07/09/20
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ YouTube: The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Trailer
☞ Letterboxd: Bad Education
☞ TikTok: #readinglist
☞ Spotify: Ego Death - Ty Dolla $ign, FKA Twigs, Kanye West
☞ Netflix: The Baby-Sitters Club
☞ Twitter: Vine
LIFE & CULTURE
Twitter is reportedly creating a ‘subscription platform’ which miiight mean that we’ll eventually have to pay for tweets. This job listing raised flags that a paid subscription service is in the works at the social media platform, although reps at Twitter said they have nothing to share yet.
Hey all you cool cats and kittens. I’m here to share the news that Tiger King’s Carole Baskin is making an absolute killing selling Cameo videos. She offers personalized videos for $199 a pop and has reportedly made over $20,000 on her first day on the platform.
Guess what the third highest grossing app in June was? Not Disney Plus, not Angry Birds - Tinder. With lockdowns going on there’s no wonder people crave some romance. Last month, the app reports that it was downloaded over 2 million times alone and its daily chats are up 20 percent worldwide.
Zendaya and John David Washington filmed a secret movie titled Malcolm & Marie during quarantine — and I simply cannot wait to watch it. The film, from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, finished filming just last week. The plot is yet to be revealed, but Deadline reports that it "has some echos of Neflix's Marriage Story, while resonating a number of social themes that the world is experiencing right now." Side note, the iconic Kid Cudi was one of the investors involved. Will be waiting day n nite until the movie comes out (dad joke I know, but it’s been a week).
SOCIAL MEDIA
People on social media are comparing the NBA’s Orlando Bubble to the infamous “Fyre Fest”. The Orlando Bubble is where NBA players are being quarantined before their season starts back up. Some basic accommodations are off to a rocky start for the highly anticipated return of the 2019-2020 season, and the internet is ready for all of it.
Julian Bass, a young VFX creator, went viral when Bob Iger responded to his tweet. Julian tweeted out his dope, VFX-heavy TikTok video and said “if y’all can retweet this enough times that Disney calls, that’d be greatly appreciated”. Bob Iger himself actually replied, saying “The world’s gonna know your name!”
TikTok: @prince
Like you need a reason to follow the official account for the man who gave us the best Batman song ever. You’re welcome.
VIDEO GAME
DISINTERGRATION, developed by V1 Interactive — Set in the near future on Earth, the only hope for human survival is through Integration, a process developed to preserve human brains in robotic armatures. You play as Romer Shoal, a former Gravcycle pilot in command of a small resistance force still grasping onto the fading memories of their human selves. With the domineering Rayonne forces set on eliminating the final remnants of human society, it’s up to Romer and his crew of Outlaws to fight back and reboot humanity. Pilot a variety of weaponized Gravcycles and command your crew on the ground by leveraging a variety of unique unit abilities and mastery of your own personal arsenal to dominate the battle.
The big concept behind this game is incredibly interesting. While the dialogue is strong, the actual gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. I’m all for people trying to reinvigorate first person shooters, but the ability to control troops while also being on the battlefield never truly yields a new experience other than exactly what it is on the surface. If you need a FPS to tithe you over until CYBERPUNK 2077 comes out, this will do, but don't expect much.
COMIC
JOIN THE FUTURE by Zack Kaplan — The Future. Ultra-modern megacities reward millions of their citizens with a completely funded life, with every need met, from food to housing and healthcare, in order to com-pete in an economic power struggle in which population is key. But a few rural residents still cling to their independence in what last American small towns are left. When a nearby megacity pressures the people of a small town join up or else, a young teenage girl named Clem will learn how far she'll go to defend her prin-ciples
This is a great new series that reminds me a lot of 1984 with a modern twist. It also feels very timely as our country is becoming more and more split between rural towns and big cities. I suggest reading if dystopian futures are a favorite genre of yours.
THEATRE
PS fave Jordan E. Cooper (best known for his play AIN’T NO MO’) has created a short film / digital play called MAMA GOT A COUGH, about a family trying to check in on their mother’s health via Zoom. In addition to being laugh-out-loud funny, the piece makes the most of its technological / locational constraints without feeling like you’re on another work Zoom. Link to watch HERE.
PODCAST
MURDER ON THE TOWPATH — Hosted by journalist Soledad O’Brien, Murder on the Towpath is about the 1964 murder of a white artist, the black man who stood accused, and the barrier-breaking (black female) civil rights lawyer who rose to his defense. The resulting trial rocked the nation and became a capsule of all the racial tension and government distrust of the 1960’s. To this day, Mary’s murder remains one of the most fascinating unresolved cases in U.S. history. Who shot this socialite, painter, and pacifist in one of DC’s wealthiest neighborhoods, if not Ray Crump? This mystery becomes even thornier as Mary’s powerful connections come to light--she was having an affair with a very powerful man: President John F. Kennedy. A stolen diary, a strange phone call, and a mysterious jogger with multiple aliases leave us wondering what Mary knew, and whether the CIA might have wanted her taken out.
This is a captivating exploration of gender and race relations in our country. If you love the podcast...HERE and HERE are some additional articles on the story.
SHORT FILM
BLOEISTRAAT 11 by Nienke Duetz — A beautifully animated short about a summer friendship between two girls that starts to slowly change as they go through puberty. No dialogue is spoken, but we see the physical and emotional transformation through the animation and the characters actions. A very Picturestart short indeed!
