💪Finkel's Fast Five - Issue 101

ISSUE #101 - January 3rd, 2020

ONE

FEEDBACK - This is the first Finkel's Fast Five of the new decade and the first of 2020. I've written and sent 100 of these, every Friday morning, for nearly two years straight. Through this e-mail, I have met authors, directors, actors, writers and other talented people I admire. I've met awesome new online friends. I've heard from many of the creative forces behind the works I've recommended. This has become a very cool community and in a word, the whole experience has been incredible and gratifying (two words, fine).

Over the two years I've tried to gather as much feedback as I can and weave it into the FF5. Most consistently, I hear 'more book recommendations', 'more movie recommendations', more 'cool stuff i missed'... I also have a nice core contingent of fellow meatheads who like the workout stuff a lot...

As we kick off our next batch of 100 FF5s, I'd like to open the floor to all of you... What have you enjoyed the most about the FF5 so far? What do you want to see less of? More of? Feel free to write me back with just one word if you want: "movies" for example. Or "meathead stuff", as another example. Is the newsletter too long? Do you like the quotes? Any feedback is good feedback so let me hear it...

TWO

BOOKS - Bret Easton Ellis is one of my favorite authors. American Psycho. Less Than Zero. Lunar Park... Anything he's written involving Patrick Bateman is a crowd pleaser for me. He's also got a really interesting podcast and his Twitter feed is provocative and will make you think. So....

When his new book/memoir/social commentary, White, hit the stores I picked it up on day one. And I read the whole thing cover-to-cover on a recent three-hour flight and it was awesome. If you have any interest in Ellis as an author, this is a must-read. He takes us behind the scenes of what it was like to be a part of the Brat Pack and the Literary Brat Pack... What it was like to be a college kid getting paid ungodly sums of money to write... What having a book successfully (and unsuccessfully) turned into a movie is like... What being attacked by the very group who is supposed to be supporting you is like... And much more... He's also an excellent movie critic, loathes groupthink, is a biting social critic and in the end, I just find myself enjoying the way the guy tells a story. Here's the book.

THREE

MOVIES - If you saw Uncut Gems and thought it was amazing (which is probably most of you) you may be searching for other movies by the Safdie Brothers (the directors). My brother recommended their last movie to me recently and...

It is a fast-paced, never-stop, unique and filthy and fantastic two-hour ride about a bank heist gone wrong. It's called Good Time and the trailer is here. It's on Amazon Prime right now and I'd recommend that you don't start it too late because the movie never lets up and there's no good place to take a break. Just sit back and enjoy.

FOUR

DADDIN' - This was my absolute favorite video on Twitter last week. It was simple and wonderful and perfect.

The video is simply of a dad walking in the door after a long day of work and hits kids put on an impromptu concert/celebration and sing "Daddy's in the House, hey" but it's more than that. It's their sheer joy coupled with his dance moves and all of them getting into it and it's just...fantastic. Watch this and it'll make your day!

FIVE

"I invented the New Year, New You tagline on the cover of magazines. It's been ripped off every year since. There are no "new yous". It's marketing."

- A Jon Finkel Original Quote*

*Yes, I am 30% certain I invented the 'New Year, New You' quote on the cover of Men's Fitness 20 years ago. I never saw it before (though I could have missed it). It was a joke, I just said it because it sounded good. It's been used a million times since. You're still you no matter what workout or habit you pick up. Just saying. Thank you for listening. I had to get that off my chest.

Thank you to everyone who bought Jocks in Chief for a loved one or friend during the holidays.

And if you haven't yet, you can buy it below.