My March in Media

LOL, welp, March didn't happen quite like we thought it would, did it?

Like everyone else in the world, I'm trying to adjust to a "new normal" that involves only leaving my apartment to go to H-E-B. Last March, I spent a week traipsing around my city, watching new movies at a film festival. This March, that festival was canceled and I haven't seen a part of my city past my neighborhood in 14 days.

An unexpected side effect of all of this has been a lack of focus and interest in watching things. You might think I, a person who spends almost all of her free time watching movies and shows, would be extremely well-adjusted for this Great Pause. But I've already seen much of what others are bingeing and I frequently find myself scrolling aimlessly, pressing play on something, getting bored or agitated and shutting it off. My brain is in overdrive so often that I'm finding it very difficult to cool the engine.

That lack of attention span, combined with a disinterest in getting invested in things, is what has led me to watch...a lot of reality TV this month. I finished all of Love Is Blind (a hot mess), all of Next in Fashion (very fun) and half-watched numerous episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (a comfort show). I also just started Tiger King (these people are unhinged).

These past few weeks, I've also been trying to read more because 1) that's holding my attention better and 2) what excuse do I have not to? I finished Stephen King's Misery, which was very good and is a rare example of a King book that was actually well adapted. I had planned to go to a BookPeople event with ban.do co-founder Jen Gotch yesterday, but that was obviously canceled. Instead, BP mailed me my copy of The Upside of Being Down, which I devoured in less than 48 hours. Now I'm on Saeed Jones' memoir, How We Fight For Our Lives, which is crushing me (in a good way).

Anyway. Here are the movies I did manage to watch during this never-ending March:

All the Bright Places
I honestly don't know what I was expecting. I didn't read this book, but I don't have to because I've read others and all Sick Lit is the same. Overall, it wasn't A Walk to Remember-terrible, but it also wasn't great and there were a few moments that were too "I'm weird, I'm a weirdo." Overall, it made me feel the usual complex feelings I have about this genre, but it does have a nice score.

True Stories
I liked this! It was as odd as I expected a movie directed by David Byrne to be, but it was also a friendly movie with likable characters. The weirdest parts were still charming and I can't get over how much the allegedly fictional town of Virgil, Texas, looks like my actual hometown of Albany, Texas.

Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-life Crisis
Meh, not bad. Watched this one on a whim (which is usually how I watch stand-ups) and Taylor is very much a Certain Type of woman comic, but some of her jokes were funny. Not the best, not the worst.

Marc Maron: End Times Fun
I really like Marc Maron, so I was going to like this special. It got a little too loose around the edges in the last bit, but overall it was classic Maron: weary, cynical and maybe a bit too on the nose. It was comforting in its own weird way.

Big Time Adolescence
This movie really surprised me. I thought I was in for your average teen sex comedy but with more weed than usual because, duh, Pete Davidson. But it was actually surprisingly emotional, while still managing to be pretty funny. The ending left me with feelings I never could've guessed I'd have when I pressed play.

The Invisible Man
I had a sneaking suspicious this movie would be good when I first saw the trailer. It was the kind-of trailer that made me feel like, "Either this is good or incredibly dumb, there can be no in between." Thankfully – because I paid $20 to watch it once – it was the former. It's a rare example of a remake that actually brings something new to the table, making a story that's over 100 years old feel distinctly modern. It works on almost every front.

Emma.
It's too long, but it's charming. The only thing I knew about Jane Austen's story going in is that Clueless is loosely based on it, so it was fun to figure who the OG Tai, Josh and Christian were. The colors were outstanding and it had more depth than other beautiful-but-empty period pieces (looking at you, Marie Antoinette). It definitely seemed to take some quirk cues from The Favorite.

Birds of Prey
I love movies that feel made for me. I loved everything about Birds of Prey, from the roller derby to the costumes to the chaotic storytelling. I mean, it literally starts with my favorite Joan Jett song. What more could I ask for? It was exactly the bright, sparkly nonsense I needed.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire
"Do all lovers feel they're inventing something?" This movie is intense, sad and undeniably sexy. The eye contact between the two leads made me feel like an alternate title could've been How to Set Your Audience on Fire.

This month, I also rewatched He's Just Not That Into You for some reason. I knew I had seen it but didn't remember anything about it and now I realize that was mostly my brain protecting itself. I do like Justin Long and Drew Barrymore (may rewatch Going the Distance soon), but Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson suuuuck in this movie.