Summer falls

Hello and happy long weekend, my friends. Another summer fades to black, and I'm just fine with it. I didn't get much vacation this go-round, paradoxically spending weeks of it trapped in my house, so this particular season can suck it. Fall is far superior anyway. I can't wait to be able to use the word 'crisp'. While we bide our time for motherfucking gourd season, here are some recs.

🎥 Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (Hulu)
You may not have heard of Anita Pallenberg, but by the end of this documentary you'll wonder how that's possible. In the shorthand, she was an actress and model who had 3 kids with Keith Richards. But even that short sentence contains multiple sub-references that take you deep into a complex, fascinating life. She also had relationships with Brian Jones and Mick Jagger and was widely acknowledged as the muse for many of their songs. She and Keith spent years battling a fierce heroin addiction. The third of their children died of SIDS at 2 months old. And much more. I guarantee you will not be bored watching this.

🎥 Tuesday, After Christmas (Kanopy)
Is all Romanian film like this? If so, I'm in. It's a brilliant example of how a simple story - married man having an affair - can become engrossing and captivating with the right director. Through long takes and perfectly positioned camera angles, I felt like I was in the room in every scene. I'd love to know how he achieved such intimacy between the characters; it feels more like a documentary at times. Hidden gem!

📖 In the Unlikely Event
Did you know that in the winter of 1951-52, three separate planes approaching or leaving Newark Airport crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey? 119 people in total were killed, several of which were town residents on the ground at the time. It was so bizarre that they closed the Newark airport for 9 months to figure out what the hell was going on. Author Judy Blume was a teenager living in Elizabeth at the time and this novel looks at the impact the real-world events had on fictionalized residents. It's not a perfect read, but is interesting and moves along nicely.

That's the view from my side of the couch. Enjoy your day off tomorrow!

xoxo,
Carla