Hi, long time no talk. Hope you’ve been well. Hope you’ve been finding ways to stay inspired. Here’s a few of my recent wind-in-sails finds:

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

I know. Seen it, know how it ends, blah, blah, blah. I was really interested in this because a writer pal I know (check him out if you like spy/adventure stories) recommended I read it for the “voice”. And while I knew the story, I was so caught up in its creativity and overall aesthetic. It has such a strong perspective and it makes me appreciate David Fincher’s version even more because he nails it. The story is so dark and wildly imaginative and in some ways very telling as to how we ended up where we are in America today.

When They See Us (2019)

This is Ava DuVernay’s telling of the “Central Park 5” story. I’d seen the Ken Burns doc and I’d looked into this story many times before, so I was surprised I ever took a shot on it. But it honestly blew me away. It’s superbly acted, spectacularly shot, drenched with a nostalgic color palette, and it conveys the boys’ gut-wrenching experience of the event in a way that I didn’t even realize was missing from other tellings. It also has some of the most cop-worthy 80’s and 90’s fashion I’ve seen in awhile.

Letterboxd - Social Film Discovery App

It took me way too long to sign up for this. It’s an amazing tool. It has a curation element that IMDb just doesn’t, and the social component is a real cherry to it. To me, movies are incredibly social. How many times have you watched something you absolutely loved and thought: [person] would love this! That’s all the time for me. I actually put off watching supposedly great movies because I want to share the first experience of it with someone. Also, the social component of Letterboxd isn’t scrolly, cringey, or obligatory. It happens in the background and you can use it as much or as little as you want. I find it a great way to develop a watchlist/backlog, curate lists for your favorite people or scenarios ( I saw one list someone created recently that was “Movies to watch with your parents: with no sex”), and see what your trusted pals may think of some twisted avant garde title you may be considering. Find me @agreatscott

Todd Snyder x John Derian Collection

I’m becoming more and more interested in ‘perspective’. I love to be able to crawl around someone else’s POV. I love it when they feel strongly about something and how they put little bits of it into everything they make. I love the aesthetics of a thing. It’s why I love menswear designer Todd Snyder. He’s got a pure American wool suit meets streetwear vibe and his collaborations are always exciting. His new one with John Derian reminds me of when Abbie and I went to Round Top’s gargantuan antiques fair a few years back and I found a huge collection of old anthropological art reprints and I wanted them so badly. I still regret not buying any. I might buy this Todd Snyder x John Derian sweatshirt though that showcases that same old style. I love everything Todd Snyder does and now I’m put onto Derian, too.

Live Music Online - Bahamas : Live To Tape Ep. 1 “The 400 Unit”

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I’ve seen a live show. While it’s still dark days for live music lovers, I feel like bands are getting much better at the ‘remote’ live performances. Here’s one good example. I really like Bahamas. His voice is so buttery smooth and his production is always on point. It’s great headphone music full of crispy snares and curvaceous guitar tones. I love this new series he’s doing with other bands. Check it out.