Ribald.
Silly.
Stylish.
They Live with cartoon gore.
A decent way to burn an evening on Netflix, if you dig animation.
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MFKZ, Shojiro Nishimi, 2017
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Day Shift, J. J. Perry, 2022
Watched this last week.
Just a popcorn flick, but fun enough for a Friday night.
Paper thin characters and predictable plot, but cheap thrills with strong nostalgia vibes between the music and wide shots of LA.
They’re courteous enough to avoid cliffhangers, but they drop enough nuggets to justify a sequel.
I’d watch it.䷘䷬
I heard about Day Shift from to this Netflix sponsored Corridor Crew youtube episode on stunt-driving. It was the most interesting thing that came out the movie.
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A Letter to Momo, Hiroyuki Okiura, 2011
After watching the brutal classic Jin Roh, I wanted to watch Okiura’s other other full length film.
It’s a good film, but not original. It follows the standard Ghibli template, especially My Neighbor Totoro. It has a strong girl protagonist, quirky world, idyllic Japanese country setting, and climaxes with a family emergency.
Even if formulaic, we had fun. The kids needed a moment in acclimating to the methodical pacing of anime, but they enjoyed it as well.
My only critique of the film is the rendering of Momo’s mother. She looked so young, it always felt like she was Momo’s older sister, which was distracting throughout the movie.
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If the kids ask for it, I’d watch it again. The backgrounds are gorgeously rendered and the ghosts are funny. It scratches the Ghibli itch without paying for to HBO Max. A Letter to Momo is more enjoyable than Ghibli’s recent offerings, but it doesn’t reach the perfection of their classics.
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The Changing World Order (online), Ray Dalio, 2021
Last year, my friend recommended the book when it was still available online.
It was engrossing and depressing.
Dalio uses monetary policy to diagnose what ails our country — decay and dissention within, decadence and coasting upon the gains of the past.
It’s good to be a citizen of the empire, but the throne is never comfortable. It doesn’t help that China is rising as our internal polarization threatens to tear us apart.
I’m not an economist nor a historian, so it’s hard to judge these claims. There are plenty of counternarratives predicting an impending Chinese economic collapse with demographic decline.
Either way, Ray Dalio spins a plausible narrative, but he doesn’t help with the hard part. What should an individual do in this market? After reading the book, I looked him up on youtube. All he says is that beating the market is really hard. It all leaves you in a swamp of doom, without much hope.
If he’s right, then we’re due for another round of painful renewal. The best scenario is to restart the cycle, and wish for the best for our kids.
The other scenario? Get ready to hit the road again.
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After my investing kick over the past few months, I’ve soured on Dalio. His predictions might be right or wrong, but it would only be coincidental to his analysis, which is thinner than it appears.
Ultimately he’s a salesman for his business. Doom and gloom will always sell.
I don’t regret skimming the book, but I can’t recommend it.
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A Pizza the Size of the Sun, Jack Prelutsky, 1999
As an audiobook, this was an hour-long collection of silly kid’s songs.
My ears perked up during the credits. Tony Trischka was the banjo player.
He’s a legend, even at the time of recording. He wrote the three finger bluegrass instructional book that came with my banjo from the 5th String in Berkeley.
Wild how one can be among the best in the world, but still end up working in an oddball children’s CD.
I also wonder what it was like for the Jack Prelutsky. Must be intimidating to be recording on a kazoo with that kind of firepower backing you up.
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No complaints. The girl had fun, and I guffawed a few times. I’d listen to it again, though not by myself.
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Music Animations, Stephen Malinowski
We’re watching Stephen Malinowski’s “Music Animations” on Youtube over dinner.
It’s great for seeing the structure of fugues.
But he ranges far beyond the baroque, and our dinner concerts have exposed us to a wider range of classical music.
Last night, the boy joyfully marched around to Sousa.
She’s repeatedly enjoyed the dissonance of Bartok’s From the Diary of a Fly.
And of course I’d be remiss if I did not mention the Goldberg Variations.
Malinowski’s website includes pages listing some initial recommendations, a list of youtube highlights, and how-to, all worth a visit.
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I was first introduced to his work at an Edward Tufte seminar while still in college. Soon after, I bought one of Malinowski’s early DVD’s. Even though it’s now all available for free, I’m happy to have supported his work before he became cool.
His patient labor over the decades (he barely monetizes his videos!) is a tantalizing sample of the optimistic internet we all expected in the 90’s.
Maybe the rest of us will get there someday.
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Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Hiroyuki Okiura, 1999
Jin-Roh is a story of power, love, and belonging.
For a film based on an ultra-armored police unit, the pacing is contemplative, with atmospheric lingering shots, even during a riot.
Of course, there are moments of intense violence. But it’s ultimately about a man finding his place in society – an authoritarian society whose peacekeepers struggle with their humanity.
I’d write more, but I don’t dare spoil it. Highly recommended.
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The movie is part of a wider fictional universe, but it doesn’t require any prior knowledge, though it helps to know that it’s set in an alternate history post World War 2 Japan that had allied to the Americans but lost to the German occupation.
Jin-Roh is a classic along better known anime films such as Ghost in the Shell and Perfect Blue. In a DVD world, I most would have bought a copy of it. Nowadays it’s free on tubi.tv. That said, I’ve been told to avoid the widely panned Korean live-action adaptation.
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How Will You Measure Your Life?, Clay Christensen, 2012
A business self help book that is unashamedly both. As a businessman, Christensen starts with incentives and culture.
He splits incentives into motivation and hygiene factors. Hygiene (fair pay, good team) are the basics that allows you to avoid disliking your job. Motivations are the warm fuzzies that turn your work into a passion.
He starts with corporate culture to discuss family culture. I generally despise the work = family equivalence, but he frames it well to present a fresh perspective on the matter. I need to ponder how incentive factors affect our family culture.
Following his thesis from the Innovator’s Dilemma, his key refrain is that the little things beneath our notice are what will determine our future.
The time and resources that you devote today, at this moment, prove your real priorities. Repeated execution of these priorities create your life.
His final chapter is a warning to stick to one’s standards. A small compromise in the moment may be a clever marginal play, but the full cost might be realized after one’s course has been steered in an ill direction.
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I listened to it at 1.5x speed. It’s another classic pull yourself up by the bootstraps self help book, this time from a business consultant’s perspective. I haven’t felt the need to listen to it again, but I should watch his TEDx talk.
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The Sea Beast, Chris Williams, 2022
A fun buddy movie between a man, girl, and massive red beast.
It’s appropriately popular in the Netflix Kids section, though I suspect it will fade with time, like The Little Prince movie.
I enjoyed the ride, even if imperfect.
The beats were predictable (understandable, given the intended audience).
Less forgivable, some plotlines felt rushed while other threads were left hanging.However, my biggest quibble is with the coda.
Hard to say much without spoiling the film. So I’ll stop here.
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I doubt the kids will ask to watch it again. I wouldn’t veto such a request, but I won’t propose it either. If still unsure, watch the trailer. It’s a fair representation.
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Will another comic crash or fly on the wings of actors?
I watched the long awaited first episode of Sandman.
I’m conflicted.
Do I want one of my favorite works replayed on the big screen?
Or just turn off the TV?
Is it greedy to search for revived greatness in another format?
It’s been a quarter century.
The hours are more precious now.
I’ll let the internet decide before I hit episode 2…or season 2.䷰䷾
The mouse has eaten the king of dreams.