OGWiseman Recommends!
Some stuff I liked that's worth a watch/read from the first part of 2024!
FIRST - Dune: Part II releases March 1, which means that if you start today and watch Dune: Part I (available on Netflix!) once a day, you will get in 14 viewings before you go see the new one on opening night, as I just purchased tickets to do. You know, 14 might not be enough, better watch it twice a day to make sure you’re ready.
*Dreams are messages from the deep*
SECOND - I have already read a couple of really interesting books in 2024. LIFE’S WORK is an autobiography by David Milch, creator of “Deadwood” among many many others, a true American iconoclast, incorrigible raconteur, and self-proclaimed sonofabitch. MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER, by Oyinkan Braithwaite, is a compelling relationship drama between two sisters, one of whom cannot stop killing her boyfriends. Ms. Braithwaite is a compelling stylist, and one to watch. And because this is a sci fi newsletter, let’s throw in BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts, which is now almost 20 years old but was new to me, doesn’t start fast but really gets going, and ends up as a truly psychedelic piece of hard-ish sci fi well worth a read.
THIRD - I missed “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” when it came out last year, but I just watched it (also on Netflix) and it is absolutely delightful, done in the inimitable style that is Wes Anderson’s alone. The story was a staple of my childhood—truly, I read the whole collection it is included in a hundred times if I read it once—and I think I subconsciously avoided it because I thought there was no way they could do it justice. But they did!
FOURTH - I’m realizing this post is pretty light on Sci Fi and Fantasy content, but hey, the year is young and I’ve got range, so let’s just keep that going and I’ll recommend a couple of TV Shows (All available on Hulu) that I’ve really liked lately. I loved the pilot for “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”, and will definitely watch more at some point, which is more than I would say for most TV shows.
I love shows about homes and real estate because I’m officially middle aged now, but my complaint is that they always drag them out too much, like each house takes 20 minutes and they do a walk and talk with the boring rich people who own them and get the story of how they blah blah blah. Well, “Extreme Homes” from Discovery (no trailer available) has solved that problem by cramming 3-5 houses into an episode and absolutely tearing through them, and it’s exactly as satisfying as I thought it would be.
Hope you find something in that mish-mash to enjoy. Everyone have a great week, and I will be back next Sunday with another original story!
Thanks for the wide range of recommendations. We just rented the first episode of the Truman Capote series last night. And per your recommendation, My sister, the Serial Killer is now on cue at the library!