07/16/21
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ Youtube DEADPOOL AND KORG REACT
☞ Letterboxd BLACK WIDOW
☞ TikTok #DateNight
☞ Spotify Måneskin - Beggin’
☞ Netflix VIRGIN RIVER
☞ Twitter #MyBrag
Life & Culture
ROADRUNNER, a new documentary film chronicling the life of Anthony Bourdain comes out this week. I will definitely be heading to the theaters to watch. But there’s one troubling wrinkle in the whole thing:, In order to provide the audience with exactly the right audio for the story he wanted to tell, filmmaker Morgan Neville used artificial intelligence to manufacture a version of Bourdain’s voice. The computer-made audio is used to narrate an emotional email that Bourdain sent to a friend toward the end of his life, discussing the idea of happiness. While I fully understand the filmmaker’s choice to find a way to bring this heavy email to life, it’s sort of eerie. It reminds me of the trend of creating holograms of famous musicians in order to put on shows for fans. I get the idea behind it, but it’s weird. The filmmaker himself told The New Yorker, “If you watch the film, other than that line you mentioned, you probably don’t know what the other lines are that were spoken by the A.I., and you’re not going to know...We can have a documentary-ethics panel about it later.”
Also worthy of a panel discussion: Gen Z fav Olivia Rodrigo hit the White House this week in order to convince young people to get vaccinated. Press Secretary Jen Psaki described it as an effort to “meet people where they are”. While this moment has of course brought us jokes, rom com pitches, and a plethora of internet opinions, it feels important and potentially impactful. Because according to the CDC, only about 42 percent of people 18 to 24 have been fully vaccinated. That's compared with nearly 60% of all adults in the United States. And, with L.A. County now requiring masks indoors again due to a recent spike in cases, we can only hope that efforts like Olivia’s are successful.
And finally, if you’re looking for an uplifting story to cap a long week, check out this article documenting “the pool’s oldest lifeguard,” Joshua Vick. The 36-year-old found himself unemployed after the pandemic, and took a job working for his local pool, which he fondly calls “a dream come true.”
If that doesn’t lift your spirits, go ahead and watch this TikTok showing off the most ideal form of protection from bugs, or this one that’s hard to explain but an extremely accurate reaction to a burglar.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Film
I watched Steven Soderbergh’s new crime thriller NO SUDDEN MOVE (trailer here) last weekend with a couple friends and one of my friend’s parents. (Side note: it’s a perfect parent watch.) Fast-paced and stylish, the movie is propelled by the deceit and back stabbings expected from a good heist-gone-wrong movie. For the parents, it has 1950s Detroit period setting and costumes as well as historical background in the “smog conspiracy” litigated by the US DOJ in 1969. I had no idea what this conspiracy was before watching, but my friend’s dad was very excited to recognize the events. If you want to brush up, Vox has a detailed explainer (in short, the Detroit automakers colluded to prevent the implementation of emissions-reducing technology, and it’s just as corrupt and horrific as you think it is). Every role features your favorite actor, too – Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro are supported by Brendan Fraser, Julia Fox, Ray Liotta…the list goes on.
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
TV
Our entire TV team has been patiently awaiting the pilot of THE WHITE LOTUS (trailer here). And boy, were we not disappointed. The first episode of this social satire introduces us to the wealthy mismatched hotel guests and even quirkier hotel staff at the White Lotus hotel in Hawaii. As these entitled rich folks embark on their tropical getaway, they're brought closer to the soap, tension, and conversations surrounding race, class, and privilege. Because at the end of the day, vacation really does bring out the worst in people. Also, I’ll watch anything Jennifer Coolidge and Natasha Rothwell are in. They're hilarious and I'm obsessed. P.S., they teased a murder mystery plot...and who doesn't love a whodunnit?
—Erin Harris, Development Assistant
After scouring the internet for content to commemorate LEGALLY BLONDE’s 20th anniversary, I was left feeling very nostalgic for the heady days of the early 2000s, when Steve Madden sandals and tube tops were a thing, and “chick flicks” were plentiful. FWIW, I am not a fan of the phrase but don’t know how else to describe the genre that spans SHE’S THE MAN, WHITE CHICKS, FREAKY FRIDAY, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, MAID IN MANHATTAN...you get me. But I have to say, Netflix’s NEVER HAVE I EVER (trailer here) has really scratched that itch for me. The show’s second season dropped on Thursday, and after watching the first episode, I can happily report that this season is just as juicy, relatable, and second-hand-embarrassment-inducing as the first. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan masterfully plays the lead role of Devi and is a huge part of what makes the show so fun. If you’re looking for a laugh alongside a rollercoaster of emotions, definitely dive into Devi’s drama-filled world this weekend.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Theater
All fans of I MAY DESTROY YOU should head over to my favorite platform, National Theatre at Home, to check out the newly released tape of Michaela Coel’s one-woman show CHEWING GUM DREAMS. The play, which Coel first debuted in 2012, was the inspiration for her first show, CHEWING GUM. It’s a delightful piece about a fourteen-year-old girl named Tracey navigating all the usual pitfalls of adolescence–sex, friendship, bullying (though she’s the bully in most cases). In Coel’s usual style, the show is equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, and makes for great summer evening viewing!
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
Book
The narrator of Katie Kitamura’s new novel INTIMACIES observes her world with an emotional detachment that, paradoxically, draws the reader in. The unnamed character has recently moved to the Hague to work as an interpreter, and is quickly assigned to the trial of a West African dictator responsible for a major genocide. As the dictator takes a liking to her, the interpreter is able to analyze her feelings about the situation with an impressive level of questioning and self-awareness, just like she does when her boyfriend disappears for several months to visit his ex-wife. To call the novel a mood piece would be unfair to Kitamura’s skill as a writer, but it certainly leaves you feeling, well, moody.
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
