On Sept. 9, I turned 27 and this year I decided to be one of those people that treats their birthday like a week-long event. So, the Saturday before, I made my friends go to a karaoke thing featuring a live band. The day of, I got a pedicure, went thrifting and had one of my favorite meals in Austin with pals. And then, I took myself to Denver.
I decided this summer that I was going to take a solo trip somewhere before the end of the year and somehow my brain decided on mid-September in Colorado. I'd never traveled alone without a specific purpose (a conference, a concert, etc), I'd never gone to a city where I didn't know anyone who was going to be there and I'd never stayed in an Airbnb (mine was super cute and the hosts were very nice!). I got to town on Thursday morning and left on Monday afternoon and spent the entire time in between reading books, drinking (mostly pink) beer and walking around the city blissed out on the lack of humidity (seriously, nothing impressed me more than the weather, though the mountains – a real thing, apparently – were a nice touch). It was perfect. #BeeInThePeaks Pt. 2 is definitely in the future.
Before and after that trip, I did what I usually do: watched a bunch of stuff.
Morning Glory
I kept not watching this because I thought it might be...really dumb. But it's not! It is very silly, but it's also sweet and Rachel McAdams, as usual, shines as bright as the morning sun. Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford play the same characters they've been playing my whole life/arguably their whole lives. I also couldn't stop giggling at the fact that the very bad morning show in this movie is called "Daybreak," which is the name of my station's very good morning show.
Urban Cowboy
It's waaay too long, but I liked how undeniably Texan this movie is. Texas culture runs through every minute and Bud and Sissy remind me of so many couples I've actually known. The soundtrack is spot-on and all the cameos by country stars (Charlie Daniels, Bonnie Raitt and more) were great. I also find it kind-of charming that John Travolta started his career playing one dummy after another. Vinny Barbarino, Billy Nolan, Danny Zuko, Tony Manero (I assume because I have blessedly never seen Saturday Night Fever), Bud Davis...
The One I Love
I can't say much about this one because it'll give it away, but I liked it! I found it really fresh and clever. Also @ Hollywood, Ted Danson in everything, please.
Late Night
Listen. Is it not enough to watch 102 minutes of International Treasure Emma Thompson wearing great suits? Must a movie also be good? Honestly, Late Night isn't even that bad. It's fine. Nothing happens in it, but it's fine. Emma Thompson looks great in every suit.
I love the first Happy Death Day movie. The sequel isn't nearly as fun, but it does a good job of answering the questions left over from the first and continuing the story.
Katharine Ryan: Glitter Room
There are probably people (read: men) who hate this special. I loved it. I didn't love every joke (that's basically impossible), but I was LOL-ing in my living room after a long day of travel, and that's all I could ask for.
Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial
In this special, Iliza Shlesinger tackles a never-ending argument: men and women are equal, but they're different. And we are! A lot of it is how the world presents itself to us, obviously, but men and women do things differently. There's a way to talk about it that's annoying, and there's a way to talk about it that's entertaining. Iliza stays mostly on the fun side. She also does great voices, and the #BabyLeg bit had me cackling.
Rachel Getting Married
This movie was not an easy watch. Raw and difficult, but very effective, especially if you've had someone close to you affected by addiction. Also, between this and United States of Tara, I'm very impressed with Rosemarie DeWitt's ability to play a put-upon sister who wishes she was the center of attention.
This movie is so good. It's good for all the obvious reasons – including but not limited to every single thing Jennifer Lopez does (the people were right about the "Criminal" scene) – but it's also a genuinely good movie. It deserves a spot up against any other gangster film.
The Evil Dead
I didn't really know what I was getting myself into with this one. For one, I didn't realize that The Cabin in the Woods (a fave) is referencing this movie directly. I always assumed, "Oh, yeah, cabins in woods are a big horror thing," but the cellar scene is almost an exact copy and I know it's completely intentional. And then there's the gore. I'd heard this movie was gory, but it's a blood bath. And it just sort-of...happens? Everything is calm to a point and then it all just goes fully off the rails. It's fascinating. That being said: an NC-17 rating?? My, how things have changed.
The Amityville Horror
LOL, I didn't like this movie at all. It's cheesy, James Brolin's character is a jerk way before the house starts messing with him, the whole thing is either under or overacted and Margot Kidder (who was beautiful and had a very cool voice) wears her hair in pigtails at one point, a terrible '70s trend that makes me crazy. I paused it somewhere in the middle to take a nap, which I think says everything.
I also watched all of The Politician, which was...something.
While on vacation, I finally got the chance to read Maureen Johnson's follow-up to Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, and it's just as good. I love mysteries! I love Maureen Johnson! I love when Maureen Johnson writes mysteries! I also read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I rank it above Eleanor & Park, but below Landline, which is below Attachments. I did really love how it understood what fanfiction means to the people who read and write it, and it made me want to read Carry On (and Wayward Son) when I didn't really care to before. And I picked up a copy of Stephen King's The Body – the novella that Stand By Me is based on – at Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, a shop I fell madly in love with.
It's fall now, technically, but my summer playlist turned out impeccable. Now it's time to listen to "Spooky Vibes" over and over.
ACL starts this weekend, and it's going to be so fun and so stressful working it again but for real this time because someone will be paying me to be there. I'm a professional, y'all. It never stops being cool.
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