What I Watched
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000). I have seen a movie coming out with the same name starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield as the Bakkers, but I really want to make sure people see this absolutely perfect documentary. It was wild, vibrant, and flamboyant. Directed by Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato and narrated by RuPaul, this documentary takes a very Christian downfall story that we all love and gives it a compassionate lens. While Chastain & Garfield will be great acting their parts, nothing beats looking into the heavily mascaraed eyes of the real thing.
What I Read
I can be a curmudgeon about what the kids are up to and their TikToks and what have you, and nothing gets me more uptight than the disappearance of the local newspaper. I have yelled at my dog about the Internet and billionaire owners destroying the last great defense of democracy. Still, then I read this article in Politico, Why Has Local News Collapsed? Blame Readers by Jack Shafer. Before the Internet and back when billionaires were just poor millionaires, people began to stop reading newspapers. While there are many factors on why people won’t read the local news, it comes down to people don’t want to.
What I Watched
The wife and I watched Kajillionaire by Miranda July. Quirky and just strange enough to stay interested, this movie follows a family of low-level grifters who try and come up with rent and then befriends a girl who is excited to join the cons. The daughter is played by Evan Rachel Wood, who is magnificent. Great little film.
What I Heard
Symphony for Improvers by Don Cherry has been popping up on my radar, and I decided to relisten to this epic album. Released in 1966, this free jazz record plays frantic and cerebrally, with the quiet moments being the loudest. The cast is also superb, Pharoah Sanders on Piccolo, Gato Barbieri on tenor saxophone, and some of the best drumming you will find with Ed Blackwell. Henry Grimes and Jean-François Jenny-Clark shared bass duties. This is one of the best jazz records ever made.