Obsessions #17: This Is My Father’s Ducal Signet!

Everything I’ve been reading, watching and listening to in 2024 so far

Hello and welcome back to Obsessions with a super-sized catch-up edition! I’ve been very busy with grad school for the last ten months, hence no newsletters.  

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What I’ve Been Reading 

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (2005, Vintage Books) 

Oppenheimer was one of my favourite films from last year, so I had to read the brick of a biography it’s based on. At 721 pages, this book is a TOME but worth reading as a piece of well-written non-fiction. 

I’m not even someone who likes reading about science or war history, and yet I learned so much about physics, McCarthyism and the Cold War. I would recommend this to Nolan heads and dads everywhere. 

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib (2024, Random House) 

Readers of this newsletter are aware of my love for Hanif Abdurraqib, who might be one of the greatest living writers of our time. Taking on the rise of LeBron James as it relates to Abdurraqib’s own life in Ohio, There’s Always This Year is Abdurraqib’s most honest, mature and inventive work yet.  

There’s Always This Year is a sports book at its core, but it’s also so much more than that. The text combines his usual blend of cultural criticism with a deeply poetic writing style but incorporates more elements of memoir than ever before. Shout out to anyone who can read this and not cry at least five times. 

Girlfriends by Emily Zhou (2023, LittlePuss Press) 

Girlfriends is the latest release from the excellent feminist small press LittlePuss Press. Written by New York City-based Emily Zhou, it’s a short story collection that takes on coming-of-age fare through the lens of a series of young trans-women protagonists.  

The book has major Mary Gaitskill Bad Behavior vibes but updated for the current queer moment. Read Zhou’s thoughts own on publishing the collection and a bonus story on her Substack.  

Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt: A Memoir in Verse by Brontez Purnell (2024, MCD) 

Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt is the new book from queer punk poet provocateur Brontez Purnell. Subtitled as a “memoir in verse,” the poetry collection subverts the idea of what exactly that genre should entail.

It’s emotively raw, extremely funny and made for outsiders. Make poetry dangerous again! 

Fan Fiction: A Satire by Tavi Gevinson (2024, Self-Published) 

I’m not the biggest Taylor Swift fan (I’M NOT TRYING TO BE A PICK ME GIRL, I’M JUST BEING HONEST). But, as a longtime Rookie reader, I knew I had to devour Tavi Gevinson’s free self-published zine about Swift as soon as I heard about it. 

Fan Fiction is a satirical and genre-blending take on what Swift and her music means to Gevinson, who briefly used to be friends with Swift IRL. One Internet commentator said it’s “Gevinson doing I Love Dick,” which is super accurate. I just love smart writing by young women about music and fandom. 

What I’ve Been Watching 

Dune: Part Two (2024, Dir. Denis Villeneuve)  

A bleak sci-fi franchise for our times! Dune: Part Two is an exhilarating visual feast with some of the biggest rising movie stars of this generation. Although I personally prefer the first movie, there’s no denying that its sequel is a more than worthy continuation of Frank Herbert’s epic tale.  

My favourite scenes are the Giedi Prime black-and-white gladiator sequence and Paul riding the grandfather worm. My favourite lines of dialogue are Léa Seydoux saying “He’s sexually vulnerable” and Timothée Chalamet screaming “THIS IS MY FATHER’S DUCAL SIGNET!” I watched this movie three times in six weeks, which is the fastest I’ve rewatched a film ever.  

The People’s Joker (2022, Dir. Vera Drew) 

No budget, all heart. Originally released at TIFF in 2022 before going through legal hell due to its use of copyrighted material, The People’s Joker is now screening in select cities.  

The film is a coming-of-queer story that uses Batman characters to explore everything from mommy issues to the alt-comedy scene. It's punk as fuck, wickedly funny and genuinely moving. It’s rare to see a modern film that feels like an instant cult classic. See it in a theatre if you can. 

Lisa Frankenstein (2024, Dir. Zelda Williams) 

Speaking of instant cult classic... Your mileage may vary with Zelda Williams’ directorial debut Lisa Frankenstein, but I adored it. The film follows an outcast goth girl, Lisa Swallows, as she accidentally resurrects a corpse before the pair embark on a killing spree.  

It’s Heathers mixed with Edward Scissorhands told with Diablo Cody’s signature biting snark. The soundtrack is nothing but ‘80s alt bangers (Galaxie 500 AND Jesus and Mary Chain!) and features the best use of a Pixies song in a film since Fight Club. Plus, it’s exceptionally romantic and shockingly sticks the landing. 

Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show (2024, HBO) 

Best known for his uber-honest coming-out special Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show follows the American comedian trying to live his life more honestly in front of the cameras. Setting himself up in a Truman Show-like scenario where he is filmed 24/7, the narrative follows Carmichael as he navigates his life as an out celebrity.  

It’s difficult to watch because it’s so emotionally raw, but viewers will be rewarded with meta-television moments that will make their heads spin. Recommended if you’re a fan of slow cinema and feeling secondhand embarrassment.  

Reality TV Speed Round 

Yes, I love BOOKS and FILMS, but more than that I love REALITY TELEVISION!  

The Traitors US (Season Two) is an incredibly entertaining assemblage of ‘00s reality contestants past. Couple to Throuple (Season One) is the messy bisexual dating show I always needed.

Vanderpump Rules (Season 11) is a horrifically miserable slog, but Vanderpump Villa (Season One) is unexpectedly old-school and refreshingly entertaining. RuPaul’s Drag Race (Season 16) is a top-five season of the entire franchise while Survivor (Season 46) is probably one of the worst.  

What I’ve Been Listening To 

Sexy Unique Podcast 

Speaking of Vanderpump Rules, Sexy Unique Podcast has become my favourite recap podcast for the Bravo spin-off. Hosts Lara Marie Schoenhals and Carey O’Donnell make listening to a recap of a VPR episode infinitely more entertaining than watching a VPR episode itself.  

Their impressions of the cast members’ voices are particularly hilarious, but their general pop culture recaps are equally fun. You don’t even need to watch the show to enjoy the podcast if you think of it like a radio play! 

The Big Picture  

The Big Picture has quickly become one of my favourite podcasts as well. An essential listen for film fans and theatre-goers everywhere, hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins track the latest releases and break them down.  

The pair often differ in their opinions, making their dynamic extremely fun to listen to. Plus, the podcast often includes tons of lists and rankings, including hall-of-fame and draft episodes that dig back into box office history. Their recent 1999 Mega-Movie Draft episode would be a great place to start!

Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023)  

Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess came out last year, but it’s safe to say that the queer pop artist’s star is fully rising now following the release of her excellent Tiny Desk concert and supporting slot on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour.  

The album brings an early 2010s Lady Gaga-meets-Scissor Sisters maximalist camp approach back to pop music, a style that’s been absent amongst the contemporary reign of Billie Eilish-inspired funeral dirges.  

The vibe is fun and sexy while the songwriting level is truly through the roof. “Red Wine Supernova” and “Casual” are my personal favourites, but almost every song is a banger. Best lyric: “Knee deep in the passenger seat / And you’re eating me out / Is it casual now?”  

Green Day – Saviors (2024) 

Even as a Green Day superfan, I wasn’t expecting much from their latest album. But it’s safe to say that Saviors is the band’s best work since 2009’s 21^st Century Breakdown. The album finds the pop-punk trio going back to their roots with catchy 3-minute bops, with tracks “Bobby Sox” and “Dilemma” being the standouts.  

Are the lyrics often cringe? Yes. But are the songs fun? Also yes. To me, it’s a miracle that this album is even as good as it is, so I’ll take it! (As a sidenote, I’m seeing Green Day on tour in August and yes, I will be crying my eyes out the entire time.)  

Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter (2024) 

The day before Cowboy Carter came out, I told my boyfriend, “The good news is that there’s a new Beyoncé album. The bad news is that she’s going country.” However, Beyoncé once again proved that whatever she does, she goes above and beyond all expectations. 

The album is a genre-defying 27-track showcase of musical fusion and defiance. Just as she did on 2022’s Renaissance for the history of dance music, Cowboy Carter takes the listener on a journey to show how Black people have always been at the forefront of the evolution of hillbilly, roots and country sounds.

Particularly noteworthy are the covers of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” which are given new context and meaning through Beyoncé’s personal history and identity. I need Quentin Tarantino to keep making The Movie Critic just so there can be a “YA YA” needle drop in it.  

Thanks for reading!