Weekend Watchlist: Saloum, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. and Jaws
[Izon by Trent Walton fades in, plays alone, fades out]
MIA Hi! Welcome to Weekend Watchlist, a look at what’s screening and streaming brought to you by Slim...
SLIM Hello!
MIA And together we’ll dig through what’s dropping this weekend, last weekend, recent trends on Letterboxd and we’ll also take a peek at our own watchlists—all under 30 minutes or your money back.
SLIM Mia, this could be the biggest episode we’ve ever done this week. Saloum, which has maybe the ultimate tagline: “Once upon a time in Africa…” We also have mega-church comedy Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. which is hitting Peacock, and Jaws coming back to theaters this weekend in IMAX. We’ll also have audio communiqués from Venice. Mia, have you been to Venice?
MIA No. But as an Italian American, I feel I have been there spiritually.
SLIM I’ve been to Poland spiritually, only in the spiritual realm. [Mia laughs] So we’re not there right now. But Brian Formo is, the Letterboxd editorial producer, and we’ll hear from him later. We’ll also read your community reviews as always, check out our own watchlist and maybe more important than all of that, Mia, a belated birthday to our partner in crime, Mitchell!
MIA Happy Birthday, Mitchell! Criterion, if you would like to sponsor Mitchell... [Slim laughs] You can send them a billion Blu-rays for their birthday and they would be thrilled.
SLIM And they’ll wait ten years to watch one of them, as is Mitchell’s habit. [Mia laughs]
MIA Saloum, directed by Jean Luc Herbulot, Saloum on 5.8 thousand watchlists. It is in limited theaters in New York City and LA and then on Shudder next week for everybody. Here is the synopsis: “Once upon a time in Africa… three mercenaries extracting a druglord out of Guinea-Bissau are forced to hide in the mystical region of Saloum, Senegal.”
SLIM Mia, I love this movie. I loved it. I watched it this week, in my notes, to quote my notes, “Hell yes, babyyyy!” I’ve read comparisons From Dusk Till Dawn, Assault on Precinct 13 for this film, which is totally apt and if you add in that tagline, “Once upon a time in Africa...” it’s pretty much like the ultimate combination of genres and locales and characters. I loved it. Is is this up your alley? That combination of movies, do you think, Saloum?
MIA Well, I’m intrigued by the mystical part.
SLIM Ohhh...
MIA I’m very intrigued by that.
SLIM You ain’t seen nothing yet, Mia. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Mitchell, who we mentioned at the top of show, has seen it. I think they saw it a TIFF Midnight Madness premiere. Let’s read Mitchell’s interview if you want to check that out.
MIA Incredible plug, Mitchell. I love a genre bender. We have another review from Marya: “Yann Gael sizzles as the trio’s lead Chaka. Oozing charisma and pathos, Gael has the swagger of a born leader, but as the film progresses we get a glimpse of the past that haunts him. There’s a real lived-in feeling to the Hyenas, Gael’s chemistry with his partners made me wish we had a whole prequel series so I could keep watching their adventures.”
SLIM I didn’t know, so this is limited this weekend, it’s hitting Shudder next weekend. So get that Shudder sub up and running, so you can relax at home if you can’t make it out to New York City or LA to see this. I highly recommend it, it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen recently. So major props.
MIA Okay!
SLIM Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul, directed by Adamma Ebo. This is on five and a half thousand watchlists. This is hitting theaters, but it’s also hitting Peacock. “In the aftermath of a huge scandal, Trinitie Childs, the first lady of a prominent Southern Baptist Mega Church, attempts to help her pastor-husband, Lee-Curtis Childs, rebuild their congregation.” So I have not seen this yet in advance. But I have watched the trailer. Regina Hall, my queen from the Scary Movie franchise, right? Oh my god, [Scary Movie] 1 and [Scary Movie] 2 were formative.
MIA She’s amazing. Because she can do comedy, she can do drama. She can do anything if you just give her the chance to shine!
SLIM She is electric in the trailer that I’ve seen. And this is produced by Adamma’s twin sister, Adanne Ebo, Jordan Peele, Kaluuya. And listen, I’ll be honest with you, Mia, this is a safe space. It’s just me and you. I love a good takedown of the Christian mega-church culture. Okay? So this seems right up my alley. [Slim laughs]
MIA I do too.
SLIM And who doesn’t love Sterling K Brown, right? Also a lead in this movie.
MIA So true. Yeah, the cast is incredible, as is the crew. We have a review from Selome: “Greenleaf hive RISE!!!!! God I had so much fucking fun with this!!!!! Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall absolutely murdered their roles dead. Going to be thinking about Regina’s eyes behind that makeup for awhile. Also, give Sterling more darkly comedic roles like this because it’s clearly what he was born for.” Jourdain Searles agrees and says: “So so amazing. I can’t believe it.”
SLIM Murdered their roles dead. That maybe is the ultimate recommendation for a movie.
MIA You know what also murdered some roles dead? This shark from Jaws! [Slim laughs]
SLIM So pleased with yourself with that segue, my god.
MIA Yeah...
SLIM What’s happening with Jaws?
MIA What is happening with Jaws? Well... I’ve heard a little rumor that our little shark buddy is gonna get the IMAX treatment. Ohhh yeah, yeah, he’s coming to IMAX this weekend. So if you missed the chance to see that shark on the big screen—because I feel like a lot of us probably grew up watching it like on VHS or DVD/Blu-ray depending on your generation. So if you’ve always wanted to see it on the big screen, now is your chance. Pregame for The Fabelmans! [Slim laughs]
SLIM The ultimate [The] Fabelmans pregame, Jaws. This is on 115,000 watchlists.
MIA Whoa.
SLIM We’re talking about Jaws, 4.0 average rating, Steven Spielberg. Everyone probably knows it’s about a shark, murders people. Five bagger, obviously, Jaws. I had never seen it in theaters. This is—so many of my friends in a Discord that I’m in for my podcast are like losing their minds. They can’t wait to see this in theaters in IMAX. What a great experience that is going to be. Scary, funny, it’s gorgeous. And it’s an all-ages movie somehow?
MIA Yeah, somehow, even though there’s some child death.
SLIM There’s a lot of murder. The shark needs to be arrested.
MIA Yeah, lock him up.
SLIM SilentDawn, I just want to read this one review, I really liked it: “Imagine standing in line. A warm day in June, basking in the glory of a sunny afternoon, with your stomach full after a late lunch (probably pizza) and your excitement reaching a pinnacle that is consistent with every other teenager and twenty-year-old in line. The trailer and the posters were enough, as everyone is out and ready to see this movie. It’s about a giant shark, and it’s directed by a guy that hasn’t done much. You go in, buy a massive bucket of salty and dangerously buttery popcorn, and you race to find the best seat that you can manage. And then the movie starts. It’s the equivalent of stepping into a hurricane with a cheap umbrella, which signifies how unprepared you really are.” I need to see this movie in theaters.
MIA I have seen this movie in theaters.
SLIM What!
MIA I saw it on 35mm—what now? [Slim laughs] So I don’t even need to go to the IMAX for the release. [Slim & Mia laugh]
SLIM Well, well, well. Okay, sorry, SilentDawn. Sorry everyone else that wants to go see this in theaters. [Mia laughs] How was it? How was that experience?
MIA Oh, it was amazing! It was very cool to see an actual print. So it’s, you know, it’s all it’s all gritty and everything and it’s like wow, it’s like I’m really in... I’m in the movie theaters in the ’70s!
SLIM Oh my god. Before we look back at last week, we actually have someone boots on the ground at the Venice Film Festival. And when I say ‘boots on the ground’, I mean, sitting comfortably in a gondola, drifting slowly in the water, leaving us this audio communiqué that we’re about to play. And that’s our colleague, Brian Formo, editorial producer at Letterboxd. So, Venice Film Fest, let’s see what Brian had to say on a gondola earlier about White Noise from your boy, Noah Baumbach.
[clip from Brian plays]
BRIAN Well, by the time you’re hearing this, Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s classic 1985 satirical novel White Noise will have kicked off the 2022 Venice Film Festival. White Noise puts Adam Driver into dad-bod mode as Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at The-College-on-the-Hill, husband to Babette, and father to four children/stepchildren. His life is torn asunder by a chemical spill from a railcar that releases an airborne toxic event, forcing Jack to confront his biggest fear—his own mortality. [Mia gasps] That airborne toxic event is a chemical explosion and not the band. But the novel is where the band’s namesake came from. Greta Gerwig co-stars as Babette, her first acting credit since 2016’s 20th Century Women.
MIA Wow, really?
BRIAN And I will note, that Don Cheadle’s character describes her hairstyle as quote, “important”. [Mia laughs] It is. Reviews will start to populate Letterboxd as I speak from those in attendance.
SLIM Listen to that atmosphere.
MIA That is like ASMR. [Slim laughs] The water! His calm voice...
SLIM Brian Formo’s ASMR segment on Weekend Watchlist. [Slim laughs]
MIA Wow. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you Brian, for your debut.
SLIM Unreal audio the iPhone can get when you’re just chilling in Venice. What’s your vibe on White Noise from Noah?
MIA Oh, I am a Baumbach boy. I am excited for everything he does, even if I have wildly visceral reactions to how much I don’t like it. That’s how much I love him. [Mia laughs]
SLIM So Marriage Story, what else has Noah done? Marriage Story, s Ha...
MIA s Ha, that’s one of my favorites. Mistress America is one of my favorites, Greta Gerwig is so funny in that. He’s very famous for The Squid and the Whale, which Owen Kline of Funny Pages is in.
SLIM Ooh!
MIA And then The Meyerowitz Stories, of course.
SLIM Oh, that’s right.
MIA He did that one... Kicking and Screaming, his debut with Parker Posey.
SLIM I’ve seen zero Baumbach movies.
MIA Don’t worry.
SLIM I’m a noob. I’m a Noah noob.
MIA Noah noob. We will see White Noise soon and that’ll be a funny first one for you. [Slim & Mia laugh] But yeah, I’m excited for basically everything he does. And speaking of bands, as Brian brought up Airborne Toxic Event, LCD Soundsystem wrote an original song for White Noise. It’s going to be their first new song in five years. I actually don’t know if it’s an original song for the movie or if it’s just a new song that they’re like, “This will be good for the Noah Baumbach apocalypse movie.” But that’s kind of major, LCD Soundsystem is very cool. Another New York staple.
SLIM The only thing I know about LCD Soundsystem, didn’t they retire like five times? Like last show ever, and then they did ten more shows?
MIA Yeah, they like to do that. [Mia laughs] But they’re iconic. So they’re allowed to! Let’s see how the movies that came out last weekend fared, some physical releases, what our community is saying. And , if you want your review or list potentially featured on an episode of Weekend Watchlist, just add the tag #WeekendWatchlist.
SLIM What do you want to spotlight looking back last week?
MIA I want to spotlight Three Thousand Years of Longing, because this was a film that I was not huge on initially, I didn’t really love it. But I saw it like a couple of months ago. And now it’s coming out and my friends are starting to see it. And they’re all giving it like four, four-and-a-half stars, like they’re all loving it so, so, so much. And it’s resonating with them deeply. So I want to give it another chance. And I just want to, I want to atone for kind of casting it aside in the beginning, because ultimately, it’s very magical to go to a movie theater and feel moved. And I can’t deny that. So shout out Three Thousand Year [of Longing].
SLIM That’s pressure, when you see a movie months before your friends can see it. Isn’t it? It’s presh!
MIA I know! It’s like, ‘I need to be right,’ even though it’s not about being right. It’s not about that at all. But... there’s that little kernel.
SLIM I felt that when I saw Last Night in Soho for a secret screening.
MIA Euhhh... euh, euh, euh... [Slim & Mia laugh]
SLIM That’s the noise I made in the theater, I think, when I was watching it. And I was like nervous. So I didn’t even think I gave that a star rating when I left a review for it. I didn’t want to be that guy.
MIA I know. That’s why I didn’t rate Three Thousand Years [of Longing] when I saw it.
SLIM You never know if you’re gonna skew someone’s opinion, like maybe they don’t want to see it.
MIA Exactly!
SLIM So I’ll just be quiet for a little bit and just say that the dancing was nice in Last Night in Soho.
MIA Yeah, like I don’t want to be a hate, I don’t want to be a hater. But... sometimes I’ll indulge privately.
SLIM Three Thousand Years of Longing is sitting at a 3.5 average rating on Letterboxd. Austin left a review: “Every year I feel there’s a movie that gets middling reviews that I have to defend as one of my favorites of the year.” Is Austin talking to you in this? Is he somehow channeling your log [from] three months ago? [Slim & Mia laugh] So Austin says: “I’m fine with this being 2022’s edition. I found myself enraptured by the story of Alithea and her Djinn. Their connection and love isn’t perfect, and neither is this film, but then again, what is? Tilda and Idris were on their A-game here, bringing such ion and complexity to their characters, and Miller’s direction was nothing short of spellbinding.” A few weeks ago, you actually spoke to Tilda and Idris. Is that true?
MIA It is true. I can confirm that as well. I asked them if there were any films that they saw while growing up that they wanted to escape into, because Tilda’s character Olivia is a, she studies literature and stories and narrative. And her character often escapes into the stories as a means of well... escapism! So that’s what I asked about and Tilda had this to say...
[clip of Mia’s interview with Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba plays]
TILDA Well the film that springs to my mind, which is a bit of a cheat because I actually came—I wasn’t a child when I saw it. It’s the great My Neighbor Totoro by Miyazaki Hayao, which is about a nature spirit. And I, you know, I didn’t see it that long ago. But I was definitely you know, I could drive, I think when I saw it. But it’s an emblematic, like it’s got a brand on my heart that film and I show it to children whenever I can. I think it’s, you know, if you see that film when you’re a small child, it’s such a resource for you to draw on. Every time you see a beautiful tree, you can imagine Totoro up there, playing the pipes.
IDRIS That’s so beautiful. You know, weirdly enough, right? Bugsy Malone had this huge, huge impact on me. One, because when I was younger, I looked older than I was. So I was twelve, I looked like fourteen. And something about the kids playing adults that really resonated with me. But also, it was the first time I saw child actors doing that. And I was like, “Wow!” And I wanted to be an actor at that juncture. And so yeah, Bugsy Malone.
SLIM Bugsy Malone, Mia, what a pick from Idris!
MIA Oh, it was so... like my eyes went, womp, when he said Bugsy Malone. [Slim laughs] It was such a fun surprise. I was not expecting that. And then the [My Neighbor] Totoro answer, she is so eloquent and ethereal and incredible. Wow. I can’t believe that you guys let me talk to them. [Mia laughs]
SLIM It was unreal. I have to give you props. I have to give Mitchell props, Gemma and our entire editorial team. One of my favorite things about the Journal work that everyone does, I love hearing actors talking about movies they like.
MIA Me too!
SLIM I feel like so many conversations don’t drift into, you know, what’s in their collection? What do they like to watch? They’re just like us. I loved hearing them talk about just movies that were impactful for them. And maybe just movies they like watching a lot. It’s fun.
MIA Same! That’s why I love work—oh my god, I’m not gonna, “I love working here!” But I do, because we get to talk about that communal love of movies, which is what I’m interested in too, like I’m always so curious about what actors and directors are watching. It’s my number-one question. And now you’re all letting me ask it. So, woohoo!
SLIM The system works.
MIA Shout out all, this is a little love fest for the Letterboxd crew. [Slim laughs]
SLIM Real quick, Funny Pages, which I loved, I gave four-and-a-half stars that’s sitting at 3.5 average. And I believe that’s on video-on-demand. So if you still are on the fence, by all means, check that out, please.
MIA Okay, now it’s time to check in on the Letterboxd Top 50 of 2022 list, to see what is at the top of the list for things released this year. The highest new entry this week is the Indonesian action film, Mencuri Raden Saleh at number eleven, which was released in Indonesian theaters last Thursday, August 25. The title translates to ‘Stealing Raden Saleh’ in reference to the Indonesian artist, Raden Saleh, and follows a group of young thieves plotting a heist to steal his painting. This film is now number three on the all-time Indonesian films list on Letterboxd.
SLIM Holy smokes. I think the other two have all been released in the last year in that top three, so very good year for Indonesian films.
MIA They’re heatin’ up!
SLIM Alright, we’re rapidly running out of time this week. We have to get to our watchlists, Mia. This is the big segment. Everyone knows you drew Akira. Before we hear your thoughts on Akira, I just want to go through my pick The Philadelphia Story. There was a lot of excitement about this. I thought it was okay. I didn’t love it. I think I was shook by an irritating and sort of mean Cary Grant in this movie…
MIA Yeah, no, it’s scary.
SLIM Yes!
MIA It is disturbing and jarring to see him be mean. [Mia & Slim laugh]
SLIM I know. I didn’t like it. I felt uncomfortable. To be honest, I don’t think I was able to recover. I made a note of how many times Cary Grant said “Red”. That’s her name in the movie, and he says it may be 300 times in his first two scenes. I was really getting annoyed. But Liz, Jimmy Stewart’s partner in crime, getting a raw deal in this movie, maybe the whole movie, especially at the end. Is this a spoiler?
MIA It’s been out for a… a long time. [Mia & Slim laugh]
SLIM It’s been out for a hundred years, so everyone get off my back! Jimmy Stewart throws a marriage proposal to Katharine Hepburn right in front of her. And she says no, a great scene. He’s like, “Oh, you won’t marry me? Oh, yeah, Liz. I have Liz that’s in love with me. Maybe this will work out fine.” You just propose to someone right in front of her. She is like getting the most raw deal out the entire movie. Katharine Hepburn is a total force of nature, loved her. I’d probably give her a marriage proposal if she’d made fun of me the way she made fun of Jimmy Stewart, he got annihilated in that one scene, their first scene together. So I had fun with it, didn’t love it, but I’m glad I knocked this off my watchlist.
MIA Yeah, I don’t love the ending. But I also understand it as a Cary Grant aficionado. I’m like, ‘You can can be mean, I don’t care. I’ll still say yes.’ Not good, but that’s his power. [Mia & Slim laugh]
SLIM What about Akira? Let’s hear about it, this was the big Akira watch!
MIA Oh, I know. I know it was the big Akira watch. This has been my watchlist for years and years and years. When I worked at Amoeba Music, I ran the poster department and one of my best business decisions was to order the Akira poster for people to buy because it was like our number-one bestseller, I want to say. That was... yeah, yeah, I sold the Akira poster. So, beautiful poster. Beautiful movie. I loved it. I had put it off, because my anime-nerd brother hates it.
SLIM Oh really?
MIA And has said, “Don’t watch it. It’s terrible.” And so I didn’t watch it.
SLIM Does your brother like the manga? Is your brother a manga nerd too?
MIA He doesn’t know how to read. No, he’s 23. [Slim laughs] He does know how to read. But he—
SLIM I didn’t even know how to respond to that when you said it. I was trying to gauge, ‘How should I? What?’
MIA No, no, he’s an anime, he like loves, loves, loves anime. Okay, so yeah, I’m kind of calling him out. I am gonna fight him at Christmas. I’m gonna be like, “What the hell? I could have watched years ago you freak!” He gave it one-and-a-half stars, all my other friends are like five stars.
SLIM Oh my—what!
MIA I know! I know!
SLIM I’m shadowbanning your brother, I’m shadowbanning your brother on Letterboxd.
MIA Yeah, you should. I that. [Slim laughs] I was pissed. Yeah, I I loved it. I loved the whole world of Neo Tokyo. I loved Kaneda’s outfits. I loved all the body-horror near the end and this powerful story of friendship. I thought it was a masterpiece and I cannot wait to rewatch. I’d love to see it in a theater.
SLIM Excellent. Great to hear.
MIA Big success. Big success.
SLIM What else? You nailed like a million movies off your watchlist. Is that true?
MIA I did. I do think this may be a Weekend Watchlist record. I am still atoning for forgetting to watch Death at a Funeral, which it turns out I’m actually not mad I forgot because I watched it and I did not like it. [Mia & Slim laugh] I’ll just run through real quick the ones that I watched because I don’t have a ton of time. So lightning round, I watched Death at a Funeral for Matthew MacFadyen of Succession. Shout out to the suckheads. I did not like this. British humor may not be for me. But afterwards I watched a lot of Tom Wambsgans funniest-moments compilations and I felt better. [Slim laughs] So yeah, you can watch that for free on YouTube, it’s just ‘Tom Wambsgans compilations’. And then I also watched Le Samouraï.
SLIM Oooh...
MIA Yeah, that is I believe, that is in the Letterbox Top 250. Is it?
SLIM Yeah, for sure.
MIA Yeah, so I knocked off one of those. It is maybe the coolest movie ever made. It is drenched in blues and grays and Alain Delon is the chillist assassin, even though his name is Jef, with one F. This guy’s name is Jef. He’s the coolest guy on the planet.
SLIM How about that ring of keys that he has?
MIA I’m obsessed with his ring of keys! He has this giant ring of keys that can just unlock any car, I guess. And he just does it in such a chill way. Yeah, I was mesmerized. And the influence of this film on just like film in general is massive. Like I kept thinking about Michael Mann’s Thief and Drive, like all these movies with a very stoic, cool guy. So, Le Samouraï. And then I also watched Topsy-Turvy.
SLIM Holy smokes.
MIA Mike Leigh. Yeah, yeah. Awesome cast. Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Shirley Henderson and Dr. Owen Hunt from Grey’s Anatomy, which I’ve seen twelve seasons of. So as a former theater kid, I really enjoyed this because we get to learn the origins of the very famous composers Gilbert and Sullivan—Sideshow Bob loves them… any [The] Simpsons fans out there! Sideshow Bob, Slim, I know you like Sideshow Bob.
SLIM Love Sideshow Bob, classic episode.
MIA That’s close, otherwise I’d have to get out of here... [Slim & Mia laugh]
SLIM I’d be going to hang out with your brother, more one star reviews.
MIA Yeah, so any movie that helps me understand the psyche of Sideshow Bob, I’m a fan of. Whoo! Okay, I think that’s all of them. Oh, and last but not least I will be seeing Secrets & Lies tonight, so by the time this pod drops I will have crossed off a total of five movies from my watchlist.
SLIM Sheesh. Secrets & Lies, very good.
MIA Yeah, so that’s the number to beat. I don’t know...
SLIM Five! What a friggin week. If I had a Weekend Watchlist award, I would present it to you but unfortunately I don’t have one.
MIA Thank you. Well, we might have to do something about that... [Slim laughs] I’m a groundbreaker, I’m breaking the glass ceiling over here.
SLIM You are! So let’s spotlight some community reviews tagged with ‘Weekend Watchlist’. As always, I have to spotlight, since somebody reviewed it, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, continuing the streak. Donal left a review: “I’m so glad I got to see this at the sold-out Irish premiere as part of a family film festival. The kids loved Marcel. The adults loved Marcel. We all laughed together. We all wept together. It was beautiful.” Oh my god. What a moment.
MIA Aw... that’s so sweet. Marcel the Shell, he’s also setting a record because we’re mentioning him a lot. So me and Marcel.
SLIM Maybe Marcel will present us with with an award of some kind... [Mia gasps] Please! Maybe a little mini shell?
MIA Okay… let’s…
SLIM Oh my god.
MIA I am sending out some emails to Marcel. [Slim laughs] What is his email? Can we reach him?
SLIM I think it’s press at A24 dot com. [Slim & Mia laugh]
MIA Oh, little guy. I’ll spotlight one more review. If we have the time, kind of in the opposite direction of Marcel, this is a review of Possession.
SLIM Ohh...
MIA Yeah, yeah, I love this one. This is from Brian Ly: “Saw this playing locally (shout out to The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA) and after hearing so much about in on the 70mm podcast...” Eh!
SLIM Shucks.
MIA ”I knew I had to check it out. It is exactly everything I could have hoped for and more. Not often do I call a film paradigm shifting, but this is what horror should be about.” Yes, I completely agree. I love Possession, one of my favorites and shout-out Brian. And that’s very cool that he got to see it in theater. I would love to see this in theater.
SLIM What a great experience that is. Holy smokes. And thank you for the shout-out Brian. We have a like traveling of the, we have a traveling Possession Blu-ray that we’re shipping around in our Discord.
MIA Because it’s hard to find, it is expensive.
SLIM Yeah, it is expensive. So we have a bunch of our friends just watching it for the first time and then shipping it off to the next folk who are ready to experience the magic that is Possession.
MIA Communal Possession sharing. That’s how I saw it too, was just like a friend who had it.
SLIM Really?
MIA You just have to it around. Like that’s the only way. I eventually shelled out like 50 bucks for my own. I spent the big—yeah, yeah, it’s true.
SLIM It’s worth it though.
MIA But it’s one of my prized possessions.
SLIM We have to shuffle our watchlists again.
MIA Oh my god, we’re running out of time for this!
SLIM I know, we’re going long.
MIA We’re going long.
SLIM I refuse to give a refund for this podcast, I absolutely refuse. So let’s head to our watchlist. Let us go to Filter by Service, you know, I just want to get some streaming movies. So I’m gonna go Stream-Only. And then I am going to Sort By, my little Sort By drop-down, Shuffle. So the first movie I get, I have to watch. [shuffle sound plays] And that movie is Two Evil Eyes, 1990. This is allegedly directed by both George A. Romero and Dario Argento.
MIA What?
SLIM Is for real? Is this for real? Two horror segments based on Edgar Allan Poe stories set in and around the city of Pittsburgh. That’s not the first city I think of when I think of horror, but it’s streaming on Roku, Vudu, Tubi, Kanopy. So if anyone wants to follow along with me, let’s do it. [shuffle sound plays]
MIA Yay! Okay, I got a smart-person movie, for smart people. [Slim laughs] So this one I actually added to my watch list because of Marya E. Gates, the beloved film critic, did a thread about it and it’s called Hester Street! 1975, directed by Joan Micklin Silver.
SLIM This does look like a smart-person poster.
MIA Thank you, thank you!
SLIM This is like one I’d see on a Criterion shelf somewhere, if I’m getting that tour.
MIA Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. “A Russian émigré prides himself on the way he’s molded himself into a real Yankee in the USA, though the world he lives in, New York’s Lower East Side in the late 19th century, is almost exclusively populated by other Jewish immigrants. When his wife finally arrives in the New World, however, she has a lot of assimilating to do.” This is a clean 90 minutes, easy. And it stars Carol Kane!
SLIM Love a good 90-minute movie.
MIA Yes, love a good 90. And yeah, this is highly recommended by film critics around, it’s also very underseen, like I tried to watch a lot of movies directed by women and I had never even heard of this. So that’s, that’s huge. I’m very excited to watch this one.
SLIM Streaming on Kanopy, get your library cards out.
MIA That’s for smart people. [Slim laughs] Another sign it’s a smart-person movie!
[Izon by Trent Walton fades in, plays alone, fades out]
SLIM Thank you so much for listening to Weekend Watchlist, brought to you by The Letterboxd Show. You can follow Mia, Slim—that’s me—and our HQ page on Letterboxd using the links in our episode notes. And if you have the time, maybe consider rating the podcast on Spotify or leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and help spread the word about the show.
MIA Thank you to our crew and thanks to Letterboxd member Trent Walton for the theme music ‘Izon’. Thanks to Jack for the facts and Sophie Shin for the episode transcript. And to you, for listening. Weekend Watchlist is a Tapedeck production.
[Tapedeck bumper plays] This is a Tapedeck podcast.