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I was looking at where to take my recommendation today. I was thinking about writing about Chalamet's press run, which I still might do; there's a few vintage places that I want to shout out; there's the second season of Druski's "Couldn't Be Records" show; Stephon Marbury's highlight package from his time with the New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, and the New York Knicks showed up on my YouTube page.
However, I watched Willy Wonka last night, and it's a genuine wonder. I am recommending everyone watch Gene Wilder make fun of kids (his performance is the ultimate "fuck them kids" role), and live as a recluse who can't trust anyone. There are no family movies like this, and it's one of the many reasons why cinema is dying. No amount of toy sales can amount to the feeling of giving kids real imagination, real delight, real humor, and real life. It is not lost on me that Charlie is a pauper boy who is living with two sets of grandparents (!!!). Now, Charlie would be middle class with a hot mom, or something, and he would have a gay best friend. He'd be a Wonka mentee, and not a boy who used wonka's chocolate bars to be blissfully innocent. People are not telling stories; they are weaponizing identities. Check out Willy Wonka on Max.
Jan 17, 2025
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It was one of my favorites as a kid! I loved when they enter the main room (don't remember the name lol) and pure imagination starts playing, it was one of my favorite songs to listen to, and still remains a song with a kind of mysticism
Jan 18, 2025
It was one of my favorites as a kid! I watched this video about it recently and really enjoyed hearing their thoughts + all of the information about the background of this movie and how it was made
Jan 17, 2025
taterhole what are the chances I started my comment the same way as your's 😭
Jan 18, 2025
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I recently rewatched this movie that was one of my favorites growing up, only to find that it was better and more thoughtful than I remembered. The acting is genius around the board. Originally it was written by Roald Dahl, writer of Matilda and James and the Giant Peach and tons of other amazing books that became movies. Not only is the plot mesmerizing, but the songs in this movie are too. I couldn’t believe how good some of the melodies were, I was brought to tears like twice. Very inspirational to hear if you make or like music. Not to get too negative but the 2005 Johnny Depp one and the recent one wit Timothy C are big time pathetic in comparison :/ I had to stop both within 20 mins! I’m not much of a movie person but id recommend the 71 Willy Wonka with Gene Wilder to anybody.
Feb 27, 2025
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I mean what’s there to be said. Gene Wilder, whimsy, vague violence, beautiful music, production value…….we used to be a proper country. If I ever have children this will be the first movie I show them
Feb 4, 2024
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this is by far my favorite movie of all time. themes explored: grief, loss of identity, embracing your inner child. natalie portman plays a twenty-something former piano protege who lost her spark and now works as a toy store manager for a whimsical wizard-like dustin hoffman. as hoffman’s character begins to retire, strange things begin to unfold around the store. jason bateman plays a skeptical and logical auditor who befriends a hyper-independent child regular at the store. that’s all i want to give away for now, i highly recommend this movie if you’re struggling to find your place in the world.
Apr 27, 2024
Top Recs from @jayson
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I'm often accused of being an "old soul", a categorization I vehemently dislike because it pretends as if my taste is because of nostalgia, as opposed to what is actually cool and compelling. (If something cool comes out now, I enjoy it, but we're in a down period when it comes to culture). But, something old about me, is that I do not care at all about TikTok ending, if does happen. If Elon takes it over from the Chinese, you might as well leave anyway, but I'm just worried at why this is a huge deal for people. It's just an app. Another one will be made. TikTok is not culture, it directly flattens culture into these ten second clips that take music, movies --- things that you need to process --- into something that is now consumed by everyone at a rapid pace, not allowing for the nuances, the style, the aesthetics to sit with us.
I have never watched something on TikTok and thought that this is something in that pushing American culture to deeper heights. I am sorry. Now I am sure they're good stuff on the app, but it's not really a necessity. Whenever I hear the words "it's blowing up on TikTok", my mind immediately growls.
I understood why X becoming overrun with Elon bots and right wingers is a big deal; X actually created things, made careers, made American life, and American events available to be seen by everyone. However, TikTok is a corrupt fantasy, chopping at the wires that make physical connection important.
Read a book! Go to the movies! Go to the restaurant of a cuisine that is unheralded, go to a baseball game. Who cares about TikTok?
Jan 14, 2025
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There's something quite startling about Martin Scorsese's 1980's period compared to the rest of his decades as one of America's greatest filmmakers. In the 80's, he was weird, strange, and making weirdly manic films that feel more New York than even some of his movies about the mob. They're movies about characters who aren't glamarous people that they want to be, but rather, are losers who can't seem to correctly fucntion in normal society. They're non-violent sociopaths. I saw The King of Comedy at Metrograph recently, and it's exhilarating, hilarious, manic, and scary. With Jerry Lewis, Bobby De Niro and Sandra Bernhard, Scorsese was able to create a world where incels who are bad at comedy are wishing for fame. Sound familiar?
This is a great movie. In 1983, it was a box office flop. But in 2025, it is magical in how it's telling the future. A future of scam artists who don't want to work to get there, and don't want to sit in their mediocrity: they want to steal to get their fifteen seconds. Go watch this masterpiece.
Jan 28, 2025
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I am a NBA boy at heart, the players who play in the Association are the greatest athletes on the planet, and everyone should check out a piece I wrote on the Knicks: https://jaysonbuford.substack.com/p/the-knicks-are-struggling-to-be-fun
But MARCH MADNESS is here. So, look, college basketball can be overly sentimental, corny, for hick Midwesterns, and it is not the smart league that the NBA is. Imagine watching Nikola Jokic or LeBron James and that not being good enough for you. NBA haters are, like, a bad financial month away from being KKK members, hiding in plain sight.
However, the NCAA Tournament objectively rules. It shows games every day, every hour, non-stop, teams that you would normally not see play, and upsets, upsets that break your bracket. Upsets happen because mid-major teams get better throughout the year, especially when they play tougher competition before the conference schedules start. It's awesome to when they pull off a shocking upset.
The games are on all day! watch them! BA BA BA BA BASKETBAKLL, GIMME GIMME GIMME THE BALL CAUSE I'M GONNA DUNK IT
Mar 20, 2025