My October in Media

This month's post is a short one! The first few days of October, I was in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival -- so much fun -- and a job interview. And since I got back, I've been busy packing up all my stuff because...I got the job! I move to Austin this weekend and start my new gig on Tuesday. I guess good things really do come to those who wait (and wait and wait and wait)?

Anyway, here's what I did see in October:

A Simple Favor*
I loved this. I was going to love this (it has Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively In Suits). But it was one of those films that, as I watched it, I realized I was the target audience. The marketing, while well-crafted, is a little misleading -- because this movie is so funny. It's wild and campy and weird, dark and hilarious. I kept thinking I knew where it was leading me and being elated to find out I didn't. It's so much fun.

Game Night
This was delightful. A twisty romp that Rachel McAdams and Jesse Plemons are both great in. Plus, it has some killer cinematography that has fun with the game theme. Worth a watch.

Must Love Dogs
Not the best, not the worst. But I (apparently) won't stop until I've seen every version of Lloyd Dobler John Cusack has ever played.

Ex Machina
A very good She Did That™ film with an ending I probably should've seen coming, but didn't. Fueled by eeriness and good acting. I haven't seen Alicia Vikander in anything else, but she was good in this, and I've yet to see Domnhall Gleeson or Oscar Issac give a bad performance.

It's Complicated
I'll be honest: I knew going in I wasn't going to like this movie much because of its premise. And I wasn't wrong. But Nancy Meyers Houses are tough to resist. Overall, the film has some enjoyable moments, but it was mostly a waste of two hours.

The Kindergarten Teacher
Occasionally, I come across a film that forces me to recognize the difference between films I like and films that I know are good whether I like them or not. The Kindergarten Teacher is the latter. Much like The Tale, it is an odd, unsettling film about an adult manipulating a child, though in a different way. It's well-directed, and Maggie Gyllenhaal crushes her role as an obsessive woman incapable of seeing how gray her morals are. I also never want to see it again.

I've also been watching a lot of Bojack Horseman (binged the entire series), plus The Haunting of Hill House and the new season of Daredevil (still so good). I'm in the process of reading An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (good so far). And I've been listening to ACL artists (Metallica and Janelle Monáe, especially) and my Halloween playlist on repeat.

Bonus gems you should check out: this Rolling Stone article about 100 cultural touchstones that have shaped Millennials and this timeless Tracy Chapman jam.

Wish me luck on my new job -- and if you live in Austin, let's be IRL friends!