Directors Commentary

Hi y'all,

No post this week - it's been short and busy, so I'm gifting myself a reprieve from the routine. I know, I know, you're devastated. Chin up. We'll get through this together.

• One of the reasons this week felt short was because this Sunday felt pretty big. I was lucky to get to participate in a gravel bike race up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado called SBT GRVL. It's a 'gravel race' because the majority of the route is on dirt roads or unpaved paths, but there's still a mix of some paved roads, and the whole thing is supposed to be fast. First the small win: I was very pleased to hit my set pace (average miles per hour) and finish-time goals, despite suboptimal training and fighting a small mechanical issue with the bike on the course. But more importantly - bike race weekends like this one are awesome, and I'd highly encourage anyone interested in racing a bike to sign up for one. Most race weekends have several different length routes to choose from, so you don't have to be thrown into the deep end right away. Oh, and shout out to readers Chase and Caitlin for making the trip up as well for the weekend!
• Finished my big summer book East of Eden last week and am still processing a lot of my thoughts on the book as a whole. I've got a few reviews of it saved in Reader that I'm excited to dive into once I've had more time to sit with my own thoughts. The theme of Thou Mayest as a throughline - following multiple generations germinating and wreaking havoc - is really interesting and compelling, and led me to believe, by the end, that the villains of the book are a wider pool than the ones Steinbeck comes out and names for you. Anyway, if you're interested in dipping your toes into this story, it looks like Netflix has an adaptation coming out this fall. Curious to see how it is.
• I shared a few weeks ago that clip of Bill Simmons and David Letterman talking about feeling like failures at turning their ideas into reality (which, based on their level of success, was interesting to hear). Same boat here - Robert Eggers talking smack about his directorial debut The VVitch in the director's commentary. Worth a watch even if you haven't seen the film - out of context it's just funny, and in context it's wild, given how well received the VVitch was. I mention it because everyone has a self-critical side. Even the people whose work you admire. It's not a reason to let it stop you doing anything - just a reminder that there's a fine line between using it to improve and letting it wreck you. Oh, and I'm really excited for Eggers' next movie, 'Werwulf.'
• I'm a big fan of NYT Cooking - Macy and I use it often, frequently to the detriment of our collection of lovely cookbooks (which we need to use more often). We've cooked this and this recently - both delicious, quick mid-week meals. What I want to share particularly, though, is their recent piece on which condiments actually need to be refrigerated and which don't. I haven't decided if I'm fully a convert yet - I'd need to adjust my worldview a bit to fully adhere.
• Sports have been almost too much fun this week. The US pulled off a gutsy, unexpected World Cup knockout win yesterday - thanks to our local watering hole Crystal Springs Brewing for putting the TV outside during the game. NBA free agency has gone off, shocking trades and signings everywhere. And the Tour de France kicks off tomorrow. Again - almost too much fun this week.
• Finally, the song rec this week is Right Back to It by Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman (Spotify, Apple). If you get a chance to see either live, I recommend going out of your way to make that happen. I'm hardly the first to rec this (it was Pitchfork's #2 song of 2024), but it's been on rotation recently and feels great for these hot, lingering summer evenings where the sun seems hesitant to set. Cold beer, grilling, cut grass, all that nonsense also pair well.

Till next time,

Joey.