This week’s round-up includes looking forward to great films in 2026, celebrating the work of composer John Williams and appreciating the music of Djo, learning how to carve my own career path thanks to Elaine Welteroth, and much more.

Film

Over at Dawn of the Tapes I’ve curated a list of my most anticipated films releasing this year. I think it’s going to be quite an epic year for blockbuster cinema, and I’m hopeful it’ll be enough to pull people back into cinemas. Unfortunately, some of these films may not release in Korea, so I might have to wait a little longer than some of you lucky western-based folk to get to see them.

I also have a bit of a confession to make this week: I have just watched Rob Reiner‘s 1984 ‘rockumentary’ This is Spinal Tap for the first time. It really is as tremendously funny as they say it is. I have also just watched the 2025 sequel, and I found it to be just as funny, as though forty years hadn’t past. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer fell back into those roles so easily, and it was bittersweet to see Rob Reiner back in one of his most beloved film roles, and his final one.

Music

Do you ever find yourself listening to film soundtracks? If not, I highly recommend it, especially the more fanfare-sounding blockbuster tunes.

I personally enjoy listening to John Williams most of all, the greatest film score composer in cinema history (in my humble opinion). Sometimes I just lie in bed doing nothing but staring into the darkness and listening. So many movies would be fifty-per-cent less successful without his incredibly evocative music. From the iconic marches of Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman and the beautiful melodies of Hook and Home Alone, to the creeping tones of Jaws and War of the Worlds and the devastating symphonies of Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, his filmography is as varied as his career. His main themes are often distinctive, as he does tend to utilise similar harmonies and favours a big orchestral fanfare that flows through the different sections of the orchestra, and yet each theme is unique enough to bring to mind the exact film it belongs to. He’s a total genius, and I never get tired of listening to his music, along with the likes of Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, Ludovico Einaudi, and many more. Every time his birthday is celebrated, however, I start to panic. Williams is in his 90s, and time refuses to stand still…

I also took some time to listen to Djo this week, ‘Djo’ being the stage name of actor/musician Joe Keery. Since Stranger Things ended, his music has been flooding social media, his 2022 song End of Beginning making a significant resurgence, and it’s inescapable. So, if you can’t beat ’em… well, y’know. I listened to a range of his music, and I enjoyed the various styles that, to me, harked back to the 60s through to the 90s. Just as I appreciate versatile actors, the same applies to musicians, and I think Keery and his band have a unique style that I would be willing to bet has come about thanks to not being signed to a label but rather remaining independent (or so I’ve read). Creativity bred from freedom hits quite differently. I must say though, End of Beginning is probably the most relatable of Djo’s discography (though I haven’t exactly listened to every song available), and it especially kicked me in the proverbial groin when the tourism Instagram of my own hometown used the song in a montage video of said hometown. Like I said, inescapable.

Television

I know I said I was going to stop talking about Stranger Things, but as it’s already been mentioned above I may as well mention it one more time. The behind-the-scenes documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things, made quite an impression on me, to the point where it made me think I should really write the screenplay I’ve been meaning to write for years and years (and the novel… and the musical… add it to the list!). Other than that, I always find BTS docs to be fascinating. I was one of those nerds that would watch the DVD extras and listen to cast/crew commentaries of big movies – I blame the Lord of the Rings extended edition DVDs for starting this fascination. To that end, I think anyone that has an interest in television or filmmaking will get a lot from this documentary, especially considering the magnitude of the show and the humble beginnings of the Duffer brothers. I’ve also added their Masterclass to my list of classes to take as a result of the documentary.

Life

Speaking of Masterclass, I’ve almost come to the end of Elaine Welteroth‘s class on Designing Your Career. I have found her advice to be extremely valuable in the arenas of self-belief and perserverance while also making a point of taking care of yourself before remembering to take care of those who work with/for you. She maps out a clear process that helped her become the success she is today in the journalism, writing and television spheres, and I find her strategy to be clear and achievable, so long as one is willing to put in the work. She also comes across as very approachable and open, something that makes all the difference when hearing from a person in a position of power. Also, as an aside, I admire her style so much, both personality- and clothing-wise, especially the blue suit she wore in the Masterclass (pictured right). She’s an icon and has become a new role model of mine.

Literature

I was sceptical about reading Alan Moore‘s The Saga of the Swamp Thing comic run because I really loved Len Wein‘s original, however after finishing the first two volumes I’m feeling quite excited for the direction in which he takes the character. Wein’s Swamp Thing was a pitiful, heroic character that I enjoyed for Alec Holland’s (Swamp Thing’s human counterpart) inner monologues, but Moore changes the lore on the character and his origins, doing away with Holland and turning Swamp Thing into more of a creature. I’m looking forward to reading the next two volumes!

A Random Fact I’ve Learned

Ok, this one is super random, and I actually discovered it a while ago, but it cropped up again recently as I was checking out the Wikipedia page of writer/director Celine Song. Song, who has two terrific films in Past Lives and Materialists, is married to writer Justin Kuritzkes, as in the Justin Kuritzkes who made the viral Potion Seller YouTube video! This actually kinda blew my mind, and damn, what a cool couple.

My favourite version of the Potion Seller video ↓