Art I loved at 31: a birthday retrospective
Movies, books, and music that fed my soul over the last year
I love birthdays. Over the last few years, I’ve been using my birthday as my own personal New Years, the date from which I outline my goals, hopes and dreams for the following year. And one of my biggest goals in my 30s has been to consume more art, all the time.
So to kick off my 32nd today, here’s some of the art that made a big difference in my life while I was 31. I’ve ranked these lists in roughly descending order of favorites.
I hope you’ll find some things to enjoy in here, and if you want to wish me a happy birthday, let me know in the comments if you also love any of my faves, or recommend me good stuff to discover at age 32. Thanks, I love you <3.
32 Movies
I watched around 240 movies this year. I love movies >=]. Here’s a few I loved most.
Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick
The one that finally put me on to Kubrick. I love a good war movie, especially ones about wars we think less about. This WWI battleground-turned-courtroom drama is a colossal work of cinematic genius; gut-wrenching, riveting, gorgeously shot, deceptively complex. It made me fall in love with Kirk Douglas. I’ll probably watch it 100 times. An instant all time favorite.
Broadcast News, James Brooks
You know that thing when you watch a movie and one of the characters is so relatable it kind of hurts? Holly Hunter in this movie, my emotional wreck/girlboss queen forever. And William Hurt, whew, what a guy. At one point they pull off this high-stakes broadcast and after they nail it, he goes to Hunter and pulls her chair into him and says something like “that was so electric, it was like SEX!” Truly one of the most fabulously erotic non-erotic moments ever put to screen. Also: Joan Cusack!!!
Singin’ in the Rain, Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
The definition of joy, perfection. If I had to pick a movie to show the aliens to demonstrate what a movie is, this is a top choice.
Challengers, Luca Guadagnino
I can’t remember the last time I had so much FUN at the cinema. Fun fun fun. Sexy and the score and the script and the moment when Mike Faist puts the ball by the racket AHHHH.
Cure, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
This psychological horror from an all-time master is so demonically cursed it made me want to take my brain out of my skull and scrub it. Deeply evil, I’m so glad Japan isn’t real. Insane use of sound design and editing, brilliant performances. I hated it so much I watched it three times in three weeks.
Dune Part Two, Denis Villeneuve
Denis, my love, my sweet prince, my hero. Dune remains my all time favorite novel and Denis just delivered. The last 45 minutes are some of the best sci-fi stuff in movie history, for my money. Austin Butler is the millennial successor to Benicio del Toro: impossibly hot, a weird little freak, genius actor. And of course we have to give it up for comedic relief king Javier Bardem. Lisan al-Gaib.
After Hours, Martin Scorsese
Not a moment I didn’t love. A great choice if you want to watch a guy suffer increasingly worse and increasingly funny torment for the crime of being horny.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Mike Nichols
Nichols’ Closer made a huge impression on me in high school, so it was wild to discover that this was his directoral debut, released almost 40 years before that classic, another talker about relationships colliding and collapsing. If I had to pick a movie to show the aliens to demonstrate what acting is, this is a top choice.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Howard Hawks
When I’m watching a movie with Marilyn Monroe and I learn there’s another female lead, my reaction is, sucks to be her! But you know what? Jane Russell slayed. An queen of relentless charm, sass and seduction. Girls rule.
Possession, Andrzej Żuławski
I don’t wanna talk about it. Please respect my privacy at this time.
All About Eve, Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Bette Davis, an all time contender for being 100% that bitch.
Sex, Lies and Videotape, Steven Soderbergh
Few men in the history of cinema have ever been so blonde and yet so sexy at the same time. Somewhat convinced James Spader made a deal with the devil to get that look in his eyes. A legendary directing debut.
Frances Ha, Noah Baumbach
I thought I would hate this; I loved being wrong. Very glad I watched it when I was on the other side of growing out of my late 20s though, might’ve hit a little too hard when I was younger. An absolutely squeal-with-delight ending.
The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer
The best new release I saw in 2023. Glazer is a god. Sickening, sickly intoxicating, leaves a sticky residue of misery on the mind.
The Fly, David Cronenberg
I really hate body horror, but I love a tight 90. I saw this at a repertory theater and was floored by how taut this script is. I mean zero fat, it’s almost funny how fast it gets into the action, and it never lets up. Jeff Goldblum truly one of the greatest to ever do it. Gleefully disgusting, very fun. I hope Cronenberg keeps working out his relationship issues onscreen forever until he dies.
Annie Hall, Woody Allen
Another one I expected to hate, but nope, it’s charming as fuck. Jeff Goldblum with an all time one-line cameo.
Princes Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki
We’re still alive.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog is completely insane, so it’s very funny that he made a movie starring a guy who was so absolutely bananas bonkers batshit that he made his director look buttoned up by comparison. Beautifully shot on location in Peru in a truly mythic feat of filmmaking, a haunting portrayal of madness and greed, and occasionally quite funny.
Naked, Mike Leigh
A miserably British black comedy that makes you go oof. There’s a scene where David Thewlis is running through Manchester at night and stumbles into this open plaza that’s lit up with these street lights and haunted fog that genuinely took my breath away.
The Third Man, Carol Reed
One of the greatest scores ever, maybe? Orson Welles is so goddamn charismatic it’s honestly sickening. Dutch angles for days.
Ace in the Hole, Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder. Kirk Douglas. Next.
Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos
My favorite Yorgos, by far. Emma Stone has always been a genius, but I’m really obsessed with the run she’s been on lately. She’s cool as fuck.
The Red Shoes, Powell & Pressburger
Powell & Pressburger were a huge influence on Martin Scorsese and Greta Gerwig, which was more than enough of a reason for me to investigate. This technicolor tragedy about a ballerina’s heart torn between her love of dancing and her love for a man had me fucked up. Plus, there’s an almost psychedelic ~20 minute dance scene interlude in the middle that has truly some of the most spectacular colors, set design, cinematography, choreography and costuming I’ve ever seen. P&P went crazy with this one.
Seconds, John Frankenheimer
Insanely innovative, kind of demented cinematography. Rock Hudson rocks.
Synecdoche, New York, Charlie Kaufman
Charlie Kaufman I hope you’re okay, I love you, and RIP PSH forever.
Witness for the Prosecution, Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton. Next.
City Lights, Charlie Chaplin
CUTE. CUTE CUTE CUTE. Cute as fuck. Life is beautiful!!!!
Furiosa, George Miller
A feast and a marvel. The Road Warrior was huge for me as a kid, crazy that I was loving that as a teen ~20 years after it came out and I got to watch the 5th installment of the series in IMAX 15 years later. Hemsworth absolutely chewed it up and spit it out, a bona fide inspired and deranged performance. Also that moment when the baddies are chasing the truck and one of them pops a little parachute and flies up into the air off a motorcycle and we get the crazy tracking shot like I actually WOO’d in the theater.
Happiness, Todd Solondz
Not for the faint of heart. But it hit me, and it stayed with me. TRIGGER, WARNING. You have been warned.
Stop Making Sense, Jonathan Demme
I had a big dumb smile on my face the whole time I watched this at Vidiots. Fell in love with the old lady standing up at her seat and rocking the fuck out.
All that Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk
A luscious technicolor melodrama that feels very ahead of its 1955-time. A 40-something rich widower falls in love with her beatnik gardener and must choose between true love and societal acceptance. I cried.
All that Jazz, Bob Fosse
I don’t even know how to talk about this movie. It’s fabulously unique, fabulously entertaining, fabulously devastating. If you’re still here and you trust me at this point, just watch it.
19 Books
I was a big reader as a kid, but there were a solid 5 years in my 20s where I don’t think I read a single book. It’s been a slow process getting back into the habit, and I read about 40 books this year, finally diversifying my genres a bit and discovering a lot of gems along the way. Here’s 19 books that stayed with me.
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr.
Started this at 11am and finished it around 4am the next day. Physically could not put it down, easily my favorite novel since Dune. A canonical sci fi classic, it fell apart for me a bit in the third act, but the plot twists had me hooting and hollering in my bedroom. Like, I got up and fully did a little dance. Grateful to my friend Edward Ongweso Jr to thank for this rec.
The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume I, Anaïs Nin
An early 20th century queen for the ages, possibly my #1 all time aesthetic icon, an artist and art lover of the highest order. Anaïs wrote with so much elegance, vulnerability and passion, and reading her I felt so grateful that she shared her diaries with us. What a life she lived, and what a legacy she left.
Adventures in the Screen Trade, William Goldman
A fun romp if you want to hear Goldman be a messy bitch about Robert Redford and drool over Paul Newman, and an invaluable textbook if you want to learn screenwriting from the mind that brought you The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
Perdido Street Station, China Miéville
Grimy, gloopy, sexy, leftist steampunk sci fi. Miéville has a new book out with Keanu Reeves this year, so that should intrigue you. Also I have never in my LIFE needed to Google so many definitions. China you filthy word slut.
The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis
My first Bret. It’s actually so insane that he and Donna Tartt and all them were classmates. I preferred The Secret History slightly but still ripped through this one. A murder mystery/psychodrama with lots of sex, drugs and LA all day.
Never Eat Alone, Kieth Ferrazzi
One of the few self help books that genuinely changed my life. I’ve been putting the principles into practice for the last month and the results have been wild. I wrote more more about it here.
The Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler
Like Holly Hunter in Broadcast News, Butler’s protagonist here was another I identified with so strongly it made me a bit uncomfy!!! A post apocalyptic classic. Also, this book came out in the 90s and begins taking place on July 20, 2024…which is exactly the date I started reading it. Octavia Butler I received the message you sent me last night and will proceed with the plan.
In the Blink of an Eye, Walter Murch
A one-sitting read on the art of film editing from the genius behind Apocalypse Now, and many other greats. Full of wisdom applicable to all walks of life, whether or not you care about the craft of filmmaking.
On Filmmaking, Alexander Mackendrick
A profoundly practical collection of lecture notes from a brilliant director and later professor at CalArts. Like the book above, contains lots of worthwhile insights into art and life itself, even if you don’t want to learn the details of blocking or camera movements.
On Writing, Steven King
To be honest, the actual advice given here didn’t stand out that much to me (read lots, take walks, write daily…like yes, thanks!!), but like almost all of King’s work, it’s breezy, full of pathos and totally captivating. The memoir stuff is great. A great read for all fans of King and/or writing.
The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain
I picked this up because I saw a Frances McDormand interview where she said Joel Coen gave her this book to seduce her. This would work on me, for the record.
Meditations in an Emergency, Frank O’Hara
It took a lot of discipline to only share one poem here. A sumptuous and short collection from a giant of 20th century art and literature.
The Three Body Problem, Liu Cixin
Haven’t seen the Netflix show, have heard mixed reviews, loved the book, even if it’s a bit unwieldy. Intriguing, rich, thought-provoking Chinese sci fi.
Will and Testament, Vigdis Hjorth
Shoutout to
for this recommendation. A harsh, captivating Scandinavian investigation of family, betrayal, abuse and identity.
The Trial, a screenplay by Harold Pinter, adapted from Kafka
Apparently there’s a BBC movie made from this script starring Kyle MacLachan, Anthony Hopkins and Alfred Molina. I’ll get around to watching it, eventually. I got onto Pinter from a Raya date with a playwright I never went out with again, so hey, thanks guy.
The Wager, David Grann
A page-turning, true-story saga of 18th century shipwreck with the works (cannibalism, mutiny, British racism) by the guy who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon and the Lost City of Z.
Based on a True Story, Norm Macdonald
A riotous, heartstring-pulling yarn. I laughed a lot, rest in peace.
Siddhartha, Herman Hesse
Much like the practice of meditation, I didn’t enjoy this the whole time I was engaged in it, but I found it quietly profound and it brought me peace, and I felt my life was better after for being done with it.
Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney
A fun, drug-fueled, existential and oh-so-80s quick read that I picked on a Miles Klee recommendation from A Good Used Book, one of my favorite bookstores in LA.
9 Albums
I’ve always loved music, but I’ve always been kind of embarrassed about how few albums I really commit to listening to. I’m a hyper-visual person and struggle to focus on anything audio-only. This year, however, I discovered that with as so many other things in life, the secret to success is patience. I finally made an effort to slow down and focus on music, and fell in love with so many great records as a result. Here’s 9 I’ve had on repeat.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple
Fiona’s up there with Anaïs Nin for the woman whose art this year most made me go ah!ahah!that’s me!i love you!!!. This album is perfect, I’ve listened to it a million times and it never stops getting better. Apple is an all time lyricist and the music is lush, banging, bold, catchy, discordant…it’s a lot and totally accessible at the same time. This song especially makes me feel like my soul is floating in the ether on a shimmering higher plane.
Pretty Hate Machine, Nine Inch Nails
The first time I listened to this I was on a morning run and honestly there’s no other analogy except to say that it felt exactly like the first time I did really good cocaine in Argentina. Just straight to the fucking dome and suddenly all my particles are 50% more alive. However, unlike cocaine you can revisit this album many times with no negative side effects. Enjoy irresponsibly.
Dirty Mind, Prince
Yeah it’s perfect idk what you can really say about Prince. A god. Is this the greatest pop song of all time? Maybe, except for all the other ones he wrote. Possibly my favorite Prince album…except for all the other ones.
Live Through This, Hole
Courtney Love I was unfamiliar with your game. I am sorry. I love you.
The Challengers soundtrack, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Spoiler alert but I mean like really. I think the soundtrack honestly elevated the movie from very good to just phenomenal. Music for working out and sex and writing and dancing in the club and driving around being high on life.
Don’t Forget Me, Maggie Rogers
I love Maggie’s voice, the way she thinks about life and love, and her instrumentation; so warm and soft and thick with joy and heartbreak and yearning.
American Water, Silver Jews
A bottomless well of beauty and suffering that demands and rewards frequent revisiting. I would like to have a book of David Berman’s poetry.
To Bring You My Love, PJ Harvey
Many bangers on this growly, blues-y, bright and bangy alt-rock gem, but there’s a moment in Down by the Water where these high pitched strings (I think?) kick in that was just, and I’m sorry to overuse the analogy, but a pure fucking drug kick. I think the first time I heard it I moaned.
Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller III, Drexciya
I’m not sure how I discovered this legendary 90s Detroit techno duo, but I love them. Sea Snake is probably one of my most played tracks of the year.
Bonus: the greatest artist
I’ve always agreed with the sentiment that nature is the greatest artist, and I find it profoundly important for my spiritual wellbeing and artistic process to spend as much time in nature as possible. Every day I pinch myself to be lucky enough to live in one of the most scenic places on earth. Here’s three photos of the Southern California majesty I enjoyed in the last year.
La Jolla tide pools at dawn
A peacock at the LA County Arboretum
Some happy little rockfoils in my neighborhood, Echo Park
Thanks for reading :). See you soon for another list, and check out my intro post if you want to know what the deal is with me and this newsletter.
And like this post, comment or even share it if you want to help me grow this little Substack. Thanks, I love you.
Challengers was, as you say, pure joy.
“Charlie Kaufman, are you okay?” 🤣
I just saw Barry Lyndon for the first time and I think it must be one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen. Not just laugh out loud funny but deeply emotionally stirring, which is not the ambient vibe that Kubrick gives off. So if you haven’t watched that, I highly recommend.
What a wonderful list. Happy belated birthday 🎂
Happy birthday 🎂