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jeffgrant4real · 18 days

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Thoughts on the new Vampire Weekend album Only God Was Above Us

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 2:08 PM

Okay, so I don't subscribe to any music streaming services. I'm a cheap person. Also whenever I have I always forget and then never listen to anything, you know how it goes. Maybe a year ago I decided I would just buy whatever music I wanted to listen to, because my consumption these says is pretty low and I just missed that old thing of owning music I liked. And yeah, I buy very few albums at this point.

All that to say when I saw Vampire Weekend was putting out a new album I PREORDERED it as soon as I could. This is probably my favorite current band, or the best one I know of as a guy who doesn't follow music as closely as he used to. They take like 5 years to put out an album and then when they do every single song is this perfect little masterpiece where every second of it has been deliberated over and from a production point of view it's just fascinating and inspiring. Or, you know, actually, after listening to the album I went back and listened to some of my own music I'm currently working on, that I've felt proud of, but all I wanted to do was toss it in the garbage. Ha. So maybe "inspiring" isn't the right word. Humiliating? Hmm.

Ezra Koenig is a songwriter I have a lot of admiration for. He writes the most thought-provoking lines over nonstop, earworm melodies. It's extremely catchy music filled with massive ideas. This new album is a lot about looking back at the old world you loved and maybe feeling disconnected to the current one but ultimately letting all of that go. It's a meditation on nostalgia and who gets to make the rules, how all of this is passed on generation after generation, and how things become "classical", to cite a specific song.

Sonically, this is a much more abrasive album than their 4 previous releases. Deterioration is a theme both lyrically and in the music. I think that could throw some listeners off but keep in mind this is all intentional and a part of what they're communicating here.

I got into this band around the release of their 3rd album, Modern Vampires of the City, after completely missing the first 2. MVOTC has been my favorite so far, a modern masterpiece in my opinion. After being so impressed by it I went back to their self-titled debut and Contra and was once again blown away. This is a band whose worst songs would be the best in another band's whole career. I will say I'm kind of glad I got into them late because I may have written them off early on if I only saw the preppy, Ivy League thing and didn't know it was partly a joke. I think that image is the first thing many people think of if you mention the band and I often want to tell them to take another listen. This is one of the great modern bands. If they keep going they're going to be putting out worthwhile music for a very long time. They've just got all the right parts and the creative talent is substantial. To put it more succinctly: if you think this is just some millennial hipster band you aren't seeing the full picture; these guys are lifers and we're lucky to get to listen to them.

Anyway, their previous album, Father of the Bride, was a change of pace after losing Rostam Batmanglij, a key band member and producer. It was more expansive, with 18 tracks, and more experimental after the tightness of the first 3 albums. I love probably have of it and like the rest. Some songs are some of the best they've ever put out but it's pretty uneven overall, I believe intentionally so. I think they wanted to try different things and poke around in directions they hadn't gotten into before.

Only God Was Above Us feels most connected to MVOTC, which for me personally is fantastic. I honestly don't know, after just a few days, which is my favorite but I'm pretty sure they're numbers 1 and 2 for me. I kind of over-listened to the 4 singles when they came out, almost to the point of burnout, so right now I'm trying to hear them in the context of the whole 10 songs and I think I'm in an adjustment period. Ha. Right now my favorite songs are "Ice Cream Piano", "Capricorn", "Prep-School Gangsters", "Mary Boone", and "Hope". I'm curious how the album will feel in a few months but I'm sure this will be one of my favorites of the year, if I even buy anything else. lol

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jeffgrant4real · 2 months

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LINKS TO MY STUFF

I realized the things I've made over the years are pretty confusing to find. This is my attempt to try and get as much of it as I can think of into the same place. I will probably need to update this again in the future. THANKS!

MUSIC

Bandcamp Albums. These are solo albums I made and put out earlier on.

12 Songs (2005)

Heresy (2006)

SELFISHNESS: The Tape (2006)

The Human Endeavor (2008 Original Release)

Artyfacts (2010)

Behind the Scenes (The Final Cut) (2010)

Internet Hope - Performances of New Songs (2013)

New Block (2013)

Not Crossed Out EP (2014)

Albums Available on Streaming Services. More solo albums that are easier to find in the usual spots.

The Human Endeavor (2008/Rereleased in 2017)

Notebook Rock (2014/Rereleased 2018)

Whiney White Guy Songs for Hipster Cousins (2016)

Jeff Grant’s Evolving Christmas Album (2016 Version)

Hot Take Fight to the Death (2017)

6 Subjects (with NOYES) (2018/Recorded in 2006)

Plight of the Frankentweens (2018)

Other Songs (2018)

Tokyo 2020 (2021)

Maximum Huge (My “Comedy” Group) (Videos + Music)

YouTube Channel

Quick Fix EP (2011)

Apple Music

Spotify

Mossy Stones (My songwriting project with my friend Joshua Irwin)

Luzita (2023)

PODCAST

Jeff Grant’s Evolving Podcast

(Also on Apple Podcasts)

BOOKS

Follower Bot (2022)

The Leg End (2023)

Instagram

TikTok

Let me know if I forgot anything!

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jeffgrant4real · 9 months

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My Barbenheimer Experience

(I don’t think there are any spoilers here, just basic thoughts on the movies)

Saturday, July 22, 2023 7:23 PM

I guess I feel the need to type “Barbenheimer” even more this weekend so I figured I’d recap my busy Friday at the movies. It was definitely an experience and people need to know this information. Yes, this is important.

WELL, I’m on the internet so I was aware of the Barbenheimer meme phenomenon and knew I’d see both movies at some point but didn’t make any plans until my friend BJ texted a week or 2 ago asking if I’d want to join he and 1 or 2 other people for the movie event of the year. It doesn’t take much to get me to watch movies so I said I was down. We got our tickets for a 10:45 showing of Oppenheimer on one of the XD screens at Tinseltown in Grapevine followed by Barbie at 5:30. Cool.

So Friday rolls around and I drive the half hour over to the theater, which I don’t go to often these days but it was the main place I saw movies at in high school so it always makes me think of the late 90s when I go back. I remember Friday nights and teenagers driving fancy cars their parents bought them. #memories Anyway…

I met up with BJ in the lobby as he waited for his friend Michael. I got a large popcorn and a bottled water, my usual lately. I found our seats and went for a successful pee and sat back down like 30 seconds before the movie started. Now, to be clear I think all I knew about Oppenheimer, the actual person, was that he was the father of the atomic bomb. I was more going to see the new Christopher Nolan movie than because I’m a history buff but I was glad to have a chance to learn more.

The screen was gigantic, like 3 or 4 stories high, and the filmmaking and acting were top notch but there was more talking than I expected and for some reason I kept losing focus and just blanking out for whole scenes, which of course were important to remember later, so I kept feeling like it was going over my head. I think I’m going through a sort of personal Christopher Nolan existential crisis where I can’t tell if I’m a fan anymore. I respect and admire his ambition but I’ve been having a difficult time hooking into the stories in his movies. I think maybe he’s smarter than me and I feel kinda dumb. Yesterday, I kept telling myself that it was an important story and that I should pay attention better but I just couldn’t chill out and enjoy the movie like a normal person. Maybe I was thinking too much about how I was going to watch another movie afterwards, I’m not sure. I just know that as the movie kept going I got noticeably sleepier, which doesn’t typically happen with me at movies. Like I kinda wanted to take a nap even though I got decent sleep the night before.

All this to say I had a pretty lukewarm feeling about the movie by the end of it, which I’m pretty sure isn’t the normal response; most seem to be blown away by it. I’m seriously not sure what my deal is because I think it was a good movie and I’d recommend it, but I was just sorta bored if I’m being honest. I’m sure it’ll be nominated for Best Picture later and maybe I’ll revisit it but I just wasn’t feeling it much on the first viewing.

Anyway, after it was over we walked out and the other 2 seemed more positive than I was. We had 3 hours to kill before Barbie and Michael went home so I hung out with BJ. We went to his house where his wife and 2 of his daughters were and it was hilarious to me that we were leaving them soon after to go watch Barbie with 2 other dudes (a 4th, Codey, joined us).

If you asked me before we went which of the 2 movies I was looking forward to the most it would 1,000 times be Barbie. I’m a big fan of Greta Gerwig’s previous 2 movies Lady Bird and Little Women and was excited to see what she would do with a giant Hollywood movie. I don’t have much of a connection to Barbie as a toy but it’s an interesting pop cultural thing to play around with and the trailers and promotional material made it look like a blast. Also, her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script with her, and he’s a director I enjoy, as well as his writing collaborations with Wes Anderson, (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Fantastic Mr. Fox) so Barbie has been in the “stick it in my veins”-zone for me for a while.

Anyway, I was disappointed with one thing going in. Where we got to see Oppenheimer on a gigantic screen, Barbie was playing in one of those older, longer auditoriums and we were sitting near the back so the screen was maybe 8 times tinier. I knew the movie was going to be dynamite visually so I wished we could’ve been closer to the screen (maybe I’ll see it again just for that reason). I didn’t mention this earlier but ALL DAY LONG we were passing by groups of people dressed in pink and it seemed like over half the people in our screening were outfitted for the movie, which added a fun extra layer to the experience. BJ and I thought about going to Target between the movies to get pink shirts but didn’t make it.

I thought the movie was incredibly entertaining and creative and super weird for a big studio tentpole, which made me like it even more. I don’t know how Gerwig got away with so much of what happened. I can see a lot of people not enjoying it, but I admired how boldly it was its own thing; it felt very punk rock for a movie that’s going to make boatloads of dollars. It reminded me of The LEGO Movie in how it used the IP in a fresh way and made an actual good movie out of a film that was probably put into production mainly to sell toys. The most impressive parts of Barbie to me were clearly the production design and the performances. I couldn’t believe how cool the sets and props looked and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling could seriously, weirdly be nominated for Oscars for playing these toys.

More than anything the movie reminded me of things like The Brady Bunch Movie in how it took a beloved, if dated, property and honored it while also satirizing what it stands for. I remember seeing that movie in the 90s when it came out and not getting it and thinking it wasn’t very good, but I rewatched it a few years ago and thought it was hilarious. Heh.

If you haven’t seen Gerwig talk about the movie’s inspirations they’re pretty interesting. She’s cited The Wizard of Oz, The Truman Show, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin’ in the Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rear Window and many others as references. It’s fun to think of the movie leading young, emerging cinephiles to some true classics.

I’m glad I was able to see both movies on the same day and fulfill the meme but it was honestly a LOT and I don’t think I processed either one especially well. This was a special movie day though and I’m happy I got to participate. I think that’s about it. Thanks for reading.

SUBLIME!

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jeffgrant4real · 3 years

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I Got COVID-19, Here's a Blog About it

Thursday, December 3, 2020 12:45 PM Fort Worth, TX I haven't macroblogged in a while but I thought this might be the easiest way to pass this on. The information, I mean! I know it's each person's right to be private or not if they test positive but I don't really mind, especially since I've interacted with a small few of you who this may affect. Might as well be in communication, and before I say much more, so far this has been a very mild case. I think I'm going to be fine. But yeah, I'm a writer so I've gotta talk about it. That's my jam. Anyway, I was off work on Monday and noticed I was coughing some. I assumed it was a basic cold from cutting the bottom off Christmas trees at work in the cold the night before. But overnight, going into Tuesday, I woke up coughing really badly and also felt super achy. I'd never called out at work before but thought it probably wouldn't be a bad idea, so I did after I woke up again later. Health-wise, Tuesday was the worst day. I still was thinking it was a minor, passing cold but I had a fever of up to 101.9 at one point and the achiness was in full force. I'd say I was at about 70% that day. I didn't lose my senses of taste or smell so that was a good sign. But I rested and was in communication with my parents and it didn't seem overly bad. We weren't too worried but decided I should probably get tested. I assumed I'd wake up Wednesday feeling worse but I ended up feeling a lot better, probably closer to 90%. I felt I could at least grind my way through a shift at work. I debated just going in, but other people were wanting me to still get tested. I honestly didn't think I had it but went ahead to a clinic to put them at ease so they could all move on with their lives. I did the test where they stick a swab maybe 4 inches up your nose. It was very uncomfortable for maybe 3 seconds. I went and sat in my car and waited for the receptionist to come out and give me my negative diagnosis so I could grab some Chick-fil-A and go home and watch some Better Call Saul or a James Bond movie, like ya do. When she first said I was positive my brain didn't totally process it. I thought she said negative, then... it was like, "Uh what?" She said it was good I'd come in. She gave me some basic information about what to do, but she'd already given me some when I was inside, mostly about trying to stay in one room at home and wearing a mask and gloves when you enter shared spaces, and spraying things down afterwards. I was in a mild shock. I was surprised but at the same time it's so rampant these days and I work in such a busy environment, it felt like just a matter of time anyway. I called my people to let them know. So far everyone I've interacted with family-wise isn't showing any symptoms and at least one has tested and is negative. I'm very much hoping it stays that way, obviously. I'm around a lot of older people, and they're all very much on the ball and seem to know exactly what to do, which is a relief. Everyone has been very kind and supportive. I think my main takeaway so far is that the actual sickness is taking up about 15% of my attention and the rest of it is all the social things that come with it. Everyone wants to know EVERYTHING so it's a lot of telling the same things to different people over and over again. It's understandable but I think yesterday I was more tired from that than from just the virus. I think that'll go down though. And I may try and write some blogs about my experience over the next week, I haven't really decided. We'll see. So far I do think I'm experiencing a mild case. It seems a lot of people have probably had it and just not been tested and gone on with their lives. I think I'm one of those, thankfully. I'm more or less going to be staying home in one room for the next couple of weeks. Fun stuff. I feel like catching this thing is becoming less and less of a unique thing by the day. It doesn't even feel special anymore at this point. Yeah.

Anyway, y'all be careful. Ima go drink some bleach! 😉

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Thoughts Before El Camino

Thursday, October 10, 2019 5:46 PM Anytown, USA

So, the Breaking Bad movie comes out at 2 AM, my time. I’ll get to it probably around 6 or 7, depending on when I get up. I can see me waking up at 3 something to have to pee and just watching the thing right then and there. Yep. My morning will be a disaster but an awesome one. My anticipation level right now is so high I’ve barely considered what will happen if I just don’t like the movie. It’s strange. That’s usually a fear but knowing it was written and directed by Vince Gilligan I know, at the very least, it will be extremely interesting. I have so much faith in that guy. I feel like it’ll fly by and then it’ll just be over and I’ll be sad. I mean, I’ll be okay, it’s just funny anticipating new Breaking Bad content and knowing it’ll be over so quickly. But knowing me I’ll rewatch it several times. I watched each episode of the show usually at least twice when they’d air (and then listen to 2 or 3 podcasts about them). There was always so much to dig into and learn about so it was a satisfying thing to do.

I want to talk about my expectations before I see it. I was thinking earlier that we’re in a special place right now because after tomorrow We’ll know what happens in the movie. So all my guessing and what not won’t matter. So… what am I expecting and hoping for?

Vaguely, I think a lot of it will be Jesse going around doing something sneaky but also reflecting on the past couple years of his life. I think there will be flashbacks throughout where we’ll see old characters again. What I’m wondering about there is how those flashbacks will tie into the current story. Like, if he just remembers moments (we probably never saw) there needs to be a point to it. It won’t just be like, “Awe, I miss Mike.” It’ll be, “Awe, I miss Mike... Now where did we bury that money that one time we had a meaningful conversation about life?”

I’m curious what the actual plot of the story will be. Like is he trying to destroy evidence? Will he just turn himself in? Will he end up in jail or join the DEA as some kind of consultant because of everything he knows? He could escape using Ed the vacuum repairman but… I mean, Walt and Saul both did that. We haven’t seen anyone just straight up face the consequences, legally. But would that be interesting? Maybe somehow (no clue how) Kim Wexler could come in and be his lawyer. That doesn’t even make logical sense to me right now. Also, one of the major big cards Better Call Saul has yet to play is if she’s still around and/or alive during the Breaking Bad years. If this is revealed in the movie it would take something away from BCS. I think they’ll hold off on that, though I’d be happy to see her, of course. It would be interesting to see the “moral compasses” of both shows meeting each other.

And yeah, I’m curious what ties it will have to Better Call Saul. I’m assuming most of it will deal with the fallout from the events of Breaking Bad, but it would make sense for them to include something to tease the new season of BCS. Could Jesse track down Gene in Omaha somehow? Seems unlikely, but…?

Another thing, I don’t know why so many people seem to be wondering if Walter White is still alive. That seems like goofy speculation to me. I mean, Breaking Bad was HIS story and it ended when he died. Why would Vince Gilligan change that? It wouldn’t make sense from a character standpoint. That would lesson the show and I don’t think that’s a thing anyone would want to risk. I 100% think Bryan Cranston is in the movie and I guess it would have to be a flashback of some sort.

Oh, and another thing about the flashback thing. I’m wondering if it’ll be a thing where it’s Jesse looking off and thinking and then it cuts to the flashback, as if it’s his memory, or if it’ll just be a storytelling thing. I feel like Breaking Bad did more of the latter. It would show you some old moment, but it wouldn’t be because a character was thinking about it. It would have a relevance to whatever the current story was. I’m thinking of one example of the opposite though, in the finale when Walt is in his old house and for a second flashes back to Hank. I’m sure that happened more. I mean, Better Call Saul is pretty much entirely a character looking back and remembering an earlier time in his life. Hmm. So much to think about.

I feel like Skyler, Walt Jr. and Marie will probably be in it, though I’m not sure how it would bring them in. Well, I mean… No, it would make sense since they’d be on the side of law enforcement trying to find Jesse. I can see him wanting to somehow make amends with them, not because he was ever close with them but… They’re all dealing with the absence of Walt, which I can see being an odd bonding element. (that sounded science-y!) If anything he could tell them what happened with Hank… and also with Walt later at the compound. A lot of his value to the family, as well as law enforcement, is as a witness, though he was of course guilty of his own crimes.

Jesse is such an interesting character to explore. He’s so complicated. He really has done horrible horrible things, but he’s also a victim and many of those things wouldn’t have happened without Walter. And he’s suffered so much already, at least in the minds of the audience he’s paid for a lot of his sins. Though of course the criminal justice system is a whole other story there. And just thinking of how they would deal with him and everything he’s been through… Gosh, you could make a long, boring TV show of just law enforcement trying to parse out what kind of punishment this guy deserves.

I think about his confession tape and wonder what happened to it. If memory serves it was taken from Marie’s house by Jack’s gang and they watched it (and laughed at it) near the end of the series. I think that was in Granite State? I think they mentioned that they were going to destroy it but I don’t remember if they showed them doing that. I mean, it could very likely still exist somewhere on that compound, which is at the current moment being flooded by police. I can see them finding that and having some clarity. In fact… that would be a good storytelling device to help get the police up to speed on most of what Jesse’s been through. Like, it would be more interesting if they had a good idea of most of his situation already, if that makes sense. I feel like that tape has to play some part in the story.

What else?

There have been bits in the promotional materials at the junkyard and it seems like Jesse needs Joe to dig up something and… I really am not sure what that could be. Is the RV still there all crushed up? I can’t remember the details of that. I don’t know what object could be there that could help Jesse out. Hmm… I am excited for him to go back there though.

There are also moments in the trailer where it seems like he’s going back to the Nazi compound and… Gosh, I don’t know why in the world he’d want to go back there. Again, there would have to be something there he either needs to get back or destroy. But that is so so risky.

Hmm.

I’m trying to think in an overall way just what I’m hoping for, like since this is the new ending for this character… I guess I’m not expecting it to be “happy”. I don’t even know what a happy ending would look like for Jesse. I would be surprised if it ended with him just dying… though maybe that would put him out of his misery. It’d be a pretty hopeless ending though, and I feel like the ending will be more satisfying than that. That was the goal when they were ending the show, to make it satisfying, and I’m expecting that to be the goal for this thing. I would like to see Jesse find some peace, but I also wouldn’t mind him facing the real justice of his actions. Like, he seems to want to live an honest life at this point and I don’t know if being a fugitive on the run and living in hiding would even satisfy him.

Or!

Maybe he will use Ed and disappear and that’ll be a whole thing… but then at the very end he turns himself in anyway. Something like that would make sense. I just feel like as a character he’d want to be judged rightly somehow. Yeah. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Anyway, I’m about to take some sleeping pills so I can wake up at 4 in the morning to take part in an important cultural moment. What are you doing?

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Thoughts on Last Night’s Game of Thrones

Monday, May 13, 2019 5:50 PM

SPOILER WARNING FOR HBO’S GAME OF THRONES UP THROUGH SEASON 8 EPISODE 5 “THE BELLS” I’M WRITING THIS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE I’M ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT SPOILER STUFF LOOKOUT

I had other writing plans but since I seem to be unable to think about anything other than last night’s Game of Thrones today I’m going to have to write a tumblr post. I need this. I’m doing this for ME.

I need to start off by saying I LIKED THE EPISODE. I think it was a good episode of the show we’ve been watching for 8 years. I think it fits with what it’s been about since the beginning, namely power and how it affects people. I had a similar experience watching this to the one I had watching The Last Jedi where I thought it was pretty great and immediately afterwards dove into complaint after complaint on the internet, like you do. When this happens you doubt your initial response, but I want to explore what I was feeling while watching it, before heading into the echo chamber.

Okay, I get being disappointed to see Dany turn into a mad queen, but like... hasn’t this possibility been floated on every other episode since the pilot? This was always a strong potential ending. Was it what we wanted to see? No. Was it foreshadowed nearly every time Emilia Clarke was on screen? I think so! I think it was, y’all. This card was always on the table. It’s in the DNA of the show.

Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen is at this point iconic. She’s become a symbol of female power and all this. It’s awesome and-- HOLD UP, this character was invented in the 90s and this ending was probably thought up not long after that. She was designed to go mad before she became a hero and pop culture representation of feminism and stuff in the last 10 years, way before anybody named their babies after her or got tattoos of her face on their weird backs. All I’m saying is people are getting mad at this?? What show do they think they’re watching, PAT THE AUDIENCE ON THE BACK HAPPY HOUR? (Should I trademark that title?)

Also, there are still strong female characters on this show who will probably be in charge when this thing is over, just saying.

I haven’t read much more than the first 200 pages of George R.R. Martin’s first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, BUT the seeds were sewn even back then. I’m talking about the famed R+L=J internet equation. I was the first to discover this... Now, I’m lying but if you’ve heard of the long held theory about Jon being a secret Targaryen, it’s right there in the text if you’re paying attention. I mean, read the title of the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and turn your brain on (it’s kind of a clue).

Now, I don’t know if you picked up on this while watching the show, but JON AND DANY GOT TOGETHER... They fell in love. It was so so lovely, right? Oh no, but then they found out HE WAS HER NEPHEW. That’s kind of complicated! Jon had to think about it but decided that sleeping with his aunt just wasn’t him. He’s a noble guy.

This made Dany SAD and on top of this she lost so many of her dearest friends and supporters, people who were always there to keep her worst impulses in check. Oh, and 2 of her dragons died, who were like children to her. She really was stripped of so much over the last few episodes. Yes, it happened quickly (as everything on this show does lately), but from what I saw, the groundwork was laid for her turn.

Now, I know the R+L=J thing didn’t predict the 2 would fall in love, but it DID create an obvious conflict between the 2 for the Iron Throne, even if Jon never wanted it. We know Dany wants it above all things. This tension was built into the story from the beginning and something had to come of it. What are the options here? They stay together as a couple and rule? They figure out a way to work together in spite of the, you know, awkwardness? Seemed like a rotten situation, if you ask me.

Look, you can watch things however you want and you can react however you feel, all I’m saying is this is the way THIS show was always gonna go. The popular dragon show about the dangers of power was going to have a dragon destroy a city. It wasn’t random. It was intentional. In many ways it’s the whole point of the story. It’s the message it is trying to convey, to be careful who you root for. And sometimes “good guys” are the ones we should fear. We are supposed to be bothered by this tragedy. It’s supposed to hurt. Don’t just be mad about it because you think the show messed up or that the creators gave up or don’t care. Examine why YOU are bothered by the way things played out. If you just think it sucks Dany went bad, do yourself a favor and think about why you feel that way. You’ve invested so much time into this story, at least pay a little more attention to what it’s trying to tell you. The show wants you to engage with it.

It isn’t for empty shock. Sit with it.

This is why I liked this episode. I was expecting a mostly-safe fan service ending for this show and they went in another bold direction. They showed us new sides of characters we thought we knew when many of us hoped they’d just coast in for a safe, predictable landing. And the fact that the groundwork has been laid since the very beginning makes it all the more satisfying. To me at least.

And one more thing, consider Star Wars. Consider Darth Vader. In many fan’s eyes he is seen as the best character that whole galaxy has to offer. And he’s the BAD GUY. He has a depth that many of the one-note good guys will never have. This has often been a complaint about both Dany and Jon, that they are the least interesting characters on the show. But then they dared to turn one of them into a villain right at the end. That’s not nothing.

This show is going to end in a week and maybe some of us will never watch it again (I don’t know you). But we’re always going to remember how Dany’s story ended and it’s going to change the way we look at the show and her character forever. This will now always be an important wrinkle in her journey. It changes the whole series in a major way. We thought we were watching a hero’s journey but it was actually a villain’s.

To sum it up, my chances of a rewatch have gone up. I like this show slightly more than I did before I watched this episode. Thanx.

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Milk

Saturday, January 5, 2019 1:40 PM Anytown, USA

If there’s one question I get asked time and again it’s, “Hey Jeff, what do you think about milk?” I’ve waited a while to discuss this publicly because, well, you understand. It’s a hot topic. All the Millennials can’t stop snapchatting #milkpix and instagram is insta-slammed with its daily viral milk-related ballyhoo. You come out and give an opinion on milk on the internet and you never know what will happen. Will you be championed amongst the gods, or deemed a disgrace, forced to wander the desolate catacombs of this dying Earth? (This is what’s called “overwritten”, kids)

Well, I cannot live in cowardice any longer. The time has come to spill my truth and let fate decide. I bow now before the blogosphere judgement seat. (okay…)

So what do I think?

I gotta say, I like it. I like milk.

I guess that’s the end of this entry. Thanks for reading…

Wait, no, hold the phone (are you literally holding a phone? That’d be neat). Why do I like it? Wow, now we’re getting real deep. I’m starting to understand why my blog is so popular. Let me try to be sincere for a moment…

We kid, don’t we? We muck about in frivolity as if life itself is a joke. We discuss milk with a callousness as if we’ve never lived far from the eternal teat. (Oh my, what is happening with this blog?)

Did you know that in certain underdeveloped parts of the world (Canada) they drink milk out of a bag? A bag! I’m not kidding, I’ve seen it done and yes, it was on the dark web. (Maybe) We evolved Americans know that bags are for trash and carrying groceries and that. Is. It. God did not invent bags for liquids! I can’t believe I have to say that.

(Jeff faints, wakes up 3 hours later)

W-where am I? What day is it? Why is my computer open to tumblr? What-? Was I... blogging?

(Jeff reads blog)

I don’t remember writing this. Who did this? Why would I write an entire blog entry about milk? I mean, milk is fine but... this just seems a little exaggerated and unnecessary. What’s next? Toast?

(Jeff stares absently through a window, pondering questions too heavy for a mere tumblr blog)

Actually... Yeah, that’ll work. Tomorrow we’re talking about toast.

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Things I’ve Learned From Writing for at Least an Hour for 2,194 Days

Friday, January 4, 2018 1:18 PM Anytown, USA

Before I get too far I want to get the technical part of this out of the way. I wrote a lot before January 1, 2013 but that’s when I decided that since I considered myself a writer that I should try to write every day, no matter how I was feeling about it. The idea was to go for at least an hour every day. That seemed substantial but doable, and I could always go longer if I was feeling it.

That’s 6 years plus these first 4 of 2019. I did miss one day once because I worked until 11:45 PM and decided it was okay to just go to sleep. Oh well. Every one of the years from 2013 to 2018 had 365 days except for 2016, which had 366. I subtracted the one day I missed to get an even 365 and multiplied that by 6 to get 2,190. Then I added the last 4 days. That’s my math.

These are some things I’ve learned:

- This is an unnecessary amount of writing for most people. I don’t think every person who considers themself a writer has to write this much or more. I think it’s different for every writer. It works for me because I know 75% of it is tossable. I see it as practice more than as a way to accumulate pages. I’m doing my reps. There are much more successful and better writers than I am who write only a few days a week (I hate them). So this is definitely not the only way to go, just the way I picked because I’m an idealistic fool.

- I am dumb but I’m okay with it. It’s fascinating to me how sick of yourself you can get if you have to listen to yourself talk as much as I have. It’s fun to think you’re a smart person with a real grasp for wisdom but man, you can be filled with some real nonsense too. Maybe one day a week I feel like a decent writer. The other days I feel like I’ve made all the wrong decisions in life and there’s a much better path somewhere far away from the page. You’d think you’d get arrogant but this is really a humbling pursuit if I’m being honest.

- It’s nice to have a place to scribble each day. I’m the type of person who finds comfort in being able to sit down in a quiet place and gather my thoughts. Life moves fast and I like to pause to try and process it. It’s been nice to have a place where I kind of have to sit still and try to think clearly each day. I feel like I’m constantly clearing out the cobwebs while often finding even more. If I’m feeling down I can try to work my way through it in a safe space. It helps me keep a level head. It also does the opposite trick. If I’m in a really happy, sort of irrational mood it helps me tap back into reality. (That might not be a good thing though, I don’t know)

- Some days are easier than others. I’d say 95% of the time it’s not too much of a challenge to find an hour to write. I mean, I really try to have the most blank, schedule-free day as I can as often as I’m able to, so that helps. A perfect day for me is zero plans. This is a ridiculous notion for most people, I know, and it’s not always realistic for me either. And occasionally activity spikes up to uncomfortable levels (like when my sister’s family comes in town). On those days I’m going to bed at about 10:30 and waking up at 3 AM thinking, “I better write now or I won’t make it today!” Then I do a tight, panicked hour where I’m just bashing this ridiculous writing commitment I’ve made. Heh. I go easy on myself those days because more than anything I think they’re just there so I can satisfy the OCD and move on.

- You can get a lot of writing done if you write every day. I don’t know how many songs I’ve written since I started this but it’s helpful having a place where I have to fill an hour whenever I get the notion to write a song. It’s like it never has to get to the “oh, I’ll just do this tomorrow”-zone. I’m here, I’ve gotta write and I’ve got my guitar and a notebook and a pen so I may as well see what happens. I started attempting screenplays a while ago and writing every day has helped me finish at least 8. I think there are more, but I’m sure of 8. Who knows if they’re good, but they’re finished and that’s its own accomplishment. And then the main part of my sessions each day is a journal, and that usually goes over 100 pages each month. I mean, it’s mostly nonsense and recapping whatever junk I did since the previous entry, but it adds up. I bounce around to other notebooks and documents depending on whatever project I’m working on so that’s not where I’m at every minute.

It always feels strange talking about this, because I feel like I’m talking about a weird deformity growing out of my neck. Most people don’t write or care about this kind of thing. It feels like a freaky thing to be so committed to so I try to keep quiet about it. Also, it sounds like bragging and that’s not cool. I’m proud of keeping consistent but it is what it is.

Actually, what am I saying? This is totally just bragging. I think the only appropriate way to end this is with a sticking your tongue out emoji. This is what you get to do after writing every day for 6 years. This is the diploma. Here goes...

😝

That was very satisfying.

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Why Can’t I Get into Anime?

Thursday, January 3, 2019 11:57 AM Anytown, USA

Strange times call for strange questions. I’ve been trying and failing recently to get into anime finally, as a lame 38 year-old man. It feels like a doomed pursuit but I don’t know why. That’s why I’m here today, I just gotta know: why can’t I freaking get into anime?

My age may have something to do with it. I think, though I haven’t looked too far into it, there was an anime resurgence in the early 1990s, like around 1992 maybe. Most people my age or older don’t seem that into it (based on my limited research), but it’s like everyone born after 1984 is obsessed. I mention my anime blindspot and I get lists of titles that rarely make any kind of literal sense. Some are on Netflix so they’re easily accessible. I add them to my list and schedule a future appointment (it’s not really this formal, it’s just fun to talk like it is).

This is what happens: I start one up, I smile politely at the fast title animations. The music is fun and energetic (at least on the one thing I’ve watched a few episodes of). I follow along and I laugh. The writing is clever. You’d think some of the humor would be lost in translation but it doesn’t seem to be an issue. I appreciate the weirdness. I tell myself I could get into this.

I finish the episode and watch another. And I find my mind drifting. Why? Why am I not invested in these hilariously dramatic characters? I like animation. I like serialized storytelling. I’m charmed by Japanese culture. What is wrong with me? Is something broken in my heart and soul?? I keep waiting for something to turn over in my head, like a click, but brain isn’t catching anything. It’s all slippery. I pine for my usual diet of critically acclaimed TV. I’m obsessed with that stuff. So why is this so different? Why? WHY GOD, WHY?!?

(calming down)

I need to think in more simple terms. I need to stop. I think I’m overwhelmed by how much anime there is in existence. I need to find something that fits with me, that satisfies my needs. I need to be patient, but I need to really focus and commit (do I? How important is this, actually? Let’s be real). Come on, Jeff, this is easy stuff. Just open up Netflix like a regular baboon, pick a thing and hit “play”. Then just sit there and let it happen. Just relax. Try to appreciate the art. Spend time with the characters. Live in the NOW, bro.

Hmm.

I have a podcast. It’s in hibernation but I’ve done a handful of episodes with 3 friends where we recommend things we like to each other and the audience (like Show and Tell minus the “show” part). I’m like 87% sure the other guys have recommended anime to me multiple times and I just blew past it. Probably good stuff. I need to look back at the old descriptions I wrote and see what I missed. #NoteToSelf I remember having to google strange titles so I could type out what we discussed. Then I forgot the titles.

I want to be clear: I don’t think my anime problem is hopeless. I think I’m going to eventually find something I like and then want to watch more. I hear this is how it goes. Seriously, every person I’ve talked to has said something similar. “Just give it time, Jeff.” Yeah.

I would like to make a promise officially, right here and now on this important blog, that I WILL try to watch another episode of anime (it will be my 7th overall). I will open up Netflix and will click “play” and I will sit still and stare at the screen and WILL try to calm down and take it in like a normal human being.

Whew. This is exhausting. This intense. I think I’m gonna eat lunch first.

(to be continued?)

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jeffgrant4real · 5 years

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is Good

Friday, December 14, 2018 3:10 PM Anytown, USA

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is good. You should watch it. It is inspired and feels fresh and I liked it. It made me hope the next phase of superhero movies is big budget and animated. You know how you go see a live action comic book movie and think, “Wow, the real people really captured the feeling of the drawn versions in a satisfying way”? Well, with this it’s just straight up drawings, which feels perfect and revolutionary somehow. It cuts out the middlemen—the humans.

I like Spider-Man. I liked Homecoming a lot. This movie is better. It might be the best of his movies. It felt like the purest one so far, at least. I’m sure there will be sequels to this but it was nice to just watch a story and not feel like it’s the next episode in an expensive TV show. It felt like it broke down what a superhero movie is to the core and redesigned it from the ground up. It feels like a new thing. I hope there will be other new things. They probably won’t feel as wild and fresh as this but we’ll be okay.

I have little else to say. I spent most of the time watching this just staring at the screen and thinking, “I LIKE THIS!” It is good. If you have a chance you should also watch it.

BYE!

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jeffgrant4real · 6 years

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Rushed Thoughts on The Last Jedi (SPOILERS)

Friday, December 15, 2017 12:36 PM Anytown, USA

IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE SEEING THE MOVIE AND GET SPOILED IT’S YOUR OWN FAULT! GO SEE IT FIRST, YOU FOOLS!

I got to see The Last Jedi last night. I guess it was also this morning. Went to a late showing. Long night. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I wrote some thoughts on twitter last night but then deleted them because I didn’t want to color other people’s experience. I’m writing here to get it out. Yeah.

I saw it opening night to avoid spoilers, but now I’m glad I got to see it before reading any of the backlash I’ve read since getting out of the movie. This movie is DIVISIVE. Man. That was a strange thing to walk out to, especially after really enjoying it. Where The Phantom Menace was divisive because it was... boring? This one seems like it’s divisive because it has too much of a point of view (or something?). It definitely felt like it took whatever you think a Star Wars movie is supposed to be and just shook it up vigorously. That was something I definitely appreciated. It didn’t go where you wanted it to go. It didn’t, for example, explain much of who Snoke is, but that’s a thing I don’t really care about anyway.

Okay, let’s get into that part. That may have been my favorite bit of the movie, where Rey and Kylo are in the throne room. When Kylo killed him and then they both fought “together” to kill off the guards I was feeling about a million things. I thought that she had somehow successfully brought him back halfway through the MIDDLE MOVIE IN THE TRILOGY and that idea was very exciting to me. I’ve read complaints about there not being a lightsaber on lightsaber fight in this movie, but I thought both of them fighting the guards with their lightsabers was a great twist on that trope. It wasn’t a duel so much as an unexpected team up (and a welcome one in my eyes). I think in that moment I would’ve been fine if the 2 of them just left the story together and did something totally different and everybody else just disappeared. (heh) I think they’re definitely the most interesting parts of these new movies and I know that’s a far from original opinion.

The other part of the movie I really liked was Luke. I thought Mark Hamill was excellent. It felt different from his older performances as Luke but I didn’t mind. His last bits of business were all very powerful to me, from his “reunion” with Leia to him being shot by all the walkers and... SURVIVING? That was so badass, I couldn’t believe it. When it was revealed he was actually projecting himself I was surprised, though it made sense within this movie’s story. Yes there were new aspects of the Force introduced in this movie but I guess I didn’t mind that. His death was well done and heroic and sad but... also not sad? It was a moving tribute to the character and felt epic. When he first “died” from all the walker blasts I thought it was about as heroic as he could’ve died. Then when he was STILL STANDING I was in shock. I don’t know, I didn’t want to see him go but if he had to die I think they handled it about as well as you could hope. I’m sure he’ll be back as a force ghost in IX.

I liked The Force Awakens and Rogue One a lot, but after Rogue One I was feeling a little Star Wars fatigue, to be honest. They were starting to feel samey and formulaic. This movie blew that apart and took so many unexpected turns and I am so happy about that. It felt invigorated and like a movie with its own point of view, which I found deeply refreshing.

I am suddenly fascinated with the backlash I’m already seeing. The movie’s writer/director Rian Johnson also directed my 2 favorite episodes of my favorite TV show, Breaking Bad. One of those was a season 3 episode called “Fly”, which was a “bottle episode”, and it stands out from the normal style of the show. It’s also a very divisive one among fans. This movie reminded me of how I felt with that one, where I felt deeply invested in the characters and enjoyed the fresh twist on the expected formula (it should be said he didn’t write that episode). That episode essentially hung out with characters who had been through the ringer in the previous episodes and I appreciated getting to kind of take a break from the action to drill down into what was going on inside the people. This movie felt like that in a way, even though it’s definitely more eventful and fast paced. (Breaking Bad detour over!)

Most of the positive responses I’ve read have criticized the Canto Bight sequence and honestly, even though I did feel it was the weakest of the 3 main storylines, it didn’t bother me too much. Maybe I’ll read it differently on multiple viewings but I was fine with it. I had read a few reviews mentioning it as being a weak spot before seeing the movie, so maybe I was primed to be underwhelmed. I went to the bathroom in this part and sadly missed Benicio Del Toro’s introduction (oh well). I did enjoy his small part, though I felt like I didn’t really understand what his deal was in some moments.

When the movie was over and I walked out of the theater I was paying attention to how I felt and remembering how I felt leaving the theater after The Force Awakens. After the previous one I wanted to go right back in and watch it again immediately. I didn’t feel that way with this one. I wanted to sit with it and try to process it. I felt kind of overwhelmed by how much meat there was to chew on. I was up until 6 AM reading and watching things about it (good grief). I’m definitely going to see it again in the theaters, just not sure when exactly. I was thinking about how the thoughtful feeling was a good feeling, though it was different. The story felt deeper and more resonant. It felt like it was about something other than about being a Star Wars movie (which is what TFA felt like in a lot of ways to me).

At this point, after having slept on it, I’m thankful to have a divisive Star Wars movie that will inspire heated debates. I think these huge franchise movies these days have a quality about them where they’re trying to please everyone to meet some studio bottom line or whatever and it often makes them feel like nothing special. I’m so used to seeing movies I like but don’t love these days. I don’t know yet if I love this movie, but it 100% didn’t feel like nothing. It felt like the first Star Wars movie that was actively not trying to please everyone. And that seemed like the most revolutionary thing to me.

Thanks for reading. #Reylo

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

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Hot Take Fight to the Death!! (lyrics)

These are the words for the songs on my new album Hot Take Fight to the Death!! which is available now on iTunes, Spotify and... I don’t know, most of the other places. THANKS!

Regularly Scheduled Program

Where should we start? Where did we part?

Should I recap? Previously on your nap...

I’ve got your ears, melodious fears.

What is a song? How much can this go wrong?

I’m ready. Are you?

Seems we’ve got a lot of talking to do.

You ready? I am.

We now join our regularly scheduled program...

You like a beat. Brain and heart meet.

Wait, is that right? Guess who don’t care tonight.

I think about you, all the time I do.

But sometimes I doubt you’ll ever wanna come back out.

(repeat chorus)

Here’s some rhyming commentary on life from the monastery.

Is this a 2-way thing? Well just don’t tell me how I cannot sing.

(repeat chorus)

Respectable American

Taking the focus away from the focus

Keep your mouth shut in a swarm of locusts

All this toxic slime is wiping us out

I don’t hate you, I’ve just got a loose mouth

I hear a new lie and I start to plow south

I know you think this is good for us...

Anger is a sin, no anger is a friend

I’m trying to remember that I need to count to 10

I’m trying not to boil but I don’t always win

‘Cuz lately I can’t tell what’s a respectable American

1... 2... 1... 2...

I woke up in the morning and I got 8 hours

Then I hear the news and it all just sours

Even a good day has a little weight

Turning off the TV and turning off the beeping

Notify me when I can wake up from the dreaming

Feeling thankful everything will end

(repeat chorus)

Cussing in the kitchen from a magazine

Pleading with the ceiling to imagine a new me

(repeat chorus)

Cold in the Loony Bin

I don’t care about this one

I’m just trying to keep up

I’m on the fence again

Hoping to fall back in

Hoping the crash won’t be rough

Hitching your horse to a wall

Whining when it doesn’t come when you call

I’ve gotta find some way

To keep my mind today

Elsewhere is where I belong

Nothing against your decision

Who needs sanity or wisdom?

They won’t join so we might as well sic ‘em

Hell is hot these days as a mission

And it’s cold in - It’s cold in the loony bin

I’m taking the blue pill today

I heard the red one’s been frying some brains

They can’t even look at it

To throw the book at it

Might as well toss every page

Getting strapped to a chair

Sure made it easy to talk to the air

I had a sane conversation

About our sad nation

Turns out there was nobody there

(repeat chorus)

Mopping up pee stains

Could you cut my bed chains?

I could slip through that vent

Make it look like an accident

There’s a bus in my district

If there’s a ride I will hitch it

Polls are closing at 9

I could make it right on time

(repeat chorus)

Fade Into the Basement (Amen)

Memory fades in a day, dirt in a mouth washes away

A part of me has fallen asleep, a tattered protest sign in the street

Whoa, I just read something crazy, but not quite enough to phase me

When did Christians get so Buddhist? Looks like we’re going through this

Fade in, fade into the basement, amen

Drop, drop, feel your ears pop, can’t stop the chop that lops off the top

Amputate what will atrophy, it’s only you, it’s only me

(repeat pre-chorus)

(repeat chorus)

I don’t think this wall can keep us in

(repeat pre-chorus)

(repeat chorus)

Have You Heard the News?

Have you heard the news?

The news is talking to you

Anything you wanna feel

It’s all real

I was picking and choosing, choosing my truth

I didn’t like the way I started thinking of you

Have you heard the news?

Everyone is happy

We live in a dream

Where everybody screams

I was picking and choosing, choosing my truth

I didn’t like the way I started thinking of you

Why is this so sad?

Can we make it better?

Have you heard the news?

We’ve got the same muse

You for your lazy

Me for my crazy

I was picking and choosing, choosing my truth

I didn’t like the way I started thinking of you

Have you heard the news?

No, you turned it off

You were fixing your printer

Thinking about dinner

I was picking and choosing, choosing my truth

I didn’t like the way I started thinking of you

Why is this so sad?

Can we make it better?

Times, They Are Not Changing

Stay where you are, the water’s low

Accept it soon, you’re dry as bones

Worry’s wasted on the changing

On the changing times

Dry your pen, close your eyes

Say what you want, we’ve got time

They are the sinning, we are the grinning

The constantly winning side

Times, they are not changing (2x)

Politicians, make no decisions

As you stall late, clog up the hallway

With no hill to die on, just cliffs to climb on

Everything’s right on time

Mothers and fathers, you can holler

Criticize us sons and daughters

Why don’t we go slow? Carry our cold hope

Back to the old road now

Times they are not changing (2X)

Erase the line, clear the curse

All survivors come in first

In our race to the past, let’s make this the last

Let’s make this the very last time

Times, they are not changing (4X)

Watch Who You’re Heiling

Laying down for what you believe in

Letting power keep on deceiving

As if you’ve no pony in this fight

Smiling, eating bologna, waving bye bye

Is your heart as cold as ice?

Seems you love the wolf’s disguise

I thought you were someone else

Once was good but now who can tell?

Watch who you’re heiling

He’s sure got it good, knows your heart is pudding

He can say anything, knows you’ll always give up your footing

As if you were standing for anything

Barbecuing free America

Proving you’re that bad Samaria

Cheering as your neighbor dies

Beaten by your lazy eyes

Can’t you see one drop of sun?

You’ve turned your face from everyone

Saw you swimming in the deep

I tried a tweet but a tweet is cheap

Watch who you’re heiling

(repeat chorus 2X)

What Would You Protest?

Sitting on your duff, have you ever had enough?

Do you only get annoyed and never mad?

When you’re watching the TV, and you see ‘em in the street

Do you ever wish that you could join the pack?

Aren’t they dumb? Walking in the sun?

Leaving the city a mess

Well what about you? What would make you move?

Tell me, what would you protest?

Moving to the ‘burbs, just to get out of the herd

Just to find a little quiet in my head

People always bleed, then they stare right at me

So I pull up the covers on my bed

(repeat chorus)

We stand for truth and justice

We can take your complaints and cusses

We feel this in our hearts

We will lighten up the dark

(repeat chorus)

You Think You’re a Good Guy

Your eyes never leave your head

You have to think how you were bred

Your daddy don’t like blacks

And he always made you lunch in a paper sack, so...

Fish don’t swim upstream

If you were kind it would be a blaspheme

You’ve gotta be a raging shit

Can’t stick out, couldn’t handle it

You think you’re a good guy

And everyone you know is exactly alike

You think you’re a good guy

You only see the wood in other people’s eyes

So this is who you’re gonna be?

Can’t you see you’re a parody

You can’t always be right

When you think you’re a good guy

You dirtied your white hat

You called a dude in another car “fat”

But he never heard a word

Like if he was blind and you gave him the bird, it’s fine...

Why try to be better?

It’s so lame to follow every letter

Rules were made to break

I messed up and it’s your mistake

(repeat chorus)

Elective perspective, unchecked and uncorrected

A vendetta, embedded, villains are hero-headed

(repeat chorus)

Obsolete Songs

I hope these songs get obsolete fast

I hope to look way back on this ugly past

I hope we numb will wake up and change

I hope all of us together get to turn the page

I hope this is just a blip in history

Not the beginning of an era of misery

I hope the ones for hate are the minority

I hope we don’t let fear drive our core beliefs

I hope these songs gather dust in a museum

In a boring old corner where no one can see ‘em

I hope the kids on their field trips fall asleep

‘Cuz there was nothing to see in 2017

I hope stale ways get stuck in a stalemate

And every protest sign gets a glass case

I hope the people get a taste for righteousness

And always try to get back when we digress

I hope we find a leader who won’t lie to us

Who will serve the people over his own lust

I hope 4 years lasts only 4 weeks

Sorry, I couldn’t wait to make this obsolete

(repeat chorus)

Pleased to meet you

We are so glad to see you

Pleased to meet you

We are so glad to see you...

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

Text

We Have to Talk About Baby Driver

Monday, July 3, 2017 12:25 PM Anytown, USA

We have to talk about Baby Driver. There is not an option with this one. We gotta do it, folks. Buckle Up!

Okay, just to be clear, I haven’t seen Logan or Get Out yet, but Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is easily the best movie I’ve seen released this year. Better than LEGO Batman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Split and... Good grief I haven’t seen very many movies this year. Anyway...

Baby Driver is a new, original, non-franchise, non-super hero movie about a young getaway driver played by Ansel Elgort. He’s mysteriously stuck in the job by Kevin Spacey who is this criminal mastermind guy who organizes bank robberies. His other employees include Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jon Bernthal and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Basically, the kid falls in love with a waitress (Lily James) and tries to get out of the business. He’s a good kid, you guys!

The story is very simple but it doesn’t matter much. Wright’s typical style of quick cuts and snappy editing is in full effect. It’s probably his best film so far. This is essentially a car chase movie crammed with music.

Yes, music. It plays a huge part. Ansel Elgort’s character suffers from tinnitus from a car crash when he was younger. He hears a constant buzzing in his ears and listens to music in his earbuds to drown it out. He plans his getaway driving to specific songs which we also get to hear as he tears up the road fleeing the police, like you do.

Yeah, this is one of those movies with like 50 songs on its soundtrack (actually there are 30 and the album is #1 on iTunes at the moment). If you like music and driving this is a movie you’ll probably enjoy. Yep. In some ways it felt like La La Land mixed with Speed. There’s one scene in particular that feels especially inspired by The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (one of La La Land’s chief touchstones).

Personally, I was not familiar with Ansel Elgort. I know he’s been in some teen movies and what not but I thought he was really good in this. I heard someone somewhere describe his performance as like a young Channing Tatum and that made sense to me. He also reminded me a little of Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Yeah, honestly I felt kind of blank about him at first, but he’s obviously talented. And I’m sure I’ll appreciate him more as the years go by and I see him in more things.

Jon Hamm was my favorite actor in it for sure. You can tell he’s relishing being in such a sharply made movie.

More than anything, Baby Driver is a great action movie. Thinking about it afterwards, I’d say that if Die Hard and Mad Max: Fury Road are 10 out of 10 action movies, this one is maybe a 9 to 9.5, in my opinion. It’s definitely memorable and will at the very least be a cult movie. At the same time, it did really well at the box office this weekend (for its budget and originality) and will have a strong word of mouth that will probably make it a bigger hit in the long run. We’re gonna keep hearing about this one.

If you want to see a great, new, original movie that’ll be remembered way past the end of this summer definitely go see it if you haven’t already.

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

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Quick Fargo 301 Thoughts

Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:50 PM Anytown, USA

Devoted fan of the FX Fargo show here. Wanted to take about 5 minutes and type out some thoughts on last night’s season 3 premiere...

- My initial response feels more restrained than I was expecting. I really love this show and the beginning of a season always feels like an event. I enjoyed the opener but I don’t feel like I have a handle on what this season is going to be about just yet. I guess that’s typical, I just have memories of season 2 busting out the gate right off the bat.

- I have mixed feelings about Ewan McGregor playing 2 parts. We all know he’s a brilliant actor but it takes me out of it too much. It reminds me of the Grand Moff Tarkin scenes in Rouge One. I have a hard time just listening to what’s going on and as soon as the scene is over I can’t remember what anybody said. Yeah, but at the same time I think he’s playing each part really well. It’s as good as it could go, but I don’t like thinking about the stunt more than the story.

- It’s somehow not Ehrmantraut but Ermentraub. Uh, okay, whatever.

- I like Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This was already known but it was furthered as a thing.

- So far, for me, the most enjoyable parts were with Nikki Swango and Ray, followed by the Carrie Coon stuff, then the other brother drama 3rd. I think the rich Ewan McGregor character will get killed off halfway. #prediction

- I get that Carrie Coon is the good guy. Ray and Nikki are like this season’s version Ed and Peggy from last year, only I feel like I’m going to root for them more. They’re the likable villains, I guess. I liked Scoot McNairy. He fit in nicely. I hope the Emmit Stussy stuff gets more interesting.

That’s all. Those are the only thoughts I had.

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

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Bates Motel?

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 1:29 PM

I tried to find a picture for this post but it was taking too long, so you’ll have to just deal with words. So sorry!

Oh, also, spoiler alert if you haven’t seen up the the 6th episode of season 5 of the show, which aired last night. Anyway...

Last night, the A & E show Bates Motel f i n a l l y got to the iconic shower scene from Psycho. I won’t get too into the details of that, just wanted to dig into my overall thoughts on the show at this point.

I am very quickly realizing that where Psycho is probably one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time, I don’t know if Bates Motel is even cracking my top 100 TV shows. I think a large part of my love for Psycho is the odd but effective structure, of all things — not to mention Hitchcock’s groundbreaking direction. I’m not a huge horror guy(though I do enjoy some stuff). I just love how the movie sets itself up as being 1 thing and pivots halfway through and turns into something else. Maybe the show is kind of doing that, but it’s hard to tell right now (I doubt it).

I remember when this show was first announced and being super excited for it. It felt like a promising premise. And where the writing and acting and directing have all been strong, I find myself not getting very invested in the story. Maybe I’ve been hesitant because I know where the key characters are headed, but I think it’s made me less engaged overall. Also, I find I have very little interest in the periphery plots that aren’t about Norman and his mother. And it seems like the show is about 2/3 those things. Maybe that’s not totally accurate time-wise, just the feeling I get.

I think my perfect version of this show would’ve been 1 or 2 seasons that skipped the weird rabbit trails with all the other characters. I remember getting antsy in the first few seasons because I wanted it to hurry up and get to Psycho.

And now we’re there and, honestly, it just doesn’t feel the way I want it to feel, and I can’t tell why. It’s well executed and everything, so what gives?

I have a theory that this show is for people who aren’t terribly familiar with the original film. I mean, I think its biggest fans definitely see it as its own thing. They are probably more invested in the mother/son relationship at the core, which just weirds me out, personally. I want to care more. It’s weird.

This whole show has been a weird experience. I sometimes wish I’d never seen the movie so it could hit me in a more genuine way. But at the same time, I doubt I’d have wanted to watch it if I wasn’t familiar with the story already, so...

I am still definitely curious to see where the last 4 episodes go. I’m just trying to sort out this feeling of waiting 5 years to realize I don’t care all that much. Heh.

Should’ve seen it coming.

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 12:44 PM Anytown, USA

I’ve been playing the new Zelda game almost nonstop since Friday morning. In fact, I have to plan my days out carefully to make sure I get “real” and “important” things out of the way before I dive in and lose all sense of time and reality.

To give a quick backstory, the Legend of Zelda is my favorite series of video games. I didn’t play a ton of them growing up, but I did play a good bit of A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo and Zelda 2 on the NES. I never had the original back then but I’ve since played it.

In the LONG lead-up to the new game’s release I went through and finished all of the console Zelda games, not counting Skyward Sword. I also got through a few of the handheld games. That was probably over a year of gaming and it was very enjoyable.

And now on my 5th day with the new one I have to say this is now my favorite. I mean, it’s my all time favorite video game full stop. I have been blown away moment by moment playing this thing.

The world is enormous. I mean, I bet you could fit the landmasses in all the other games together and still only cover half the size of Hyrule in this one. It feels like you’re exploring a real, almost never-ending fantasy land. A lot of the game is about climbing up to the highest peak you can find, looking far off into the distance, deciding where you want to go, and then jumping into open air to paraglide closer to your destination. Watching videos of this online didn’t prepare me for how fun this is. When you finally get to where you were going it’s always very satisfying. And that’s just getting to places.

I don’t even know where to begin with all you can do in this game. You can climb, glide, swim, fight, cook, collect things. There are small mini-dungeons (shrines) scattered all over the map. There are apparently over 100 of them and I’ve only made it to maybe 30. And I’ve beaten about 22. Some are too difficult or confusing and I’ll have to get back to them.

You can hunt wildlife. I’ve seen chickens, squirrels, deer, longhorn cattle, ostriches, dogs, wolves, horses (which you can ride), lizards, buffalo, foxes, many varieties of fish... This is probably just a fraction of them.

The main feeling I have playing the game is smallness. With the world being so big, you just wander around it trying to survive and find things. Sometimes just getting to a spot off in the distance will take 2 hours of gliding and climbing and running and having to either fight or just make it around a camp of enemy monsters.

And another big thing here is distractions. Every time you go try to do 1 thing you see about 10 other things you could be doing. Quick missions turn into all day exploring. I’ve had to start a notebook dedicated just to this game, mostly so I can make to do lists so I don’t forget everything I’m wanting to do.

I’ve been playing since Friday and I STILL haven’t been to a temple. That may be what I get to later today, finally. I keep forgetting there’s a main quest you’re supposed to do. I’ll get there eventually.

If you like Zelda and you have a Wii U or a brand new Switch, this is a MUST play. But you will need to get better with your real world time management skills, because your life as you know it will be over.

I can’t recommend this game higher, or warn you more about how consuming it is. I was thinking yesterday that Nintendo should sell month-long retreats to secluded cabins just so people can play this game nonstop. And that wouldn’t even be enough time to see everything in this game.

I’m very happy that I’m just about done with this post because that means I’m that much closer to playing it again. Prayers and envy are accepted.

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jeffgrant4real · 7 years

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Nintendo Switch?

Friday, March 3, 2017 2:48 PM Anytown, USA

I can’t believe I’m typing this but I was able to find a Nintendo Switch today (with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild). I am not in fact lying. It is sitting a few feet away from me charging for my next round in a few minutes.

I had a plan this morning to go to Target to get the Zelda game for the Wii U, but I told myself that if they had the new system AND the game I would go ahead and buy it, because I had a little money set aside and also because I am a crazy person. I did NOT expect to actually find one. I assumed they’d be sold out. I’m still burnt from the NES Classic I never found over the holidays. I thought it’d be the same story and figured I’d probably have to just download a digital version of the game on my Wii U.

Anyway, I’m still in a mild shock right now. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Nintendo system the day it came out — or a Zelda game, for that matter. Needless to say I am pumped and I am writing this post while floating on a cushion of moronic giddiness.

I got home and plugged the thing in and played maybe 3 hours of Zelda and it was heavenly. The new game is amazing. I like it more than I thought I would. I mean, I thought I’d love it, but it’s even better. It’s Ocarina of Time-level great, and I’m still extremely close to the beginning. I can’t wait to explore Hyrule again.

I wanted to give my quick first impressions of the system overall.

The buttons are tiny, but it doesn’t bother me. They remind me of the buttons on my 3DS. The gamepad and the Joy-Cons are also very small, but I think they’ll work well when the thing is in portable mode. (I don’t know how much you know about how the thing works, and I don’t feel like explaining it so I’m going to talk like you know what I’m talking about)

I played mostly with the Joy-Cons slid into the little gamepad thing (not the screen but the grip thing) and I thought it felt nice. Maybe the pro controller will feel better, but I’m fine with it like that. That’s probably how I’ll play it the most.

The screen on the gamepad itself is 720p and looks very nice. I’m looking forward to getting some old games on it and seeing how they handle. I mean, I expect them to handle well since this super advanced Zelda game looks amazing on it. I just like my old Nintendo games, is all I’m saying.

I’m not sure if I’ll be buying a lot of full Switch games, at least not anytime soon. Right now I’m going to focus on Zelda. Maybe I’ll get the Mario game when it comes out.

I’m trying to figure out if I would recommend this to other people... I mean, I would say if you like Nintendo stuff you’ll probably like it, but it’s still early in the console’s life (just a few hours in, of course). Apparently many more games will be coming out in the next few months and years. This is a thing I knew I’d eventually buy anyway, and getting to play the new Zelda game on the new system was a thing I was hoping to do. For a weirdo like me it’s a good idea. Maybe not for you though. I don’t know.

Like I said, I am a crazy person. A happy crazy person who is about to have an excellent weekend.

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