On Thursday 7th March 2019 we discussed Keith's “Year" themed choices
BOOK: My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) by Ottessa Moshfegh
The 2016 Booker nominee’s fable about a New Yorker avoiding life through drug-induced sleep hits its targets with pitiless black humour. My Year of Rest and Relaxation uses vicious humour to engage with some profound issues: narcissism, abandonment, sex, privilege, self loathing, identity, status, fashion, art, urbanity and more.
Keith wife’s wonders if she even knows him after he was a little underwhelmed.
Nigel, Robin and Tristan loved it and proclaimed another brilliant book group choice. It combines the blankness of Bret Easton Ellis with the pharmacology of Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation. Nigel also read Ottessa Moshfegh's 2016 Booker nominated Eileen, also v good. A new favourite author. Hurrah.
Roland and Nick were less taken with it.
Nick 7 / Tristan 8.5 / Nigel 9 / Keith 6 / Roland 6.5 / Robin 8
MUSIC: This Year's Model by Elvis Costello / The Golden Year by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
Two for the price of one as Keith curates the best of This Year's Model and The Golden Year
Many of us love early Elvis. Superb. Righteous indignation shackled to hooktastic tunes and biting lyrics. This Year’s Model is an early gem. It was this album that he first worked with The Attractions and really attained lift off. One of the all time great rock n roll bands, specialising in nervous, amphetamine-fuelled, paranoid music. Few key tracks missing in the playlist not least Lipstick Vogue and Night Rally.
Keith loves Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and wanted to share the love. We were saddened to discover the singer committed suicide in 2010 just as they were gaining a bit of traction. They still made this, their debut album. It’s OK. Perhaps too much of a contrast to the brilliant Elvis Costello.
FILM: The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006) directed by Cao Hamburger
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (Portuguese: O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias) is a 2006 Brazilian drama film directed by Cao Hamburger. The screenplay, which took four years to be completed, was written by Hamburger, Adriana Falcão, Claudio Galperin, Anna Muylaert and Bráulio Mantovani.
An enjoyable little film. Apparently highly acclaimed in Brazil and South America. The acting is great. The sympathetic little boy at the centre of the story works really well as a way of highlighting both the world cup, the dictatorship and resistance, and his own confusion and insecurity.
It was well received by everyone except Roland who, somewhat inexplicably, went on an impassioned rant about its short comings. Amongst his many complaints was that the love interest was not sufficiently attractive and the film lacked CGI. Another chapter in HBG folklore was written
Endorse it
Holy Holy featuring Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti playing Ziggy + The Man Who Sold The World at De La Warr pavilion (Live Concert)
Lewes Psychedelic Festival (Event)
Ian Brown - Ripples (2019) (CD/LP/Download)
Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury (2019) (CD/LP/Download)
Weezer - Weezer (Black Album) (2019) (CD/LP/Download)
Lana del Rey - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it (Single)
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (Pop Group)
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Book)
The Favourite (film)
Tree of Blood (Netflix film)
Sunday’s Illness (Netflix film)
Icarus (Netflix documentary)
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (Netflix documentary)
Three Identical Strangers (Documentary film)
Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me (Documentary film)
Isle of Portland (Place)
