Hug Your Friends and Let Yourself Be Tired

First, thanks for everyone's patience as I work through finding the best day to send this newsletter. I personally like the start/end of week cadence, but the data nerd in me needs to know what y'all find to be the most valuable. Second, and likely infinitely more interesting: the last week has been a real whirlwind!

First and foremost, one of my very favorite people in the world, Meredith Borders, was in town from Germany. We packed all that we could in the few days we had together, including pickles, burgers (separate, but also together) and Variety's inaugural Hollywood & Horror celebration. Meredith's bio has included the phrase "strong sender" since I've known her, and it's the perfect distillation of who she is as a person. I spent the first 18 years of my life in constant survival mode, and on-and-of for the decade that followed. My thirties kicked off with a global pandemic. Which is to say that I am exceptional at survival mode, but I am also fucking sick of it. Not having a full-time job and endlessly chasing work (which is drying up everywhere) has left me constantly drained, so, an in-person visit with the greatest strong-sender there is was sorely needed.

Next time you have the opportunity, I highly recommend absconding to a brewery immediately after a rainy day, posting up at a fire pit, and spending the next 4 hours having conversations that range from the absurd to deeply personal. This day night healed my soul a little.

After Meredith left, I was immediately off to my next moderating gig. I talked about it a bit last issue, but I left NYCC certain that I'd never find another gig again despite everyone being incredibly happy with my work (aren't brains fun?). I had my next assignment the following day, while I was writing last week's newsletter.

I'll always take the opportunity to chat with director Michelle Garza Cervera and, of course, how can you say no to a conversation with Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead? The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake is on Hulu now, by the way. It is very different from the '92 film, but I quite enjoyed Cervera's angle and resolve to make something that was entirely her own. Long live the erotic thriller (even if this one is more mystery than thrills).

Immediately after this, I booked two additional Q&As and turned in two review drafts. The Q&As haven't happened yet, but the embargoes are both up for IT: Welcome to Derry and Regretting You.

I had the privilege of reviewing Welcome to Derry for FANGORIA. I wasn't as high on the premiere as I had hoped I'd be — I adore this corner of Stephen King's universe — but it left me engaged enough that I'm looking forward to diving into the rest of the series.

Meanwhile, Regretting You marked my debut at TheWrap. I wouldn't say I'm not a romance person, but I am particular about them. Though, it does seem that I ended up enjoying Regretting You more than most. My biggest complaint about the film is that I find miscommunication as a story device completely exhausting, and that's basically Regretting You's whole shtick. Still, it has solid performances and it made me cry, so clearly it made me feel something.

When I write these newsletters, my goal is always to have some sort of insight that isn't just a gathering of the work I've done that week. However, my insight for this week is mostly just that I am tired. Perhaps I'll allow myself to be, and maybe you will too. Maybe it's OK that we find ourselves a little bit exhausted, whether you, too, are one of the many people hunting for work or if you're just emotionally destroyed by the constant deluge of bad. Being tired doesn't mean that you're letting the bad guys win or that you're giving up. Just means that you're acknowledging that you need a rest. Rest and joy are, in fact, critical to resistance after all.

Oh, you know what else I did? I went to the eye doctor for the first time in 6 years. Did I go because my insurance is about to run out and that's very bad? Yes. Should I have gone sooner? Of course. Should you go to the damn eye doctor if you haven't in forever? Also yes. My glasses are literally falling apart, it's been a whole thing. But the good news is that my prescription didn't change as much as I thought it did, glasses just straight up stop working as well after a long period of time (stupid!).

Anyway, let yourself be tired. Drag your ass to the doctor if or while you have insurance. That's what I've got for you this week, coven.

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