FEBRUARY

WATCHING

  • But I’m a Cheerleader – What a cast. Super stylised queer coming of age.

  • The Tinder Swindler

  • The Curse – Not sure I’ll bother with this… I wanted to like it. It looks good, gorgeous 80’s styling, but I just…don’t care

  • Chloe – (BBC) Incredible acting from Erin Doherty.

  • Finding Anna

  • Plastic Must Die | SiGNALS – YouTube Originals invited filmmakers from around the world to create the experimental series #SiGNALS based on stories of everyday objects, which educate you on how to be more sustainable for sake of Mother Earth

  • The Souvenir – Took me a while to get into it. Found it a bit pretentious. Tom Burke is great. Very beautiful cinematography, gorgeous soft colours, and framing. If it didn’t look this good I don’t think I would have watched all of it.

  • Cup Head - I loved this game and the 50s style, the animated series is great 👌

  • Blocks – short that is soon to become a series. An existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit toy blocks. By Bridget Moloney

  • Jeen-yhus - Kanye doc Netflix

  • Cat Burglar - interactive cartoon fun from Charlie Brooker

READING

  • Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – Brilliant. Sad. Brutal. I kept thinking about Agnes, Shuggie, and Leak when I was going about my day… I thought it would make me sob, which is why I put off reading it, not wanting to be too depressed in January, but although it’s sad it’s also very matter of fact/funny at times – unlike ‘A Little Life’ (which did make me sob), it doesn’t linger on despairing details and feelings – although they are obviously there. I read it a couple of weeks, choosing it over films, music, and all the other things. Very much looking forward to reading his next book, Young Mungo.

  • Why Is This Interesting (Substack) – on purpose in advertising: Not leading with purpose doesn’t mean a brand doesn’t have any, as nicely articulated by Mark Ritson: Choosing not to position on purpose does not mean your organisation is evil. Pret a Manger has quietly taken unsold sandwiches off its shelves and distributed them to shelters and food banks. Pret doesn’t talk much about this at all. It continues to position on fresh, handmade food instead.

  • The New Me by Halle Butler – Dark lols. Started reading at the same time as I watched the first episode of ‘Chloe’ and found parallels. Very easy read – smashed half of it in one go.

  • How Oatly’s Spirit of 'Jantelagen' Conquered the World – made me want to work for Oatly.

  • The Hidden Mothers of Family Photos – The New Yorker. Such an interesting article, with darkly bizarre/funny photography from the Victorian era: ‘The long exposures required by old-school cameras meant that young children needed to be kept still for considerable periods of time. Studio photographers enlisted mothers as literal supports, camouflaging them in sheets and drapes so that they could prop up their offspring inconspicuously’. A great read on how mothers are often left out of family pictures. It reminded me of an old ad campaign that showed family pictures with the mom cropped out… can’t remember what it was for now though.

LOOKING

  • Erika Lee Sears – Self-taught oil painter. Love her paintings and the simple scenes/things that she chooses as her subjects. Especially her ‘Self-care’ paintings. Yum.

  • Pass The Ball – Nice ‘Pass it On’ animation. 40 animators.

  • This is a lovely idea – https://museumofpreciousthings.com/ – people submit images of their precious possessions along with a story. Definitely needs more stuff (at the moment it’s mostly stones). Could be a good place to prompt a bit of fiction writing too.

LISTENING

  • ‘22 for ’22: the musicians who are going to smash it in the months ahead’ from The Face – the ones I liked: Grouptherapy. – Soft rap over melodic riffs. Hypnotic. Songs: Relax, Disco Paints, and Raise It Up (I like the telephone trill in this one) / Skiifall ‘skeletal rap that’s peppered with dub, jazz, reggae and dancehall’ (The Face) I don’t know how I would describe it so I will agree with this. Songs: Break of Dawn, Ting Tun Up / Yard Act – heard a lot of them on Radio 6. Northern, funny and biting. A bit indie for my usual taste, but like ‘em. Song: Pay day / Nia Archives – Drummond, jungle, breaks, Neo Soul (all the good stuff). Lots of samples. Fun skanking music! Songs: 18 and Over, Sober Feels (LOVE) Probs my fave artist from this list… / DVR (& Kenny Beats) Song: Lowlife, Pixies sample?

OTHER STUFF

  • One Woman Show (written and performed) by Liz Kingsman - at Soho Theatre. This was so strange and great, a parody of the ‘hot mess’ female character that has been popularised by Flea Bag. It’s smart and also silly, and surreal - a great combination.

  • Tim Key at The Bill Murray – I love him, and I love the Bill Murray. A stand-out line from one of his poems ‘her face was a piss-take, her solitary chin lit up by her phone’ I haven’t bought the book… I feel like you need to hear/see him. His delivery is great.

  • https://chillsubs.com/ – Find the right home for your writing

  • Don’t Miss Out (ad for Crypto with Larry David)

  • Gastro Obscura – unique food/drink from places around the world.

  • New, New York Times ads from Droga 5 are really nice (who are what you read)

  • I like the new Uber Eats ads

  • https://dreamachine.world/experience inspired by an extraordinary but little-known 1959 invention by artist–inventor Brion Gysin. His experimental homemade device used flickering light to create vivid illusions, kaleidoscopic patterns and explosions of colour in the mind of the viewer. Designed to be the ‘first artwork to be experienced with your eyes closed’. Signed up for tickets

  • https://www.storylivingbydisney.com/ weird.

  • Life drawing at The Beehive pub in Tottenham