Fire

Hi. Happy Sunday and all that. I have to say one thing before being fun: what happened in the Oval Office this week with Ukraine's Zelensky was infuriating, appalling, and goddamned embarrassing. We are being held hostage by a gang of bullies who belong in front of a grimy television in a South Boston bar, not in the seat of power leading the free world. It'd be awesome if there was an opposing party in our government to do.... anything. We're starting another political party, right? RIGHT??

Deep breath. Here are some distractions.

🎥 The Conversation (Prime rental)
When my veins weren't boiling this week, my brain was whirring about what the hell happened to Gene Hackman and his wife (and poor dog!). What a sad ending for one of our greatest actors. The French Connection is probably his most notable film and the one that won him an Oscar, but I'm a bigger fan of The Conversation. Francis Ford Coppola's take on noir, it's phenomenally shot, with maybe one of my favorite scores ever that truly enhances the story. Hackman's portrayal of a career wiretapper is just masterful, unfolding over the film to reveal a man tortured by his past.

🎥 BlackBerry (Hulu)
How did I miss this last year? It stars my beloved Dennis Reynolds—okay fine, the actor's actual name is Glenn Howerton. Apparently, the invention, rise, and demise of the BlackBerry phone is one hell of a ride. Howerton chews up the screen and was robbed of an Oscar nomination. Robbed, I say! This is vastly more fun to watch than you think it will be.

🎶 Burn it Down
Have I shared this with you yet? I might have. I don't know. I'm still mad, so you're getting it again. It's a playlist to stoke your rage. It's not very long, so you can listen to it and then go back to moving through life without setting fire to things.

I'm going to go touch grass.

xoxo,
Carla