Birthday Month Movie Extravaganza!

So as many of you know – I usually do Birthday Month Extravaganza for my birthday each year. The rules are simple, do something fun/new/different or something I love each day of the month (that I don’t get to do that often) to celebrate me! In the past, this has included things as simple as taking a walk and treating myself to a special coffee, or trying a new pastry/bakery to traveling to Disneyland or to NYC (where I am currently). And that’s right! I try to get in 31 days of it! (Often it tapers down by like the 20th, lol)

This year with Quarantine, I decided to scale this back a little bit and do one film I haven’t seen each Day!

Here are the results:

May 1 – American Factory, dir. Julia Reichert & Steven Bognar (2019). One roommate made comment about it being Mayday and I figured what a good time to check out the Best Documentary Winner this year. I’ll be honest, I found the dichotomy interesting, but I wasn’t grabbed by it. I haven’t checked out any of the other nominees this year in the category (I was bummed that Apollo 11 wasn’t nominated) so I can’t say I prefer any of them (I do have plans to watch them though!)

May 2 – Europa Europa, dir. Agnieszka Holland (1990). This is a great story of survival and how to adapt to live. But also, everyone was trying to bang a 16-year-old the entire film it felt like. Which I know sounds like it undermines the story a little bit, but dang, just leave the kid alone! Sometimes it seemed like it wasn’t necessarily consentual. Either way, it was enjoyable.

May 3 – Pump Up the Volume, dir. Allan Moyle (1990). One my roomies suggested this, and since I hadn’t seen it, why not? Plus young Christian Slater and “Introducing” Samantha Mathis, who was probably my favorite actress as a kid (why? Not sure). This also seemed pretty timely, some of the topics they touch upon. So much Teen Angst!!

May 4 – Angels Over Broadway, dir. Ben Hecht (1940). If you’ve never looked at Ben Hecht’s IMDb credits, do so now (I’ll wait). You see that? And that’s just what we know about! I came across this on Criterion, and enjoy many of the actors in this. It seems very stagebound, but enjoyable for the most part.

May 5 – La ilusión viaja en tranvía (Illusion Travels by Streetcar), dir. Luis Buñuel (1954). This was great! I think some of the subtitles were off a bit, but I still got the gist. What a fun little film, and great thanks to Javier for the suggestion!

May 6 – The Goonies, dir. Richard Donner (1985). Yeah, that’s right, I’d never seen it! I know many people that have fond memories of watching this as a kid, but I was not one. Not sure why. There were a few holes, and not sure I would watch it again any time soon, but watching it with people for which it was nostalgic definitely helped the viewing.

May 7 – The Edge of Seventeen, dir. Kelly Fremon Craig (2016). This was much better than I had anticipated and it has James L. Brooks written all over it. It was truly heartwarming and tough, but so good! Excellent suggestion by one of my best buddies, Brendan.

May 8 – Orpheus, dir. Jean Cocteau (1950). Having seen his La Belle et La Bete and another Orpheus adaptation Black Orpheus very recently, I feel like this was a great combination of those two things. While I do like both of those other things better than this, I think this had some great camera trickery that Jean Cocteau is often known for. I recommend it for that alone. And, you know, if you are a Cinephile.

May 9 – Dolemite is My Name, dir. Craig Brewer (2019). Scrolling through Netflix, I realized that this was one Golden Globe nominee from this last year that was one I hadn’t watched. It was “utterly charming” as one friend put it, and I couldn’t agree more. There was so much heart here, I wish that Eddie Murphy could have been nominated for an Oscar, it was well-deserved.

May 10- Magnolia, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (1999). I watched this in a quarantine watch party, and it was nice to watch with people to comment and talk. There was so much! And it was so good! Will I watch it again anytime soon? Probably not, but PTA is definitely a master at his craft – the way he builds tension in editing and sound through out is just *chef’s kiss*.

May 11 – Bubba Ho-Tep, dir. Don Coscarelli (2002). Okay, so I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to, I think I was expecting more from it knowing some of Bruce Campbell’s other works. It was still enjoyable though.

May 12 – Waiting for Guffman, dir. Christopher Guest (1996). Tidying up a Christopher Guest blind spot – I enjoyed this very much! It was also fun since I also just watched all of Schitt’s Creek and seeing Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy about 25 years younger was a joy. Plus baby Parker Posey!

May 13 – Double Feature! The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, dir. Martin Ritt (1965). This was good if a little heady – I can definitely see what Le Carre’s style is since this is my second exposure to him after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Though I will say I want to watch The Night Manager now. I think also reading that Liz Taylor and Burton (who had been married for 2 years during production) caused a ruckus on set when she would visit also made this film a bit more interesting. (Oh, and Oskar Werner!)

The Secret of Roan Inish, dir. John Sayles (1994). This was so good! I have been trying to find this for ages, and am so glad I finally did. I think it was the only trailer on my MST3k: The Movie VHS, which I know is an odd choice but I had always been curious about it. Plus I love little fantastical tales like this.

May 14 – Vice, dir. Adam McKay (2018). I love a film that plays with medium, and this was a fantastic balance of that.

May 15(!!) – A Scandal in Paris, dir. Douglas Sirk (1946). I saved this one special for my birthday because it was one I’ve been trying to find for a while, and it has my absolute favorite, George Sanders. He gives off some signature witty one-liners that accompany that fabulous smirk that he always has.

May 16 – Seberg, dir. Benedict Andrews (2019). While this was a fascinating watch, it felt very predictable. The casting was fantastic (Zazie Beetz, Margaret Qualley, Jack O’Connell, Anthony Mackie, Vince Vaughan) and it made me read up on Seberg a little more. Otherwise this will probably go under the radar for most.

May 17 – Orlando, dir. Sally Potter (1992). What a fantastic film! I enjoyed this very much, and it made me want to read the book (by Virginia Woolf). An excellent piece of queer cinema.

May 18 – Se7en, dir. David Fincher (1995). Yes, another biggie that I hadn’t seen–but I knew all the spoilers. It didn’t make it any less enjoyable. However, it is sad to see that Gwyneth Paltrow’s character’s only real use in the film was to die, and that’s always disappointing and reminded me of the Women in Refrigerators trope in comics.

May 19 – Return to Oz, dir. Walter Murch (1985). Um this was nightmare fuel– specifically the “wheelers”. No wonder Fairuza Balk wound up in the films she did as an adult.

May 20 – Close-Up, dir. Abbas Kiarostami, (1990). I liked the meta-quality of this, and how he intercut the courtroom scene with reenactments by the real people. Plus I checked this off so many lists! (Rolling Stone top 100 films of the ’90s,

May 21 – The Circus, dir. Charlie Chaplin (1928). This was light after the last few days of heavy films. Plus there was a lot in here that I had seen in clips of Chaplin and wasn’t sure what it was from. Mystery solved!

May 22 – Three Days of the Condor, dir. Sydney Pollack (1975). A blindspot for bossman Bobby Red. Plus we blame Sydney Pollack for saying “let’s have the festival in January so people can ski”.

May 23 – No Film. But I did binge We’re Here on HBO. What a delight!

May 24 – Blow, dir. Ted Demme (2001). This filled in a blindspot for my Ray Liotta viewings (yes, I’ve seen Narc). I enjoyed this, though for some reason the ending stuck out to me as being very en vogue for the time, the idea of having the “dream ending” for the character, and I’d love to read some film theory of this.

May 25 – The King of Masks, dir. Wu Tianming (1995, 1999- US). This was such a sweet movie! I think also pretty ahead of it’s time for pointing out how boys are more valued in Chinese society. Plus the costuming and production were also pretty stellar.

May 26 – The Lovebirds, dir. Michael Showalter (2020). This was a cute little film. Also who doesn’t love Kumail and Issa? I would recommend it if you want a fun little comedy.

May 27 – Star Trek: The Motion Picture, dir. Robert Wise (1979). Yes, the big Star Trek fan in me wasn’t sure if I had seen all of the first film. And I was correct, I hadn’t! I knew of the V’ger plotline, and honestly thought that was the 5th film, which I am also pretty sure I haven’t seen. (I have definitely seen most of 2, 4, 6 – Nemesis. First Contact is my favorite.)

May 28 – You’re Next, dir. Adam Wingard (2011). This was a rough day for me, so I asked my roommie, who is a big horror fan, for a recommendation. This did not disappoint. Watching slashers is always fascinating, because you get to see how they introduce all the red shirts. It’s kinda like how when you see a killer in Hayes Code era films actually murder on screen, you have to guess if they are going to die or get arrested by the end of the film (because Hayes Code rules, killers have to be brought to justice in some form.)

May 29 – Sons and Lovers, dir. Jack Cardiff (1960). This was the last Best Picture nominee from the 1960s I had to watch. Now keep in mind this is just the Best Picture category and not the others. I’m very close to finishing all the Best Picture Nominees for all time. I just have a total of 15 left for all 92 ceremonies that have taken place since 1929, and 3 of those I will probably never see because 2 are in UCLA’s vault as the only surviving copy (The White Parade, a film about young women learning to become nurses, and East Lynne, based on the novel by Ellen Wood) and 1 only has a partial surviving print (The Patriot, about Emperor Paul I of Russia)

May 30 – Bugsy Malone, dir. Alan Parker (1976). I had heard of this and completely forgotten about it until it was mentioned the other day. It was very cute and heartwarming. Also it was funny to see baby Jodie Foster and Scott Baio.

May 31 – Hedwig and the Angry Inch, dir. John Cameron Mitchell (2001). I really wish I had discovered this film in high school (and Velvet Goldmine) it totally would have fit my glam/punk aesthetic. I’m so glad this closed out my first watches for the month!

Overall I think that I had a pretty solid range of things. I got at least one doc in there, a couple musicals I hadn’t seen, a horror, some art house, new stuff, old stuff, things that satisfied the film nerd and scifi nerd in me. The most watched year was 1990, with the ’90s being the most watched decade.

 

Sundance 2020

Since I revamped this blog in August of last year, I worked one festival between then and February: Sundance. And what a ride this season was. I’m so grateful to my wonderful team this year for keeping me grounded and on task.

These are some of the highlights of working Sundance 2020: Our quote board, heavily curated by my Coordinator Kim, in which she quoted us in every which way (it quickly spiraled into memes). Sales days (and food)! Except that one time tech convinced us to get pizza two sales in a row. Middleburgh, Parana (an ‘in-joke’ where our ticketing system would sometimes wipe people’s addresses and write “Middleburgh, Parana”, a city in New York and a State in Brazil as a weird default. The emails we would get would be strangely panicked.) Our ticketing team in general – during fest, our ticketing chat would be off. the. charts.

I know this is posted a bit late but, I still wanted to get these out there. Enjoy!

Films I saw and links to trailers or reviews:

Possessor – dir. Brandon Cronenberg – Not a bad genre film, but not something I’d necessarily see again. Pretty interesting Q&A – considering that a woman asked a pretty rude question and the director just had a sassy answer. Because, you know, his dad just own’s a pet store.

Amulet – dir. Romola Garai. Honestly my least favorite of what I saw this year. From a screenwriting perspective, and perhaps an editing one, there seemed to be a lot left unexplained or assumed that seemed to be a product of potentially being left out because she wrote too many drafts (I did this once or twice in grad school with one of my scripts: you know the story so well, that when you delete bits rewriting, you mentally fill them in and don’t actually write them down). On the flip side, she would play me in a movie.

Tesla – dir. Michael Almereyda. Okay, so this one divided those that saw it. It has a Drunk History feel to it, so if you like that maybe you’ll like this. I enjoyed it and it’s meta qualities. Don’t take it as a serious biopic. Am I sorry I saw it? No. Will you miss anything by missing it? Also no. But I was in the same room with Kyle Maclachlan!

The Glorias – dir. Julie Taymor. Now, this was one of my favorites, tied for second with His House. A biopic on Gloria Steinem, please leave expectations at the door. The section on finding yourself when your travel really spoke to me as a person that travels for work (It made me teary that someone could put it so eloquently into words that I have been trying to explain to some). With Taymor’s unique touch, this left me feeling empowered.

His House – dir. Remi Weekes. Definitely tied for Second and so great at combining a sort of possessed house horror type and breathing a new sort of life. I think this guy will be one to watch. While a woman in the audience compared it to Us (literally didn’t see why she made that comparison) I thought it felt more like Under the Shadow, another Sundance film to check out from 2016.

Sylvie’s Love – dir. Eugene Ashe. If you love Douglas Sirk, I totally recommend this. I enjoyed it, particularly all the music choices. Plus, Tessa Thompson! She is definitely becoming one of my very favorite actresses and people!

Ema – dir. Pablo Larrain. This was also an amazing and very sexy movie. The dance sequences were great. This one is definitely not for the kids. Since it played in the Spotlight section of the fest, I’ve attached the trailer. Plus, I love that when we exited the theatre, my friend Dan said, “well…that was…a very sexy movie.” Which really is an understatement – not one for the kids if you get the drift.

Nine Days – dir. Edson Oda. This was absolutely my favorite of the festival. Like no words could describe the beauty of it. And the ending scene! Plus, one of my close friends worked on it and it was very exciting to see her name in the credits! I know some that hated it, but if you liked things like Marjorie Prime – understated Scifi – then I recommend.

Falling – dir. Viggo Mortensen. Did I watch Lance Hendrickson act his way to an Oscar nomination? Tune in the next awards season! Did I constantly question why a Viggo made his character gay as a tension-building character device? Definitely, considering the number of profanities and racist comments it gave Hendrickson’s character to spew. Did I enjoy the film? Sure. Did it make me late for the film after? Technically no since it was in the same theatre. Did it start 30 mins late because the director was late to intro it? Yes. Do I still have so many more questions? Absolutely.

Ironbark – dir. Dominic Cooke. Cumberbatch! Jessie Buckley and Rachel Brosnahan in a scene together! Cold war drama! A great way to close out the festival for me, even if the first half felt like a comedy and the second a serious drama.

Special Event – Max Ritcher performs “From Sleep” with an ensemble.  Except this was an hour and a half excerpt, not the full eight hours. A pretty nice treat for myself that I got out and saw this. Always makes me remember how close Classical Music is to the core of me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Quarantine Log – pt. 2

Still trucking along.

My brother had his Panel for his Masters and it went very well! They said it was the best student paper they read in two years. I’m very excited for him and now we have six degrees between the two of us! His paper is titled: “Far Forward Blood and Donor Performance”.

Besides that, just filling my days with yoga, TV breaks, reading (a lot of online shorts), light writing (not as much as I would like, but doable), cross stitching, and one or two online classes. I’m not trying to sound productive – but I’m taking my own pace. I know some days are better than others, but it’s really about knowing what’s best for what I need. To those friends who have reached out, it’s so great to have heard from you! And if you haven’t, don’t worry, I totally understand.

What I’ve been into the last 15 days:

Film lists cont’d:

From an old Buzzfeed “Best Fairy Tale Films” List that I’ve never been able to find again – I think it’s from around 2011/2012ish?

Donkey Skin, dir. Jacques Demy (1970). The lighting was a bit flat on the interiors and too washed out on some exteriors, but I could see this being quite the spectacle of its time. A few of the songs are catchy, but Catherine Deneuve is always a beauty to watch!

Museum of Moving Image 8 Essential Film Noir

Some of these have been hard to find – and so far the one I’ve liked the most is Nightmare Alley (Tyrone Power, swoon!)

The Reckless Moment, dir. Max Opuls (1949). I love James Mason – and I agree with one commenter on the YouTube in which I watched this from: Joan Bennett looked A LOT like Myrna Loy the whole film. But it was one that had some great film noir lighting and shots.

What I have left: The Amazing Mr. X, Desert Fury, Cry of the City, and Moonrise.

Films:

Outside Providence, dir. (1999). I clearly remember the trailer for this way back in 1999 – and it was a cute little rom-com that is definitely of that era. Plus, what a killer soundtrack! Sixteen-year-old me would have loved it!

The Perfection, dir. Richard Shephard (2018). The first part of this made me a little queasy, and my roomie and I watched it on a gloomy day. If you enjoy some B-grade horror, this was fun. I fulfilled my cellist obligations by watching.

Just One of The Guys, dir. Lisa Gottlieb (1985). A twist on Twelfth Night, it was that 1980s cheesy comedy that we’ve all come to collectively enjoy groaning over! But it had a pretty solid structure at least.

The Legend of Billie Jean, dir. Matthew Robbins (1985). This one I wasn’t so hot about, and I had to suspend my disbelief in the premise. But I always wondered what film that Pat Benatar song “Invincible” came from – apparently, this is it!

Who’s That Girl, dir. James Foley (1987). Okay, I’ve been watching so much Drag Race lately I only saw Gigi Goode the whole time I watched this! Anyhow, this seemed like a madcap, screwball comedy from a different era trying to settle in the 1980s. I actually kinda enjoyed it!

Rewatching Desperately Seeking Susan, dir. Susan Seidelman (1985) three words: Young. Aiden. Quinn. You’re welcome.

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary, dir. Jack Bennett (2020). This seemed a little long, but I appreciate a doc on a film or subject that everyone involved participates in. Thanks Screen Junkies for this! I recommend if you love Galaxy Quest as much as I do.

Circus of Books, dir. Rachel Mason (2019). I like it when docs spark debate or discord after watching and my roommates and I talked about this one after. My memories were mostly about working opening night at OUTFEST with the insane Red Carpet and my friend Kim freaking out that a clown photo was submitted for Rachel’s Credential at Tribeca. Other than that, I wanted more out of this doc – about the store and more testimonials of the people that worked there/went there.

Feds, dir. Daniel Goldberg (1988). What a fun, family-friendly film about female friendship! Also glad to see something more extensive for Mary Gross (I forgot about her stint on SNL and really only remember her from her one scene in The Santa Clause).

Watch Party: Rewatching Roman Holiday, dir. William Wyler (1953). I love this movie! Gregory Peck! Audrey Hepburn! Rome! Exclamation Points! Seriously though, there is a reason Audrey won the Oscar for her first starring role and why this film has held up for so many years.

Film Church: Rewatching Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, dir. Kevin Reynolds (1991). What a fun adventure film. Also, Alan Rickman is one of the only ones that knows to camp it up.

Chasing Coral, dir. Jeff Orlowski (2017). This was heartbreaking to watch, seeing the bleaching that happens with Coral Reefs. Big thanks to my friend Sarah that works with Exposure Labs for curating a special Film Church!

Shows:

Continuing Mad Men, 2007 (Season 5 to 7). I love this show. It’s like a warm hug – even though the highly dramatic content might say otherwise.

Degrassi, Seasons ?, my roommate has been binging this and just having it on in the background – I never watched the show initially, but I have friends that have mentioned it (Drake anyone?) but the drama is much soapier than I had anticipated.

Schitt’s Creek, 2015 (Season 1 and parts of 2). This show is the joy that everyone says it is. I recommend it! I feel like Dan Levy is a jewel I just discovered and he shines every time he’s on screen.

Continuing Bojack Horseman, (Season 4). Only about two or three episodes at this point – and people are right, it is pretty depressing.

Rupaul’s Drag Race, 2009 (Season 12) It’s been nice having new content each week. I am living for Gigi and Jada’s looks!

Books:

Finishing Educated, Tara Westover (2018). This was a great memoir. It certainly put education in perspective, and that to no fault of some people’s own, the fact that they may be raised in an environment where they aren’t taught about things and people that are important parts of history. Or that they are surrounded by people that won’t take accountability for their own actions because of what God tells them to do is just gross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Quarantine Log – Pt. 1

NYC is still on “PAUSE”, but I feel like I’m realigning myself with my greater goals and wants, which is a positive spin on this situation. I haven’t been outside much, except for a weekly walk and to the grocery store (trying to do once a week but keeps turning into once every 5 days because I’ve been running out of things at weird times) #doingmypart. I also love hearing all the applause and cheers every night at 7pm. It feels like it gets louder every night!

Socially, I’ve attended a few Netflix Parties, some live trivia, and some virtual birthday Happy Hours. I can’t wait to see y’all again! But for now, let’s keep it up.

I’ve also reconnected with a few people I haven’t spoken to in a while – some even years! So keep ’em coming, it’s always nice to get reacquainted!

A great quote I read during this time as I eased myself back into a writing mode: (On First Drafts) – “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so later I can build castles.” – Shannon Hale. I’m ready to build y’all some fantastic castles.

What I’m into:

Film lists: Mostly Sight & Sound Magazine’s top film list of the last few years.

Sight & Sound’s Top Films of 2017: (This one I’m closest to finishing)

Let the Sunshine In, dir. Claire Denis (2017). I wasn’t too keen on this, it kinda hit me weird – like this character was embodying an idea where there was only a black and white in relationships and no in-between.

mother!, dir. Darren Aronofsky (2017). I think the fact I went into this knowing that it was a Biblical Allegory definitely helped the like the film more. I think I would have eventually realized it, but I think the prior knowledge made the film seem less bonkers. So I enjoyed it: discuss.

Zama, dir. Lucrecia Martel (2017). I loved the period look of this, one of those where you could feel the textures on screen. I’m not familiar with the novel but it seems like it might be an interesting read.

All I have left are: Personal Shopper, Strong Island, Western, The Other Side of Hope, BPM, I Am Not Your Negro, and Loveless.

Sight & Sound’s Top Films of 2018: 

The Other Side of the Wind, dir. Orson Welles (2018). Remember that time we all thought that Orson Welles would get a Posthumus Oscar Nomination? This film definitely has his style, that let’s-not-leave-a-beat-and-talk-over-each-other-because-we’re-smart-plus-I’m-smirking-to-show-I’m-cheeky thing that he does with his dialogue (ex. The Lady from Shanghai) combined with his more Avant-garde style he uses in F is for Fake.

Sight & Sound’s Top Films of 2019:

The Souvenir, dir. Joanna Hogg (2019). A pretty slow burn, but some great shots. (Her up those stairs in that dress!) The story seemed rather familiar: loving someone that’s not right for you and has a drug problem. The twist? You live in 1980s Sunderland, England and you’re a film student. While I’m not trying to diminish the director’s pain or experience, I didn’t love this as much as I had wanted to. But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve such a high standing on this list. Film is subjective and people forget that a lot of the time. Is it a well-made, well-written film? Yes. Did I like it? Meh, what else ya got?

Quite a few left for 2018 & 2019, so I won’t list them.

I’ve noticed that some of Sight & Sounds top films overlap each year – so I try not to list them if they are redundant. I also noticed that the films I wrote down for the 2016 Sight & Sound top films were about a quarter of the list. So that one is new to work on too – luckily a lot of the films are on other lists too, so I’m excited to add them.

Other Films:

His Girl Friday, dir. Howard Hawks (1940). I once told two people (jokingly) that when I grow up, I want to be Rosalind Russell. They didn’t get it. But those who know me and know of her work/persona, I think you get it. I’ve seen this about a dozen times, and it’s a fantastic watch. Plus Cary Grant!

Film Church:

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, dir. Jay Roach (1997). Eesh, didn’t age as well as I thought. It’s weird after watching so much Mad Men lately which really expressed the misogyny of the times, Austin Powers as a character seemed tame. While he was still a womanizer, he was moderately progressive in having a female partner in the 1960s. Though I have fond memories of seeing this for my 13th birthday with a group of friends that I still talk to in some capacity to this day.

Monty Python: The Life of Brian, dir. Terry Jones (1979). Always a treat, and one of my favorite songs! “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. I love Monty Python, and this seemed like a fun choice for us to watch on the Easter Holiday.

Shows:

Mad Men binge continues! Seasons 2 through the first few of season 5. Such craft in these episodes! I am really enjoying this rewatch.

Avenue 5, 2020 Season 1. I wanted to like this just a teensy bit more. It’s all right and I’d probably watch another season. It just felt like it was missing something.

Barry, 2018 Season 1 (pilot). I’m so used to seeing Bill Hader be silly, this was an interesting change of pace.

What We Do In The Shadows, 2019 Season 1. I adored the movie (which I was lucky enough to see at Sundance in 2014, aka the fest I sprained my ankle, including a Q&A with Taika and Jemaine.) Plus I love Matt Berry, so naturally, I adored this too. It’s very dry, and that’s what I love about it.

Mozart in the Jungle, 2014 Season 4. So I’m not loving this season – the addition of the WAM robot makes me feel like the show definitely jumped the shark. In season 1, they made the Classical music world feel as big and as expansive as it is. This season, it’s suddenly small and only about as big as the single orchestra the show focuses on. Very disappointing.

Archer, 2009 Season 9 “Danger Island”. This seems less slick than in previous years, like they cut back on some of the sharper jokes they used to tell. But I love all these characters and making Lucky Yates’s character into a Parrot this season is a fun choice.

Killing Eve, 2018 Season 2. Man, Villanelle is crazy. I have a few episodes left, but I am enjoying this one as well.

Books:

If on a Winter’s night, a traveler, Italo Calvino (1979). This was a fun meta experience, and really why I love that some authors play with form and expectation. I definitely recommend it.

Starting Educated, Tara Westover (2018). My roommate, Patrick, suggested this as a roomie book club and so far it’s pretty engaging. I’m only a few chapters in, but pretty sure I’ll finish it soon!

 

 

 

 

Where to even begin – My March Quarantine

Well, the current festival I am working (Tribeca) announced that the festival would be postponed, after Gov. Cuomo made a speech and banned gatherings of over 500 people (so yeah, basically we were done). But, silver lining, we were only postponed, and we have some clean up to do, so those of us already on contract are still employed through May 1st. My next gig was also canceled (Seattle International Film Festival), so once that May 1st date hits I’m officially unemployed, and with things up in the air, who knows how long my Industry will take to recover. I feel like the universe is like “look, just finish your novel already”. Geez! Okay, I’ll work on this.

I want to add that I am also so grateful for my housing situation this year. I’m with good friends and we get along amazingly and have played card games, watched the first season of Mad Men, various episodes of 30 Rock, Broad City, and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Plus we can also just chill and have reading time or just not talk and watch the dog play.

The news is changing just about hourly, so stay safe everyone, and wash your hands.

What I’ve done during Quarantine:

Catching up on some of my film lists and shows.

Film lists: I have a binder and a spreadsheet of different film lists I’ve come across over the years and slowly chip away at them. A few have overlap which is helpful.

One list I kept when I considered applying to SFSU Dept. of Cinema Graduate program – a list of films they wanted you to be familiar with. I printed it out and it’s 6 pages long. I’ve been working on it for over 10 years, but not rigorously. Here’s what I watched from that list:

Within Our Gates, dir. Oscar Micheux (1920). The earliest known surviving film directed by an African-American director. I enjoy Silents and reading up on this, I very much agree that this was a reaction to DW Griffith’s Birth of a Nation.

Birthright, dir. Oscar Micheux (1939). A remake of Micheux’s 1924 film of the same name, which is lost, the first two reels of this were additionally lost. There are nightclub scenes that include some very scantily dressed women dancing, and I’m curious about the censors when they made this.

The Naked Kiss, dir. Samuel Fuller (1964). Fuller’s work is interesting, considering the time it was produced in (the Hays Code still in effect). A film about a prostitute that leaves her pimp for suburbia and a better life. Things are looking up and she gets engaged, but then discovers her fiance is a pervert and then things get terrible.

Not on the list, but checked ’em out:

Fighting With My Family, dir. Stephen Merchant (2019). I remember when this was our secret film at Sundance last year (that the Rock spoiled on his Instagram), and that it had really positive reviews. Like everyone else, I’m a growing Florence Pugh fan, plus Lena Headey and Nick Frost – this was very heartwarming and I totally recommend.

Ocean’s 11, dir. Steven Soderbergh (2001). I’ve seen this one many many times, and it’s always nice to watch a good film that takes place in my hometown (they are few and far between, let’s be really real folks). Plus, the cast!

Newsies, dir. Kenny Ortega (1992). So I had never seen this before, but my roomie loved it as a kid so I rode the nostalgia wave with her. It was very fun to watch with someone so into it. The songs were better than I anticipated, and both young Bill Pullman and young Christian Bale! Swoon.

Hook, dir. Steven Spielberg (1991). My first Netflix party viewing! A group of us that worked a mish-mash of festivals together, so it was fun chatting with a bunch of people together with a film that is another comfort food type film.

Groundhog Day, dir. Harold Ramis (1993). Film Church! Though every day feels a little like this at the moment. It was fun to watch with my Film Church peeps, even when 3 of us chose the same icon lol.

Sleeping Beauty, dir. Clyde Geronimi (1959). Probably the one film in my life I’ve seen the most. It’s a comfort food sort of thing– I feel like the art gets better as I get older, and has one of the more complex scores of a Disney film, being variations on Tchaikovsky.

Shows:

Harlots, 2017 (season 3). If you love a trashy drama and period dramas, this is totally for you.  I binged the first two seasons last summer before the third dropped and am just catching up now.  It just drips with melodrama and beautiful clothes. Like if Jerry Springer or Dr. Phil or any of those took place in the 18th century. So many cat fights! And definitely not one for the kids.

Man in the High Castle, 2016 (season 4). Watched the first two, and it’s great, but wasn’t in the mood at the moment, so I’m gonna hold off a bit.

The New Pope, 2016 Season 2 Finale. I love Paolo Sorrentino’s style. He’s so on the nose visually, and sometimes a bit meta. This was a great season finale, and I actually enjoyed how it ended. Would love another season, because Jude Law is pretty hot in this, but will not be disappointed if there isn’t.

Westworld, 2017 Season 3 premiere. Lots to set up for the new season, and Tommy Flanagan! I’m on board.

The Tick, 2016 Season 2. Had started this season a few months back and finally finished it. They left it with a cliffhanger so I don’t think they anticipated not being renewed. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the cartoon or the other incarnation. Would have liked to have seen more though.

Mad Men, 2007 Season 1 (Rewatch). One of my roommates hadn’t seen the show, so we binged the first season together. It is a masterful show, with the character development over the first season and the period accuracy.

Killing Eve, 2017 (Season 1). It took me a moment to finally get to this one, and it is so good! Phoebe Waller-Bridge is quickly becoming one of my heroes for story writing/creation (along with Tina Fey, Carrie Fisher, and Emma Thompson to name a few.) I’m enjoying so far!

Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse, 2020. This Amazon two-parter really twisted up the Agatha Christie story from what I read of the original novel summary, and honestly turned out to be a bit disappointing.

Books:

Finishing All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders 2016. I wanted to like this more, but I may have also been distracted while reading. I enjoy Anders’s style, so I’m definitely going to pick up their next book.

Starting If on a winter’s night, a traveler, Italo Calvino 1979. I enjoyed The Baron in the Trees, and this was on a list so I picked it up. Very enjoyable so far.

Hit me up with what you’ve been reading and watching!

 

 

The Elephant in the Room

The evolution of the week is fascinating. I remembered Monday that two years ago around this time, I read Station Eleven, and probably would have been freaking out. Then as I sifted through various information, made my own educated deductions, and talked to people, some of which had connections to infectious disease doctors or other medical professionals, my thoughts shifted to just be more mindful and preventative. You know, like a normal human.

Then on Friday, as we are all working and getting ticket package fulfillment ready, someone shouts through the office that SXSW was canceled. We had already decided to grab a drink as a team, but man, did we need it now. That also seemed to put us all at ease, and we made some new memories.

Working the festival circuit the last few years, it’s a great reminder that what you do is pretty dependant on attendance. And if no one attends, your job is kind of in jeopardy, not only for this festival, but future festivals– as budgeting for the next one comes around, they might just cut funds to your department, or even worse, just your job in general. So go out and support your local film festival and artists!

Good news though, Mercury Retrograde ended yesterday and with a Full Moon in Virgo, so huzzah!

What I’m into this week:

Rewatching The Lady Vanishes, dir. Alfred Hitchcock (1938). I hadn’t seen this one in probably over ten years, and it was fun seeing it with an audience (at the Film Forum, my first time going! They were doing a retrospective of Hitchcock and the women he worked with behind the camera) I forgot how funny this one was, and enjoyed Michael Redgrave immensely.

Watching Onward, dir. Dan Scanlon (2020). This was cute, and the world-building was fantastic. Of course, the message at the end makes you cry – it may not be the strongest Pixar, but it was definitely entertaining.

Binging The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 3. This didn’t feel as strong as the last two seasons, but very enjoyable. They went to Vegas in the first few episodes, and I always enjoy when they make fake hotel/casinos – this one was the “Phonecia” which was like a sort of Cesar’s type place, though it was located closer to downtown with old shots of Fremont Street sans canopy.

Leap Day!

It’s a magical thing this week, Leap Day! Merry Leap Day everyone!

Here’s a clip from 30 Rock on the magic of Leap Day:

 

Things that happened this week included Welsh Shorts, our first Tribeca Happy Hour, Teknopolis at BAM in Brooklyn. The Welsh shorts were fantastic and for New York Welsh, which is, you guessed it, a group of Welsh transplants in New York (I’m sure some of you can guess why I attended — which the answer is yes, but also I’m a good friend). Our first Tribeca Happy Hour was a grand time, and I chatted casually with new and old friends over Margaritas– they even free poured to refill and I knew I wasn’t in Utah anymore. Teknopolis was super cute, and I went to see one of my favorite witchy friends that I met on the circuit who works there. We caught up which was very refreshing and comforting to know I have such fantastic friends all over!

Also, here’s your Susan Miller Horoscope for March, this one is pretty good!

What I’m into this week:

Catching up on The New Pope, 2016 (Season 2 of The Young Pope).

Watching The Invisible Man, dir. Leigh Whannell (2020). I went and saw this on a whim, and since I have AMC stubs I figured I’d even see it in IMAX – which I’m not sure if it was needed to be seen that way, but since it was available to me, why not? This certainly enhanced the experience, in that it made me fall completely in love with the soundtrack. It was a very tight script as well, I enjoyed it – and have a feeling there with be a The Invisible Man II: Eye of the Beholder or some such. But seriously, take a listen here.

Can we talk about the trailer for The Green Knight? The soft spot for Medieval Lit became very excited!

Also Screeners! I haven’t much time to catch up on them, so I was good and definitely did some good screener duty this week. Two I absolutely loved, and hate that I can’t talk about!

Finally, I downloaded the Co-Star app, which finally became available for Android (yeah, one of those). It seems to suit me just fine!

 

 

 

 

Back in the New York Groove

Bye Bye Utah!

I love all the friends I have here and I miss them so much already! Look out for my piece I’m writing especially on Sundance, so I can expand on the films in which I saw. I’m hoping later sometime this week.

Very important, for all the young folk, to hear this song:

 

Anyhow, that’s right! I’m back in NYC, working at Tribeca. I’m Creds Manager here, somewhat similar to what I was doing at Sundance (sorta). But what I love here at Tribeca is there are some folks I only get to see once a year, here in NYC, as they only work the East Coast fests. Plus, two and a half months in NYC! I’ve already gone to my favorite book store, eaten at one of my favorite places, and watched a film at my favorite theatre, and I am ready for more exploring.

A majority of my first week was spent in a hotel, courtesy of an old friend’s girlfriend. It was super swanky, and I felt completely spoiled and am so grateful for that friend’s hospitality and friendship. (They still have my favorite ‘I quit’ story ever). Plus it was so close to work I could roll out of bed for it.

 

This year, I feel like I’ve gotten settled faster. I’ve taken a dive into some screeners, and I’ve managed to get this blog back up, after one week back!

What I’m into this week:

Watching Portrait of a Lady on Fire, dir. Celine Schiamma (2019) What a beautiful film about love and what love means. Like Marianne from Sense & Sensibility “love is to pine, to burn” that is definitely this film. The two leads were great, and Schiamma captures intimacy in the time period not often seen. Plus, anyone that can show how certain pieces of music can just bring up such emotions (I often say I hear classical music in my stomach because as a cellist, that’s about where the sound is coming from when you play- so I hear it with my whole body and it’s an emotional and moving experience just about every time) That’s a winner.

Watching Bringing Out the Dead, dir. Martin Scorsese (1999). I enjoyed this more than I anticipated, though I had heard it was underrated. I particularly liked the editing and driving shots. They make New York look so incredibly grimy too, lol. I also realized while watching this, Nic Cage reminds me of one of my best friends, Brendan.

Watching Emma., dir. Autumn de Wilde (2020) What a fun movie, and I think that all of Austen’s wit was given razor-sharp treatment, with the help of such sold direction/comedic timing, and scoring. I think a day of this, paired with Birds of Prey would have been an amazing dose of girl power.

Watching a handful of episodes of What We Do In The Shadows, 2019 (Season 1). I’ve seen the film, and I love all the things about it, just hadn’t taken the time. My new roomie was watching and I couldn’t help but watch a few myself. It’s pretty funny. And how can you go wrong with Matt Berry under Taika’s influence?

Reading All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders (2016). I’m a fan of the Podcast that Anders cohosts with Annalee Newitz, Our Opinions Are Correct about Scifi and Science. So I’m glad to have picked up this book to check out, and it’s very entertaining so far. A full report once I’ve finished.

Next week is gonna be an interesting one folks! Sit tight!

 

 

Happiest of Holidays!

This past Saturday was Yule, which for some Pagans is New Year’s. We typically have a big dinner and exchange homemade gifts (which I forgot to make this year! But will once the holidays calm down). We also burn a Bayberry candle from start to finish for good luck in the New Year. Happy Solstice!

Work was relatively quiet most days this week which was nice as after January 1st, it will be go go go, and suddenly I’ll blink and it will be February and I’ll be planning my trip to NYC.

Anyway, more Christmas shenanigans next week, but for now, thank you to those who take the time to read this each week (that aren’t my mom) and enjoy my little lists.

Here’s my favorite Christmas Song for you all to enjoy!

A few weird things I saw this week:

Tuesday, we came in second at Trivia (Team Ghost Blood!) but… my roomie and I usually hang out after and talk to Tink the bartender, and we saw a Veteran drink a beer out of his prosthetic leg…

Wednesday, was more of a cuteness overload. On the short drive from our Pass & Package Office to the Ticketing Department at Miner’s, my assistants and I saw a Bernese Mountain Dog lying in a huge pile of snow and not wanting to get out, with how much their owner was trying to get them to come along.

Then I saw something weird on Saturday, but can’t remember for the life of me what it was. So clearly not that weird.

What I’m into this week:

Watching Bombshell, dir. Jay Roach (2019). Controversy time! I enjoyed this very much. I thought the performances were great, particularly the leads. The talent they got to play some of the other female anchors was noteworthy from a casting perspective– Tricia Helfer, Alice Eve, Ashley Greene, Jennifer Morrison, to name a few. Still convinced my firstborn daughter will be named Sigourney Charlize after two badasses.

Watching The Irishman, dir. Martin Scorsese (2019). Bossman Bobby D! This was a fine piece of cinematic art. Though I think it might have benefited as a miniseries. Though the length made me think of other auteur’s masterpieces (Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander, Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, and pretty much all of David Lean). Scorsese is a Master Auteur. That opening shot had me thinking of The Searchers in a sense and with the closing shot also of a doorway.

Finishing The Crown, 2016, Season 3. I enjoy this show a lot and the writing is masterful. I mean, comparing the moon landing to Prince Phillip’s mid-life crisis? The little bits of light we get to see when Elizabeth’s soul gets to peek out when she’s doing things she enjoys? Messing up everyone’s love life to boot. I can’t wait for next season when you get not only Diana, but the Falklands, and the Iron Lady (played by Gillian Anderson).

Starting The Witcher, 2019, Season 1. You had me at Henry Cavill. But kept me at Slavic folklore. That’s the dark shit. Where witches bleed black blood and eat babies kind of dark (and yes, kind of offensive to this witch that just wants to sit in a field of flowers and meditate but potatoe, potAto). I’m curious where this will go, as I haven’t read any of the books or know anything about the video games.

 

 

 

 

 

Full Moon in Gemini!

It’s been a week! Last week at work there didn’t seem too much to do, now there aren’t enough hours in the day! Ticket package sales! Assistants! Snow Days! Auditing! Schedule postings! Am I gonna be able to see everything I want at Sundance this year? Probably not! Do I hope to see more than last year? (I saw 8) Yes! Do I think I’ll break my record? (15) Probably not! Do I like exclamation points? Sorta!

Our assistants started on Wednesday, which we were glad because we managed to interview one on Monday and got them started by Wednesday! This year we get 4! That’s right, 4! In past years, we made do with 2 – so that will be nice to potentially not have to work some of those late nights with so many extra hands. Oh, and then our work Christmas Party was Wednesday, so that’s a fun first day for our Assistants.

Trivia: First Place! Our team name was “27 Club” because one of my coworkers/teammates was turning 27 the next day. Oh to be 27 again.

Film Church: Die Hard

How’d this Full Moon in Gemini treat you this week? I felt like a boss for most of it!

What I’m into this week:

Re-watching Robin Hood, dir. Wolfgang Reitherman (1973). Yes, the Disney one. My brother and I watched this a lot as kids. It was much shorter than I remember, but I still love all the music and I don’t care if a lot of the animation is recycled from other properties. It’s a jolly good time.

Watching The Hitch-Hiker, dir. Ida Lupino (1942). Important Film Noir and a pioneering Female Filmmaker (actress Ida Lupino!) this was pretty good. I enjoy Film Noir a lot, mostly because when they show murders and things – if they show the actor’s face, you know because of the Hays Code that they are gonna have to either be arrested or die by the end – so that’s like a mystery in itself!

Re-watching Die Hard, dir. John McTiernan (1988). I love this movie. I made my students watch when I taught Intro to Screenwriting back in Grad School, since, despite all the rewrites, it ended up a pretty tight script. And yes, I think it’s a Christmas movie. A man is trying to save his marriage at Christmas. How is it not? Explosions can happen on Christmas too! They aren’t just for the Fourth of July. Also, I recommend this Honest Trailer

Re-watching The Great Beauty, dir. Paolo Sorrentino (2013). I’m in this fabulous film group on the facebook, and they asked for people to write blurbs about films from the last decade. I volunteered myself to write about this film, the Best Foreign Language Oscar Winner for the 2013 year. Something about when I watched this really resonated – perhaps the searching for something while living your best life. Or finding the meaning in art when you’re a little jaded. From here, I discovered the HBO series Sorrentino created “The Young Pope” and can’t wait for the next installment “The New Pope”.

Starting The Expanse, 2015. My dad gave this a 10 out of 10, another trusted source gave it a 6 out of 10. I wasn’t surprised to give it a solid 7.5 to 8 – if you like your Space Operas with heavy politics and gritty space ships, boy, do I have a series for you!