Newsletter No. 12: Top 11 films of 2018, holiday binging & more
Ho, ho, howdy!
Are your stockings stuffed and cookies sprinkled? Unfortunately, I've been sidelined by yet another Festi-virus that has kept me at home in drawstring pants, staring at the yellow wallpaper. On the plus side, I've been able to catch up on some movies*; scroll to see my top 11 films of the year.
Down the chimney we go ...
* Why the heck does it cost $10 to rent ANNIHILATION? And how come BLAZE still isn't available to stream? Those are still on my must-see list.
11 things I'm into right now ...
In no particular order, a few items that have been glazing my ham lately:
1. A holiday season of NAILED IT! is just what the doctor ordered. If you dig host Nicole Byer (and how can you not?), she also hosts a funny podcast about her dating life called WHY WON'T YOU DATE ME?. (Note: Unlike the Netflix show, her podcast is NOT kid-friendly!)
2. I'm not sure if Bravo's DIRTY JOHN is *good* per se, but Connie Britton and Julia Garner are always worth my time. Next time you get the sniffles, maybe binge it in bed. This was my strategy.
3. I enjoyed Russell Brand's new Netflix special, RE:BIRTH. In it, he mentions how he doesn't get many acting gigs these days, which led me to discover he had an arc on ... BALLERS? What?
4. There's some great stuff to stream on Amazon Prime right now, like the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg series SPACED, Bowie/Sarandon/Deneuve in THE HUNGER, HENRY FOOL, BARRY LYNDON, IGBY GOES DOWN ...
5. The next time you need a gift for a pop-culture-loving pal, consider Leroy's Place, which has keychains/pins/earrings/other funky merch inspired by everyone from Prince to Oprah. (One set of cufflinks mixes Stan Lee with Bruce Lee.) If you live in Brooklyn, there's also a new Leroy's Place shop!
6. I've loved Alec Longstreth's comics since the second I saw 'em about 15 years ago. Over at isleofelsi.com, he posts a free webcomic for kids. Here's an introduction, if you wanna read it and/or show some young people. Like what you see? Contribute to his Patreon. He's good people.
7. Now's the time to get your 2019 calendar, and of course I'm partial to the "It's Different Every Day" calendar from our pals Brooke Barker and Boaz Frankel. They tell me 2019 is their best one yet. (Our family also had the Atlas Obscura calendar this year, which is fun. I love page-a-day calendars almost as much as I love pimento cheese.)
8. Big Star drummer Jody Stephens has some new music on the way with Luther Russell. They call themselves Those Pretty Wrongs; the jangly track "Mystery Trip" has a delightfully trippy video. Next time I'm in Memphis, I wanna visit Jody at Ardent Studios!
9. My daughter just finished THE REAL MCCOYS by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, and I can't tell you how many times I found her sneaking in a few chapters after bedtime. If you used to read Pop Candy, you know I've loved their work for years, and I'm thrilled to see their names in bookstores everywhere. (And shhh, the kid is getting the sequel for Christmas.)
10. New music from David Berman next year? Ooh, I could get into that.
11. And finally, this week I found a woman's diary in the trash, and it's like all of my winter wishes were granted. She spends a lot of time trying to figure out her future -- she's in her 20's -- and I wish I could tell her that she'll NEVER have everything mapped out, and that's OK.
My daughter created the perfect tree topper this year. (And yep, that's a Cat Power concert poster in the background.)
LISSSST: My top 11 movies of 2018
I had a lot going on this year and babysitters are expensive, so of course I haven't seen every movie. But here are the ones that made me happiest:
11. ALEX STRANGELOVE, an excellent high-school flick with a lotta heart and a perfect B-52's scene that brightened my year;
10. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS, which, as all great docs do, tells a story so strange it has to be true;
9. JULIET, NAKED, which hits all my pleasure buttons related to the '90s/Ethan Hawke/etc. etc.;
8. A SIMPLE FAVOR, which is more well-crafted and delightful than I ever expected;
7. BLACK PANTHER, which built a super-fantastic world that captured my attention and imagination;
6. UNLOVABLE, which deserves more love for its fresh take on an unexpected friendship born outta rock 'n' roll;
5. PADDINGTON 2, which had my family smiling inside and outside the theater;
4. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, which is wonderfully inventive and surprising at every turn;
3. DON'T WORRY, HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT, which has a funny, heartbreaking story and killer cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Kim Gordon, Jack Black, Udo Kier, Beth Ditto, Carrie Brownstein and Tony Greenhand, aka "the world's greatest joint roller";
2. AT ETERNITY'S GATE, which is best enjoyed on a big screen and finds new ways to illustrate Van Gogh's life; and
*drumroll, if you please*
1. TULLY, which hasn't been on many critics' lists, but honestly, it's the movie I enjoyed the most. Diablo Cody captures the sheer exhaustion of motherhood in a way that, oddly, few screenwriters have. No, I wasn't upset by the ending, and of course I appreciate the effective usage of Cyndi Lauper songs. Out of all the films I saw this year, TULLY is the one I'm most likely to watch again.
I also enjoyed: SUPPORT THE GIRLS, OCEAN'S 8, GAME NIGHT, THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING, RBG, DESTINATION WEDDING
You recommend: THE FAVOURITE, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, BLACKKKLANSMAN, LEAVE NO TRACE, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, THE WIFE
2019 is upon us, and I still haven't written a novel or seen any version of A STAR IS BORN. What are YOUR resolutions for the new year? Email me or call/text at 929-515-1988. I'll share some here.
Before I sign off ...
- Say hi anytime! Over at 929-515-1988, I leave a new culture recommendation every weekday. You can also just reply to this email. Your support keeps me going.
- If you were a fan of Pop Candy, you may have read comments from Gary Maulsby (aka ninjamonkey), a pop-culture enthusiast and longtime supporter of the blog. I was saddened to hear that he has liver cancer and needs a transplant -- his family has set up this page to raise money for his treatment. Give if you can. We're thinking of you, Gary!
- Are you a publicist/person who wants to send me something in the mail? Get in touch. And yep, I'm open to giveaways.
- Finally, please ask your friends to subscribe via WhitneyMatheson.com or this page. I appreciate it.
Honk if you're lonely,
*tosses tinsel in your eye*
Howie the hamburger man
"I've come to believe people can grow and achieve their dreams anywhere. We all need to be inside an ecosystem that supports us -- with family and friends and work that stimulates. What matters is the people in your life, not the dot on the map." - Ethan Hawke