What the Duck, Poor Things, A Gentleman in Moscow

I was recommended What the Duck the other week and so far, I’m really enjoying it. It’s hard to go past an episode about how snakes have two clitorides.^[1] Ann Jones is a pleasure to listen to, though I think I’ll need to slow down my normal 1.7x podcast listening speed for this one, because she already moves very quickly and the editing is very tight.

Speaking of podcasts, the podcast ad market seems to still be in a bit of a lull, and it’s hard to ignore all my favourite podcasts crying out for members. I’m already on the take, but I’m sorely tempted to get on board with ATP membership too, if only to truly be able to understand the true nature of John’s window management methodology.

I saw Poor Things at home the other day, and really enjoyed it. It’s my first experience with Yorgos Lanthimos, and the weird aesthetic really worked for me (though I can see how it would be off-putting). Emma Stone’s Bella was an amazing character to watch become herself, and I think it threaded the needle okay with what it was trying to say, compared with how the story could be received... but it’s totally understandable that some people have taken against it.

I can’t decide if Mark Ruffalo was amazing or ridiculous. Perhaps both.

I’m currently reading A Gentleman in Moscow, which apparently everyone else read ages ago. I’m a quarter of the way in, and finally it seems to be progressing from a series of adorable vignettes into an actual story. I’m probably just impatient. There’s a moment with wine bottles relatively early in the book which I found deeply upsetting, which is when I felt the book starting to actually get its hooks in, but I don’t know if it hits home that way for everyone.

See you next Sunday. You know, because I post one of these every Sunday, like I have forever.