2024 Media Diet - 4th Quarter & Best-of 2024 List

Welcome back to scheduled programming as the Morris fam became settled in El Paso, Morgan moved into the second trimester of baby 2, and I was able to pick up on more of my regular media habits. Looking at the list, I realize Morgan and I found ourselves watching more miniseries than we have before. Probably because finally had some time to catch up on ones we’ve been meaning to watch (White Lotus) or because new seasons were released of an old favorite (Slow Horses). Also, for the first time ever (but not the last) one of the movies that Monty insisted we watch made the list. You will see enthusiasm below.

First, my diet for this quarter and then at the bottom, my best-of picks for 2024! *s indicate a recommended pick.

BOOKS

Henry V: Dan Jones (A) This book is nearly 450 pages long and deals with 35 years of British history and yet is so breezy and well-done that I finished it in a week without realizing it was that long. This was my first Dan Jones book, but will not be the last.

The Siege: Ben MacIntyre (A) This was my eighth or ninth Ben MacIntyre book (the last one Colditz was on my 2023 list) and like all of MacIntyre’s works, it involves spies and Britain. Not quite on the level of A Spy Among Friends, but still very enjoyable and readable.

*Charlie Wilson’s War: George Crile (A+): Another 400-plus pager that is so well-written and so interesting, I breezed through it and was left wishing it was longer. I quite like the movie too (Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay from this book) and before reading this book, I thought the movie had dramatized Charlie Wilson’s drinking and philandering and wild-west ways, but nope! He actually was that wild in real life, which makes this book so great. Cannot recommend enough for people who like good military/spy non-fiction.

The Twelve Caesars: Suetonius / Robert Grave’s Translation (A): I love Graves. Goodbye to All That is one of my top-10 favorite books of all time and while some of Graves’ translations are a bit plodding, this one is not. Even though Caesar and his ilk have been dead 2,000 years, this still reads like a gossip column.

A Sport and a Pastime: James Salter (B -): Got this to read on vacation as an article on The Talented Mr. Ripley had mentioned it as a companion piece. Well, it is nowhere near as good. Should have just reread the Talented Mr. Ripley or some other Highsmith novel (Ripley is the only one I’ve read — the shame!).

Do You Mind if I Cancel & We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay Gary Janetti (A -) Lumping these together because cannot remember which was which. Also got these for vacation reads and they were perfect. Each chapter a stand-alone travelogue tale 3–5 pages in length with lots of humor, and food, and cattiness.

DOCUMENTARIES

Will and Harper (B -): This was fine.

Wham Documentary (A): Its 80s George Michael! What more does anyone need? Wham had the best music videos of the 80s (see: Last Christmas, Club Tropicana) and this documentary is like a delightful hour-long music video.

Mr. McMahon (A-): I’m not sure who this was for. If you know pro-wrestling intimately (and yes, I used to listen to Something to Wrestle With) then there is not much new here. If you do not know wrestling that well, then who is going to sit through six hours about wrestling? I wish it had embraced more inside baseball.

Telemarketers (B): The first episode is an A+. Pat is a great character. The next episodes are throw-aways.

MOVIES

Serpico (B+): I like young Al Pacino but this movie was not as good as the hype of the last 40-years made me believe it was going to be.

Don’t look Now (B) this is the type of film- 70s Avant-garde erotic thriller for which I would have easily given an A several years ago but the thing is now that I have kids, and they show the daughters death at the beginning, I just can’t past that and how I’d handle the grief versus how this couple does. So yes- should be an A or A+ but these are my rankings!

Oceans 11, 1960s original ( C): it takes two hours to get to any type of heist. Two hours! That’s not an exaggeration. If the character development was great in that two hours it might be worth it, but it definitely is not.

The Third Man: (No Rank): I get that it’s good but it’s not my style of good. I didn’t get why Harry Lime invited Holly to Vienna and the whole premise of the movie suffers as I spent time wondering about that plot point. Considering real movie buffs feel this is one of the top 2–3 movies ever made, I am sure I am missing something about how wonderful and groundbreaking the cinematic blah blah blah is. Therefore, instead of give it a low grade, I will take the coward’s way out and give it no grade.

*Laura: (A+): Now THIS is a great noir! Had zero expectations for it, but got a Criterion subscription for Christmas, and this popped up as one of the recommendations and I am so glad it did. I will not spoil any of it, except to say watch it.

Scanners: (B -) I picked this on a whim also as a Criterion recommendation without knowing anything about it and got really into it at the famous scene (which fortunately is in the first half). Unfortunately, it goes down hill quickly after that scene. Guess Criterion doesn’t get them all right!

The Grinch ( C): considering this was Monty’s favorite movie of Christmas, Ican safely and conservatively say, I watched this movie 2 million times and yet it still boggles my mind that Benedict Cumberbatch does an American accent for the Grinch! Per IMDB, apparently the producers wanted him to do his British accent and he thought it wouldn’t be right since all the Who’s are American. Well, Benedict — the point of the Grinch is that he’s different! What a waste! More than once, I’ve gone to bed mad that this beautifully shot film with lots of good subtle jokes (the Grinch shops at ‘Who Foods’) was RUINED by a Brit doing a generic American voice when all he had to do was his OWN VOICE!! Argh. I am getting mad just writing this, and I’m sure we’ll watch it two more times today!!

TELEVISON

White Lotus: Season 1 (A), Season 2 (B) Binged these over the holidays and found myself the contrarian who far enjoyed season 1 more than season 2. Season 1 is funnier, has more focus on the employees of the hotel, and more realistic awful rich people than season 2. I would rather stay at the hotel in season 2 though.

Slow Horses: Season 4 (B+) Jackson Lamb is still the most interesting character on television but it’s becoming a series of diminishing returns.

STAND-UP:

Sam Morill: You’ve Changed (B): My favorite comedian. Morgan and I even went to the Comedy Cellar in NYC just to see Sam, but this material was not his best.

Tom Papa: Home Free (B): Felt like a greatest hits album of slightly reworked former bits versus expanding into new areas.

Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All (B+): At this point, watching Jeselnik feels more like watching a magician than a comedian, as I am just waiting for where the punchline is going to come from. Takes great skill to pull off but not as enjoyable to watch as simple comedy.

Ali Wong: Single Lady (B): Hey, Morgan loved it!

ARTICLES

The Election, The Loss Of A Parent And The Loss Of A Wedding Ring

Rick Steves Interview for the NY Times: I love his passage about how there are three kinds of travel: tourist, traveler, and pilgrim. And while the first two are focused on learning about the place, the third is learning about yourself

Climbing Mt. Morgenson: A story of loss and help and ambiguity. I say I’m not one for inspirational, lofty, graduation-esque passages yet this one got to me:

“All of your life, someone is pointing the way, directing you this way and that, determining for you which road is best traveled. Here is your chance to . . . be adventuresome. Don’t forever seek the easiest way. Take the way you find. Don’t demand trail signs and sturdy bridges. Don’t demand we show you the mountains. Seek them and find them yourself. . . This is your birthright as an animal, most commonly denied you. Be free enough from intentions to find goodness wherever you are and in whatever is happening. Here for once in your life you . . . can now live by whim. . . Here’s your one chance to get lost, fall in the creek, find a beautiful place.”

ANNNNNNNND BEST-OF 2024!!!!

Best Books: Charlie Wilson’s War, Four Hours in My Lai

Best Articles: Ghosts in the Glacier and Did A British Nurse Kill Seven Babies?

Best Movies and TV: Laura and The Night Manager

Best Podcasts: Welcome to Your Fantasy and The Big Dig

Best Stand-up Specials: Ben Palmer, You Can Be Anything / Tom Papa, What a Day