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Hello All,

Here are a few things that I thought were worth sharing this week:

1. For all the Studio Ghibli fans out there, who love the kind, gentle demeanor and tribute to nature. The Philosophy of Miyazaki. Almost all of Studio Ghibli movies are on Netflix India now.

2. Though I have to admit, as much as I wanted to love Frank Herbert’s classic, Dune, I couldn’t. But, I stumbled upon these fine series of videos Ted-Ed makes on “Why you should read”. Beautifully animated illustrations that capture the emotions of a book visually. Maybe Dennis Villeneuve will make me re-evaluate Dune when his movie releases later this year ( hopefully ).
   

3. Just in case you are ever trapped in quicksand. Just one of those things one finds when they spend too much time on Reddit. But, hey, why not?
   

4. Just 4 women driving in reverse at top speed or at least the equivalent of that while paying a tribute to Vivaldi and Mozart. These women have a history of violins.
   

   The Tracks in the video :

   Vivaldi 'Four seasons' - Presto from summer

   Mozart - The Piano Sonata No 16 in C major

5. If you do not like Electronic music then you must check this out. An interesting approach to discovering new music.

6. The video begins with a disclaimer that it is distressing content, it should have said “Uplifting Content” instead. Check out how Anna Coleman Ladd, a talented sculptor gave badly wounded World War I soldiers a second chance by giving them a new face.

7. To me, Meera’s writing is like Miyazaki meeting Mira Nair. If you like tender articulation of good old Indian middle-class nostalgia of a simpler world. Then, spare some time and go read this beautiful story by Meera Ganapathi. I read the story to the sounds of my “discover weekly” playlist on Spotify and it seemed to fit the words seamlessly.

8. TV: After Life by Ricky Gervais: How does one find the sweet spot between obnoxious dark humor and sensitivity? Ricky Gervais in his masterpiece does that in all departments ( Writing, Directing, and Acting ). Do not miss this one.

9. Music:

   • Every 1’s a Winner by Hot Chocolate. I discovered this while watching the delightfully written Frances Ha by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. In fact, just watch anything with those two in it. Nerdwriter analyses the dialogue writing skills of Noah Baumbach.

   • Lay me down by Crosby & Nash: I have been a huge fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for a long while. Their harmonious singing is on another level for me. This song is a fine example of that. I hope you have good speakers/headphones. Turn the volume up and listen.

   • Pink Floyd: Pulse Restored and Re-Edited. : Nothing more needs to be said about the power of Pink Floyd. They were way ahead of their time back in 1995 when this concert aired. Now, in 2020, they still put everyone else to shame.

   • Crowd sings Bohemian Rhapsody while waiting for Greenday to arrive. This has to be the clearest recording of the crowd at a concert ever.

10. Movies: The Handmaiden ( Korean ) Directed by Chan-wook Park. Imagine a Hitchcock meets Oldboy! Dark humour, sexual desire, social commentary, and revenge are all woven together by absolutely stunning production and visuals.

Thank you for reading.

If you are seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here.

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Hello All,

Here are a few things that I thought were worth sharing this week:

1. Only Alain De Botton can articulate a dystopian future in such a kind and gentle manner .

2. Arrabiatta Recipe that I am definitely going to try. Sun-dried tomatoes twist sounds so mouthwatering. If you are checking this out on your headphones, be warned.

3. Now that I have learnt Morse Code, I am ready for that basement life. On a lighter note, the whole thing is beautifully designed and keeps you effortlessly involved. You will learn to like and understand Morse Code in under 20 mins.

4. Twin Peaks
I can't say I am a fan of this supposedly pathbreaking TV show yet. But, I have to admit, right from the opening notes of the title theme, it got me hooked.

This is what David Lynch had to say :

“Just slow things down and it becomes more beautiful,” Lynch said to Badalamenti. He instructed the composer to imagine a young woman, clearly upset, emerging from the treeline. She gets closer and closer and the music swells towards a catharsis. Twenty minutes later the piece was complete. “Don’t change a single note,” said Lynch. “I see Twin Peaks.”
“When you finish anything, people want you to then talk about it. And I think it’s almost like a crime,” he once explained, when invited to unpack Twin Peaks. “A film or a painting – each thing is its own sort of language and it’s not right to try to say the same thing in words. The words are not there. The language of film, cinema, is the language it was put into, and the English language – it’s not going to translate. It’s going to lose.”


5. If you are utterly sick of all the insta live "masterclasses" and want to find something refreshing on instagram, I would suggest burying yourself in the world of Interior Design
At least, this way you can be depressed in a brand new fashion.


6. Watchmen and Watchmen ( TV series ) : I am 11 years too late to this masterpiece of a film. If only DC movies had carried on in this direction.( sigh ).

Thankfully the TV series is a worthy accompaniment!

7. The Genius of Rahman analysed by this genius of a person. He is the The Nerdwriter Indian cinema deserves.

Cinema Beyond Entertainment. Take a bow.


8. My all time favourite cinematographer, Roger Deakins has few things to say about the movies he has shot. I can listen to this man speaking about movies all day long.

9. I stumbled upon Monument Valley years ago while watching House of Cards and since then I have been on the look out for games with stunning minimal design and serene music. Alto’s Adventure is the only one that has come close. Finally, yesterday I found this list of games with similar visual language.

10. I can't believe I am listing down a tik-tok link here ( sort of ). The video made me look the song up. and I was convinced it was something from the 80s.

Blinding Lights : The Weeknd
Jaane Woh Kaise log the

Mothership of a collection ( 60s to 2000s songs that shaped modern music)

Thank you for reading.

If you are seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here .

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Hello All,

Here are a few things that I thought were worth sharing this week:

1. Näusicaa of the Valley of the Wind : How is Studio Ghibli always ahead of its time. To have created this in 1984. Current times making it more relevant than ever.
2. The Farewell . So many idiosyncrasies so close to home. Beautiful movie.
3. Revisited Iron Maiden thanks to this scene from S10 Ep11 of The Walking Dead. Perfect time to revisit TWD incase you had stopped watching after season 7. The song When The Wild Wind Blows is a tribute to the 1985 movie ( of the same name ). An elderly couple preparing for the inevitable nuclear attack. Find it, watch it.
4. Heston Blumenthal ‘s Chicken Roast is probably not a feasible idea. But, thanks to the said roast we have this goldmine of YouTube comments . P.S : There is a part 2 to this! Good God!
5. If only Calculus was taught like this in school.
6. Once this Coronavirus vanishes I really hope to visit Turkey and eat all of this! Trevor James you evil man!
7. Never had I ever dreamt that someday I would spend hours watching marbles race.
8. Also, thanks to Bong Eats , this week I made my first ever Roti. Now, all my orphaned side dishes will find a home :)

9. Songs from this week :

• Drug You by Half Moon Run

• True Faith by New Order

• Super Trouper by ABBA

10. Larry David being right as always . “You’re hurting old people like me. Well, not me... I’ll never see you.”

Thank you for reading.

If you are seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here .