Nostalgic pics, VHS dreams, too many germs
My brother said there ain't a thing I can do
My wife and my kids are all down with the flu
And I was just thinking of calling on you, 'cause I'm busted!
- Johnny Cash, "Busted"
So I'm not *completely* busted this week, but my daughter was indeed down with the flu, and I could use a few extra hours of shut-eye (as could many of you).
So now you know why a) I'm sending this newsletter a bit later; and b) this week I'm leaning on y'all for lots of recommendations, flashbacks, etc. To everyone else dealing with various maladies and setbacks: Hang in there! To the rest of you: Congrats, and I hope a little of what you have rubs off on the rest of us.
Sing along and scroll ahead ...
Anyone else remember this poster? Longtime reader Joey O. sent me this pic he took at a Pop Candy party from 2009. (I could've sworn it was in 2007 or '08, but I'm terrible with these things.) Shout-out to the magnificent artists I worked with back then like Ron Coddington, Kevin Kepple, Keith Carter and Jeff Dionese who helped bring so many dreamy concepts to life.
Mel Joulwan is another longtime reader and kick-ass person who just launched a podcast called STRONG SENSE OF PLACE. Mel and her husband, David Humphreys, love traveling almost as much as they love books, and this show combines the two in the grandest way. I'm eager to hear the Japan episode that features a discussion about manga and a chat with cartoonist Tillie Walden.
Paul W. tells me that MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE, the doc I raved about a few weeks ago, is now available to stream via Amazon, iTunes and wherever you get your online entertainment. (If you watch, let me know what you think!)
Leanne M. called my hotline to recommend EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE OKAY , the new series from PLEASE LIKE ME genius Josh Thomas. "He has a very distinct voice and aura," she says. Agreed!
Chris M. texted my hotline to let me know about a) the Wonderstruck Festival lineup in Cleveland; and b) JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT, which he says fits pretty snugly into the Kevin Smith oeuvre and is now available to rent/stream. He also told me Z: A ZOMBIE MUSICAL is on Amazon Prime. As you may know, I've never seen this film, but I wore zombie makeup and filmed a scene for it several years ago. I hope I made the final cut!
Reader Michael K. White now has a book on Audible called CHANGE: THE NUMISMATIC ODYSSEY OF A QUARTER. It's a work of fiction that follows a quarter over 100 years. Congrats, Michael!
Dean H. points out the new trailer for THE JESUS ROLLS, the star-studded BIG LEBOWSKI spinoff we all need.
Herman C. loves new tracks from Of Montreal and Marc Almond.
Ed D. loves DELETER, the new album from Holy F*ck. Here's a song from it called "Free Gloss."
Finally, Natasha P. points out that the Shout Factory TV app has tons of stuff to watch for free, including ADJUST YOUR TRACKING, a cool doc about VHS culture and collectors.
THANKS, EVERYONE! Keep the recs coming via email (whitmath@gmail.com), my hotline (929-515-1988) and mental aerobics.
Another pinch of nostalgia: Dennis S. sent me this photo of an old promo where readers could cut out and make a tiny paper model of my cubicle! Look closely, and you may spot some pop-culture goodies like an "American Elf" cutout, Charles Burns' BLACK HOLE, etc. In retrospect, I realize this was kinda high-concept and ridiculous, but I would DO IT AGAIN. (I still have a few printouts in storage somewhere.)
This week I finally saw MARGARET, a film that has been on my to-watch list for years. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, the 3+-hour intense drama has a cast that'll make you flip your wig: Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Kieran Culkin, Matthew Broderick, Allison Janney, J. Smith-Cameron, Jeannie Berlin ... the list goes on.
Without giving too much away, the story follows a New York teen (Paquin) who witnesses a horrible accident. The film is devastating and complex and impossible to categorize, which may help explain why it took years for Lonergan to finish it (and a few more years for it to be released). And yes, three hours is a lot, but it's also like watching five plays at one time, and I would've been cool if it had lasted five hours.
If you see MARGARET, try to take it in all at once so you can become absorbed in the characters, atmospheric sound and unexpected turns. I'm still thinking about this movie; as I told a friend the other day, it left a pebble of sadness in my stomach and made me wish I could protect my daughter from every not-great thing that'll help shape who she becomes.
MARGARET is available to rent on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, etc.
Coming 'round the mountain:
TV: HIGH MAINTENANCE returns (Feb. 7); Alison Brie and Molly Shannon star in HORSE GIRL (Feb. 7); The Oscars are destined to make people mad (Feb. 9); HOMELAND and KIDDING return (Feb. 9); NARCOS: MEXICO comes back to Netflix (Feb. 13).
MOVIES: I'm down with FANTASY ISLAND, THE TIMES OF BILL CUNNINGHAM and BUFFALOED
MUSIC: This week brings new albums from Green Day, Trixie Mattel, Nada Surf, Lisa Loeb, Stone Temple Pilots and others.
OK, that's all for now! Stay happy and healthy, and I'll see you next week. I urge you to support my work on Patreon and reach out anytime with recommendations, photos, general life tips and so forth.
Your inviting, invested, invincible
whit
From left to right: Joey O., me and Amber M. at a 2010 Pop Candy meetup.