Media Log (July 2023)

Part of my resolution to blog more is to start a media consumption log for the year where I record what I’m reading, watching, and listening to. I’m going to do it monthly; expect a finalized list on the last day of each month (possibly backdated).

Movies

• The Fast and the Furious - a rewatch of a movie I watched way too much as a child and therefore have an unreasonable fondness and attachment towards. The dialogue in this movie is positively absurd (“I like the tuna here," “Welcome to Race Wars”), the homoerotic undertones bordering on overtones, and everyone in this movie (except Vince but including Jesse) is blisteringly hot. I was edified by the friend I had watched the film (not movie) with, who had never seen it, as she remarked at the end, “I get it now.” I could have done without the oil scene, however.
• 2 Fast 2 Furious – well, now it’s a marathon. 2 Fast 2 Furious has, historically and controversially, been both my favorite sequel naming schema and overall entry in the Fast saga. I love the first, but this movie embraces the stupidity and over-the-top action that would go on to define the series. It manages to succeed without Vin Diesel (or any of the “family,” except for Brian, though it introduces future members) and contains some iconic (to me) scenes (Ejecto seato and everything involving Suki). I smile constantly while watching this movie. I love it and I think it loves me back. Except for the rat scene. I could do without the rat scene.
• The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift – I would like to say that I came to my second viewing of this movie with an open mind (I didn’t), hoping to understand the cultural revisionism of some Fast fans who claim that this is actually one of the best in the series (it isn’t). Somehow this movie makes drifting boring. Han is the only interesting character. There’s a character who everyone refers to as “DK” (short for “Drift King”) throughout the film and yet he is as bland and forgettable as the rest. Sean is the worst, and it is a miracle the series managed to rebound from this low. Tokyo Drift is the ugly step-cousin of the Fast series. At least the theme song slaps.
• Fast & Furious – viewed right after Tokyo Drift to cleanse my palate and remind me what a good movie feels like. The opening scene immediately reminds one of the highs of the Fast saga, and while the rest of the movie is far from the best, it is miles ahead of Tokyo Drift, if only because it reunites the Fast family and sets the pieces in place for the highs of the series to come.
• Fast Five – a truly thrilling movie start to finish and perhaps the best of the series. Everything about this movie is fun — no rat or oil scenes to be found. Instead, just action sequences that constantly raise the stakes and delight — and, of course, the reunion of the family (sans-Letty).
• Fast & Furious 6 – a middling sequel to the high point of the Fast series and my last rewatch; from here on out, it is all new to me. This one is watchable and certainly ranks as one of the better Fast movies. It chases the ragtag quality that the family had in the last movie but doesn’t hit the same notes. The movie shines when it focuses on Dom and Letty’s relationship, and the bridge scene is one of the best stupid stunts in the series.
• Furious 7 – a mostly forgettable setup and plot offset by some truly ridiculous moments that make the film, overall, enjoyable. This was a classy send-off for Paul Walker that I’m sure was emotional in the moment but is today soured by him being kind of a creep. I wish to wed the individual who came up with the Rock breaking his cast off and entering the action, the skyscraper scene, Dom running over Shaw’s car, and, most of all, the rwrench fight. I say individual because I like to believe there is a single person responsible for this lunacy.

TV

• Andor, season one – interesting in broad strokes, but I found it deeply problematic on an episode-to-episode basis. This felt like a movie trilogy that decided to be a television show, and it does not work as either. It may not be fair for me to levy my frustrations with cinematic universes against Andor (Fast obsession notwithstanding), but I spent much of my time with the show questioning its necessity (even as a Star Wars lover and a particular fan of Rogue One). Much of Andor felt like it was undercutting Rogue One and Jyn’s significance to the Alliance. Andor has compelling ideas and is competently shot and acted, with occasionally strong moments every few episodes, but it ultimately didn’t win me over. I will give a second season a try, but Andor disappointed me, especially given the high expectations others’ reactions gave me.

Music

• 22, a Million, Bon Iver – I do not have much experience with Bon Iver outside of “Skinny Love” (which is fine), but I vaguely recall my sister playing me a song, “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄”, from_ 22, a Million_ around when it came out. Sparked by a recent conversation with her and stumbling across an article that I now cannot find about some of the controversy around the album’s release, I’ve been listening to it a fair amount. It’s an abstract, exciting album; none of the songs particularly stand out to me as Playlist Material, but that is perhaps the intention of the album: it is to be listened to in sittings, full through, not in the vacuum we have become accustomed to of random shuffles and algorithmic picks. I admire any artist that experiments with their releases and does not rest on the laurels of their hits, so initial impressions are strong, but I get the sense that this is an album that begs for the listener to reflect and decode.
• Never Hungover Again, Joyce Manor – discovered through a Front Bottoms shuffle with “Heart Tattoo,” which is a highlight of the album for me. Never Hungover Again is a breezy listen: ten tracks, most falling between one and two minutes. I found the first five tracks mostly discardable, but the second half was much stronger with the aforementioned “Heart Tattoo,” “In the Army Now,” and “Catalina Fight Song.” Emo revival works best for me in The Front Bottoms style: catchy riffs and earnest lyrics that read like teenage LiveJournal entries.

Games

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - I played a metric ton of Breath of the Wild and emerged with feelings ranging from ambivalent to frustrated. There was so much I loved about it and so much that just never came together (or actively frustrated me). Tears of the Kingdom, however, has brought me nothing but joy; it corrects every complaint I had with Breath of the Wild and improves upon it wholesale. I’m far from done with the game – I think I will be playing it for some time – but so far, it is remarkable.
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza - played with friends but I had the eerie suspicion I’ve played it before but cannot place it. Fine in a group but mostly forgettable. I wouldn’t seek it out again.
• Carcassonne - my love, my liege. Carcassonne is a bastion in our household. I love it every time I play, except when I lose, which is often.
• The Busy Bistro, Magic Puzzle Company - a friend spotted this on Tik Tok and invited me over to work on it with her. Reader, I was there until three in the morning. A fantastic puzzle with charming art, done in good company.