weekly digest: featuring visits from the Red Queen and Sisyphus...
everything that happened at Flick Filosopher from Monday, January 8, to Sunday, January 14
A thing that has been nagging at me for nearly a year is almost resolved: the vast majority of the FlickFilosopher.com comments — thousands of them — that were missing from a multi-year stretch at the site have been restored. (For those unfamiliar with this ridiculous saga, read more here.)
Here’s the thing, though: All the hassle, all the worry, all the work — including a full day of work last week — and all it means is that I’m back to where I started.
This isn’t the only Red Queen–ing I’ve been doing lately, either. So many life chores requiring attention, and when they’re done, I haven’t gotten anywhere at all!
I don’t know if this is some sort of unfathomable new trend — is life getting more difficult for everyone? — or if it just bothers me more lately.
Anyway, back to the endless thankless tasks…
—MaryAnn
PS: The 50%-off deal for new paid subscriptions here on Substack is on till January 31st. Support your favorite stubbornly independent film critic! Cheap!
new at flick filosopher, Jan 08–14
daily stream: happy optimism and fabulous food to rebuild your life
2003’s Under the Tuscan Sun is on Prime in the US, Disney+ in the UK, and other services, too. [read more]
daily stream: bright and pink for cold gray winter days
2001’s Legally Blonde is on Max in the US, MGM in the UK, and other services as well. [read more]
the mystery of the missing Disqus comments is almost solved!
I continue to work with Disqus to resolve a few lingering issues and will update you asap. [read more]
Flick Filosopher named a top 10 UK film blog by PR and marketing firm Vuelio
Apparently I’m a bit of an influencer... [read more]
daily stream: starting over ain’t easy
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook is on Netflix in the US, Prime in the UK (and other services, too). [read more]
loaded question: are American moviegoers getting more comfortable with subtitled films? [pictured]
Apparently folks are watching everything with subtitles on, even shows and movies in English, for a variety of reasons. Could that be a contributing factor? [reply at Flick Filosopher | reply at Substack | reply at Patreon]
what I’m watching and bingeing
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters [Apple TV+ globally]: finished Season 1; hopefully there will be more to come, because there many unanswered questions remain, but a Season 2 has not yet been announced
For All Mankind S4 [Apple TV+ globally]: finished Season 4, keeping my fingers crossed for a Season 5 (also not yet announced), which would take us into an alternate spacefaring 2010s
Slow Horses [Apple TV+ globally]: didn’t get back to this, but with the ending (for now) of the other Apple series, I should be able to find the time for it
The X-Files [Hulu US/Disney+ UK]: didn’t get back to this week, I’m a terrible excuse for a geek
coming up at Flick Filosopher…
Ava DuVernay’s Origin
the absolutely brutal The Zone of Interest
Paul Giamatti in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers
Wonka, though I’m scared…
Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction
based-on-fact family wrestling drama The Iron Claw
thriller The Royal Hotel
Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in May December
Priscilla’s problematic romance with Elvis
teen comedy Bottoms
Barbie, finally, for real, promise
murder mystery Anatomy of a Fall
based-on-a-true-videogame Gran Turismo
mockumentary Theater Camp
gay romance Passages
alien-contact dramedy Jules
documentary Kokomo City
tween classic onscreen Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
And more!
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I thought you were watching Sisyphus the myth on Netflix... lol