loaded question: what are the best movies about taking a day off?
Of course Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is the very best, and the most obvious answer, so let’s get that one out of the way right off the bat. What are some others?
weekend watchlist: coming to terms with grief personal and societal
Plus badass women and damned dirty apes… (First published April 30th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
Top Gun: Maverick movie review: we’re well into the danger zone
With its melancholy regret and bittersweet nostalgia, this is far superior to the 1986 blockbuster. But as the sun goes down on American imperialism here, the last-gasp celebration of it unsettles.
loaded question: what are some films with good representation of people with disabilities?
Honestly, it’s tough to think of many films that do a good job of this! But Tod Browning’s controversial 1932 film Freaks might be, at least, better than many others.
weekend watchlist: the unbearable wait for massive success
Plus a subtle dystopia and a subtle nervous breakdown. (First published April 22nd, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
classic film virgin: Top Gun (1986)
Cold War propaganda that is weirdly apolitical. Sunny, breezy homoeroticism that is surely unintentional. What a hoot this is! Mostly not in a good way, but its impact on pop culture cannot be denied.
weekend watchlists now free for everyone 30 days after they’re published
Though getting them a month later means you might miss out on last-chance recommended movies that are expiring from the streaming services…
weekend watchlist: a prophetic dystopia (that is also rather comforting)
Plus iconic performances from Jessica Chastain and Bruce Willis. (First published April 15th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
loaded question: what episodic stuff are you bingeing, and why should we watch it?
There is simply too much stuff to watch these days! So tell us what you’re watching, and why it’s worth our time (or not).
My So-Called Selfish Life documentary review: TFW you lack that certain “maternal instinct”
Dismantles myths about motherhood and misconceptions about child-free women with brisk, cheeky humor and intersectionality, and begins to build the cultural scripts we need for paths without kids.
