Welcome to my first new newsletter of 2023! Not much has happened since my last newsletter, so let’s jump right in.
“Chariots of Fire”
I had heard the iconic Vangelis theme parodied and imitated numerous times, but had never actually seen “Chariots of Fire” until I watched it to prepare for a podcast episode on “The Prestige.” (They’re more similar than you would think! Check the link below for more.)
But this sports drama, about the rivalry between a Jewish man who runs to bring fame to his people and a Christian man who runs to bring fame to his god, is mostly fine. I think it suffers from an added amount of hype (it won Best Picture in 1982), but that score is undeniable, and the film shines in its quieter moments of character introspection.
Available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“Confess, Fletch”
We don’t get a lot of great comedies anymore, and when we do, those are usually shuffled off to video on demand to wither on the vine after a quick theatrical run. That’s exactly what happened with this update of “Fletch,” the Chevy Chase series from the ‘80s based on Gregory Mcdonald’s series of novels about a sarcastic journalist-turned-PI with a bevy of disguises. Which is a shame, because it’s great.
Here, Jon Hamm inherits Chase’s Lakers ballcap in a mystery about a dead art dealer. Hamm’s performance is more physical and less verbal than Chase’s, but it’s just as funny. One scene in particualr where he silently moves through a party of rich yacht club folks is worth the price of admission alone. That, and the way Marcia Gay Harden repeatedly mispronounces “Fletch” as “Flesh.”
I hope Hamm gets to make as many of these as he wants; he fits the character perfectly.
Available to stream on Showtime or purchase on VOD.
“Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song”
“Hallelujah” has been covered and re-recorded so many times since Leonard Cohen wrote it in 1984 that it’s almost become parody. This documentary looks at the actual history behind the writing of the song and examines its legacy in pop culture (yes, “Shrek” gets a shoutout). As documentaries go, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but if you’re a fan of the song or Cohen, it’s a great look at one of our greatest writers.
(And the song should never be considered a Christmas song. Come on, people, read the lyrics.)
Available to stream on Netflix.
“Shortcomings”
Randall Park’s directorial debut took a bow at the Sundance Film Festival this year, which is how I saw it (online, at least). “Shortcomings” is like the anti-“Crazy Rich Asians” mixed in with a version of “(500) Days of Summer” where everyone told the main character how terrible he was from the jump.
The film’s plot is about theater manager Ben, whose long-distance relationship with his girlfriend Miko is strained by his selfishness and ennui. But the film really asks questions about what kind of Asian representation gets prioritized by blockbusters like “Crazy Rich Asians.” Ben, in a lot of meta conversations, wants Asian films to shattering the “model minority” myth and allow Asians to be porttayed as shitty people just like everyone else. Park’s film allows that to happen.
Awaiting theatrical distribution.
That’s all, folks. If you liked what you saw here, click that subscribe button (promise I won’t send any annoying emails) and tell all your friends!
This newsletter is written by me and edited by my favorite person, Taylor Tompkins. Views expressed here are my own and don’t reflect the opinions of my employer.
If there’s anything you want to see covered in a future newsletter, let me know!
You can find me in other corners of the internet as well, if you so choose. There’s my personal website (which focuses on pop culture, stories about religion and my journalism clips), a Twitter account and a Letterboxd account. Subscribe away.