Each week, the staff at The Anchor give their recommendations on an album, book and movie to enjoy. Here are our recommendations for the week of 10/14 – 10/20.
Book (Castalia L.): The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The novel, which remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for 95 weeks, follows a simple premise that centers around the life of Eddie, a humble mechanic, as he dies and goes to heaven.Though it may sound depressing, the story expertly portrays the journey of one’s life, death, and everything in between, leaving the reader mournful yet still hopeful. Eddie, through each of the five of the people he encounters in heaven, learns a different lesson from every individual; he also learns of the events that he never got to know the end result of, and subsequently relives all the emotion – both the joy and suffering – once again. Albom’s depiction of death and heaven is tasteful and introspective, likely leaving the reader with a transformed mindset and newfound perspective on the passage and importance of time, empathy, and humility. The enduring theme of the fragility and beauty of life is something that can be appreciated at the time of its publishing, in the present day, and for years to come. The 2003 novel has already cemented its place as a classic, both in the minds and the hearts of readers and critics alike.
Movie (Alec E.): The Martian, Ridley Scott
How often do sci-fi movies actually have real science? Half of this movie is about a dude farming potatoes on Mars–it’s great!
In all seriousness, though, this is a phenomenal execution of ever-popular book-to-movie conversion. The source material, a novel initially published for free online, detailed the perilous survival story of Mark Watney, an astronaut left behind on Mars by his crew after a sudden storm. Fighting the odds, Watney (technically) colonizes Mars, planting potatoes in his cramped Martian domicile for sustenance. He then reprograms Pathfinder, a NASA probe from the ‘90s, before eventually commandeering a Mars Ascent Vehicle (fancy rocket) meant for a future mission, making it out of the harsh atmosphere, when his returning crew picks him up. Matt Damon stars as the loveable, self-described “space pirate,” giving detailed descriptions of his science-y solutions for difficult dilemmas, while stuck being soundtracked by the disco music his mission commander was just so generous in leaving behind–although, to be honest, there are a lot of bangers. Hope you like ABBA.
Album (Alec E.): Cutouts, The Smile
Thom Yorke, the frontman of Radiohead, created The Smile as a desperate attempt to make music amidst the COVID pandemic, alongside a bandmate, Johnny Greenwood, and a drummer completely new to the alternative genre: Tom Skinner, whose experience lies solely in jazz. The introduction of this new style gave Radiohead’s sound a refreshed, nuanced sound, and their third LP is no different. Frantic, yet precisely played guitar riffs define the track Zero Sum, while Skinner’s pinpoint drumming demands bobbing heads, even as Yorke’s peculiar lyrics, and the persistent melody, grow ever stranger. Standout Bodies Laughing finishes off the album, itself opening purely acoustically, before branching out into a chorus of synths and vaguely ominous messaging. This is one of those works that demands your full attention.
