In Case You Missed It #3

My monthly round-up of all the excellent things.

Intersecting Lines, Wassily Kandinsky, 1923.

Hello and welcome to the opposite of doom scrolling :)

If you’re new here, welcome! Each month I send out an eclectic collection of some of the brilliant things I have chanced upon that I loved so much I think you might too. I keep the list (relatively) concise ;) and I give each featured item a little context so you can determine if it’s for you or not, links provided of course. I’d also never assume you didn’t get there before me, hence the In Case You Missed It of it all. I hope you enjoy this month’s curation of delights!

Briefly, ICYMI on here: we’re reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland together, learning all sorts of things about Lewis Carroll, Alice and myself along the way. In our poetry curation we’ve been going deep with Leonard Cohen; exploring the lifelong creative partnership between Ted Hughes and Thom Gunn; witnessing the beauty of grief with Michael Rosen; and feeling the possibility of Freedom with Pharrell Williams.

I shared the five books that I re-read every year for this month’s Cultural Digest. We had our second Cult Film Club gathering and watched a brilliant stop-motion animation together. I also launched the Cult Film Club chatroom (hi, is it the nineties?) where we talk all things movies and I also share a prompt every Friday to properly get into our film firsts and favourites — you can join the club and gain access to absolutely everything by becoming a paid subscriber below!

Now, onto the main event…

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ON SUBSTACK

Samantha Bee

on Her Very Specific Travel Curse

Not only does Samantha Bee have the GREATEST ‘about’ intro I’m yet to see on Substack but every single thing I read of hers makes me want to re-edit everything I’ve ever written and aspire to someday emulate her. You may have heard someone being described as having funny bones but Samantha Bee’s rhythm, energy, everything, simply breathes funny. It comes straight from her guts and on to the page in a way that I connect to so deeply but don’t seem to be able to do myself. This piece on having to organise every aspect of her life before she travels whether it’s for two days or twenty is ME and is absolutely f*cking hilarious.

Emma Gannon on Frequently Asked (Fictionalised) Questions

Yes I am rather making a habit of sharing Emma’s pieces on here — I promise when we hang out she only stuffs me with lunch and not money but since coming through her burnout Emma is ironically, on fire. I thought this piece was so good and captured everything I love about Substack. She really is the queen of practical tangible business tools to help progress your creative leanings and yearnings.

*If you have any trouble reaching the end of this post as an email, click ‘view entire message’, apparently that should sort it :) or read it on Substack*

Animation Obsessive Staff

on The Art of Imperfection

My Substack discovery highlight of the month is Animation Obsessive because I am one too, and these guys are doing an exemplary job of sharing everything from miraculous finds of historic concept art for our favourite Disney classics, as well as collating fascinating insights and updates on contemporary (and independent) animation news every week. They also explore animation technique and this piece highlighting the cultural need for ‘substance over style’ celebrates the beauty and charm of imperfection in hand-drawn animation, which we so rarely see now in the digital age. It’s also a herald to all artists who daren’t create for fear of imperfection, to do it anyway.

It’s one of those feelings you can’t capture without loosening your grip.

Animation Obsessive

Ted Gioia

on Social Media Going to War Against Writers

Why are social media outlets becoming so reluctant to perform the task they were originally intended for - sharing? I left Twitter more than a year ago and I recently wiped everything from Instagram - images and people I follow alike. I’m not entirely done with it - maybe it’s still worth sharing some work here and there, I’m not sure, but in this piece Ted Gioia explores the pettiness of the petulant children heading up these organisations that he (and I both) believe will ultimately lead to their downfall.

Ted Gioia

on AI being defeated in Hollywood (for now) but what about music?

Two from Ted because I cannot get enough and these two pieces combined feel historic. Ted is observing what is happening to our culture in real time with fastidious detail, expressed with resolute clarity and grace. In this piece he is examining the very real threat of AI to all industries not just artistic ones - though they do seem to be the most popular occupations amongst the AI community, lol. The recent Writer’s Guild strike win in their negotiations with the major film studios and streamers has set an extraordinary global precedent for the prevention of the use of AI by corporations to ‘streamline’ their workforces, but has at the same time highlighted the possibility of a terrifying dystopian future. This is a call to action for us all.

Yrsa Daley-Ward

— the old ways won’t work

Aaaaaand relax. If you feel like going for a refreshing dip in a beautiful lake of effortless expression, this recent piece from Yrsa Daley-Ward as easy with its vulnerability as she is always ever, is an absolute tonic for the soul; an elixir for the heart; the sun beaming on your face on a crisp Winter’s day warming; a tall glass of spring water in a barren baking desert thirst-quenching. Yes, please.

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MUST WATCH

The 2023 BAFTA movie marathon has begun! If the strikes in the US fully resolve, I can shortly expect to have 200+ films at my fingertips (a number of films have been unable to complete post-production in time for their scheduled release because of striking actors). At the time of writing there are some 80 films currently available on the BAFTA viewing platform of which I’ve watched 36. Let’s see if I can beat last year’s record of 102 films watched by the end. Here are my pick of the bunch so far —

Past Lives

Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in Past Lives, dir. Celine Song (2023).

This is a love story. I actually got a sneak peek of this one earlier in the Summer and my HEART. Still not sure I’ve fully recovered. This film is exceptional. I fully expect it to be a major awards contender. I watched it with a wonderful group of people that I was making a film with and not one of us left our seats for a good 10 minutes after it concluded for sobbing and awe. This is a film about childhood, first love, acceptance and belonging.

Theater Camp

LOOOOOOOOOL. I fully screamed with delight when I saw this had arrived on the BAFTA platform. This one has been hotly anticipated chez Sian’s eyeballs for months. Released in the US this Summer to critical acclaim it absolutely lives up to the hype. Utterly joyous and hilarious and will fill any Christopher Guest shaped hole in your life (he of the formative and genius in comedy Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman et al).

Bottoms

Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Bottoms, dir. Emma Seligman (2023).

It really feels like these types of comedies that are quintessentially American in the best way have been missing from all of our lives for years and then two come along at once. Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennot reunite for Bottoms — Seligman’s debut Shiva Baby (that incidentally the writer/creator of Theater Camp Molly Gordon, also starred in) was a break-out hit in 2020 — and just like Theater Camp it delivers hard on laughs and pathos. Absolutely adored.

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WHAM — A NetFlix Documentary

I knew nothing about George Michael or his popstar origins in WHAM before watching this and was utterly charmed by this GORGEOUS documentary (readily available on Netflix) featuring incredible footage of George Michael and his bandmate Andrew Ridgeley from well before they were famous all the way through to George Michael embarking on his solo career.

This is ultimately a story of friendship and the sheer joy of youthful exuberance. It feels like something Elizabeth Gilbert would fervently endorse because it is living proof that the creation of art can be FUN. You also get to bear witness to the development of George Michael as an artist, notably the progression of his extraordinary vocals. It is a hugely optimistic piece of work and gloriously invigorating.

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THINGS I’M BUYING

Hand-Painted Candles by Louise Androlia

My dear friend Louise Androlia artist extraordinaire who I’ve featured before as part of our poetry curation, has started creating hand-painted intention candles and I think you’ll agree, they are STUNNING. Previously only available to purchase within the US, Louise is headed to the UK for a little trip in November and is taking orders for UK peeps to deliver on her arrival. Tons of different designs are available on her website not just the ones above, have a look here. You can also reach out to her at hello@louiseandrolia.com with your orders and for more info. There’s a limited number she’s able to bring so get in there whilst you can!

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PODCASTS

We Can do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

Episode 130 featuring Dr Becky Kennedy

I find Glennon Doyle’s podcast endlessly insightful (also hosted by her sister Amanda and her wife Abby Wambach) but some episodes inevitably resonate much more potently than others - either because of the guest, or the subject matter, or even the mood you’re in! So I actually want to recommend it as a podcast in general but this particular episode - and there are actually at least two more featuring Dr Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist, that I also recommend - was so powerful that I listened to it twice back to back. There are currently almost 250 other episodes to get your ears into as well and this is the type of podcast where I’d really encourage you to just let your intuition be your guide on where to dive in, there is so much heart wide-open wisdom to be nourished by.

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ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERNET

Chanté Joseph for the Guardian on The Misleading Media Representation of Friendship

Absolutely loved this from Chanté Joseph for the Guardian. Following on from the first edition of ICYMI featuring Amy Key’s Arrangements in Blue (a phenomenal piece of writing on the defiant freedom as well as the sometimes deathly loneliness of single-life), this piece interrogates the representation of friendship in media which often depicts core groups that can call and rely on one another no matter what. Just like Amy, Chanté explores these themes through the lens of Sex and the City and I found it to be a hugely relatable and vulnerable piece of writing, especially for anyone with (wonderful) friendships that might also feel as sprawling as Los Angeles and who perhaps don’t get to enjoy the supportive structure of a clique.

Imagine a life where you don’t have to send 12 separate messages to people who don’t really know each other to bring them together for a birthday dinner. I’m jealous of how easy it must be to find a plus-one and not have to check the schedules of an endless catalogue of busy people.

Chanté Joseph

Charlotte Alter for TIME Magazine on The Man Who Thinks He Can Live Forever

A cult I don’t want to live in — or live long enough to see come to fruition because that’s what Bryan Johnson’s lifestyle feels inevitably like it’s heading towards.

When I first saw this image I genuinely thought it was a mocked up picture of the other Terminator from Terminator 2 — you know, the terrifying invincible liquid metal one, also (coincidentally??) pictured above with the Ted Gioia post?

This is a thorough and fascinating long-form study on Bryan Johnson and his self-inflicted biological experiment to ultimately embrace the age of AI and become one with it — why you ask? In order to live forever. Chris Traeger eat your heart out.

Speaking of the Ted post, this is a meaty and satisfyingly antithetical read to it just for the sheer audacity of the man (Bryan Johnson) and to experience the full breadth of the human belief spectrum because it’s almost too far fetched to be believed.

I think cult is as far it’ll go honestly — not least given the gigantic financial means required to be a part of this ‘movement’ nor to mention the impending environmental apocalypse which you know, may well prevent such easy access to almond milk and chlorophyll supplements going forward. But from the featured doctors’ assessments of the appearance of his pallid skin, I’d be willing to wager that he’s much more likely in the process of transforming into a vampire than a robot.

ANGUS R. SHAMAL sharing The Best of BTS

A self-portrait of Stanley Kubrick with his daughter, Jack Nicholson & the crew on the set of The Shining.

Let’s end on a lighter note shall we! I stumbled upon this collection of incredible Behind The Scenes photographs from iconic movies, collated by photographer Angus R. Shamal and was completely blown away. There aren’t a huge number of them but they are enormously wide-ranging from The Shining to Ghostbusters II, to Rebel Without A Cause, to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and more. It is awesome!

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+++ BONUS EXTRA +++

A new series of Taskmaster has begun chaps, yey!

This show is so delightfully stupid and silly that I wrote a whole piece about it. You can find out more about the magic of its escapism and where to watch it, right here.

#7 Cultural Digest: Taskmaster Treat

Any of these pieces really speaking to you? Anything you’d love to recommend to the community? What’s caught your eye this month? I’d love to hear from you!