06/25/21
It all begins with an idea.
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ Youtube Conan Says Farewell
☞ Letterboxd LUCA
☞ TikTok #roadtrip
☞ Spotify good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo
☞ Netflix Manifest
☞ Twitter Tyler, the Creator
Life & Culture
After seeing this TikTok on my feed, I was reminded that yes, the summer Olympics are still happening this year. The creator, @fitswithlogs, introduces us to the five new sports that were added to the Olympics for the first time (surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding, karate, and baseball/softball), and the women we can expect to see dominating. The TikTok, along with the excitement of Sha’Carri Richardson’s 100-meter Olympic trial win this week, made me remember how much I loved watching the Olympics as a kid, and genuinely look forward to watching this summer. However, on the flip side, there’s still a pandemic going on. As Tokyo resident Yurié explained on TikTok, the majority of locals are opposed to the Tokyo Olympics carrying on as planned. And as the NYT documented on Wednesday, just 7 percent of Japanese residents are vaccinated, and the country experienced a new surge in Covid cases just last month. The games will, however, have many more restrictions than usual. Olympic attendees must wear masks and take temperature checks. They will not be allowed to touch other fans, cheer loudly, high-five each other, or get autographs from athletes. I know there’s a lot of revenue at stake here—both for local businesses, the travel and hospitality industry, the athletes, and the IOC—but is the risk really worth it?
Not to state the obvious, but the way we get content is changing—and so is the way people get paid for making that content. And as advertising goes mobile and young consumers get savvier, it’s getting pricier and pricier to market to the youngest generation. Take Gen Z’s favorite app, TikTok (as of last August, TikTok reports that 45% of its users are under 18 and there’s a total of over 100 million US users on the app). The platform was previously charging up to $1.5 million per day for its “TopView” ads—the ones users see as soon as they open the app. Now, that astronomical rate is bumping up to a staggering $2 million per day by the end of this year.
With all of this TikTok talk, I of course have to share two of my favorite creations from this week. Flash mobs are apparently back, people. And I personally am not mad about it. Also, this creator shared a divided disagreement she’s having with her mom while driving. I’m on the mother’s side, but please reply back with your thoughts on this important issue.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Film
I can finally recommend this speechlessly beautiful film to you because I CARRY YOU WITH ME (trailer here) is at last getting a theatrical release this Friday! Directed by Heidi Ewing (you can find a little rec of her in this week’s Filmmaker Section!), I CARRY YOU WITH ME premiered at Sundance in 2020 and tells the true story of an undocumented gay couple from Mexico, as they attempt to pursue the promise of social and economic freedoms in New York City. Long-time documentary filmmaker Heidi Ewing employs an innovative hybrid storytelling format unlike anything I’ve seen in recent years, blurring the lines of “narrative” and “non-scripted,” urging us to remember the reality taking place off-screen. The intimate cinematography by DP Juan Pablo Ramirez brings a sensitive naturalism to this poignant and intensely intimate story, and incredible performances by Armando Espitia and Christian Vazquez brought me to tears—more than once.
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant
As I was leaving Ralph’s the other day, I noticed a couple standing at the Redbox machine, deliberating over what movie to rent. It struck me as a great idea—renting a movie is such a fun event compared to opening a laptop and streaming it. So, I went home and rented THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS (trailer here)—albeit on a streaming device—and it did not disappoint! Released last month, Robert Machoian’s marriage drama feels and sounds like a horror movie. Clayne Crawford mesmerizes and terrifies as David, a man struggling to mend his marriage and keep his family of four kids together. The film introduces a threat of violence that simmers throughout and is kept at bay only by conversation. The men in the movie know how to talk, using sophisticated language that appears on the surface to be aimed at conflict resolution—but ultimately just serves to mask some intense underlying rage. It’s still playing in six theaters and is available to rent via PVOD (not yet available at the Redbox machine!). Go check it out!
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
TV
I grew up following my mom around the kitchen. As a Black woman from Louisiana, the food that she would cook— catfish, red beans & rice, gumbo, shrimp etouffee—was all what she learned to make growing up, and each recipe holds a ton of cultural significance. So, I had the time of my life watching the Netflix docuseries HIGH ON THE HOG (trailer here). This series takes our host Stephen Satterfield (chef, food writer, and former sommelier) to Africa and back to America, exploring how African cuisine influences so much of American cuisine today. The series allows space to explore and express Black joy through food while still recognizing the harrowing past of our ancestors. As Stephen mentions in the first episode as he explores different countries and regions in Africa, “It was strange to come home to a place I’ve never been.” A sentence I know a ton of Black Americans, myself included, can relate to. For all of my fellow food lovers, if you’re looking to watch something that will make your mouth water and tug at your heartstrings, this one's for you.
—Erin Harris, Development Assistant
Theater
This is the final week for you to catch The New Group’s streamed production of WAITING FOR GODOT starring Ethan Hawke and John Leguizamo! While some recent digital theater productions have gravitated toward filming actors on a stage, the characters in this GODOT all speak directly into the camera, sometimes even manhandling it as they grasp for control. Watching the characters speak into a digital void is eerie and oddly fitting for both the material and the present moment.
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
Book
SONGS IN URSA MAJOR by Emma Brodie is the sort of book that you can read in one sitting (and I mean that as a compliment!). It’s a sweeping love story inspired by the real-life romance between Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. That’s not to say it’s overly frothy – writer Emma Brodie explores themes of addiction (again drawn from Taylor’s real life) and mental illness. It’s the perfect summer read, both for fans of the 1970s music scene and for anyone who likes stories about heartbreak (and if you think that’s a spoiler, have you really never heard of Carly Simon??).
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
Editor’s Note: Joni Mitchell’s seminal album, BLUE, turned 50 this week, and this roundup of musicians speaking about their favorite songs on the album is fantastic. The submission from James Taylor is a highlight and adds a little more color around their relationship too—whether or not it’s revisionist history, only Joni can say.
Short Film
It has been brought to my attention by my friends, boyfriend and even my mother that I am one of those people who can’t help but try and figure out what happens next when I’m watching a movie (a.k.a. Talk through the entire thing). Fine. It’s just that I need to be completely on the edge of my seat in order to shut up and say nothing— and that’s why my rec for this week is a crime thriller short that had my mouth clenched shut the entire time: PIGFACE. The three-minute short, written and directed by John Paul Lopez and produced by Elara Pictures, follows a woman who desperately needs her friends’ help with her dirty work, but can’t seem to spit out what it is she’s done. It’s fast paced (yes even for three minutes of content), gritty, and the ending left me begging to see more.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
Music
Dare I say that pop punk…is back? The 14-year-old in me is living, seeing such a resurgence of the genre all over TikTok, but what I’m most excited about right now is Willow Smith's two-song EP LIPSTICK/T R A N S P A R E N T S O U L, which is giving very Y2K pop-punk vibes.
Both songs are absolute fire, but I must say T R A N S P A R E N T S O U L is the one for me. The song reminds me a lot of Paramore and Blink 182, which makes total sense because the latter’s drummer, Travis Barker, is credited on the song. The track uses familiar chords and hard-hitting percussion in true pop punk fashion, but what really nails the genre are the lyrics. Willow comes straight out of the gate with an attitude, digging into how people around her can be fake. You can really tell that she’s genuine about navigating her sound and who she is—which just makes me love her and these songs even more.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
Filmmaker
Am I doing a double-rec of Heidi this week? Yes. Because if you don’t know her yet, you absolutely need to. You might be familiar with her 2006 Documentary JESUS CAMP (trailer here), which she co-directed with Rachel Grady. It follows a group of kids at a Christian summer camp where they are being taught that they “can take back America for Christ.” This eye-opening, jaw-dropping documentary premiered at Tribeca 2006 and was nominated for best documentary feature at the Oscars that year. Heidi’s other critically-acclaimed credits include THE BOYS OF BARAKA (trailer here), ONE OF US (trailer here), and DETROPIA (trailer here). Most recently, her incredible docu-series LOVE FRAUD (trailer here) debuted on SHOWTIME, and it’s one of the most binge-worthy docu-series I’ve seen. It follows the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women looking for love—conning them out of both their money and dignity. The story unravels in real time as Smith's victims band together to seek sweet revenge by turning to a bounty hunter when they feel the justice system has failed them. And of course, you have to watch her narrative debut I CARRY YOU WITH ME, which is releasing theatrically today!
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant