The Binge YearFor the past 7 years I've kept a diary of all the culture I take in during a year: TV, film, books, podcasts. Loosely inspired by Steven Soderbergh's annual lists, which are insane.
RULES - I don't track food or music, unless I experienced them with cultural intention. Meaning: getting take out doesn't count, going to a restaurant doesn't count; but going to a restaurant with the intention of trying something spectacular, does. Same with music. - I similarly don't track news, one-off articles, or short reading, unless it's with specific intention. - This is not a place to differentiate between live theatre, filmed archival theatre, zoom theatre. If the author's medium is theatre, it's theatre as far as this list is concerned. HIGHLIGHTS Midnight Gospel - this mad and wild mash up of philosophical / spiritual podcast with dark fantasy animation was the perfect content for me in 2020. It's hilarious, eye and mind expanding, genuinely moving and hopeful. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga - This Will Ferrell / Rachel McAdams comedy is so dumb we watched it twice. It's a genuine delight, silly and knows it, and the music is genuinely solid (we still put it on). Beckett Trilogy - After fighting in the French Resistance, Samuel Beckett locked himself in a room for three years and wrote all of his seminal works, including these three minimalist novels in which characters increasingly cannot move, and instead delve deeper to go fishing in their own streams of consciousness. I don't know what compelled me to pick this up in April of 2020 but it was funny, powerful, and eerily timely. Zack Efron's Down to Earth - Zack Efron travels the world, exploring eco-conscious systems and businesses in Iceland, Costa Rica, and many others. It's light, fun, bro-ey, insightful, and oddly addictive. I May Destroy You - I have no words. If you haven't watched this, watch this. Short Silent Films - I've always loved silent and early films, but this year I took a few tumbles into the weird, particularly the early horror and magic films of Georges Melies, who basically invented the B Movie before there were even movies. LEGEND Film. Screenplay (Read) Play (seen live) Play (read) TV (watched) TV (read) Book / Publication Podcast. Museum / Art Gallery Music. Food THE 2020 LIST: 1.1 The Force Awakens The Last Jedi 1.2 The Good Place 4.1 1.3 The Good Place 4.2, 4.3 1.4 The Likeness by Tana French 1.5 The Good Place 4.4, 4.5 1.6 The Good Place 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 1.7 The Good Place 4.9 1.8 Gingerbread Chef’s Choice 1.10 Ready or Not Clueless, w/d by Amy Heckerling The Good Place 4.10 Sick in the Head, by Judd Apatow 1.11 What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe and Susan Tuma Conan O’Brian Needs a Friend: Charles Barkley Schitt’s Creek: 2.12, 2.13, 3.1, 3.2 1.12 Moby Dick by Dave Malloy Schitt’s Creek 3.3, and 3.4 1.13 Monty Python’s Life of Brian Schitt’s Creek 3.5 1.14 Animated Shorts: Cinderella by Lotte Resigner Little Nemo aka Winsor McCay The Sculptor’s Nightmare, D.W. Griffith, 1908 How Animated Cartoons are Made, by Wallace Carlson, 1919 Schitt’s Creek 3.6 1.15 Musings with Rabelais by Steven Bogart 1.16 Schitt’s Creek 3.7 1.17 Schitts Creek 3.8 Faithful Place by Tana French Conan OBrien Needs a Friend: Nikki Glaser, 3.9, 3.10 1.18 New Bedford Whaling Museum Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez 1.19 We all Fall Down Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Ben Stiller The Kids are Alright 1.20 The Good Place 4.11 Schitt’s Creek 3.11, 3.12, 3.13 1.21 Tiny Furniture w/d Lena Dunham Schitt’s Creek 4.1 1.22 Broken Harbor by Tana French 1.23 The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes 1.24 On the Razzle by Tom Stoppard Schitt’s Creek 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 1.26 The Good Place 4.12 SNL: Adam Driver 1.27 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara Schitt’s Creek 4.5, 4.6 1.28 Donald And the…; & Donald Has a Difficulty; w Peter F Neumeyer; illus Edward Gorey Schitt’s Creek 4.7 1.29 Schitt’s Creek 4.8, 4.9 1.30 Do The Right Thing, w/d Spike Lee Gloria: A Life, by Emily Mann 1.31 The Secret Place, by Tana French The Good Place 4.13 2.1 Schitt’s Creek 4.10 2.2 Pass Over Super Bowl VII 2.3 Schitt’s Creek 4.11 2.4 Schitt’s Creek 4.12 2.5 Monty Python 2:12: Spam 2.6 The Last Catastrophist by David Valdes 2.7 Democratic Debate 2.8 The Trespasser by Tana French The Interrobangers by M Sloth Levine Serene Jones: On Being Schitts Creek: Merry Christmas Johnny Rose 2.9 Beneski Museum of Natural History 2.10 Downhill 2.12 Endless Night, Agatha Christie Schitt’s Creek 5.1 2.13 The Office: 3.16 Business School Schitt’s Creek 5.2, 5.3 2.14 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Keegan Michael Key Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Sarah Silverman TS I Love You 2.15 Sweat by Lynn Nottage The Moving Finger, Agatha Christie 2.16 Miss Americana 2.17 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Judd Apatow Schitt’s Creek 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 2.18 Schitt’s Creek 5.7 and 5.8 2.19 The Murder of Daniel Ackroyd, Agatha Christie Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Jessie Eisenberg 2.20 Dance Nation by Claire Barron Schitt’s Creek 5.9 and 5.10 2.21 Do the Right Thing: A Spike Lee Joint Museum Piece by JJK 2.22 The Subtext: Clare Barron’s Secret Sauce Schitt’s Creek 5.11 and 5.12 2.23 Sleeping With Other People w/d Lesley Headland 2.24 The Subtext: Adam Symkowicz on Redefining Success Five Little Pigs, Agatha Christie 2.25 Blue Velvet by Michael Atkinson 2.26 Schitt’s Creek 5.13 2.27 The Office Pilot 2.28 Vanity Fair Hollywood 2020 2.29 METG Prelims @ Hanover High 3.1 Parasite w/d Bong Joon Ho 3.2 Vanity Fair March 2020 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Ali Wong Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: John Mulaney Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: Will Ferrell Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Welcome to the Hellmouth 3.3 Documentary Now: The CoOp 3.4 Frank Forgot his Wallet, by Keith Foster Parks & Recreation: Pilot 3.5 Monty Python 2:13 What We Do in the Shadows - original Short Two Cars, One Night, w/d Taika Waititi 3.6 Babies, 1.1 3.7 Murder is Announced, Agatha Christie rEvolution at Boston Ballet The Subtext: Crystal Skillman Babies: 1.2 (First Food) 3.8 Babies 1.3 3.9 Babies 1.4 3.11 Babies 1.5 Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie Mamàgua by Sebastián Alberdi 3.12 Plata Quemada, Teatro Cinema 3.13 McMillion$ Ep 1 and 2 3.14 Contagion, dir Steven Soderbergh 3.15 Babies 1.6 3.16 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Paul Rubens Towards Zero, Agatha Christie Will and Grace Pilot 3.19 The Office 2.1 3.20 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Will Arnett McMillion$ Ep 3 The Office 2.3 3.21 The Office 2.22 3.22. Becoming a Man, P. Carl 3.23 The Office, 3.2 3.24 The Office 3.7 3.25 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Whitney Cummings Everything But, by Aislinn Frantz 3.26. The Subtext: Will Arbery’s Guilt Traps The Office 3.8 3.27 The Subtext: Chisa Hutchinson The Office 3.10 3.28 McMillion$ Ep 3, 4 3.29 McMillion$ Ep 5 3.30 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Steve Coogan 3.31 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Jim Gaffigan Armchair Expert: Rainn Wilson 4.1 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Lisa Kudrow Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Patton Oswalt McMillion$ Ep 6 4.2 Armchair Expert: Ronan Farrow Armchair Expert: Kumail Nanjiani and Rob McElheny Tiger King ep 1 4.3 Welcome tot he Goddamn Ice Cube, by Blair Braverman Armchair Expert: Josh Gad Tiger king ep 2, 3 4.4 Tiger King Ep 4, 5 4.5 Tiger King Ep 6 7 4.6 Vanity Fair, April 2020 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 3.1 4.7 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 3.2 4.8 The Office 3.11 4.9 The Office 3.12 4.10. The Office 3.13 4.11. Conan O’ Brien needs a Friend: D’Arcy Carden Sugar Calling: George Saunders Moonstruck 4.12 The Office 3.18 4.14 Molloy, by Samuel Beckett Insecure, Pilot Breaking Bad, Pilot 4.15 Friday Night Lights Pilot The Office 3.19 4.16 The Office 3.20 4.17 The Office 3.21 4.18 Date Night 4.19 Mallone Dies, by Samuel Beckett The Office 3.22 4.20 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 3.3 4.21 4.22 The Office 3.23 4.23 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 3.4 4.24 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 3.5 4.25 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Kevin Nealon; Ricky Gervais The Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened 4.26 The Unnameable, Samuel Beckett The Office 4.1 4.27 The Office 4.2 POP Class: Will Arbery 4.28 the good place pilot Veep 1.1, 1.3 Vanity Fair April 2020 4.29 In praise of Darkness, Borges Veep 1.3 Armchair Expert: Ed Helms 4.30 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Nick Kroll Nosferatu the Vampyre by M. Sloth Levine The Book of Sand, Jose Luis Borges 5.1 Shakespeare’s Memories, Borges The Office 4.5 5.2 Hollywood Ep 1 & 2 5.3 National Theatre Live: Frankenstein 5.4 Hollywood Ep 3 The Office 4.6 5.5 Hollywood Ep 4 The Nanny Pilot Zoom Reading 5.6 The Good Place, Pilot (screenplay) Hollywood Ep 5 5.7 Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey, Ed Karen Wilkins Hollywood Ep 6 5.8 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Ted Danson Hollywood Episode 7 5.10 Schitt’s Creek 6.1 5.11 Schitt’s Creek 6.2 POP Class: Clare Barron 5.12 Schitt’s Creek 6.3 5.13 Schitt’s creek 6.4 5.14 Schitt’s Creak 6.5 5.15 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Mike Meyers Schitt’s Creek 6.6 Bullets on Broadway (interactive Murder Mystery) 5.16 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 5.17 5.18 Pop Class: Michael R. Jackson The Last Dance Ep 1 5.19 The Last Dance Ep 2 5.20 The Last Dance ep 3 Schitt’s Creek 6.7 5.21 The Last Dance ep 4 Schitts Creek 6.8 5.22 Conan O’Brien needs a friend: JJ Abrams The Last Dance 5 and 6 5.23 The Last Dance, ep 7, 8, 9 NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire 5.24 Schitt’s Creek 6.9 5.25 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Russell Brand The Last Dance Ep 10 Schitt’s Creek 6.10 5.26 What we Do in the Shadows 1.1 and 1.2 5.27 Schitt’s Creek 6.11 5.28 Schitt’s Creek 6.12 5.29 Gray’s Anatomy, dir Steven Soderbergh 5.30 Vanity Fair June 2020 The Office 4.8 5.31 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me 6.1 Monty Python’s Flying Circus, 3.1: Whicker’s World Monty Python’s Flying Circus, 3.2: Mr. and Mrs. Brian Norris’ Ford Popular 6.2 Franklin Park Protest 6.3 I Am Not Your Negro, by James Baldwin and Raoul Peck 6.4 Bob Dylan: No Direction Home 6.5 Woody Guthrie: Ain’t Got No Home 6.7 Schitt’s Creek 6.13 6.8 Schitt’s Creek 6.14 6.9 Nobody Knows My Name, by James Baldwin Scitt’s Creek Finale Behind the Scenes 6.10 What we Do in the Shadows 1.3 and 1.4 Veep 4.1 6.11 What we Do in the Shadows 1.5 Spinal Tap original Demo 6.12 Dave Chapelle 8:46 What we Do In the Shadows 1.6 6.13 Insecure 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 6.15 Insecure 4.4, 4.5 6.16 WWDITS 1.7, 8, 9, 10 6.17 WWDITS 2.1, 2.2 Diana Oh H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre 6.18 WWDITS 2.3, 2.4 6.19 The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, by Anand Giridhardas The Case for Reparations, Ta-Nehisi Coates WWDITS 2.5 Insecure 4.6, 4.7 6.20 WWDITS 2.6 2.7, 2.8 The Happiest Season, w/d Clea DuVall 6.21 Insecure 4.8 and 4.9 6.22 6.23 Insecure 4.10 6.24 The Office 4.9 6.25 Hillary Ep 1 6.26 Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga 6.27 Hillary Ep 2 Veep 4.2 6.28 Hillary Ep 3 and 4 6.29 6.30 Midnight Gospel Ep 1 and 2 7.1 Midnight Gospel 3, 4 Veep 4.3 A Sense of Occasion, Harold Prince 7.2 Veep 4.4 7.3 Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga 7.4 7.5 Monster in a Box, by Spalding Gray 7.6 Midnight Gospel 6 WWDITS 2.8, 2.9 7.7 Midnight Gospel 7, 8 7.8 Veep 4.5 7.9 7.10 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Tom Hanks And Here’s the Kicker, by Mike Sacks 7.11 Bullets On Broadway Murder Mystery 7.12 Swimming to Cambodia by Spalding Gray 7.13 Veep 4.6 7.15 Veep 4.7 7.16 Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend: Rob Lowe Veep 4.8 7.17 Veep 4.9, 4.10 7.18 Rewrites, by Neil Simon Palm Springs 7.20 Down to Earth: Iceland 7.22 Down to Earth: Costa Rica 7.23 Down to Earth: Sardinia The Play Goes On, by Neil Simon 7.24 Ole White Sugah Daddy (Zoom), by Obehi Janice 7.25 The Clash: 1977 7.26 Forgetting Sarah Marshall 7.27 Down to Earth: London 7.29 Down to Earth: France Vanity Fair July 2020 7.30 Down to Earth: Puerto Rico Shonda Rhimes Masterclass (finished) 7.31 Down to Earth: Lima & Iquitos 8.1 Portrait of a Lady on Fire 8.2 The Man With The Golden Gun, Ian Fleming I May Destroy You, 1 and 2 8.3 I May Destroy You 3 and 4 8.5 Abingdon Square by Maria Irene Fornes I May Destroy You 5 and 6 8.6 Museum by Tina Howe I May Destroy You 7 and 8 8.8 Bring Down The House 8.9 Get Him to the Greek The Office 4.11 8.10 Goldfinger by Ian Fleming 8.12 I May Destroy You, 9 8.13 I May Destroy You, 10 8.16 The Office 5.1, 2, 3 8.17 The Office 5.4 I May Destroy You, 11 8.18 The Office 5.5 8.19 The sandman, 1-8, Preludes and Nocturnes The Office 5.6, 5.7 8.20 8.21 The Office 5.8 Dark Tourist: USA 8.22 End of the Fucking World, Ep 1, 2, 3 The Office, 5.9, 5.10 8.23 End of the Fucking World, Ep 4 The Office 5.11 8.24 I May Destroy You, 12 8.25 Big Mouth 1.1 The Office 5.12 8.26 The Office 5.13 8.27 Zone One by Colson Whitehead 8.28 The Office 5.14-5.15 8.29 End of the Fucking World, 5-8 Escape from New York 8.30 End of the Fucking World 2.1, 2.2 The Office 5.16 8.31 End of the Fucking World 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 The Office 5.17 9.1 Basquiat: Rage to Riches 9.2 You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming End of the Fucking World 2.6, 2.7, 2.8 The Office 5.18 and 5.19 9.3 The Office 5.20 The Met: In Search of Fashion 9.4 Radiant Child: JMB The Office 5.21, 5.22 9.5 The Office 5.23, 5.24, 5.25 9.6 The Office 5.26, 5.27, 5.28 9.8 The Office 6.1 Vanity Fair September 2020 9.9 The Office 6.3, 6.4 9.10 Babies 2.1; The Office 6.5 9.11 9.12 My Best Friend’s Wedding 9.13 Dark Tourist: Return to America 9.14 The Office 6.6 9.15 The Town, dir Ben Affleck 9.16 Inside Man, dir Spike Lee Babies 2.2 9.17 Point Break, dir. Katherine Bigelow 9.18 White Men Can’t Jump w/d Ron Shelton The Thomas Crown Affair, dir. John McTiernan 9.19 The Office 6.7, 6.8, 6.9 9.20 Thelma & Louise 9.21 Inception, w/d Christopher Nolan 9.22 The Office 6.10 9.23 The Office 6.11 and 6.12 9.24 The Office 6.13, 6.14, 6.15 9.25 Training Day The Office 6.16 9.26 Pineapple Express 9.27 The Office 6.17 Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky 9.28 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid The Office 6.18 9.29 The Office 6.19, 6.20 9.30 The Office 6.21, 6.22 10.1 Tom Waits: Under Review Underworld (first 40 minutes) 10.2 Zodiac, dir David Fischer 10.3 American Murder: The Family Next Door 10.4 Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 10.5 Mountain, Jake Alexander The Office 6.23, 6.24 10.6 The Invitation, dir Karyn Kusama 10.7 The Office 6.25, 6.26 10.8 The Sign of Four, AC Doyle Minority Report, dir Steven Spielberg 10.9 My Octopus Teacher 10.10 Weekend with Picasso, w/s Herbert Siguenza The Office 7.1 10.11 The Office 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 10.12 The Drowned World, by JG Ballard 10.13 Cam, dir. Daniel Goldhaber 10.14 The Office 7.5 10.15 Vanity Fair October 2020 The Office 7.6, 7.7 10.16 Sleepy Hollow, dir Tim Burton 10.17 Nightcrawler 10.18 Over the Garden Wall 1 & 2 The Office 7.8 10.19 Over the Garden Wall 3&4 The Office 7.9, 7.10 10.20 Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn The Staircase Ep 1 10.21 The Staircase Ep 2 Over the Garden Wall 5 & 6 The Office 7.11 and 7.12 10.22 An American Werewolf in London 10.23 Vanity Fair November 2020 The Office 7.13, 14 15, 16 10.24 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Colin Quinn My Next Guest…Robert Downey Jr. The Office 7.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 10.25 The Staircase Ep 3 The Office 7.23, 24, 25, 26 - END SEASON 7 10.26 Bob Fosse: Steam Heat The Staircase Ep 4 10.27 Clue The Never List, by Koethi Zan 10.28 SALEM pilot Zoom reading 10.29 My Next Guest… Dave Chapelle 10.30 Dracula, Radio Play Over the Gardel Wall 7 & 8 10.31 Bram Stoker’s Dracula, FFC The Girl on the Train 11.1 Over the Garden Wall 9 and 10 11.2 The Staircase Ep 5 & 6 11.3 The Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick 11.4 Queen’s Gambit, 3 and 4 11.5 The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle Queens Gambit Ep 5 11.6 The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Rashida Jones Queen’s Gambit 6 11.7 The Adventures of the Noble Bachelor, Arthur Conan Doyle The Office 2.7 11.8 The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, Arthur Conan Doyle Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Hillary Clinton Queen’s Gambit 7 11.9 The Staircase Ep 7 and 8 The Office, 2.9 11.10 Truth Seekers ep 1 The Office 2.13 11.11 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Sam Richardson Homo Sapiens: Debby Harry 11.12 My Next Guest Needs no Introduction: Lizzo; Kim Kardashian The Office 2.15 11.13 Hooking Up, dir. Nico Raineau 11.14 Gone Girl, dir David Fincher 11.18 The Searcher by Tana French 11.20 Killing Eve 2.1 11.21 Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: John Leguizamo Homo sapiens: Murray Hill 11.23 Dallas Morning News 11.23.1963 edition Sex & Vanity by Kevin Kwan 11.25 Vanity Fair December Truth Seekers ep 2 Knives Out 11.27 The Bling Wring w/d Sofia Coppola 11.28 There’s Something About Mary, Farrelly Brothers 11.29 You’re Wrong About…The Newsboy Strike of 1899 Killing Eve 2.2, 2.3 11.30 Creativity: a short and cheerful guide, John Cleese Dr. Strangelove… Stanley Kubrick & Terry Southern Dr. Strangelove... dir. by Stanley Kubrick 12.1 The Office 2.18 12.2 The Office 2.19 12.3 The Maiden Heist, dir. Peter Hewitt The Office 2.20 12.4 Ocean’s Eleven - screenplay by Ted Griffin Ocean’s Eleven, dir. Steven Soderbergh 12.5 Which Lie Did I Tell? by William Goldman Easy A The Office 2.21 12.6 Killing Eve 2.4, 2.5 12.7 The Office 2.4 12.8 The Killing, dir. Kubrick 12.10 Bridesmaids, screenplay by Kristen Wiig 12.11 The City & The City by China Mieville Holiday Movies We Love: Elf 12.12 Le Manoir du Diable by Georges Melies Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: John Cleese Killing Eve 2.6 12.13 Vanity Fair Holiday 2020/2021 Killing Eve 2.7 and 2.8 12.14 The Office 2.8 12.16 The Fury of the Demon, Fabien Delage 12.17 The Office 2.10 12.18 STORY by Robert McKee 12.19 ELF 12.20 Le Voyage dans La Lune dir Georges Melies Un Homme de Tetes dir Georges Melies 12.21 Gunga Din dir George Stevens 12.23 Defeated Nintendo World Cup Soccer: Tournament Ruthless People Conan O’Brien needs a friend: Amy Sedaris 12.24 Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam You’re Wrong About: Marie Antoinette It’s a Wonderful Life 12.25 Happiest Season Love Actually 12.26 The Family Stone 12.27 Office Christmas Party 12.28 Killing Eve 3.1 12.29 Killing Eve 3.1 Ken Burns Masterclass Ep 8 12.30 The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith Ken Burns Masterclass Ep 9, 10 The Office 1.5 12.31 Winonathon: Heathers Reality Bites Little Women The Crucible Girl, Interrupted Autumn In New York Destination Wedding
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