Virginie Efira is a new fave. Revoir Paris, which I put top of the list of my watches last year, was what really got me on board, but when I backtracked I was like, “Oh. Okay. Wow. She’s been crushing it for a decade.” So I really looked forward to seeing Just the Two of Us. I reviewed for Ebert.
My latest – some thoughts on Dabney Coleman up on my Substack.
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Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
For the next essay in my “Movies Before Breakfast” column at Liberties magazine, I interviewed Sean Abley about his upcoming book Queer Horror: A Film Guide (a book which he co-edited). 8 writers are on the marquee, all of whom wrote capsule reviews for almost 1,000 horror films. It’s extremely impressive, spanning the 20th-21st century. Sean and I go way WAY back. We were theatre kids in Chicago together, and I did a show at the theatre company he founded. I’ve looked on in wonder and happiness at all he has accomplished since then. I am not surprised at all. This is the book he was BORN to do.
Please enjoy my interview with Sean!
SCREAM QUEENS AND KINGS: Interview with Sean Abley, co-editor of Queer Horror: A Film Guide
Movies Before Breakfast column
Movies Before Breakfast: Lombard: Queen of Screwball
Movies Before Breakfast: The Question
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
Forward Fast (2024; d. Lorraine Sovern)
I met Lorraine at the Florida Film Festival. Someone I was talking to at a party told me about her work and about this short film. He then pulled her over to our group so we could meet. We exchanged information and she sent me a link to her film. She puts together footage of her childhood, the games and role-playing, and – in a current-moment voiceover – reflects on some of the disturbing things she can now see about growing up as a girl in the early 2000s. The sexualization of young girls was off the charts. Forward Fast is heartbreaking and honest.
The Tourist, Season 2
Allison and I finished this one up when she was visiting. I really enjoyed this series.
Under the Bridge (2024; created by Quinn Shephard)
Another one watched with Allison. It’s excellent.
The Aristocrats (2005; d. Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette)
I remember seeing this one at the Angelika I think? I know I saw it in the theatre. It’s so inside-baseball and in that strange sub-genre we (“we”) can’t seem to get/have enough of: comedians talking about comedy. We don’t have 150 documentaries where actors sit around talking about acting. Why are comedians so obsessed with themselves? I tend to enjoy this sub-genre because it’s one of the only places where you see artists talking about their process. I had been trying to describe this doc to Allison. “It’s about this famous joke … ” “What’s the joke?” “I can’t describe it.” “Oh come on. What is it?” “The only thing you have is the premise and the punchline. The rest is up for grabs.” So it’s been almost 20 years since I saw this but a lot of it came back to me. Especially Bob Saget and Gilbert Gottfried. (When Gottfried died, I reminisced on actually getting to see him at the Friars Club when he roasted Ricky Schroeder. I didn’t really “get” Gottfried until I saw him live. I’m so glad I saw him live at a ROAST. At the FRIARS CLUB. What he did up there had to be seen to be believed.) Which brings me to another weird thing about watching this documentary so many years after it came out. A lot of the participants are no longer with us. Robin Williams. It’s maybe 20 minutes too long but still, well worth a watch.
Friends the Reunion (2021; d. Ben Winston)
I didn’t watch this when it was on. I was definitely a Friends fan although … I fell off with a lot of TV watching once I moved to New York and went to grad school. I just didn’t have time and I was sleeping on couches for a year, and busy from morning til night. Friends “dropped” when I was in Chicago and it was instantly “appointment television”. I remember it as an instant phenomenon. The chemistry of these six people is the stuff dreams are made of. Except for the unbelievably grating presence of James Corden – God, he’s awful – it was fascinating and also … disturbing. Matthew Perry. He was clearly not doing well. He barely said a word. It made us both so sad.
Friends pilot (September 22, 1994; d. James Burrows)
So then Allison and I decided to watch the pilot. Wild to see. I don’t think I’ve watched since it aired and I look at the air date … and memories flood back. I was in Ithaca with the out of town production of Killer Joe and wrapped up in my new romance with Michael, and also heartbroken because of him. So long ago. Lifetimes ago. But sometimes it still feels so close. Eerie.
Pretty Poison (1968; d. Noel Black)
The film is thick with the stink of pollution, ravaged natural world, chopped down trees boiled down into little bottles of gleaming red liquid, hypnotic but somehow malevolent the feeling of ROT, the emptiness of modern life – its apathy and ugliness. Anthony Perkins is intense as the troubled young man fearful of being put back into an institution, struggling to concentrate at his factory job. Dazed by the gleaming red liquid. Equally dazed by the teenage Tuesday Weld, a stunning majorette whom he watches from afar, until they meet randomly at a little hamburger stand next to the polluted river. The chemistry is instant. The chemistry seems real but everything is “off”. Who’s “off”? Him? Her? Or is it just the world? A riveting work. I love it.
Tom Brady Roast (2024)
I got pretty obsessed. I spent the week after the roast watching “reactions” to it on YouTube. It was WILD. Also, it was LIVE. X-rated, in some cases. Nikki Glaser wiped the floor with everybody else on that stage.
Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013; d. Mohammad Rasoulof)
I watched this after the news broke of Rasoulof’s jail sentence, but before the news broke of his escape from Iran. He attended the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his new film. I saw this one back when it was released. I couldn’t believe it even existed, especially in the climate in Iran for the last 20 years.
Fall Guy (2024; d. David Leitch)
One of my favorite films this year so far. What a blast. I went to go see it with my niece Lucy and we had so much fun.
Bodkin (2024; d. Nash Edgerton, Bronwen Hughes, Johnny Allan, Paddy Breathnach)
A new murder-mystery series on Netflix. The Irish setting makes me homesick for it. I haven’t been there in so long. Too long. I enjoyed this.
The Teachers Lounge (2023; d. Ilker Çatak)
It took me a while to get to this. It’s fantastic and upsetting. I first saw Leonie Benesch in Babylon Berlin where she was a member of the big ensemble. Here, she’s center. The whole thing is centered on her minute-to-minute sometimes second-to-second experience of the central events: She’s a teacher at an elementary school and there’s been a series of thefts. Three kids are “interviewed” and forced – coerced – to “rat” on the culprit. Soon after, Benesch accuses someone of theft. The events escalate until the entire school is in an uproar. The whole thing is very effective – great script. There’s a Stalag 17-quality to the atmosphere, one of suspicion and pessimism. Nothing will be the same after this. What has been done can’t be undone. Highly recommend.
The Death of Stalin (2018; d. Armando Iannucci)
God, this movie. I’ve already seen it about 3 times. I can’t believe how well it works. It’s so funny, the performances are so funny, and yet … this is how it went down. Almost exactly. Incredible script.
Frankenstein (1931; d. James Whale)
Boris Karloff adds so much pathos. The performance is rightly famous. The blankness of his face means we can project everything onto it. Loneliness. Sadness. Isolation. The monster was clearly FORCED to be a monster. If he had just been embraced by humanity … not tormented. He didn’t MEAN to drown that little girl. He thought she would float. He had only been alive for, like, 8 hours at that point.
Ezra (2024; d. Tony Goldwyn)
I reviewed for Ebert. Worth a watch.
La Chimera (2024; d. Alice Rohrwacher)
Her Happy as Lazarro announced her as a major new filmmaker. Happy as Lazarro was on my Top 10 of that year. Since then, she’s directed for television, and a couple of shorts. Now comes La Chimera, which – along with The Fall Guy – is one of my favorites this year. I love that my list so far includes a big Hollywood film and an Italian film about the black market in Etruscan antiquities. But it’s “about” so much more. A haunting experience with a final shot so powerful I was knocked flat. A mysterious film about the ghosts haunting the ugly rapacious modern world.
Last names not necessary in both cases.
I am psyched to have a piece in the Spring/Summer issue of the long-running Arty zine, run by Cathy Lomax. This issue is devoted to all things Tennessee Williams. I wrote about Elvis. Because naturally. There is a connection, which I wrote about here about a decade ago, but in lieu of Baz Luhrmann actually referencing this deep-DEEP-cut connection in the film, I thought it would be fun to re-visit. UK people can purchase online, and there’s a way to contact them for issues (or a subscription, which is worth it) on that main page there. You can also read Cathy’s intro – Seductive, Thrilling & Morally Deplorable… Why We Love Tennessee Williams – at the first link above. When I pitched my idea to them, I had no idea Cathy’s love of Elvis. So it was a good fit!
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
I reviewed Ezra, directed by Tony Goldwyn, with a killer cast: Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Robert DeNiro and newcomer, William Fitzgerald. The movie wants to do two things and it does one of them very well. Review on Ebert.
I saw this podcast linked to on Facebook mainly because a couple of people I know have been “guests” on it. Including him. The premise of the podcast is the two hosts discuss a real-world event – the Dust Bowl, Apollo 11, the assassination of Lincoln, etc. and then there’s a “machine” making Jetson-type noises that takes you back to those events and see what was really going on. There’s a small cast of actors/improvisers “acting out” the Last Supper, etc. It’s extremely amusing because the people involved are all fantastic improvisers. Like, all the disciples suddenly start bitching about how much time they spend washing people’s feet and you can hear one guy say, “I’ve got carpal tunnel!” These are not scripted. It’s improvised. It’s funny, it’s ridiculous, and it’s very much my kind of humor. So here’s the Last Supper episode, with a special guest – a “former theologian” named Ephraim Zumpf – who joins the host to discuss the Last Supper and other things. The “former theologian” is Window Boy, old timers will know, and I’m sorry but I was listening and laughing at every single thing he said. “I don’t know. Somewhere over there.” “There’s no way that they spoke English.” “This is bullshit.” “Sparkling water?” It’s not that he’s being funny on purpose – NEVER – he just commits to the ‘bit’. It was good to hear his voice! I have no idea who the actors are playing Jesus, Judas, and the rest, but I love them. This has been a crushingly busy month and I’m pretty stressed out and I just tripped over this whimsical bit of comedy – no larger commentary, no trying to be serious or “timely” – no POINT at all – just a bunch of improv people pretending they’re eating dust in 1930s Oklahoma or ordering another round of falafels at the Last Supper.
After over a year of almost no reminders that he even existed:
“Hailie’s getting so big now.
You should see her.
She’s beautiful.” — Eminem, “Cleaning Out My Closet”
Heart-crack. I’ve known about this woman since she was a baby. “These goddamn food stamps don’t buy diapers.” “I think my dad’s gone crazy.” He has expressed regret for talking about her so much. He basically didn’t realize what fame meant until it was too late. He wrote a gorgeous song about this on his unfairly-disliked Revival:
I’ve said your name but always tried to hide your face
This game is crazy, I wanted to claim my love for you, but dang
I never knew it’d be like this, if I did I wouldn’t have done it
You ain’t asked for none of this shit, now you’re being punished?
We have all been invested in Hailey for decades now. Once she became an adult, she came out of the Eminem-imposed hiding, and she set up an Instagram and now has a podcast. She’s been dating the same guy for years, they met in high school, and they just got married. Go Hailey Jade. I know it’s crazy but millions of people are happy you are happy.
A day before this image dropped came a cliffhanger post, post-dated May 31, 12:am:
So people have been speculating a new album was coming. It’s been 4 years now (how is that possible) since the double-album year of 2020. Since then …. nothing. He pops up here and there, and he was highly visible during the Lions’ recent run, sitting in the box with his three daughters and their partners, a husband, a fiance, and a girlfriend. Sorry, Marshall. It wasn’t your year. I know your pain. But other than that … he’s Citizen Kane.
Any time he goes away, you know something is coming. Eminem’s fanbase can be extreme and annoying. I won’t lie. The man is not the only rapper in the world. Branch out. There’s a lot of shit going on right now and a lot of cool artists making music. I mean, Kendrick-Drake, amirite? We haven’t had a rap beef since the Eminem-MGK beef, which was hugely entertaining, but years ago. However, I am also a fan and I’ve thought, “He’s working on something. What could it be?” Maybe another kind of Marshall Mathers LP-redux like he did in 2013 with The Marshall Mathers LP? Then he dropped a little music video which was a tease, basically saying, “It’s coming.” In April came confirmation. And sorry, but I WAS RIGHT. Look at that title! (Plus “coup de grace”? I love him.)
So … I guess I need to set my alarm on May 31st. I go to bed at like 9:30. But I can’t just WAIT until the next MORNING. I’ll be in a hotel room in Manhattan. Bring it.
I’ve said it before. I am immature. I think it’s one of my best qualities.
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
My second article for my Liberties column is now live: Lombard: Queen of Screwball.
The column has a Lombard-inspired name and logo – Movies Before Breakfast – which we chose before I even knew I’d write about her. And the logo is a spin on the famous Love Before Breakfast poster.
I love the dovetail of this because Carole Lombard with a black eye has not only been my avatar on Twitter but has been hanging on my wall since the Chicago days, lifetimes ago.
I’m really happy about this one because I’ve never actually written a full piece on Lombard before and I had so much fun digging into her filmography, especially the ones beyond the screwballs for which she is most famous. There’s so much to discover.
Movies Before Breakfast
It’s his birthday today.
The Who’s songs were in my consciousness from a very early age. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know about them – somehow. This is what it meant to grow up without the technological ability to “curate” your own experience and tastes. I grew up when the adults – and that included my older teenage cousins, and older siblings of my friends – were dominant, their tastes and preferences so much in the air it was the background music of my childhood. Much of that music – The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel – I took on as my own. Music was timeless. I wasn’t obsessed with the New, although I was into new things as well. I reiterate: through the sheer power of osmosis I knew all of The Who’s hits. I saw Tommy when I was in high school. I was a musical theatre kid, and here was musical theatre!
In 1964, a hopeful young filmmaking duo – Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp (brother to Terrence) – were inspired by the film A Hard Day’s Night to make a film of their own. They wanted to document a band’s journey to superstardom. The problem, was … the film wouldn’t work, obviously, if the band fizzled out. It was a crap shoot. They chose to film a band called The High Numbers, who were rapidly becoming a huge influence in London’s “mod” scene, tearing it up at their regular residency at the Railway Hotel. The audience filled with the hippest of the hip. The shows were already legendary. It was a very small place. The ceilings were low. Lambert and Stamp’s film never was finished but there is existing footage on YouTube.
Not only is it fascinating to see the Who before they became the Who … it’s also incredible film-making, moody and evocative, the footage visceral, thrusting you into that room. It’s intimate. It’s rather amazing that the band Lambert and Stamp chose to “follow” would, indeed, become global superstars and it’s too bad they didn’t keep filming them over the next decade to document their rise.
Still: this footage is incredible. Watching them do their thing before they were stars. It’s only 1964. They are already on fire as a band.
They were influenced by rhythm ‘n blues, obviously, but again … this is just 1964 and to me they sound like an emanation from punk rock, 10, 12, years in the future. “My Generation” sounds the same way. Way ahead of its time.
I think my favorite of theirs might be “The Seeker”.
I also love “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. The opening still – to this day – after probably hundreds of times hearing it, on the radio, in soundtracks, in the air around me – gives me goosebumps.
My brother – a punk rock fan from before punk rock was cool – wrote about The Who, and included their album The Who By Numbers in his Best Albums list (posted on my site), a fact which is surprising if you know my brother. The Who? Really? But that list is about formative memorable experiences, and I love how my brother writes about those moments of musical revelation. And that time two of his friends forced him listen to The Who By Numbers, because they were sick of my brother’s dismissal of The Who. And how he finally realized what the fuss was about. I love the essay, so here it is:
50 Best Albums, by Brendan O’Malley, #10. The Who, The Who By Numbers
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
