Straight Outta Crouch End

Paterson , Jim Jarmusch's new movie after Only Lovers Left Alive, about a bus-driving poet in New Jersey, would seem to bear few similarities with its predecessor.  Only Lovers Left Alive told a story of two vampires, lovers,  who are at odds with the 21st century and spend their days reliving their memories. But Paterson is in fact as much of a fantasy as Only Lovers Left Alive , rehashing that film's themes of disconnection from the modern world and fetishisation of the past, and it fails on exactly the same artistic grounds, being mannered, fusty, self-regarding in tone, hollow in its intellectual proposition, and politically vacant or regressive. If you're paying attention you should have noticed one of the film's big themes before it's pointed out to you - but for the slower viewer, Jarmusch has it underlined in a moment of conversation at the old-timey, TV-free neighbourhood bar that Paterson (Adam Driver) frequents. Namely: Paterson is completely analogue ...

Hiya - in the days after the election of Donald Trump I heard lots of people saying that they want to do something , and I think a lot of people are confused about what, exactly, to do. I don't really have the answers, but I thought I'd just put down a few starting ideas of actions you can take. One thing I think we have seen in Brexit and then again in the election in the USA of Donald Trump, on a platform of social division targeting women and minorities, is a sense of disunity. I think people whom I've spoken to are looking to establish a feeling of connection, and I think part of the answer to the disaffection that enabled these political events to happen could be to get involved somehow. Here are some opportunities for that. This isn't intended to be preachy but helpful: I certainly need to do more myself to be involved, both politically and in my community. (I will update this post with other ideas as they're suggested to me) Join a political party that isn...

Watch all of Adam Sandler's films in reverse alphabetical order Read Infinite Jest, twice Vote Conservative in a general election, as an act of protest against UKIP Change my dating profile to say I love going on long walks, but also staying in Do an M.A. at Birkbeck on Drake and memes While my son and I are having breakfast one day, stab myself in the elbow with my knife and look at him with tears in my eyes as blood seeps into my sleeves, while saying to him, "What is the worth of a person, in this life? In this world?" Write an article for BuzzFeed ranking all the episodes of Carpool Karaoke to date Get a steady girlfriend Catch up on Glee Post that birthday card to my grandmother Hang up my Keep Calm and Carry On poster in my bedroom Change my Twitter handle to something spooky in time for Easter Enjoy a little getaway to Uganda with a coterie of fuckbuddies Accept a knighthood, for services to finance Watch a TED talk on 3D printing Watch every singl...