The Rest - April 9, 2023

Did Werner Herzog really need to make that bet, or was he just curious to see if he could make himself eat a shoe after watching The Gold Rush?

A quick wrap-up of everything else I watched this week.

Beef, Episode 1 (2023) - The Netflix series stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as strangers who continually escalate their retaliation on each other following a rude exchange in a parking lot. I don't know how this could possibly go for a whole season, but I look forward to finding out. 

The Gold Rush (1925) - Caught this childhood favorite at a local screening with live organ accompaniment. A lovely way to experience one of Chaplin's best, in which the Little Tramp is hoping to strike it rich in late-1800s Alaska.

The Jazz Singer (1927) - Rewatch for Movie Club. If it hadn't been the first of its kind (synchronized singing and a little bit of dialogue), this probably wouldn't be remembered today. It's wild to watch a character have an identity crisis while wearing blackface... and for the blackface to have nothing to do with it.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - Taken individually, the set pieces are amazing... But it's still a redundant and overlong entry in the franchise that builds to, well, not much. Has this franchise run out of steam?

Succession, Season 4 premiere (2023) - If this wasn't the final season, I wouldn't have come back. I lost interest in the Roys and their media empire somewhere in season two. Feels like maybe something substantial will finally happen this time, but "Fool me once, fool me twice," right?

Taskmaster, Series 15 premiere (2023) - For two glorious weeks we had double doses of Taskmaster, as this one premiered and Australia concluded. The O.G. TM still rules the roost, and this season opened with some barge captaining!

Taskmaster Australia, Series 1 finale (2023) - As with most spinoffs of this perfectly formatted show, I started out not knowing who any of these comedians were, and ended as a big fan of each. Just a great time no matter where it takes place (as long as it's not the U.S., apparently).

A Thousand and One (2023) - Teyana Taylor is magnetic in this Sundance Grand Jurt Prize winner about a mom who kidnaps her son from foster care and faces the cruelty of an ever-changing New York City as she watches him grow up. I cannot wait to see what Taylor and writer/director A.V. Rockwell do next.