~reading, watching, listening~

~reading~

I have a bunch of things on my stack at the moment, mostly related to book research, but I started The Brothers Karamazov on my kindle.  It is easily my husband's favorite book ever, but I've never read more than snippets here and there.  I thought it was high time to read it.  So far it is interesting and accessible.  I also read The World's Largest Man by Harrison Scott Key during August and I've never laughed so much.  My husband thought I was having seizures.  There is much to laugh at, but there is a surprising amount of truth in the book too.  Truth about growing up, figuring out who you are, discovering your parents as people rather than parents, about marriage and what it means to stay together over a long period of time.  I highly recommend it.

~watching~

It's no secret I've been on a Tom Hiddleston kick all summer.  If Hozier, Lumineers, and Mumford and Sons were the soundtrack of my summer, Hiddleston was the film star.  I've never been a comic book person, so I wasn't really aware of him before I saw The Night Manager sometime this spring. I mean, yes, I watched Wallander (mostly for Kenneth Branagh), but I didn't realize Hiddleston was in it until much later. Personally, I recommend starting with The Night Manager as a way into his work, because it is a stunning piece of storytelling.  Hiddleston deserved every bit of the Emmy he won for his role as Jonathan Pine.  I am ever one to explore actors who make me think about the world, and so I was curious to see more of his films.  I was, however, reluctant to plumb the depths of the Marvel universe (at least, at first).

**I would like to point out that this list represents four months of film exploration.  I did do a lot of other things in that time!!  And yes, my husband works a lot in the evenings.**

I had started watching High Rise during the winter, but found it a bit weird and stopped just after the half way point.  I figured I might as well go back and finish it, since Hiddleston anchors the film, and I'm glad I did.  It is a supremely weird story, based on an equally strange dystopian book (that I now want to read) by J.G. Ballard, but it is also quite interesting.  Although, truth be told, I don't think I would have finished the movie if Tom Hiddleston weren't in it.

I watched an early film of his, Archipelago, in fits and starts in late May and early June.  It is a Joanna Hogg film, so you have to kind of appreciate independent film and a quiet story, but I thought it was a very interesting film.  The film is also Very British, which might be off-putting to some.

Next, I watched I Saw the Light, in which Hiddleston plays country music legend Hank Williams.  It is an excellent, excellent film.  I love the docu-drama style of it.  My favorite scene in the film is a little quiet scene between him and Elizabeth Olsen in the middle of the film.  I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen the film, but if you do see it, let's talk!  I didn't even realize how many Hank Williams' songs I kind of knew from other places until this film.  Country music was definitely not the soundtrack of my childhood.  The film not only solidified my admiration for Hiddleston's excellent work, it made me an instant Hank Williams fan. There is so much truth in his songs.  I've had his top 40 on repeat for the past several weeks.

After that, I watched Only Lovers Left Alive, an independent film by Jim Jarmush.  It co-stars Tilda Swinton, which should tell you all you need to know about the film.  I happen to like Tilda Swinton, but I realize that she is an acquired taste.  Jim Jarmush is also a kind of strange guy, and the film has a very slow pace that takes some getting used to.  That said, it is a really brilliant film, and an excellent meditation on relationships, particularly relationships over a long period of time.  The dream-like pacing of the film only emphasizes the Adam and Eve's interactions.  I loved this film, but it isn't for everyone.

I decided after that, I should give Crimson Peak a try.  I generally can't handle scary films, and avoid the horror genre, but I was intrigued by the notion that it was a gothic romance and only secondarily a scary film.  I also really like the trio of actors in the film.  I did watch it (and rewatched it again recently), but I admit to having my eyes closed through all the scary bits.  The gothic romance, however, is delicious.  I really love the way Del Toro told the story, and Hiddleston's character is delightfully complex.

Sometime in July, I figured it was time to dip my toes into the Marvel universe.  And promptly fell into the rabbit hole of the Avengers.  I watched Thor (excellent, excellent piece of Shakespearean style storytelling; I expect nothing less from Sir Kenneth Branagh), The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World.  I'm now a huge Loki fan, and am eagerly awaiting the amazon release of Thor: Ragnorok.  I might even watch Avengers: Age of Ultron.  My boys are really into the Avengers right now too, so that has been a nice point of contact with them.  Boo in particular likes to talk about it with me.  I don't think I'll go for the other Avengers movies at the moment, but who knows?  They are a lot of fun!

I also watched Kong: Skull Island in August which was a super fun old-fashioned monster munch of a movie.  It is a great ensemble cast and I enjoyed every minute.

Watching Thor (and reading some commentary about it) reminded me of my long-lost love: Shakespeare.  I decided to start with The Hollow Crown series, and watched Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2) and Henry V, both of which star Hiddleston as Prince Hal.  As I wrote previously, the films also star a who's who of classically trained Shakespearean actors, and I enjoyed them immensely.  They are magnificent.  Sometime this fall I want to watch the second series, which is Henry VI and Richard III.

I watched a few other things here and there like the last season of Grantchester (so much to say about it, but will save that for another post, perhaps), but that was about it.  I'm currently watching the most recent season of Endeavor and waiting for Outlander to start up again.  I'm done with my network show (I gave up on Blindspot after nbc's streaming service made me frustrated) and don't have anything else I particularly want to start on this fall.

I have a couple of films I want to check out when they become available to stream, but nothing worth writing about here.

~listening~

Not much new since I wrote last.  I've been giving Brandi Carlile a lot of air time, as well as the five Twilight soundtracks when I'm walking around by myself.  I had a Bon Iver day a few weeks ago, but haven't gone back to it since.  Ditto for Florence and the Machine.  I had Adele on while I was working yesterday, but found it mostly unhelpful to my process, so today I've been listening to Thomas Tallis radio on pandora.  I find myself in an exploratory mood, musically.  I keep listening to Hank Williams, feeling him speak to something jagged inside me.  I think that is why I keep going back to the Lumineers, Hozier, and Mumford and Sons.

For the first time in almost a decade, I have some real time to work, to think, to write and reflect.  I'm trying to use that time well, taking breaks to exercise, talk a walk outside, trying some new sewing patterns, visit art museums and galleries, catch up with friends who can spare the time during the school day.  It is an interesting time.  I'm curious to see what (or who) emerges on the other side.