees to send it to a few publishing houses under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, allegedly a former convict, and much to their surprise he is promptly offered $750,000 for the book. In need of the money, he accepts and plays along with the ruse, occasionally even playing the role in person, but he canāt help but feel guilt for selling out himself and his people, and so makes attempts to sabotage the whole deal and risks damaging some personal relationships along the way.
The movie oscillates between being a razor-shop literary satire and a family dramedy in the vein ofĀ Somethingās Gotta GiveĀ orĀ As Good As It Gets, to surprisingly enjoyable effect. Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, and Myra Lucretia Taylor delight as Monkās sister, brother, mother, and long-time family housekeeper respectively, with the group displaying a genuine chemistry in their scenes together. Likewise, the budding romance with Coraline feels natural and comfortable. Itās when it takes its claws out though thatĀ American FictionĀ really rises above. Anyone who follows the book world will instantly recognize what Jefferson and Everett are targeting here and will find themselves laughing out loud at every bullseye hit. It isnāt the flashiest movie, but itās a clever and engaging look at a specific part of American culture that never forgets to entertain its audience. ā
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RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SOME DRUG USE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND BRIEF VIOLENCE.
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SOME DRUG USE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND BRIEF VIOLENCE.
Top Recs from @salad_valet
Rec
iāve been trying to articulate why i enjoy this space so much. yes, the UX is reminiscent of Tumblr and the early days of the internet. and thereās genuine sincerity and vulnerability on here that makes it feel really cozy and real, which i havenāt felt online in at least a decade.
but i think whatās undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i donāt feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs iāve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things).
all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.
but i think whatās undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i donāt feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs iāve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things).
all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.
Feb 7, 2025
Rec
hear me outāthis one might feel impossible, but i quit purchasing items on Amazon in 2018 and cancelled my GoodReads account shortly after.
i did some serious reflection and realized iād become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing iād have it within a day. thatās not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases.
iām aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i donāt have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything.
in contrast, iām becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we donāt need to own it all, we have each other.
interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.
i did some serious reflection and realized iād become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing iād have it within a day. thatās not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases.
iām aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i donāt have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything.
in contrast, iām becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we donāt need to own it all, we have each other.
interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.
Jan 22, 2025
Rec
i canceled my Spotify account over the summer and have spent the last few months rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and itās enshittification), i realized i wasnāt even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like.
breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! iām borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isnāt being tracked by Spotify and i own whatās in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when iām out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.
breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! iām borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isnāt being tracked by Spotify and i own whatās in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when iām out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.
Jan 16, 2025