January 14th, 2025
I've never been anywhere. OK that's hyperbole. I've been all over this country. My second home is French speaking Canada. I once made it to some territories in the Caribbean. But that's it. One continent. Two-ish countries. Not exactly cosmopolitan.
The BDGF's littlest is headed to her third continent next month. I'm choosing jealousy over anger, but only barely. Honestly I am happy for her and know that this is the life I wanted for my even pseudo kids, and am ecstatic that she is taking advantage of it.
Long story short, she's going to Italy for spring break. She was over the other day talking about all the Italian movies she was going to watch, which she should've known better than to do in front of me.
So here is my written response to her, in case you too are thinking about heading to Italy, or are like me and have to consume the rest of the world through other people's art. It's not a bad plan B.
Congratulations! You are going to Italy! Since you mentioned watching "Italian movies" leading up to your trip, I thought I'd give you some alts to consider, in case you want to watch something other than Pixar and Timothy Chalamet fucking a peach...
1. Actual relevant travel information - Travel Man
So this is one of your mother and I's favorite travel shows, where Richard Ayoade and random celebrity friend spend 48 hours in a city. Here you can watch Richard and Rebel Wilson spend 48 hours in Florence.
https://www.dailymotion.com/ video/x8i95ly
2. Actual Italian cinema doubleheader! Bicycle Thieves and 8 1/2So every ten years Sight and Sound Magazine* publishes a list of the top 200 movies ever made. Throughout the list's existence, these have been considered the two greatest Italian films ever made. Will you watch these? Probably not. And since they are in black and white and old, probably have little relevance to your actual trip. But I would be remiss to not recommend them, as they are two of the greatest movies ever made.
*A magazine is a periodical. A periodical is a publication that comes out "periodically" and contains news, information and/or works either scholarly or artistic. They stopped making them awhile ago.Bicycle Thieves is the story of post WWII Italy, where a young man struggling to survive finally gets a job, only to have his bicycle stolen which he needs for said job. It's a poignant morality tale that shows the heartbreak of war-torn Italy in the late 1940s. Fun!
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=H2P4xo9kmPM8 1/2 is a pseudo biopic of legendary director Frederico Fellini, played by legendary actor Marcello Mastroianni. A director looks back on his life as he tried to get his new sci-fi movie off the ground. It's actually funny! Maybe misogynistic by today's standards? In any case, if you asked me "What is objectively the greatest movie of all time?" this is one of ten best answers.
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=4CjMvGBY_lI3. What about films in Italian that you might actually like? Cinema Paradiso and Big Deal on Madonna Street
So you should watch some movies that are actually IN Italian, and these are two you might like!
Cinema Paradiso is a coming of age dramedy about a young boy who helps an aging projectionist who shows movies to their small town. It won best foreign film at the Oscars and the ending is one of the best in cinema history. I won't say anymore in case you actually watch it, which you should. I'm tearing up thinking about it.
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=zOgDcysdjN4Big Deal on Madonna Street - straight comedy about small time thieves trying to make a big score. Its from the 50's and in black an white, but genuinely funny. Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=hP8HX5bnQyo
4. OK, but what would you actually watch? Ocean's 12 and Roman Holiday
All right, everything above might seem like homework. These are not.
Ocean's 12 ia an inferior sequel that I think still rules. Part of it takes place in Italy? So there you go.
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=k9uhRSLMORwRoman Holiday is old yes, but one of the greatest romantic comedies ever, and LOTS of Italy obviously.
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=ELb4S8P3q20There's tons of other movies that have Italian scenes:
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Venice)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (everyone is hot and all over Italy)
The Italian Job (Heist remake that starts in Italy)
House of Gucci and Ferrari (Adam Driver does a bad Italian accent double feature)
Il Postino - One more actual Italian movie that's a romantic comedy. From the 90s so also old? But in color!Its OK to ignore all of these, but you should at least watch the Travel Man ep. It may actually give you an idea or two. The rest, I realize, are mostly for my own edification, but they are genuine recs and all worth your time. Of course you need to study and graduate and all that, but these are (mostly) art and mind expanding that could alter your view of the world! That's studying too...
xoxo
Posted 12:37pm
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January 8th, 2025
So you've found yourself in 2025...
Los Angeles is on fire. This is sad and tragic and I send all the vibes to those displaced or in danger. It also seems like what is going to be a weekly if not daily occurrence of "Well this is a disaster. Good thing half the country decided to put a racist incompetent in charge of the country." Welcome to 2025.
Last night the BDGF said "Did you SEE what Orange Julius Caesar said about Greenland and Panama and Canada?!?" As a news/political junkie I knew what she was referring to. I responded with something akin to "I don't pay attention to what that asshole says. He has no plan for any of it, he's just repeating things he heard other people say like every other deteriorating old person." Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Welcome to the the next four years of your life.
I don't recommend burying one's head in the sand, unless for whatever reason you find that necessary to maintain your mental health, then by all means. But I do recommend keeping your head down if you can. Welcome to survival tactics 101.
As I noted with the BDGF, I'm aware that Cheeto Mussolini threatened economic and military pressure to take over other sovereign territories protected by treaties, but if I have to discuss this inanity every time that fuckstick shoots off his stupid mouth, I will be a very angry and terse person for the next four years of my life, benefiting no one. This is keeping your head down, your periphery engaged.
We're just out of the holiday season, which was bananas. It's a lot with the extra people around and the agendas and the to do lists and the whatnots. We have one younger person in our orbit who is very angry a lot of the time. She doesn't understand why everyone isn't as angry as she is about the things she is angry about it. I get it. I too was once under 30. I tried reminding her of the serenity prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
It's trite but ask any friend of Bill W., it's helpful. 2025 is going to empirically be a shit show of the highest order, empirically. Again, I don't recommend ignoring it (again unless you find that necessary for your sanity). You should give time and money where you can to people and causes who need it. You should continue to have productive conversations about best practices with people you slightly or even vehemently disagree with. But don't forget to insulate yourself.
Don't forget to go the movies, to occasionally drink too much, to do something nice for the people you love for no reason at all, to read, to watch bad television, to enjoy the outdoors. Remember there are things that no matter how much they bother you, that you cannot change. Remember that even if the country and the world are going to hell in a hand basket, you can still work to become a better person. Welcome to 2025. Your results may vary.
Posted 2:49pm
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