09/09/22
This week: The crowning of a Corn King, something for all the Brenda and Dylan devotees out there, a comedic refugee story that gets it right, and unfiltered thoughts on House of the Dragon.
TRENDS THIS WEEK:
Youtube Rema, Selena Gomez - CALM DOWN
Letterboxd NOPE
Spotify Harry Styles - AS IT WAS
Netflix MORBIUS
Twitter King Charles
Trailer MY POLICEMAN
Shopify It’s Been A Week
Life & Culture
Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96 on Thursday, ending her 70-year-long reign as Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Her reign is the longest recorded of any female head of state in global history. The Queen’s son, now King Charles III, is the new occupant of the throne and gave his first address to the nation today. The reaction across social media was polarizing, with many celebrating the Queen’s life, and others criticizing the concept of monarchy and expressing surprise at its continued existence.
This summer was a hot one, as we saw unprecedented heat waves all across the United States. In California, we’re just about to come off of one this weekend (fingers crossed), which is being reported as the worst heat wave in the state’s history. And apparently, a text alert may have saved California from rolling blackouts. On Tuesday, the governor’s office sent out a text urging residents to conserve energy, as the state’s energy grid was pushed to its highest demand ever, at 52,601 megawatts. In the five minutes following, energy usage dropped about 1,200 megawatts. And as this summer ends, I couldn’t help but be reminded of this Simpsons meme someone made last year, declaring that even though it’s been the hottest summer of our lives, it’s also likely the coldest summer of the rest of our lives as well. Sigh.
—Darlene Kenney, Director of Brand Marketing
TikTok
If you’ve kept up with this section of PS Weekly (or really, any corner of the internet in general) over the summer) you’ll know what I’m talking about when I tell you that the viral corn kid is getting the recognition he deserves. To catch you up, this interview of 7-year-old Tariq sharing his love of corn went viral. Then, musicians The Gregory Brothers put the interview to a catchy tune, which went even more viral. Now, the state of South Dakota has named him its official corn-bassador. Tariq traveled with his family from New York to South Dakota for an honorary ceremony at the state’s Corn Palace, where the Governor made September 3, 2022 the “Official Corn-bassador Tariq Day.”
My favorite videos from this week include this top-notch rendition of PHINEAS AND FERB’s unforgettable song S.I.M.P. (SQUIRRELS IN MY PANTS), which single-handedly convinced me to watch a few episodes of the show last night; this (very cute) video documenting “Puffling Patrol,” a yearly tradition in Iceland’s Westman Islands where people help puffins get to sea safely; and this video of a cinematic-looking new record in the world of skydiving.
—Darlene Kenney, Director of Brand Marketing
Film
DO REVENGE (trailer here) is a new movie from Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (SOMEONE GREAT) which comes out on Netflix next week. If you love the ‘90s and early 2000s teen films like CLUELESS, JAWBREAKER, CRUEL INTENTIONS, this one’s for you! It’s a perfectly plotted revenge film with incredible twists and turns and a lush soundtrack from our friend Rob Lowry (who did the music on our film CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH). It’s the most fun I’ve had watching a Netflix movie since HUSTLE. And by the way, if you haven’t seen HUSTLE—what are you doing with your life?
—Jessica Switch, SVP, Production
TV
We have some extra-special curation from our SVP of Production, Jessica Switch, this week. You’ve got the film rec above, and two TV recs below. Enjoy!
Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg created and wrote THE AMERICANS, which is one of my all-time favorite shows, so I had high expectations for their new show THE PATIENT. And I sincerely mean this when I say it does not disappoint. Domhnall Gleeson is possibly the most interesting serial killer since Dexter—and Steve Carrell is the therapist he kidnaps to help him stop killing people. Just trust me and watch it now.
If you worship Brenda and Dylan from BEVERLY HILLS 90210 and also love complicated, sexy, dark romances, please watch TELL ME LIES on Hulu. I’ve only seen two episodes and I haven’t read the book so I know nothing other than the fact that the show is hot and interesting and Grace Van Patten is brilliant. Also, PS friends have their fingerprints all over this one: Jonathan Levine directed it, Laura Lewis and Gillian Bohrer produced it, Meaghan Oppenheimer created it and Sinead Daly wrote on it as well. Congrats everyone!
—Jessica Switch, SVP, Production
Last weekend I had a lot of time on my hands so I decided to binge watch the entirety of MO (trailer here), the new series by Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef. The series follows Mohammed Najjar and his family, Palestinian refugees who settle in Houston, TX in order to escape persecution in their homeland. The show strikes a perfect balance, combining light-hearted comedy with serious issues like discrimination against Brown individuals in America. I highly recommend watching this show as soon as you can, especially if you’re a fellow American Muslim such as myself who is tired of seeing stereotypical portrayals of our community in Hollywood. The show has a talented cast and crew filled with predominantly people of color who all have a passion for telling under-represented stories and did a phenomenal job in doing exactly that in MO.
—Saad Hamid, Digital Intern
I've been getting more into HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (trailer here) with each passing week, but the third episode—"Second of His Name," written by Ryan J. Condal and Gabe Fonseca—has solidified my investment in the series\. I really appreciate the show's willingness to take risks with time jumps, keeping the pace up and skipping to the action. Speaking of action, this episode featured the most visually dynamic scene we've seen thus far in HOTD, and reminded me of the good ol' days of watching epically gory battle sequences in GAME OF THRONES episodes like "Hardhome" or "Battle of the Bastards." Despite the accelerated timeline and spectacle, however, "Second of His Name" knows it's all about character; Daemon Targaryen and Alicent Hightower are both developing in really interesting ways that left me eager to discover where the show will take them, and some strategic side-by-side scenes individually focusing on Princess Rhaenyra and King Viserys juxtapose the father and daughter brilliantly. It's wild to think we're only two episodes away from the season's midpoint, which means only two more episodes of fantastic performances from Milly Alcock and Emily Carey—but I can’t wait to see Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke step in to play their characters' older counterparts too. Going into this weekend's episode, I’m intrigued to watch how Rhaenyra and Alicent grapple with their relationships with each other and the throne as the series nears their jump into adulthood.
—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant
Music
I so clearly remember first watching Zambian-born rapper Sampa the Great in her music video for ENERGY three years ago—I was absolutely blown away by her unique sound, mesmerizing presence, style, and point of view, and I’ve been following her musical journey ever since. Her sophomore studio album AS ABOVE, SO BELOW just dropped today and it’s a must-listen. The 11-track record features guest appearances from artists like Angélique Kidjo, Denzel Curry, Joey Bada$$, W.I.T.C.H, and Sampa’s sister Mwanjé, just to name a few. It’s a personal project that aims to explore womanhood, and the artist’s idea of her most authentic self, intertwined with her memories of Africa. The musical style reflects the hybridity of Sampa’s upbringing—she was born in Zambia and raised in Botswana before relocating to various places such as Australia and California. This album also pays tribute to Zamrock, a blend of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian music. If you haven’t already checked out Sampa the Great’s music, make sure you stream this weekend!
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant
I've been in a bit of a music rut lately—in the mood for something like Harry Styles or Taylor Swift but craving something new. I found a song called LOVE YOU LIKE THAT by Dagny through some random TikTok (that I looked for so I could share with you, but no luck). Said mystery TikTok compared the tack to AS IT WAS by Harry Styles. I checked out more of her stuff earlier this week and wow, it is exactly what I've been looking for. Poppy but fresh. Heavy but also light. If you want something that feels like summer with a whiff of something new, Dagny is for you. Favorite tracks so far include the demisexual anthem that is TURN by The Wombats (feat. Dagny), FOOL'S GOLD for late-night freeway drives, and COME OVER, which just makes me want to dance like this guy. Enjoy!
—Carrie Smith, Executive Assistant
Have a great weekend! And as always, be kind, stay healthy, and stay creative. ツ
