Sunday Culture: Good films, good novels, bad news about Dune.
Arts & Culture editors James Watson and Adam Coil share their top picks of the week.
James
A film: The Color Of Money
“NEWMAN. CRUISE. The Hustler isn't what he used to be. But he has the next best thing. A Kid Who is.”
Been thinking about Marty Scorsese’s often overlooked billiards drama, “The Color of Money'' lately. Could be because my viewing via Delta Studio during a flight this summer didn't cut it. Could be the impromptu pool match between the Old Gold and Black’s very own Evan Harris, Cooper Sullivan and I this week. Could be the announcement of a wide release schedule for big Mr. S’ new, assuredly mammoth American tragedy, “Killers of the Flowers Moon.” No cue. Almost certainly worth revisiting. Tom Cruise wears a shirt that says his name on it the entire time, and Paul Newman knows full well how cool he is. Best recommended if you like movies like “Take Out” or “Uncut Gems” — films that create whole worlds, industries and rituals out of niche interests. A copy is presently available in the ZSR Library.
Another film: Ikiru
Went on a Akira Kurosawa deep dive this summer seeking guidance on tightly composed, well blocked, black-and-white photography and ended up having a crisis in the process. “Ikiru” follows an aging, terminally ill bureaucrat who has amounted to nothing more than a tool of obfuscation in his more than 30-year career in the government. News of his imminent death catalyzes him to do something for once. He springs into action, building a playground over a former sewage dump. The rest is for you to experience. For college students especially, it’s a sobering, centering watch. One that will have you examining your own path and its endpoint. Also available to rent through ZSR.
An annoyance about a film: The delay of Dune 2
Well this is just rotten. “Dune Part Two” was slated for wide release in November. But last week, the shoe dropped: delayed until 2024. Make no mistake — there is no real reason for Warner Brothers to delay “Dune 2” to March 2024. It’s strictly a revenge blow by an increasingly angry WB CEO, David Zaslav, over the SAG-AFTRA strikes. This is an A-list star-powered blockbuster that will make money hand over fist. It does not need the promotion Zaslav thinks it does. We sort of knew the old rules of box office success were on their way out, but this summer's totemic success of both “Barbie” and “Oppenhiemer” killed what was left. (“Barbie” now joining the illustrious club of the post-pandemic one-billion club and Oppenhiemer, surprisingly, also approaching that point) At this point, we shouldn't be suprised by WB’s willingness to sabotage its own money-making capacity to stick it to its creators. But it doesn't make it any less evil. In conclusion, Dune is a FALL movie! The sand is orange! It’s an autumn release, stupid!
Adam
Short stories: Friday Black — Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
This debut collection of short stories from Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah firmly entrenches him as one of the most exciting fiction writers America has to offer right now — and he’s only 32. “Friday Black” sets its sights on a myriad of issues — the psychological impact of police brutality and self-alienation in modern labor, for example — and it uses many tools to explore those issues that it would be impossible to do them justice in such a short blurb. Instead, think “Atlanta.” Think “Black Mirror.” Think George Saunders. Whatever you do, give this book a try.
A novel: Snow — Orhan Pamuk
Orhan Pamuk’s “Snow” follows a poet named Ka who returns to his home city to report on a string of Muslim women who committed suicide after being required to unveil their heads. The novel contains pretty much everything you could ask of your literature. Political, religious and romantic struggles are enfolded in Pamuk’s relentlessly graceful prose that listens to each character with empathy and respect. The violence and drama of the book is overshadowed only by the overwhelming presence of snow that pervades every nook and cranny of the story. It is worth reading simply to observe Pamuk’s brilliant command of the poetic power of snow.
Another novel: Heaven — Mieko Kawakami
Joan Didion once wrote that “We are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not,” and “Heaven” is the perfect opportunity to do just that. It is a book about bullying, friendship, adolescence and pain, with character archetypes most of us will remember all too well. Kawakami’s choice to use such young characters to explore the nature of senseless violence brings the story — and its themes — to an uncomfortably intimate distance. However, it never allows her to entertain the fantasy that the struggles in the book belong only to children.
From the record crate:
UTOPIA — Travis Scott
Schlagenheim — Black Midi
Richard D. James Album — Aphex Twin
Ooh Rap I Ya — George Clanton
Head Hunters — Herbie Hancock
Dirty Mind — Prince
5 things from the Kitchen Sink:
Check out a/perture cinema’s brand new “Screen oddities” series, featuring cult films that are guaranteed to delight, frighten, and fascinate.
Next week, Reynolda House will be receiving an intriguing new exhibit, “Smith & Libby: Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet.” Sounds awesome.
The trailer for Michael Mann’s new film starring Adam Driver just released. The best Christmas present I could ask for.
All eyes on Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, NC next weekend.
The promise of Fall.
That’s all for this week. We’ll be back next Sunday with more of what’s keeping us entertained.
— James & Adam