A Post-Wisdom Tooth Extraction Media Autopsy
A vain first post written with the most humble intentions.
(If you are receiving this via email and are confused–yeah, me too. Thank you for signing up last February, and welcome to the first edition of Leg Room, coming to you like one of those prestigious HBO series: at 10pm on a Sunday without warning.)
Never Let Them Know Your Next Watch
This week, I finally mustered the courage to have my wisdom teeth extracted in what was definitely a timely manner and not after 4 years of procrastination. Taking some time off work to recover and enjoy the pain meds, I thought it would be fun to analyze the semi-chaotic list of media I consumed as a great, if not unsettling, introduction to my Substack.
Sunday
The Sunday before, I went to the Paris Theater in NYC and shelled out real money to see David Fincher's new film, "The Killer," starring Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, two weeks before it hits Netflix. Why? Because it’s David F*cking Fincher brand new film and only like 2 screens in America got to see it. (It was amazing.)
Monday
After wrapping up work in the evening, I scrolled through Netflix unsure whether I wanted to watch a true crime doc, "Molly's Game," or let the universe guide me to what my soul needed. It turned out to be "The House Bunny." This film gave us pitch-perfect performances from Anna Farris, Kat Dennings, and Emma Stone…thank you for your service. A harrowing time capsule of how far society has progressed (or not) since 2008, it's a hilarious and nostalgic 98 minutes that never fails to make me guffaw-laugh.
Tuesday
Immediately following my 9am procedure, I listened to Taylor Swift's "1989 (Taylor's Version)" and Niall Horan's "The Show," in full, with a post-anesthesia TedTalk to my mother about the business decisions behind of Taylor's Versions.
That evening, I watched "The Princess Diaries 1" and "2," with rather critical thoughts on quality of the latter. Watching them back-to-back, you realize the first 15 minutes of the sequel rehashes every major joke from the original, and the story itself, frankly, falls short. (It does, however, include a solid pro-Gay shoutout that seems radical for a G-rated 2004 Disney film.)
Wednesday
I completed the Netflix miniseries "Bodies," a triumph for two reasons: first, it's nearly impossible for me to focus on scripted fiction television in the era of TikTok and increasingly stellar feature films, and second, it's a sensational show. Even I hoped the show would slow down and provide more information I might have missed, it consistently refused, demanding that I immerse myself fully in its world.
Wednesday is “Survivor” night, and while I'm not in love with the new era of the game, season 45 is pretty good, and this episode featured one of the most climactic tribal councils in three years.
That night, I finished the novel "Fourth Wing," undoubtedly the best book I've read in three years since "The Song of Achilles." (fwiw, I read 10-12 books a year.)
Thursday
During the day, I listened to "Rob Has a Podcast’s Survivor Know It Alls," where game masterminds Christian Hubiki and Shannon Guss broke down the fun scenes from last night's episode.
Going to the movies that night, Jacob Elordi’s beautiful face, that eight-year-old girl's yellow cardigan, and SAG waiver tricked me into thinking "Priscilla," Sofia Coppola's latest two-hour sit-and-stare movie, would be engaging. Look, I love ~vibes~ and movies with a unique perspective. I also love not having to pace around in my (literally) empty movie theater to entertain myself during a movie.
Friday
Throughout the day, I listened to "The Big Picture's David Fincher Movie Draft and Five Night at Freddy’s” episodes, which were truly out of pocket and I hope Amanda and Sean get some rest.
Whoever at Disney decided to release "Quiz Lady" on Hulu for the masses to discover, thank you. Whoever spent zero dollars on advertising and managed to spoil every joke in the trailer... jail. Awkwafina and Sandra Oh shine in roles they probably should've swapped, with dialogue that might as well have been written by an AI, but it's still a good time.
After "Quiz Lady," I finally got around to my annual viewing of "Begin Again," the magical John Carney masterpiece that holds a special place in my heart. A quiet yet powerful love and rage letter to New York, pop culture, love, music, creativity, and friendship, it's impossible for me not to shed a tear at the final frame.
Saturday
I completed my David Fincher filmography by finally watching "The Game," a good but honestly annoying thriller that firmly plants itself in the '90s era of similar movies. As I rolled my eyes at the twist endings piled on top of each other, I couldn't help but recognize that my cynicism stems from most thrillers in the past 30 years borrowing heavily from this work. (To note, it’s comforting to know David Fincher’s second-worst movie is still better than 95% of all other movies)
During the day, I listened to "Rob Has a Podcast's" live reaction show to Survivor 45's latest episode, featuring a dozen alumni from past seasons. I also visited my parents’ local record store and bought used copies of Carole King’s “Tapestry”, Billy Joel’s “Songs From the Attic,” and Halsey’s “Room 93.” (Before promptly going to Target to buy their vinyl variant of “1989 Taylor’s Version,” where a male employee warned me “Not to get the Taylor disease” and I clapped back claiming to be “Patient zero.”
Sunday
And here we are. I listened to an excellent Awards Chatter podcast with Alexander Payne, the extraordinary filmmaker whose film "The Holdovers" will likely be the fan favorite of the season after its wide release this Thanksgiving.
Tonight? I’ll probably, finally, watch “Molly’s Game” for the [redacted] time this year as I prepare to reenter society tomorrow.
Well, that’s my life sans 3 wisdom teeth! More to come next week (hopefully), but let me know if you have any topic requests. And if you made it this far, I leave you with this question:
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