145. Cabaret (torrent, 1972 - Bob Fosse)
'When the song Cabaret comes at the end, you realize for the first time that it isn’t a song of happiness, but of desperation. The context makes the difference. In the same way, the context of Germany on the eve of the Nazi ascent to power makes the entire musical into an unforgettable cry of despair.' - Roger Ebert
144. The Drama (torrent, 2026 - Kristoffer Borgli)
This had a great premise and it started well. But the wheels came off and it just lost me. The direction was overly tricksy, it felt overegged. Plus I just don't seem to be able to take Zendaya seriously somehow... Perfectly watchable where it could have been excellent... Alana Haim was great again.
15. Benjamin Wood - Seascraper (2025)
This is a curious book, it creeps up on you. An accretion of vivid detail, lives you don't often encounter in novels. Brief but affecting.
142. Nobody (torrent, 2021 - Ilya Naishuller)
143. Nobody 2 (torrent, 2025 - Timo Tjahtanto)
Forgot I'd seen the first one of these and thoroughly enjoyed it a second time. Which made watching the second one straight after more disappointing. The element of surprise was gone and there wasn't much in its place. I mean it wasn't bad but it was very much diminishing returns.
141. Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel (YouTube, 2004 - Gandulf Henning)
A standard format rock biopic but quality nonetheless - access to the right people, made with love but not a hagiography. Plenty of focus on Gram's deeply fucked up but privileged background. Well worth watching.
https://youtu.be/SDRk_hs2dJ0?si=ype2DUzcmVsRSMuP
Between the FA Cup, Eurovision, a fascist march in the capital, a Labour leadership debacle and a row about a fucking Guardian book list, everything about today seems to be a targeted attack on my desire to engage with the outside world.
I'll try again tomorrow
140. Grand Theft Parsons (YouTube, 2003 - David Caffrey)
This has the makings of a great movie but this isn't it. It's a poorly paced, badly scripted shaggy dog story with a better cast than it deserves. I could imagine Paul Thomas Anderson doing a really good job of it
