weekly digest: in which I slowly return to work
everything that happened at Flick Filosopher from Monday, July 25th, to Sunday, July 31st (plus a few stragglers from earlier)
My first Weekly Digest in a month! I’m honestly a bit stunned by how long it has taken me to get over my COVID infection. All these people who got off with a few sniffles or a little cough, who didn’t even realize they’d caught the damn thing!
My adult housemate, to whom I am not related, suffered much the same symptoms for much the same length of time as I did, so it seems more likely that the shape our illnesses took was down to whatever variant we caught rather than something problematic about our individual states of health. Which is a bit of a relief, at least.
Anyway, I’m back. Hope you’re keeping well!
—MaryAnn
new at flick filosopher, Jul 25–31
(plus a few earlier stragglers orphaned by my COVID convalescence)
new and ongoing cinema releases, US/Can, Jul 29
Animated superhero adventure DC League of Super-Pets is new and exclusively in cinemas; multiverse action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once returns to wide release; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing cinema releases, UK/Ire, Jul 29
Animated superhero adventure DC League of Super-Pets and volcano documentary Fire of Love are new and exclusively in cinemas; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, US/Can, Jul 26–29
English historical dramedy The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, and Ukrainian gymnastic drama Olga are now available on VOD; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, UK/Ire, Jul 25
Jurassic World Dominion arrives on premium VOD; Irish-language drama The Quiet Girl now available as a VOD rental; more… [get the full rundown]
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris movie review: a fashion for kindness
This 60-year-old story of pursuing a dream with resolute kindness could not feel more fresh in its knowing class clash. Lesley Manville is an absolute treasure, her command of comedic pathos supreme. [read the review | US cinemas; UK cinemas Sep 30th]
loaded question: what’s your favorite cultural life hack?
Are there ways that you consume or play with music, movies, books, games, etc, that give you extra pleasure, and/or that you suspect may not have occurred to other people? [reply at Flick Filosopher | reply at Substack | reply at Patreon]
weekend watchlist: a couple of treasures for Pride Month
Plus a lovable English crank and a put-upon Texan mom. (First published June 18th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.) [read more]
follow along on my awful COVID journey on Twitter
The pandemic will be twitterized… [read more]
sick again… and I’m pretty sure it’s COVID this time (update: it’s COVID)
I have little energy and almost no focus. I’m not sure how much, if anything, I’m going to be able to offer you in the next days and weeks — hopefully not weeks! [read more]
weekend watchlist: country twang with a Scottish accent
Plus a soothing science-fiction horror and a scathing not-at-all satire that helps explain Boris Johnson. (First published June 11th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.) [read more]
loaded question: what movies can give us hope for a better future?
I vehemently believe that positive visions are essential for helping us imagine better for ourselves. Where are they? [reply at Flick Filosopher | reply at Substack | reply at Patreon]
what I’m bingeing
Only Murders in the Building [Hulu US; Disney+ UK]: this is such a wonderfully silly show, for all that it’s about murder, and I love it; perfect comfort television, engaging but undemanding
Ms Marvel [Disney+ globally]: finished! really enjoyed it, and now have almost totally forgotten it; that’s how most of the Marvel stuff is feeling to me lately
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds [Paramount+ globally, via Prime Video US/UK]: caught up on Season 1 so far while I was sick, now eagerly await each week’s new episode; absolutely adore the return of Trek-ish optimism, and now we know that Spock is sexy no matter who plays him (hello, Ethan Peck!)
The Boys [Prime Video US/UK]: binged all three seasons while I languished with COVID; difficult to say I loved it, it’s that grim and brutal, but it is incredibly compelling and utterly gripping; I have many thoughts about it and may write something about it soon…
Tweet of the week…
coming up at Flick Filosopher…
Brad Pitt’s assassin takes a Bullet Train
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis
oddball buddy dramedy Brian and Charles
period drama Mr. Malcolm’s List
Pixar’s Lightyear
horror Dashcam
Jurassic World Dominion
trips through multiverses with Everything Everywhere All at Once and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Oscar Best Picture CODA
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, for my sins
adventure comedy The Lost City
historical revenge drama The Northman
Moonfall
time-traveling ghost story Last Night in Soho
Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical Belfast
based-on-a-videogame action-adventure Uncharted
And more!
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