Lil Bites

BJ Colangelo got real about Kevin Can F**k Himself and the "lovable" loser trope. (Spoiler: he's not lovable. He's just a loser.) While Laura Sirikul took a detailed look at the evolution of the Asian heroin in Hollywood. Friends at FANGORIA interviewed the Fear Street squad. Buds Matt and Ariel are teaming up to take over other bud Meag's column! Check out Scariest Scene Ever and revel in the spookies! I don't post a lot of podcast content, but the Horror Queers chatted Fear Street and it seemed like a great time to have their debut on the newsletter.

Speaking of podcasts — I was on one! The Matts™ over at Certified Forgotten had me on to discuss (best) Troma film Mutant Blast, which is, well... a blast. Before we get into the movie, we talk about the state of entertainment journalism, what I'm looking for when folks pitch me, entitlement vs. gatekeeping, and I get big mad that some folks don't want their friends to eat!

The Good News Is

• This pup was lost for nearly a year before being found.
• This real life movie moment.
• This vet saved the tiniest tree frog.
• This woman could write the book on chasing your dreams at 60.

ICYMI...

• GotG 3 will start filming v soon.
• Michael B. Jordan is tired of waiting for a Black Superman, so he's making one.
• Horror Noire rocked our socks as a documentary, and now it's headed in a new direction as an anthology.
• A live-action Pokemon series is in the works at Netflix.
• And a new Exorcist trilogy is in the works (starring Leslie Odom Jr.)
• Black Widow will be getting a home release with a lightning-fast turnaround.

The Baby Step

People in power think it's possible to "out organize" voter suppression. That is categorically false. Elected officials must be made to understand that we put them in power for a reason. And, if they don't act soon, we may not have the power to put their silly butts back.

Get Loud

Get vaccinated! Already vaccinated? Help a friend or neighbor get vaccinated!

And mask up while you're indoors whether you're vaccinated or not. You probably won't die, but why not protect yourself from having a very bad time? Bonus: you make people around you feel more comfortable.

(I do not care if anti-vaxxers are uncomfortable. At all.)

The Baby Step

Do you know a nurse, teacher, or someone otherwise on the front lines? The world might have started re-opening, but things are still pretty tough for them. Do something extra kind this week to let them know that they are loved.

Want to go farther than that? Here are some actions that can help them in the future.

• Call your reps and let them know that a living wage is important to you, and you want to see them vote appropriately. We pushed for $15 last cycle, and even that was shot down. To keep up with inflation, minimum wage should be $24. $15 still isn't enough, but it's a step in the right direction.
• Advocate for better pay for teachers. This is another thing handled at a legislative level in many cases, but that's ok! Our reps are hired by us. They work for us. You're allowed and encouraged to tell them what's important to you.
• The final and most important step here is that when these things make it onto ballots, you're voting for them! Local elections matter! Mid-term elections matter!

Whatcha Watchin?

Gotta tell y'all — I finally watched Bill and Ted Face the Music for the first time last week. What an absolute joy of a film? I'm very into warm media right now. That could be because the world is forever failing itself or because my move aged me approximately 30 years, but we're very into nice right now.

SPEAKING OF! Ted Lasso season 2 premiered on Friday! They're back! It's back! We're back! Football is life!

I can't share full review details because of embargo, but I feel like this counts as a social reaction: Jungle Cruise is an absolute joyride. I think I grinned the whole movie. Strongly recommend you take the family to that if you're fully vaccinated and able.

And Now A Word From Our Sponsor...

Have you checked out the Merri Hour yet? The weekly YouTube show is hosted by Matt Donato and Perri Nemiroff. The two discuss all the goings on of the movie world, and then Perri destroys Matt at beer pong. (This is what happens when you pay for an ad but don’t give me much content. I roast you. It’s true though, poor bud’s on a losing streak.)

As both a guest and a frequent watcher of the show (Fridays at 4:30PM PST/7:30PM EST), I can assure you it’s well worth your time. It’s one of the few good things to come out of quarantine. Watch their socials (tagged above) for the weekly link, or subscribe directly to Perri’s YouTube channel so you get the notifications!

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