10/15/20

This week: Megan Thee Stallion takes a stand, sustainability strides forward, and all the fresh music.

TRENDS THIS WEEK

☞ YouTube: Demi Lovato - Commander in Chief
☞ Letterboxd: Hubie Halloween
☞ TikTok: #ThenLeave
☞ Spotify: Mood - 24k Goldn
☞ Netflix:  The Haunting of Bly Manor
☞ Twitter: Kanye

LIFE + CULTURE

Violence against women “happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will.” These are Megan Thee Stallion’s words, from an incredible op-ed she wrote in the New York Times this week. She addressed her own experience as a survivor of violent crime, and talked about how absurd it is that we live in a culture where a phrase like “protect Black women” is somehow controversial. Her great hope for change? “That Kamala Harris’s candidacy for vice president will usher in an era where Black women in 2020 are no longer ‘making history’ for achieving things that should have been accomplished decades ago. In an unequal society, the bar for progress unfortunately feels really low. The piece and accompanying video are moving and powerful. Read, watch, think about what she’s saying, and as she so plainly points out: Vote. Please vote. Check your registration status here. And learn more about your voting options in your state here.

Another bit of news that made me feel optimistic this week? It seems like retailers are (finally) putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to sustainability. H&M just came out with a machine that turns old clothes into new clothes, and it’s pretty dope. The machine, called Looop, creates a new garment in 8 steps, using no water and no chemicals, making it a process that has a much smaller carbon footprint than typical clothing production. IKEA also just announced that it’ll be buying back old furniture from customers. The recycling program, launching Black Friday, is meant to “help customers take a stand against excessive consumption.” Both initiatives are based in Europe, and I’m hoping they make their way to the US sometime soon so I can check ‘em out as well.

And I couldn’t leave you without a few TikToks that brought me joy this week: this cat with an interesting cactus-candle-making talent and this exquisite one-man Mean girls reenactment.

—Darlene Kenney, Marketing Assistant


FILM 

The first two of the “Welcome to the Blumhouse” films dropped on Amazon this week, and I’m SO excited to check them out. NOCTURNE, starring Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, is a Black Swan-esque psychological thriller about a young pianist competing with her sister at their prestigious conservatory. EVIL EYE starring Sunita Mani and Sarita Choudhury is more of a slow burn. It follows a mother and daughter who are targeted by an evil man (maybe even a demon?) who was spurned by the mother in her youth. Perfect to add to your October spooky-movie lineup!

—Julia Hammer, Creative Exec

TV

In anticipation of Manolo Caro’s eagerly awaited Netflix miniseries SOMEONE HAS TO DIE debuting this week, I’ve been rewatching the ridiculously entertaining series that began his relationship with the streamer, THE HOUSE OF FLOWERS. Featuring an all-star Mexican cast with uproariously fun twists and thoughtful commentary on the LATAM bourgeoisie, this breakout hit almost makes me forget about the general state of the world. Also, Hispanic Heritage Month ends this week and I know y’all haven’t been watching enough Latinx fare as is so do your part, gringos!

—Kauveh Khozein Carrera, Creative Exec


MUSIC

Wow, big week in music. Post Malone and Billie Eilish came out on top at Tuesday’s Billboard Music Awards, Ari is dropping new music soon (!!). Kanye released a new song on Twitter (in celebration of what is likely fake precinct reporting from early voting in Kentucky, so there’s that). And Billie Eilish announced a live stream concert this month as an alternative to her cancelled tour. Also feeling great about all of the f*** off tweets from Kat Dennings, Madonna, and others, defending Billie Eilish against body-shaming trolls.

—Erica Beach, Development Assistant


COMEDY

For all our LA locals I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the comedy series I went to see this past weekend. It’s called LOW KEY OUTSIDE and I can assure you that it’s socially distanced and safe. Produced every two weeks by local comics, the show has had some star-studded guests including Bill Burr and Taylor Tomlinson. I had high expectations when I arrived, and they were exceeded when one of my favorite comedians, Ramy Youssef, showed up! Safe to say I was starstruck. Check it out if you’re in LA.

—Bennett Levine, Executive Assistant


THEATRE

One of my favorite plays of last year, Will Arbery’s HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING, will be performed live (online) next week! It’s an incredibly timely, hilarious, and horrifying drama about a group of friends reuniting five years after graduating from their small conservative college. I can’t tell you much more without giving it away—but I will never forget the feeling of walking out of that theater in stunned silence after the play ended. It’s CHILLING.

—Julia Hammer, Creative Exec

PODCAST

The latest podcast from Sharon Mashihi and Mermaid Palace, APPEARANCES tells the story of an Iranian-American woman, Melanie Barzadeh, and the voices in her head. These voices (almost exclusively voiced by Mashihi herself) are the articulation of Mashihi/Melanie’s internalized expectations—explicit and implicit expectations placed on her by her mother, partner, and community at large. This podcast is a beautiful combination of documentary and fiction, blurring the lines between where Mashihi stops and Melanie begins. It’s unlike anything else I’ve listened to—and pushes the boundaries of the medium in extremely compelling ways. I highly encourage everyone to listen.

—Lucy Putnam, Development Assistant
 

Remote high school sounds rough, but Gael, Thomas, Kayla, Isaac, and Mark; five seniors from Anaheim, are pretty much thriving. Their podcast TEENAGER THERAPY has taken off over the past few months, and this week they interviewed none other than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in honor of World Mental Health Day. Like I said, thriving. Check out the episode here, but I also suggest browsing a few of their past episodes. They have amazingly raw, honest discourse about often difficult subject matter, and it’s so cool that their podcast has evolved into a lifeline of sorts for teens across the country.

—Erica Beach, Development Assistant


BOOK

If you haven’t already preordered Matthew McConaughey’s memoir, which comes out next Tuesday, then I don’t know how to help you. See you next week.

—Julia Hammer, Creative Exec


COMIC

The last survivors of the Multiverse live among us under new superhero identities. They’re five survivors of doomed worlds...taking a second chance to ensure our world lives on. A new twist on strange superhero comics, with a bleeding-edge eye on the current moment, COMMANDERS IN CRISIS by Steven Orlando follows in the footsteps of DOOM PATROL and THUNDERBOLTS.It’s a fun series that’s very ambitious and feels like THE BOYS meets THE LEFTOVERS. It’s about a group of heroes who come together after their respective universes have been destroyed and our Earth is the last planet in existence in the multiverse. The series deals with some massive themes, but it takes the superhero genre into a theoretical, religious space that I’ve never encountered before. I recommend it, for sure!

—Royce Reeves-Darby, Creative Exec
 

SHORT FILM

Short film animator Don Hertzfeldt has released a third episode for his critically acclaimed WORLD OF TOMORROW short series. The premise here is that Don records his young niece as she is doing various things around the house and uses the audio to build out an epic sci-fi short film. This may sound gimmicky but if the first two shorts are any indication, this will be a wide-ranging exploration of the human condition. Make sure you’re in a positive mental state before you dive into this one! Links for all the shorts here: first, second, third.

—Bennett Levine, Executive Assistant
 

PRODUCTION

Mels Studios in Montreal launched a virtual production stage this week. It utilizes Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to display dynamic digital sets on massive LED walls that surround the actors on a stage. Production has the ability to react and manipulate the digital content in real time. THE MANDALORIAN pioneered this technology and it’s been growing in popularity during the pandemic as it offers the potential to reduce travel while working with a smaller crew. Check out a video of the virtual stage HERE.

—Graham Lawyer, Physical Production Coordinator