If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

Continuing more of my Oscar explorations, and this had me thinking about it long after it was over. The acting blew me away. It was stressful and beautiful, or in other words, lifelike. Of course, Rose Byrne's performance is award-worthy, but I was also stunned by the two actors working outside their normal expected ranges (Conan and A$AP Rocky). I was impressed with some stylistic decisions as well; Linda's is the only character's face you see for the first several minutes of the film, and it's a tight shot, foreshadowing how the ensuing events are going to swallow her whole. Conversely, withholding the daughter's face until the closing sequence received an audible gasp from me.

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

This was another post-Valentines horror watch for us, and it was fun. I remembered very little from the first one, but that turned out not to matter all that much. The plot to this one was needlessly convoluted—jumping into alternate dimensions—but that also didn’t matter. It was enjoyable for what it was, fairly low-stakes for a horror movie. They tried to inject some finality to it as the main character was somehow running out of resets to the day, but that didn’t get in the way of the action. The story was also unexpectedly emotional, creating a choice for the main character between the love of her life in one universe and the return of her mom in the other. I think I said it after the first film, but I am so glad the Groundhog Day schtick hasn’t been completely overdone. We’ve got this, Palm Springs, and that’s pretty much it. Original ideas should stay original!

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) - Rabih Alameddine

Huh, two consecutive books involving adult characters and the relationships with their mothers. This was a coincidence—honestly!—even if it would be reasonable to assume otherwise. Actually, the real reason I picked it up was, of course, following up on awards season. I see why this won the National Book Award. It is a personal journey through multiple eras of Lebanese history, about which I knew nothing. I always appreciate a story set over different time periods, and a personal journey leading through generations is a good way for me, a reader with no prior experience or understanding, to get a better sense of another culture. I really enjoyed the organization of this story. It began in reverse chronological order, centering with a hundred pages detailing situation similar to the film, Room, which was a point of origin for the character, before returning forward in time. This was an effective and comprehensible way of presenting both the character's and the country's history.

Cupid & Psyche 85 – Scritti Politti

The 80s are probably my least-versed decade in music, and I definitely made my share of uneducated comments about the common music styles way back in high school, but I’ve grown since then. I now have an appreciation for and understanding of the broader 80s pop scene, and this week’s listen, courtesy of Pitchfork’s weekly Sunday Review, fits squarely into that sentiment. I feel particularly indebted to the review for highlighting the other musical influences heard in this record. The reggae is immediately obvious, of course, but I had forgotten Scritti Politti was rooted in punk. I read Rip It Up and Start Again, but not since grad school. Going back and checking out some of their earlier punk tracks gave a greater context to this record. At times sounding like Prince (though I would never go that far!), this is a perfect example of highly-produced electro-pop that defined the decade. I likely would have been turned off by this in high school, and I would have been wrong.

Heart Eyes (2025)

What better time of year to settle in with a kitschy horror movie set on Valentine’s Day? The plot was inane, and the acting was cheesy, but the movie was still fun! A mostly predictable sequence of events with transparent villains and one or two jumpy moments. As to be expected, given the setting, there was a healthy dose of romantic comedy. Also, for better or worse, I will never be able to set this apart from the Scream franchise, based on both who was in the living room and who was on the screen. A lovely way to spend an evening, and I envision doing pretty much the same thing for the inevitable sequel.