Vampire Weekend is killing it with their opening lines, of late. In this case:
We took a vow in summertime Now we find ourselves in late December
There’s a great pre-chorus too:
Anger wants a voice Voices wanna sing Singers harmonize ‘Til they can’t hear anything I thought that I was free From all that questioning But every time a problem ends Another one begins
It’s a bit repetitive but that’s par for the course with music right now. (Kids today!)
The video is filled with bugs. Not recommended for anti-bug people.
Also, this version has extended solos that are not what I’ve been hearing on the radio.
Two things have conspired to drop a lot of SKS postcards in my box of late.
Sara & Shawn are moving, which means they are doing a lot of last-gasp trips in the Minnesota vicinity.
Moving means cleaning things out, and Sara got rid of a lot of postcards by sending them to me.
I’m pretty lucky, eh?
This came from a winery with tasty wine and a great atmosphere. S&S had an impromptu overnight because their regular Sunday commitment has come to an end.
It’s another coffee promo card. The surface wasn’t much good for writing on, so Sara sent another card. Malawi, according to the postcard, is in “the Warm Heart of Africa.”
In this card, which gave her pen more purchase, SKS discusses the use of “endemic” on the previous postcard and reports on the weather, which was cold and rainy.
That streetcar TCRT 1239, according to the information on the back, was restored and placed into service in 2004.
Olivia Wilde’s movie Booksmart isn’t just about two studious high school students who go to a party; the reason they attend the party is the crux of the film. There are hijinks along the way, and standard movie stuff happens* but the realization that drives the need to attend a party is what sold this movie for me. There were a couple of scenes I adored and the movie is also populated with a variety of interesting types** and some excellent markers of how high school looks different from my own experience.
The verdict: Recommended
Cost: $9.00 Where watched: Laurelhurst Theater with Matt, who also liked it.
Laggies (because Kaitlyn Dever is so good in that)
Lady Bird (because Beanie Feldstein is so good in that)
*It’s the same list I had for Wine Country (hijinks, things not going according to plan, fights, personal realizations, a happy ending) and because it’s a raunchy comedy you can add vomiting. **Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are great as I knew they would be, but I also loved Skyler Gisondo as the kid trying to buy his way into everyone’s heart, Molly Gordon as the girl known by an unfortunate nickname, Bille Lourd as the weird girl who is everywhere, and Michael Patrick O’Brien’s short turn as Pat the Pizza Guy.
Favorite IMDB triva item:
In a May 24, 2019, interview on National Public Radio’s program “All Things Considered,” director Olivia Wilde explained the word “Malala” as it is used by the two best friends Amy and Molly as an inside reference between them: “‘Malala’ is their code word for unconditional support. So what ‘malala’ means is that what I’m asking you to do now with me you must do….Malala [Yousafzai, the Pakistani advocate for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel laureate] is one of their great role models. And I think that’s why she holds the most significant place in their friendship, the idea that if you call ‘Malala,’ you must really mean it.”
Director Amy Poehler has assembled an amazing cast for Wine Country and that cast is key to the success of this amusing and enjoyable film. It follows the standard “weekend away” movie plot* and makes for a great Sunday Afternoon Film.** There were some great cameos, many conversations that women will find amusing, (and perhaps men will too) and a good soundtrack, especially if you are of a certain age.
Verdict: Good
Cost: Netflix monthly fee $8.99 Where watched: at home
*Hijinks, things not going according to plan, fights, personal realizations, a happy ending **Those films you watch that are pleasant and are your last gasp of freedom before it’s time to start gearing up for the coming work week.
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Poehler said on the Busy Tonight show that one of the film’s funniest props (the CPAP machine her character uses to help her sleep) actually belongs to her. “You know how Bradley Cooper used his real dog in A Star Is Born?” Poehler said, “I used my real CPAP machine.”
Cost: free from the Multnomah County Library Where watched: at home with the aforementioned boyfriend.
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
To create the “classic” album that the character Tucker is best known for, director Jesse Peretz turned to previous collaborator Nathan Larson who worked with him on Our Idiot Brother (2011). Over the course of three years, they wrote songs and requested demos from about 35 artists such as Conor Oberst, Robyn Hitchcock and Ryan Adams. Nathan Larson’s inspiration for the music was Big Star’s “Third/Sister Lovers” album as well as friend Jeff Buckley.
The commercial building that was most recently a garage has been removed, as has the single family house that used to sit next to it. Next up? A 24-unit Habitat for Humanity structure.
And affordable housing is being built on an empty lot at the edge of downtown Kenton.
I’m excited to have both of these developments happening near me.* If there’s one thing this city needs, it’s more affordable housing. As someone who is only a homeowner because of Proud Ground, a housing program for first-time home buyers, I know how much of a difference affordable and stable housing can make in a person’s life.
*Which is not to say I don’t have worries that our easy-to-find street parking will disappear once that 24-unit Habitat for Humanity development is done and occupied. I would LOVE if the City Council would take some steps to establish an on-street parking permit system in Portland neighborhoods.
The reason to watch Stanley Donen’s Two for the Road is to see the interesting cuts between scenes that show us different periods of a couple’s ten-year marriage. However, there are many more reasons not to watch the film, namely, it’s hard to root for a couple who isn’t happy* and whose relationship was on shaky ground from the get-go.** On the other hand, there’s nice scenery, really amazing clothing*** and a series of scenes with Mr., Mrs., and Miss Manchester, the trio you don’t know how thankful you are that you’ve never vacationed with.
The verdict: skip
Cost: $3.99 via Google Play Where watched: at home as part of Filmspotting’s Stanley Donen Marathon.****
*I suspect we’ve got some generational differences here, but Albert Finny’s character is a big jerk who also is very loud. What in the world does Audrey Hepburn see in him? Why is she falling in love with him when he has done nothing to demonstrate he’s a good person? And also! If when you get married you agree not to have any children, then you have agreed not to have children. Don’t get all mad, Audrey Hepburn’s character, because now you want children and he’s pointing out the agreement you’ve already made. **Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy comes to mind (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight) but the difference is that both of those characters are charming, and the series unfolds so that you can do nothing but root for them. ***Including some very impractical things. I can’t imagine that vinyl pants/jacket combo was anything but a sweaty mess when worn while riding in a car, or on any sunny day. ****I’ve just looked over Stanley Donen’s list to see if there is anything of his I like and, while I still haven’t seen many of his films, he did direct Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, (so many not okay things about the story, and yet, so delightful) and he co-directed the movie that is tied for first as my favorite film of all time: Singing in the Rain. So he’s okay, I guess. Also, strangely, he directed Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” video, a milestone video of my elementary school years.
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
The passport shown on screen lists Hepburn’s birthday as 11 July 1936 and Finney’s as 22 August 1933, making her appear 7 years younger, and him 3 years older than their actual ages.
Also, the couple shared a passport in this film! It had both their pictures in it. Good lord, was this a thing? Apparently it was.
In sad news, our Whirlpool Duet washer has given up the ghost. In sadder news, because the washer and dryer are stacked, we have to buy both a new washer and a new dryer.
We’ve had this washer & dryer for seven years. It seems to be coming to an end much sooner than I expected.
