09/25/20
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞ YouTube: Ellen’s Season 18 Monologue
☞ Letterboxd: Nomadland
☞ TikTok: #hellofall
☞ Spotify: Gimme Love - Joji
☞ Netflix: Enola Holmes
☞ Twitter: #BreonnaTaylorMatters
LIFE + CULTURE
Jaden Smith just launched a racial and social justice series on Snapchat called THE SOLUTION COMMITTEE, which depicts Jaden talking with various celebrities about “complex topics” important to young people. In the first episode (also out on YouTube) Jaden speaks to Justin and Hailey Bieber about voting. The rest of the season is set to feature talent like Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, and Bella Hadid. Coming out at the perfect time for these types of conversations, the show feels super fresh and unique for the Snapchat platform.
Humans of New York has been publishing the 32-part story of Tanqueray, a 76-year-old New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up as a young black girl in a white neighborhood in Upstate NY to her experiences working as a burlesque dancer in the middle of New York’s club scene in the 70’s. The gofundme raising money to support Tanqueray is currently at over 1.2 million dollars. Her story is delightful and gripping and interesting and is continuing this weekend. Highly recommending hopping on board.
This week, Twitter went wild about the fact that you won’t be able to buy a gas-powered car in California in 15 years. Governor Newsom announced this week that he is banning the sale of new cars powered by gas in 2035. He declared, “For too many decades, we have allowed cars to pollute the air that our children and families breathe... Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines."
Want some insight on Gen Z? Tiffany Zhong, CEO of Zebra IQ, got u. You can download her in-depth “State of Gen Z Report” for free here. The report goes into depth on Gen Z’s relationship with the digital world, from how we consume information to how we talk to each other. The idea for Zebra IQ was born as Tiffany understood just how valuable insights about Gen Z was for venture capitalists. “I kind of became the go-to teen, or Gen Z whisperer” she said. She dropped out of college to start Zebra IQ, and now companies like Snapchat turn to her reports for insights on all things young people.
PHYSICAL PRODUCTION
Got a little production update for ya'll. Hollywood’s labor unions and studios have finally reached an agreement on return to work protocols for the coronavirus era. The studios have already restarted a number of series and movies by engaging in separate negotiations on a project-by-project basis with unions. However, this pact will make it easier studios and others to move forward with new projects. One key highlight from the deal: Cast & crew are separated into 4 different zones which determines their proximity to cast, frequency they are tested and level of PPE. More HERE.
TV
The second season of PEN15 arrived last week and it was everything I wanted and more. It’s stunning to witness creators and stars Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine make you forget they’re 33-year-old adults playing middle-schoolers with their perfect blend of 2000’s nostalgia with an unapologetically honest and cringe-inducing depiction of female adolescence. I love how Hulu continues to deliver on comedies that may not always be your cup of tea, but will always prove an interesting viewing experience– or like whatever.
FILM
Harry Bradbeer’s zany, lighthearted ENOLA HOLMES is exactly the sort of film I’ve been craving: snappy dialogue, beautiful costumes, and a whole lot of madcap fun. Millie Bobby Brown is right at home as a leading lady, playing the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Brown even manages to upstage her brothers (and when they’re played by Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin, that’s no easy feat!) For those who miss Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s direct-to-camera addresses as Fleabag, you’ll be pleased to find that Bradbeer (who directed most of Fleabag’s first season) and Brown have used that same gimmick to great effect here.
VIDEO GAME
Amazon gives us LUNA. It’s a completely new cloud gaming service that only requires a bluetooth controller (Amazon sells one for $50 dollars) and any of their Fire Stick products. Gaming has been one of the slowest in the world of entertainment to adopt cloud/streaming technologies, but with both Sony and Microsoft releasing completely digital versions of their next generation consoles, it seems like online retail giant is looking to dip its toes into the pool. The PS5 and Xbox Series X will both come with online gaming subscription services, so it will be interesting to see what the dawn of this streaming battle will look like and who ultimately comes out on top.
THEATRE
One of my favorite theater companies, Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago, has just launched STEPPENWOLF NOW - it’s a virtual programming stream that will include online performances and readings, radio plays, immersive experiences, and more. Their initial slate includes new work by playwrights like Rajiv Joseph and Isaac Gomez alongside older works from writers like Sam Shepard. Signing up is a great way to vary up your home-entertainment routine while also supporting a fantastic non-profit theater!
BOOK
Because I’ve been cooking for myself almost every night since March, I’ve been really enjoying reading about food. First Bill Buford’s memoir DIRT, and now David Chang’s memoir EAT A PEACH. But while I bought the book for its mouth-watering descriptions of dishes I have no chance of cooking in my own kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this memoir actually goes much further. Chang opens up about his struggles with mental health and bipolar disorder in a way that feels honest, refreshing, and uplifting.
COMIC
The team behind hit comic COYOTES returns for an all-new, two-arc maxi-series, BLISS by Sean Lewis. There's a drug called Bliss wiping away memories in Feral City. A good-hearted young man, overwhelmed by a deathly sick child and distraught wife, makes a deal to become the personal hitman to three gods, killing those in their way and sending memories down the river of Oblivion in exchange for his family’s well-being.
This limited series has a fun darkness to it that asks the hard questions of what lengths would we go to protect our family. It’s part BREAKING BAD meets AMERICAN GODS. There’s a fanatical element to it that goes hand in hand with the terrible nature of our heroes deeds. If any of these comps sounds up your ally, you should give this a read.
PODCAST
PAPER GHOSTS is the newest true crime podcast from iHeart. Four separate cases, four young girls. All of whom go missing in the early to mid-1970s, all within miles from one another in neighboring New England towns, but no arrests. In Paper Ghosts, investigative journalist and true crime author M. William Phelps’ decade-long search for answers is reignited when a call reveals new information that sets the investigation in motion, uncovering never-made-public documents and bringing forth new witnesses and suspects.
SHORT FILM
SUMMER HIT by Berthold Wahjudi is really charming. Berthold captures a study abroad fling with a realness and lightness that you rarely find in romance on screen. Between the music and the cityscapes, it reminds me of a world I have been missing over the last few months.
