Is it too late to call it a Shards Summer? To all the girls who dutifully finished reading East of Eden ahead of its upcoming adaptation and are wondering what classic text to take on next, Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards, now a TV series with none other than Ryan Murphy at the helm, feels like the next essential group read. I attended the new series’ premiere earlier this week and was instantly charmed by the pulpy slasher meets horny-teen-socialite melodrama - the cinematography and editing were perfectly stylized, the needle drops instantly nostalgic, and Kaia Gerber continues to prove herself as the comedienne of her generation1 - Bottoms, Overcompensating, Palm Royale … she just knows how to deliver an iconic line!
More recent hyperfixations include every feature on Sérgio Mendes’ Timeless, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, and a delightful end of summer wish list from Sandy Sanchez.
The Odyssey, dir. Christopher Nolan 🎞️
As someone who did not care for Oppenheimer, I fully expected to walk out of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey feeling indifferent, dismissing it as just another boy™ blockbuster. To my surprise and delight, I left the theater completely floored by its staggering technical achievements, from the breathtaking beauty of its locations and cinematography to the intricate craftsmanship of larger-than-life puppetry. A fantasy epic worthy of its three-hour run time, The Odyssey, beautifully reimagined for the modern world, gave me hope for the rekindling of our shared cultural literacy and a newfound appreciation for the classics.
In recent years, Nolan’s blockbusters have garnered just as much attention for their sprawling stunt casts as they have for their cinematic spectacle, and The Odyssey’s rolodex of veritable movie stars proves to be no exception. Following several supporting turns in Nolan’s filmography, Matt Damon is triumphant as the film’s pragmatic hero, showing off not only an impressive dad bod but also an unflinching commitment to the emotional and physical weight of his character’s guilt-ridden heroism. Damon so effortlessly expresses his versatility as a performer - one minute you’re watching him deliver this all-in physical performance, the next you’re reminded that he’s the same guy who won an Oscar for a first-time screenplay with his best friend at twenty-seven. Making the rounds on hopecore Twitter this week is a young Matt Damon reading The Odyssey on the set of The Talented Mr. Ripley,2 a testament to the greatness and perseverance of his studied craft and long-lived career.
The performance that has stayed with me the most, however, is Robert Pattinson’s as Antinous, a suitor to Odysseus’ wife, whose cruelty, simmering beneath a veneer of sly charm, culminates in a knockout turn in the film’s final act. While there’s never been doubt of the magnetic stardom Pattinson has always possessed, I don’t think many could have predicted his maturing into one of the most transformative character actors to watch on the big screen. Over the course of the last two decades, Pattinson’s generational run has seen him embody freaky side characters with the magnetism of a leading man, making choices that, no matter how outlandish, never feel out of step with an ensemble. An actor who so clearly relishes sharing the stage and cares deeply about his craft, Pattinson’s expansive career has started to reflect the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal or Philip Seymour Hoffman (comparisons not to be taken lightly!), as a singular artist whose ability to unearth the weird and wonderful in every one of their performances makes it impossible not to pull focus. The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.
The Thread, Willow 💿
Willow’s ninth studio release, The Thread is a beautiful continuum of the musical landscapes established in her recent projects, petal rock black and empathogen, her musical exploration more free than ever, and her improvisatory genius down to a science. Willow's music sinks deep into its percussive grooves and meditations, intricately layering polyrhythmic phases and virtuosic riffs over lush, mostly acoustic, orchestrations. As she seamlessly shapeshifts from one genre to the next, making a heavenly landing from rock to bossa nova in The Thread and Unconditional, venturing into avant-garde classical in Talk On The Hill,3 and finding ground in neosoul grooves in Shrink To Fantasy and Crush On Eternity, Willow’s song cycle reverently honors its expansive and divine musical lineage.
At just twenty-five years old and nine studio albums in, Willow is one of those rare young artists whose staggering output never comes at the expense of its quality.4 I feel so inspired by the intentionality behind her musicianship, and can’t wait to see her artistry continue to evolve.
Some of my favorite tracks on the album:
She’s My Religion
Unconditional
Talk On The Hill
Shrink To Fantasy
Crush On Eternity
On Repeat 🎧 ✨
+ new singles I’ve been listening to on repeat, for your hyperfixation consideration:
Freak, Ariana Grande
Remedied, FLO
The Light In The Painting, Lizzy McAlpine
Twiggy, Remi Wolf
Crash Out, Tinashe
She is also giving us (me) incredible high school class president representation.
It’s come to the internet’s attention that the book Matt was reading might not have been The Odyssey after all, but I’m choosing to ignore that because god forbid a girl gets a little inspired these days.
Steve Reich of Clapping Music fame would have loved Willow, and I’ve always said that.
Little Simz, Cleo Sol, Kelela, and Kali Uchis also come to mind.
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