weekly digest: new beginnings, documentary and fictional
everything that happened at Flick Filosopher from Monday, June 27th, to Sunday, July 3rd
If you spend any amount of time on Film Twitter and/or Instagram, you’ve undoubtedly seen many, many film journalists sharing pix of the swag they’ve gotten from studios, streamers, and other movie companies: everything from DVDs and blu-rays to branded T-shirts and other clothing to cupcakes and cookies, even bottles of wine, champagne, and other booze. The studios and the rest send out free stuff like this precisely because they know these influencers will post those pix — it’s free advertising.
I don’t get that kind of stuff. I never have. I don’t pursue it because it would feel icky to me to post anything that felt purely promotional. It would taint my independence as a critic, something I am fiercely proud of and fiercely protective of.
I do attend press screenings, for some films. But not all! I very frequently pay for cinema tickets for films I go on to review. I do receive some screeners of films, both physical and digital, mostly the latter these days. But I also pay for almost every streaming service I watch and recommend films on. (The one exception is Prime Video, for which I have a press account.)
I’m not gonna lie, though: getting free stuff is nice, and it stings to know that some of the people publicly bragging about the free stuff they get are also in well-paid positions that make them less likely to really need free stuff.
Anyway, just another reminder that, if you enjoy my work and you’re in a position to do so, joining the paid version of this Substack — or signing up for my Patreon — is truly a help to me. My readers are the only people I work for!
And, as ever, a huge shoutout to those of you who already are my Patreons and paid Substack peeps, especially those of you who’ve been with me since before Patreon and Substack were even a thing. Thank you!
—MaryAnn
new at flick filosopher, Jun 27–Jul 03
new and ongoing cinema releases, US/Can, Jul 01
Period romantic drama Mr Malcolm’s List and animated comedy Minions 2: The Rise of Gru are new and exclusively in cinemas; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing cinema releases, UK/Ire, Jun 29–Jul 01
Experimental film The Afterlight is touring UK big screens; Australian drama Nitram is new and exclusively in cinemas; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, US/Can, Jun 28–Jul 01
Dementia drama Vortex is new on demand; journalism documentary Endangered debuts on HBO Max; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, UK/Ire, Jun 27–Jul 02
Paul Verhoeven’s historical drama Benedetta debuts on Mubi; Tim Roth stars in mystery drama Sundown, new on Sky Cinema/Now; more… [get the full rundown]
weekend watchlist: two tales for Pride Month that cry out for simple human acceptance
Plus grounded human experiences, from escaping a cult to — yes — doing an espionage. (First published June 3rd, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.) [read more]
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande movie review: come as you are [pictured]
Full of honesty and humanity, utterly lacking in shame over a basic human need, the female experience of which is almost universally ignored onscreen. Light, funny, diverting. So why was I bawling? [read the review | Hulu US; cinemas UK ]
The Book Keepers documentary review: a road trip through love and sorrow
A book is born; its author dies. Her husband takes up her work in a process of gentle, active mourning. Honest and hopeful, this journey through grief is beautifully structured for maximum poignance. [read the review | cinemas/virtual cinemas US]
loaded question: what is your ultimate comfort movie?
Mine is, of course, The Princess Bride. It’s sweet, goofy, funny, and endlessly entertaining, no matter how many times I watch it. [reply at Flick Filosopher | reply at Substack | reply at Patreon]
what I’m bingeing
Only Murders in the Building [Hulu US; Disney+ UK]: started Season 2; love me a cosy crime story, and Steve Martin and Martin Short are comedy treasures
Ms Marvel [Disney+ globally]: really loving the Partition storyline, which hasn’t gotten anywhere near enough play in pop culture; fight scenes went on a bit too long in this episode, perhaps?
Ten Percent [Sundance Now/AMC+ US; Prime Video UK]: finished Season 1! ended up enjoying this quite a bit; the characters and situations are different enough that it doesn’t feel like watching a rerun of the French series
Tweet of the week…
coming up at Flick Filosopher…
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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"Dementia drama Vortex is new on demand;"
I highly recommend this movie. My aunt and uncle died in very similar circumstances when I was a teenager and this movie very movingly, caringly replicates the struggle of seeing it happen.