Wow! Try this Exotic Douglas Fir Parfait Now – You Won’t Believe the Taste!

“Bring your spirit, but apply it wisely.”

This is the advice from Max Muncy, the Dodgers’ power hitter, for those who will be attending this evening’s decisive playoff game between the Boys in Blue and the cocky San Diego Padres.

It’s sound counsel, and I can vouch for its effectiveness from my own experiences. It’s the same advice I used to give to my 5-year-old son during his early soccer games when he would run wildly across the field, regardless of whether the ball was anywhere near him. The fact that this needs to be said to a group of adults at a baseball game is a different story altogether, but we’ll set that conversation aside for now.

I’m Glenn Whipp, a columnist at the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope’s Friday newsletter, here to bring the spirit.

‘We Live in Time’: The carefully constructed narrative of dying from cancer

Before the release of the emotionally charged drama “We Live in Time,” A24 shared a promotional photo of the lead characters, portrayed by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, enjoying a carousel ride. Their joy is overshadowed by a golden, bug-eyed, seemingly demonically possessed carousel horse positioned prominently in the photo.

The image quickly became a meme, with people superimposing the horse into scenes from “The Shining,” “Alien 3”, and any other movie where this horse’s evil presence actually made sense. It’s as though Ari Aster had a leftover prop from “Hereditary” that was gathering dust in an A24 storage facility and someone decided to place it in “We Live in Time” just to see if anyone would notice.

And if they did? Well, perhaps it would lead to a new A24 horror film centered on a haunted carousel that symbolizes how we spend the majority of our lives going in circles, lost until the Grim Reaper arrives on a bug-eyed horse to take us away.

That would certainly be a more intriguing film than “We Live in Time,” which feels more like a meticulously curated Instagram feed that’s been shuffled out of order. Here’s Pugh, as the renowned chef Almut Brühl, sourcing ingredients for a Douglas fir parfait, a questionable concoction that demonstrates her audacious talent. Here’s Almut again, heavily pregnant, timing her contractions while sat on a toilet, assisted by her dedicated partner, Tobias (Garfield). Now Almut is in the kitchen, clutching her stomach in pain. (Perhaps after consuming a Douglas fir parfait?)

The film, which I reviewed for The Times, premiered today in four theaters across the city before a broader release next weekend. I didn’t shed a tear. But don’t you dare call me heartless. I got a little teary the other day listening to this song. (And yes, I do realize it’s difficult to make the good things last.)

Pharrell Williams finds his ‘soul’s purpose’ in Legos

The documentary about Pharrell Williams, “Piece by Piece,” hits theaters today. The film uses Legos to tell the story of the accomplished musician’s life and career. It’s entertaining, but not particularly enlightening. I’m not entirely convinced that Williams is the musical prodigy that the movie portrays him to be, but he’s contributed to more songs than I was aware of.

My friend Katie Walsh, who reviewed the film for The Times, described it as “unexpectedly touching.” Hmm. Perhaps she’d also be moved by “We Live in Time.” I’ll have to ask her. My long-time friend Mikael Wood had a chat with Williams, who says the film is less about celebrating all things Lego and more about the “transformation of arrogance into humility.”

“When you hear your voice and you see a Lego character, it depersonalizes the situation — it allows you to look past your personal flaws and see your soul’s purpose in a way you might not be able to if you were watching an actual video,” Williams told Mikael.

Perhaps what we all need is our own personal Lego figurine. Just think of all those Legos, bringing the spirit and using it wisely.