I turned 34 this month. A liminal number as ages go. The only notable element I can identify is the numerals add to seven. I feel I honored the day well, let alone the week. I was certainly celebrated well by kind friends--in large and small ways. I’m still tempted to think my birthday would best go by unacknowledged. But I know this is a lie.

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This month’s playlist:

Dogtooth

I’m a Yorgos fan. Dogtooth has the most infamous mystique of all his projects. But it didn’t live up to its reputation for me. I could see how shocking and strange this movie must have been upon release. But I started with The Lobster. To this day, I have not been made more uncomfortable or upset by another movie. I’m glad I saw Dogtooth, regardless. I was curious to see a film of his performed in his native Greek.

Our Share of Night

No book has had so many elements that appeal to me and also been so boring. The start was intriguing with its grounded weird fantasy horror, but now, so blessedly close to the end, I question why I haven’t put this down sooner. Nothing of note has happened. I see no resolution in sight. I have no connection to the characters. It’s felt like a profound waste of time.

Alien: Earth

Better than it could have been. The show’s respect for the original movie is clear in the excellent production design, but the series also has courage enough to cut its own path in the franchise with unique themes. It’s avoided some of the pitfalls of streaming TV. There’s still a “prequel” episode that expands on events leading up to the opening, which adds nothing to the story but runtime. And I feel it running out of gas with episode eight. Not every season, let alone show, needs to be ten hours long. Less is more.

That said, if you see Noah Hawley on the tin, watch it.

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Also, this month, my softball games have consistently been rained out, which has greatly annoyed me, and a lyric video I’ve been working hard on finally released.