Saturday Morning Cartoons #129
ARE YOU NOT RE-ENTERTAINED?!
Good morning, fam!
Hope you all had a good week.
We’re in it now. After our “T.Hanksgiving” get-together at work and last week’s “Soupsgiving,” we have officially entered the holiday season.
In fact, we’re prepping for our next Friendsgiving (tonight) as I write this.
While I figure out if it’s socially acceptable to bring Texas Roadhouse rolls and crack butter to every holiday hang, check out this week’s recs.
Pull up the group chat, figure out who’s bringing what, and let’s get into it.
Here’s what I have for you this morning:
UPDATES
If you’ve heard of St. Louis and have a sense of humor, give SNARK AVE a follow on Instagram.
When you work in Corporate America long enough, you eventually meet the same people. I made a list of them.
If you’re already in the holiday mood and listening to Mariah Carey, then you’ll also enjoy One Too Many’s “Five Golden Sings” Holiday Album Release Show next month.
LINKS
It took over a month, but I finally finished Septology, a Nobel Prize winner by Norwegian author Jon Fosse. Disclaimer: This book definitely won’t be for everyone. First, there isn’t a single period in this entire three-volume novel, which means reading it is more of a stream-of-consciousness, trance-like experience that forces you to slow down. Second, there are only a few characters, and most have similar names: Two are named “Asle,” one is named “Ales,” and another is “Alise.” Finally, not a lot happens plot-wise, so there is a lot of repetition when it comes to certain characters and events. In some ways, this is the beauty of this novel. It explores loss, grievance, religion, art, and other topics in a way that feels like real life. (i.e., Day-to-day things feel repetitive, but life adds up over the long term). If you can retrain your brain and get used to the unique writing style, I promise this book will change you. (★★★★★)
And now for something completely different. Abby agreed to watch Irish Wish with me, and I owe her BIG. Even with a breezy hour-and-a-half runtime, it felt wayyy too long. Lindsay Lohan plays a book editor who is in love with her dreamy Irish author, but he ends up marrying her best friend in Ireland. So, she (you guessed it) wishes to marry him instead. Don’t watch it unless you’re a Hallmark rom-com junkie. (★★•••)
On the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum, my friend and I saw A Real Pain, and both really enjoyed it. It’s about two mismatched cousins who go on a Jewish heritage tour in Poland to honor their grandmother, but things get a little complicated. Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed, and co-starred alongside Kieran Culkin, so you know it’s whip-smart. Go see it, especially with a best bud or close family member. (★★★★•)
And now the main event. To prep for the sequel, Abby and I watched Gladiator at home, and my god, does it still hold up. It’s got sprawling action, messy political drama, and bromance for days. We did, however, forget that it’s over two-and-a-half hours long…and we started it at 9:00 PM…on a “school” night. (★★★★•)
After having done my homework, the guys and I went to Alamo and saw Gladiator II. The pros: Denzel Washington will win an Oscar for “Best Supporting Actor” or the streets will run red, Paul Mescal has a baritone voice made for monologues…or meditations in the Calm app, and the costume design was on point. The cons: There were too many supporting characters/antagonists, Pedro Pascal was severely underutilized, and it felt like three different movies were crammed into one. Definitely worth the watch, but not as good as the first. (★★★••)
You made it to the end! As a bonus, I’ll leave you with this.
Cheers,
Billy