12/9/22
TRENDS THIS WEEK:
Youtube Kate Hudson Hot Ones
Letterboxd BONES AND ALL
Spotify CREEPIN’ - Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
Netflix BULLET TRAIN
Twitter AMONG US
Trailer COCAINE BEAR
Shopify It’s Been A Week
Life & Culture
The most viral game of 2020, AMONG US, is back with a new version today. The new mode, called HIDE N SEEK, is more fast-paced than classic mode. Like the original game, players are either an imposter or crew members, but this time, the crew members must try to hide from the imposter. I thoroughly enjoyed the game when it first got popular during the pandemic, and I’m looking forward to playing around with this new version over the weekend.
Google shared the most-googled things of the past year, and Wordle, the popular word game acquired by The New York Times this year, topped the list. Other popular searches were Queen Elizabeth, Betty White, and “election results.” The most-searched films in the U.S. included ENCANTO, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, and TOP GUN: MAVERICK. The list also clearly reflected the impact entertainment has on culture, with searches for Will Smith, Chris Rock, “negroni sbagliato,” and even “how to become a fighter pilot” topping the list.
And to close out with some good news, the U.S. approved the largest dam removal in history in order to protect endangered salmon. Four dams along the Klamath River on the border of California and Oregon will now be removed. This move will open up 300 miles of habitat for salmon, which will in turn positively affect the Yurok Tribe, who are reliant on the fish and have been pushing for this for decades now.
—Darlene Kenney, Director of Brand Marketing
Internet
Like Spotify and Google, TikTok also shared some of its data from the past year in a blog post on Tuesday. While it didn’t share exactly which videos were most viewed, the platform highlighted the most popular videos-turned-trends, like the now beloved corn kid remix, the extremely memeable “I’m just a baby!” video, and Lizzo’s ABOUT DAMN TIME dance tutorial. The report also documented the year’s standout creators, songs, and communities. I loved seeing the app highlight creators like @guywithamoviecamera, @pepperonimuffin, and @drewbarrymore on the list. You can check out the full report here.
And of course, some of my favorite gems from this week: this beautiful video of a dolphin and a surfer sharing a wave, this nostalgic clip of Ashton Kutcher pranking Justin Timberlake on the first episode of MTV’s PUNK’D (with a cameo from Dax Shepherd), and this cool demonstration of how mangroves work to protect coastal communities.
—Darlene Kenney, Director of Brand Marketing
Film
Last week, I finally got the chance to watch DECISION TO LEAVE (trailer here), which director Park Chan-wook won the Best Director award for at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. It stars Hae il Park and Tang Wei, one of my favorite Chinese actresses. DECISION TO LEAVE is another thrilling film from Chan-wook, who’s known for THE VENGEANCE TRILOGY and films such as THIRST and THE HANDMAIDEN. A story filled with old-fashioned romantic fatalism and slow-burn mysteries, DECISION TO LEAVE follows a dedicated detective (Hae il Park) who’s investigating the death of a man who fell off a mountain, but finds himself developing feelings for the dead man’s mysterious wife (Tang Wei), who’s also a suspect in the case. Chan-wook masterfully depicts a seemingly impossible romance that pushes the detective to grapple between his dignity and burning desires, cutting between space and times with his at-times disorienting shots that capture the strange intimacies between the two—the watcher and the watched; the investigator and the suspected; the saved and the savior. The screening I went to at the Hammer Museum featured a Q&A with Jeong Seo-Gyeong, co-writer and longtime collaborator of Chan-wook. It was very fascinating to hear the development of the story from a female perspective, especially given the ending (no spoilers here!).
—Mimi Li, Development Coordinator
FROM THE VAULT
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (trailer here) is one of my favorite holiday movies. Ernst Lubitsch’s classic is the perfect blend of comedy, romance, and even some profound melancholy. It’s also basically the original YOU’VE GOT MAIL, with Jimmy Stewart as a proto-Tom Hanks. Plenty of laughs and quotable dialogue make this kind of the perfect film to put on for the whole family this December.
—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant
TV
The Netflix algorithm was clearly infiltrating the recesses of my psyche when it flagged the hidden gem that is LOVESICK (trailer here). This British half-hour comedy series originally premiered back in 2014, but it's a fresh, delightful watch nearly a decade later. A conceptual blend of HIGH FIDELITY and FRIENDS, the show starts off with lead character Dylan (Johnny Flynn) finding out that he has tested positive for chlamydia and has to notify all of his past partners. With the help of his housemates Luke and Evie, Dylan tracks down a different ex in each episode, flashing back to his time with them while also revealing more about the true romance of the series between Dylan and Evie. The tone is consistently funny and sweet but not saccharine—a perfect, realistic balance of young adult silliness and raunchiness. I could watch these characters and their messy misadventures for years and truly just wish I had joined the party sooner!
—Dustin Sloane, Development Coordinator
Book
Of all the great books I’ve read this year, there’s one that has lingered in my mind more than any other. Helen Oyeyemi’s PEACES is a novel about young lovers Otto and Xavier, who are gifted tickets for a romantic getaway aboard a peculiar train. As they journey through the train’s bizarre cars and meet its eccentric passengers, they begin to uncover mysteries that only give way to more mysteries. All the while, they dissect their relationship and their own psyches as each encounter on the train becomes intertwined with their memories. If that sounds vague and perplexing, well, it is. As whimsical as the premise is, the book is less about an adventure on a train and more about unraveling human perception. PEACES is difficult to properly describe, but I can tell you that I couldn’t put it down. It’s everything you want out of a novel, or out of a train ticket gifted to you by your lover’s weird aunt: It’s a trip.
—Anna Lee, Development Intern
Interviews
Variety’s always-intriguing Actors on Actors interview series is back with some gems this awards season. There are twelve interviews in total, including the four that are out so far: Viola Davis & Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett & Michelle Yeoh, Ana de Armas & Eddie Redmayne, and Adam Sandler & Brendan Fraiser. Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the series, what’s cool about it is the fact that the actors drive the conversation and talk about whatever’s interesting to them—whether that means Blanchett asking Yeoh about Jamie Lee Curtis’ now-iconic hot-dog fingers, or Sandler and Fraiser talking about what Sandler called “the greatest party of all time” (their time on set of their 1994 movie AIRHEADS). The series makes space for genuine dialogue and allows viewers to see a new side of their favorite actors. Still to come: Jamie Lee Curtis & Colin Farrell, John Boyega & Letitia Wright, and Carey Mulligan & Margot Robbie.
—Darlene Kenney, Director of Brand Marketing
Music
At long last, it's here…SZA released her second studio album SOS today. If you’re among the many fans whose hearts have been torn apart—or healed—by SZA’s stunning debut album CTRL and have waited patiently since 2017…then today is a good day. And if you’re not yet a SZA fan, then buckle up and tune in immediately. SZA is a master of translating intimate and personal inner monologues into indelible moments that are resonant and relatable, yet otherworldly, all at once. This long-awaited album carries on the same qualities from CTRL, but more—in one moment, she is a baddie above it all; in the next, she’s a sad girl who’s laying out her vulnerable sides. It’s long and ambitious, featuring 23 songs of different sonic styles and structures, showcasing SZA’s range both as a songwriter and a performer. You’ll hear the booming beats of CONCEITED, pop/rock-influenced F2F, and tracks with lo-fi and R&B reminiscent of CTRL. In conclusion, SZA really said…let my fans be fed with this masterpiece. She ate and left no crumbs.
—Mimi Li, Development Coordinator
Have a great weekend! And as always, be kind, stay healthy, and stay creative. ツ
