No. 35: Skating, spoon-carving, Peak Rourke & psycho clothes
Baby, you're a star.
Has your week been productive? Are you getting enough potassium? I just returned from chaperoning a first-grade field trip to a pizzeria, so I'm feeling both exhausted and invincible. (As I was leaving, a 6-year-old came up to me and said very seriously, "Whitney, I think you should open YOUR OWN pizza parlor." This could be the life advice I've been looking for.)
Let's move on before I fall into a Crust Coma* ...
*Also the name of my metal band that only performs songs about carbs.
**By the way** Does this newsletter set your world on fire? Support it donating $2+/month on Patreon!
What I'm into right now:
A few things simmering my sauce:
IN THEATERS: BOOKSMART marks another well-crafted entry into the "Let's go nuts before we get outta high school" oeuvre, along with LADY BIRD and the underrated Netflix film ALEX STRANGELOVE. Beanie Feldstein is on fire right now; she also kills it (literally) on FX'S vamp-romp WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. But the movie's MVP might be skateboarder/actor Victoria Ruesga, who steals every little moment she's in. You can watch her skate videos on Instagram, if you're into that sort of thing. (And why wouldn't you be? It's such a joyful sport, man.)
COMEDY: This week I saw Cameron Esposito work out some new material at a small venue. I shouldn't say too much, but she was fantastic and newly blond (which I'm only telling you because she talked a lot about it), and her set mostly focused on her recent-ish split from her wife. Also, she told us she has been whittling spoons lately, and I was quite surprised by how many spoon-carving videos you can find on YouTube. Maybe whittling is the new ASMR.
AMAZON: Last night I was watching the 1969 film AGE OF CONSENT on Amazon and fell into a James Mason Wikivortex. In the movie, Mason plays an abstract painter who moves to Australia and finds a muse in a young, free-spirited Helen Mirren (wouldn't we all). It's strange and there's lots of sand and toplessness, so there's something for everyone!
NETFLIX: I laughed so hard at Wanda Sykes' Netflix special, NOT NORMAL. And the other night I rewatched 9 1/2 WEEKS, which doesn't hold up super-well but still represents Peak Mickey Rourke. (Also, Ronnie Wood randomly pops up in a party scene.)
TRAILER: IN FABRIC is a weird, darkly funny horror flick about a killer dress -- as in it murders people -- so sure, I'll bite. The film stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste and has Gwendoline Christie in a supporting role. (If they wanna do a sequel about killer shoes or killer undergarments, I can gladly donate some props.)
MUSIC: I'm enjoying that new Sebadoh album, and I'll probably see them on tour this summer. Lou Barlow has given us so many great songs over the years, and "Soul and Fire" will shatter my heart every time 'til the day I die.
CONCERT: I'm not sure how long this video will be available, but if your love language is watching The Cure perform DISINTEGRATION at the Sydney Opera House, you better push play. Slicing Up Eyeballs has the setlist.
GOOD READ: I adored Ohio-based internet radio station WOXY, and this story highlights its former grand tradition of airing the top 500 modern rock songs every Memorial Day weekend. Here's a Spotify playlist of the final Modern Rock 500 that aired before the station went under many moons ago.
MISCELLANY: I'd never even heard LIP SYNC BATTLE until someone sent me this video of Jason Schwartzman lip syncing Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Rock 'n' roller cola wars!
Ooh, today is the LAST DAY to get these crazy-cool buttons if you become a $20 Patreon supporter. (And hey, if you want the Frank Lloyd Wright trivet, I can tell you where to find one.) Thanks so much to everyone who has thrown me a few bucks to support my career and keep this newsletter going. I have fun stuff planned for the coming weeks.
And YOU recommend:
TV: Chris enjoyed 30 FOR 30: QUALIFIED, which tells the story of Janet Guthrie, the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500. "It's a really good story; the ending was abrupt, though!" he says.
NOSTALGIA: Joey O. digs The Cybertronic Spree, "a band that dresses up as Transformers and covers songs from the 1986 TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE soundtrack, along with other cartoon themes and a few other related songs." He adds, "They recently launched a Kickstarter to record an album covering the entire soundtrack and surpassed their goal in less than a day. I've seen them twice in concert, and they're insanely fun (especially if you know and love that movie)."
NOSTALGIA: Billy into Matt Farley and Motern Media; Farley is known for having nearly 20,000 songs on Spotify. "This past weekend was the Motern Extravaganza 2019, which is the one concert he plays a year ... and it's five hours long," he says. "It's kind of a rabbit hole to try and get a handle on him and his weird sense of humor."
MISCELLANY: Greg V. wants to spread the word that filmmaker Akanksha Cruczynski is trying to raise money for a comedy about her life as an immigrant from India and Saudi Arabia. "She's filmed a teaser and has launched a Seed&Spark campaign to raise $7,000 to shoot the entire film," he says.
OUR PAL JOEY: On Tuesday longtime reader Joey L. enters intensive treatment for depression. He wanted me to let y'all know that he's so grateful for all the kind words and donations he has received. Here's the link to his GoFundMe; we hope you feel better, Joey!
NOW YOU GO: What are YOU into right now? Share via email or text/voicemail at 929-515-1988. I'll put you in a future newsletter.
COMING UP: New TV/books/cool stuff
TV/STREAMING:
- ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE has Ali Wong, Randall Park, Daniel Dae Kim and (whoa) Keanu Reeves (Netflix, May 31);
- David Tennant and Michael Sheen star in the series GOOD OMENS (Amazon, May 31);
- Watch some recaps before DEADWOOD: THE MOVIE (HBO, May 31);
- Ava DuVernay directs WHEN THEY SEE US (Netflix, May 31);
- David Letterman returns with a new season of MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION (Netflix, May 31);
- Binge the crime series KILLER RATINGS (Netflix, May 31);
- The new SWAMP THING series looks dark and stormy (DC Universe, May 31);
- The comedy series AMERICAN PRINCESS follows a woman who runs off to join a Renaissance Faire (Lifetime, June 2);
- NOS4A2 ("Nosferatu") features a vampire Zachary Quinto (AMC, June 2);
- Jimmi Simpson and Ben Kingsley lead PERPETUAL GRACE, LTD (Epix, June 2);
- THE WEEKLY follows New York Times reporters working on big stories (and, if I had to guess, the whole concept of this show probably divides their newsroom) (FX, June 2);
- THE HANDMAID'S TALE returns (Hulu, June 5);
- BLACK MIRROR returns (Netflix, June 5).
IN THEATERS (OUT MAY 31):
- ROCKETMAN unmasks Elton John;
- Octavia Spencer scares us in MA;
- And GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS seems self-explanatory.
BOOKS (ON SALE JUNE 4):
- John Doe and Tom DeSavia bring us MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD: THE UNMAKING AND LEGACY OF L.A. PUNK;
- Jim DeRogatis writes SOULLESS: THE CASE AGAINST R. KELLY;
- Karen Tongson tells us WHY KAREN CARPENTER MATTERS;
- Elizabeth Gilbert returns with CITY OF GIRLS: A NOVEL;
- Tan France releases a memoir, NATURALLY TAN;
- Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow pen UP JUMPED THE DEVIL: THE LIFE OF ROBERT JOHNSON.
BIRTHDAY COOLNESS:
May 31: Chris Elliott (pictured), Lea Thompson, Darryl McDaniels, Brooke Shields, Dean Haspiel, Colin Farrell
June 1: Morgan Freeman, Alanis Morissette, Brandi Carlile, Amy Schumer
June 2: Sally Kellerman, Jerry Mathers, Lydia Lunch, Zachary Quinto
June 3: Larry McMurtry, Ian Hunter, Suzi Quatro, Rafael Nadal
June 4: Dr. Ruth, Michelle Phillips, El DeBarge, Horatio Sanz, Russell Brand, Angelina Jolie
June 5: Laurie Anderson, Jeff Garlin, Lisa Cholodenko (And Richard Scarry would've been 100 today!)
June 6: Robert Englund, Harvey Fierstein, Sandra Bernhard, Bjorn Borg, Paul Giamatti
See you next Friday!
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"When I heard Little Richard, I mean, it just set my world on fire."
- David Bowie
"I never wanted to set the world on fire, so I never had to burn any bridges behind me."
- Dinah Shore
P.S. WE MAKE COMICS is a digital kids' book I wrote that features comic-making info and advice from the folks behind some of today's most popular graphic novels. Illustrated by Genevieve Kote, it's available exclusively on getepic.com, which is available via subscription and for free in schools/libraries nationwide. (Secret tip: Use the offer code SUMMER19, and you can get a three-month subscription for just $3!)