March was training for a half-marathon and wanting to work on so many things and doing none of them. A real turd. Then, last Monday, I went to see the movie below and it injected a long syringe of inspiration into my noggin.

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This month’s playlist:

Last and First Men

The first and last film directed by composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. I was prepared for a boring art film when I entered the nearly empty theatre and sat in the middle of a row near the screen so the image would fill my vision.

What I experienced was transcendent.

The film is composed of long shots of abstract architectural monuments in 16mm black and white film, narration of a heady sci-fi tale, and Jóhann’s score. The result was hypnotic and sent chills down my spine.

I was dismayed to learn that Jóhann died in 2018. He contributed to so many movies I admire. I’m thankful he left us with this final gem.

Raised by Wolves

The space mullets are back.

This second season isn’t as strong as the first and shares some of the same weaknesses. Some dialogue is awkward, the pacing is rough. But, oh, when it gets going Raised by Wolves is a boulder hurtling down a mountain.

Moment after moment have my jaw hanging slack at the audacity of the writers. This is some of the wildest, most mysterious sci-fi I’ve witnessed on tv.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

I can’t seem to shake Destiny despite it not being a video game tailored for a solo gamer like myself. All I can say is it’s been a unique experience playing this game as it evolved over nearly eight years. I think I’m in for the long haul.

Jóhann Jóhannsson

I’ve been listening to the score of Last and First Men over and over. But it’s time to revisit his work on Sicario, Arrival, and Mandy.

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This month I also sifted through last year’s photos.