TIFF’s People’s Choice predicting Oscars, what are film festivals for (?), Ayo Edebiri's BLM exclusion, ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, BTS and political activism in South Korea, and more...
I haven’t seen Frankenstein yet but since I don’t usually disagree that dramatically with Sarah, he might be his generation’s Jake Gyllenhaal for me: talented and an asshole douchebag.
If I were a betting lady, my TIFF Audience Award predictions would be Hamnet, Rental Family, and Knives Out 3. Christy, Tuner, and No Other Choice have been adding a lot of screenings, which seems like a good sign in their favour. The festival seems happier when a world premiere title wins it, which could benefit Rental Family and Knives Out. They'd be worthy winners, certainly. I saw both in public screenings and the audience was very hyped.
My personal faves that I saw this year were, in no particular order: Hamnet, Knives Out 3, Nuesta Tierra, Scarlet, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, and The Secret Agent. Rental Family did make me cry, but it was the final five minutes of Hamnet that had me bawling. My only real disappointment was Ballad of a Small Player, which was fine but a big step down from Conclave for Edward Berger.
The non-film highlight was our now-annual dinner with Sarah and Lainey!
Kayleigh, can you try to make the case for Jacob Elordi with Lainey? Frankenstein made Sarah thankfully start to come around. I've made my case for his talent and value as a celebrity here, may we not underestimate the Aussie prince of Male Performative Reading:
Well, Frankenstein is really the first performance of Elordi's where I've gone, "Okay, yeah, he can act." He really is the heart of the film, and his physicality works so well for what is essentially a baby deer with neck-breaking strength come to life. Can he get an Oscar nom? I'm not sure. Frankenstein has been well received but it seems increasingly like it's not going to be Netflix's priority (they were EVERYWHERE this TIFF.) At the very least, I'm more intrigued for his Heathcliff than I was before (largely because they've styled him to look like that fascist Argentinian president in it.)
I was at Lilith Fair at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA (lawn seats!) and it is still hands down one of the best concert experiences I have ever been to. My sister and I went together. I still get chills remembering Tracy Chapman singing on the stage that night!
I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Sarah McLachlan for the 30th anniversary tour of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and seeing her live made me fall in love with her music all over again.
Thank you for your TIFF rundown! I was wondering why you guys haven't covered this hot gossip bombshell featuring one of the biggest celebrities on earth, Selena Gomez:
It's amazing how great Selena's PR is because they have largely hid most of Selena's own mess over the years and her mother's mess, which is only just really being revealed here. Also, Mandy is clearly jealous of her own child's success and is struggling with some kind of mental health crisis. Both Mandy and Selena deserve sympathy. However, Selena Gomez is a billionaire so she is in some ways responsible for this business failing and employees not getting checks and healthcare because she co-founded the company, funded it, and had a position on the leadership team. It seems Selena encouraged this Wondermind venture not for the cause of mental health, but to keep her mother at a distance while giving her something to do, a job Selena also most likely instinctively knew Mandy was incapable of in the first place. But I also understand her coldness and her lack of shock. She's clearly been through this a million times with her mother and doesn't feel the same alarm anymore. While sympathy should indeed be shown to Selena and we can armchair analyze all the ways having Mandy as her mother possibly affected her, there should be a real conversation here about the ethics and methods of Selena capitalizing on mental health, which Selena has focused her personal Selena Gomez brand on and centered much of her beauty brand Rare Beauty's marketing on. Mental health is ugly, it's a jagged road. There's often no healing, and that is hard to market.
Freddie in The Cut's comments said it best:
"In other words, a woman who was known to have bipolar disorder eventually and inevitably acted the way people with bipolar disorder act, but because we've [Selena's branding] wrapped severe mental illness up into this utterly disingenuous narrative of an uplifting journey to self-actualization, everyone is shocked when that happens. Take it from, as someone who's been struggling with bipolar disorder for more than twenty years: there is no such thing as an ex-bipolar patient, no matter what some shrink who hands you a vanity PTSD diagnosis tells you. This thing has consequences, severe and painful consequences. It's not a "superpower" or some hill to climb on the road to happiness. And as long as people treat these serious diagnoses as fodder for glossy magazine stories, this basic failure of empathy and understanding is going to happen again and again."
The Rare Impact Fund is, to my knowledge, separate from Wondermind as it is not listed as one of the partners on its website. I do think Selena lent her name to Wondermind to give her mom something to do, it should not have been something as serious as a mental health initiative. This is where you get mom a boutique she can travel the world purchasing stock. I've often said that a parent child relationship that has the child as the primary breadwinner starting at a young age will often end up beyond repair. It seems that Selena wasn't just making the money to support the household, she had to parent her mom which left her without a supportive adult during a tumultuous time in her life. It's sad all around, a band-aid like a business venture can't fix that.
Wow! What a story. The mother sounds like a nightmare. I'm surprised Selena doesn't step in and reorganize. It's her rep, not her mother's. Celebrity start ups have a dismal track record.
I went to Lilith Fair in Atlanta in 1998 and I’m kind of amazed I can say I was at something so personally meaningful and culturally important.
Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah and then Holly McNarland on the second stage
Of course Sarah was amazing but at the time I was just as into Natalie Merchant and to sing along to Wonder and Kind and Generous with thousands of people who were just as enthralled and happy to be there was an experience I’d never had before.
Today’s concert ticket pricing making these kinds of experiences unavailable to so many is a real loss.
I saw 10,000 Maniacs in 1985. Totally unknown, we sat in amazement as Natalie twirled like a whirling dervish. NightFlight Cafe, Savannah, GA. They took off pretty quick. One of my best memories ever.
1985! I'm convinced I'm the oldest Squawker but maybe I have company unless you were but a child in 1985:) My husband is a huge REM fan and the former lovers/friendship between Natalie and Michael Stipe was a gossip treat back in the day.
I saw REM at University of South Carolina Student Union in 1982. They were not on anybody's radar. I'm pretty sure I'm the oldest person on the Squawker chats. I mean I saw The Commodores when they were the opening act at Pine Knob, Michigan (and Donna Summers was the main act). Funkadelics and Perliament in Ypsilanti, Michigan. STP in Phoenix 1997. I actually went to Howard Jones and Daryll Hall last year. Concerts are my memories, and I have so many good ones to choose from!
I'm still not conceding the Oldest Squawker just yet. My first concert was ACDC opening for Aerosmith in 1976 at Selland Arena in Fresno, CA. Moved to San Diego in 1981 and had access to a much wider range of artists and a new boyfriend that loved music and was willing to buy concert tickets. So many great concerts and good times. Married someone that is also a music lover so we're still attending concerts when we can.
First concerts for my 13th birthday - Steve Miller from my sister -and TODD RUNDGREN from my brother. Because they were 6 and 10 years older, I got an amazing musical upbringing. From Howard my brother: New York Dolls, Roxy Music, Moody Blues, Donovan, Bowie (I saw his Diamond Dogs show) and so much more. From my 6 year older sister Cassy: Fleetwood Mac (back in the Kiln House era), Steve Miller, Lou Reed. I consider myself damn lucky that I had them, and they had great taste.
I had the hugest crush on Steven Tyler when I was like 14 lol and had no idea he was the same age as my dad or that they were legends long before Permanent Vacation was released.
Loved @Sarah’s answer to JenC’s Q about the purpose of film festivals: “But at the end of the day, the one thing that unites all film festivals, big and small, marketplace or not, is that they are a place for cinephiles to come together and watch, talk about, and celebrate film.”
That’s exactly why I’ve been going to VIFF for the last 15 years with the same group of women. When I’m there I look around the packed theatre and I think wow, all of these people took time out of their busy lives to be here and wait in a long line because they love films and want to support all types of film makers. There are good humans here.
Loved the deep dive on international pop star political engagement and the reference to a prior chat (since I missed it!). Very much appreciate this perspective!
I haven’t seen Frankenstein yet but since I don’t usually disagree that dramatically with Sarah, he might be his generation’s Jake Gyllenhaal for me: talented and an asshole douchebag.
If I were a betting lady, my TIFF Audience Award predictions would be Hamnet, Rental Family, and Knives Out 3. Christy, Tuner, and No Other Choice have been adding a lot of screenings, which seems like a good sign in their favour. The festival seems happier when a world premiere title wins it, which could benefit Rental Family and Knives Out. They'd be worthy winners, certainly. I saw both in public screenings and the audience was very hyped.
My personal faves that I saw this year were, in no particular order: Hamnet, Knives Out 3, Nuesta Tierra, Scarlet, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, and The Secret Agent. Rental Family did make me cry, but it was the final five minutes of Hamnet that had me bawling. My only real disappointment was Ballad of a Small Player, which was fine but a big step down from Conclave for Edward Berger.
The non-film highlight was our now-annual dinner with Sarah and Lainey!
Kayleigh, can you try to make the case for Jacob Elordi with Lainey? Frankenstein made Sarah thankfully start to come around. I've made my case for his talent and value as a celebrity here, may we not underestimate the Aussie prince of Male Performative Reading:
https://thesquawk.substack.com/p/its-jacob-elordis-turn/comment/143439129
And here, about his award season prospects and he is now playing the gossip game:
https://thesquawk.substack.com/p/jacob-and-olivia-are-together-again/comment/154079876
Well, Frankenstein is really the first performance of Elordi's where I've gone, "Okay, yeah, he can act." He really is the heart of the film, and his physicality works so well for what is essentially a baby deer with neck-breaking strength come to life. Can he get an Oscar nom? I'm not sure. Frankenstein has been well received but it seems increasingly like it's not going to be Netflix's priority (they were EVERYWHERE this TIFF.) At the very least, I'm more intrigued for his Heathcliff than I was before (largely because they've styled him to look like that fascist Argentinian president in it.)
I was at Lilith Fair at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA (lawn seats!) and it is still hands down one of the best concert experiences I have ever been to. My sister and I went together. I still get chills remembering Tracy Chapman singing on the stage that night!
I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Sarah McLachlan for the 30th anniversary tour of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and seeing her live made me fall in love with her music all over again.
Seeing Sarah next month!!
I’m so jealous! My sister and I had tickets to see her a second time, but she had to cancel due to illness. I hope you have a blast!
Thank you for your TIFF rundown! I was wondering why you guys haven't covered this hot gossip bombshell featuring one of the biggest celebrities on earth, Selena Gomez:
https://www.thecut.com/article/selena-gomez-wondermind-mental-health-start-up-mandy-teefey.html
It's amazing how great Selena's PR is because they have largely hid most of Selena's own mess over the years and her mother's mess, which is only just really being revealed here. Also, Mandy is clearly jealous of her own child's success and is struggling with some kind of mental health crisis. Both Mandy and Selena deserve sympathy. However, Selena Gomez is a billionaire so she is in some ways responsible for this business failing and employees not getting checks and healthcare because she co-founded the company, funded it, and had a position on the leadership team. It seems Selena encouraged this Wondermind venture not for the cause of mental health, but to keep her mother at a distance while giving her something to do, a job Selena also most likely instinctively knew Mandy was incapable of in the first place. But I also understand her coldness and her lack of shock. She's clearly been through this a million times with her mother and doesn't feel the same alarm anymore. While sympathy should indeed be shown to Selena and we can armchair analyze all the ways having Mandy as her mother possibly affected her, there should be a real conversation here about the ethics and methods of Selena capitalizing on mental health, which Selena has focused her personal Selena Gomez brand on and centered much of her beauty brand Rare Beauty's marketing on. Mental health is ugly, it's a jagged road. There's often no healing, and that is hard to market.
Freddie in The Cut's comments said it best:
"In other words, a woman who was known to have bipolar disorder eventually and inevitably acted the way people with bipolar disorder act, but because we've [Selena's branding] wrapped severe mental illness up into this utterly disingenuous narrative of an uplifting journey to self-actualization, everyone is shocked when that happens. Take it from, as someone who's been struggling with bipolar disorder for more than twenty years: there is no such thing as an ex-bipolar patient, no matter what some shrink who hands you a vanity PTSD diagnosis tells you. This thing has consequences, severe and painful consequences. It's not a "superpower" or some hill to climb on the road to happiness. And as long as people treat these serious diagnoses as fodder for glossy magazine stories, this basic failure of empathy and understanding is going to happen again and again."
The Rare Impact Fund is, to my knowledge, separate from Wondermind as it is not listed as one of the partners on its website. I do think Selena lent her name to Wondermind to give her mom something to do, it should not have been something as serious as a mental health initiative. This is where you get mom a boutique she can travel the world purchasing stock. I've often said that a parent child relationship that has the child as the primary breadwinner starting at a young age will often end up beyond repair. It seems that Selena wasn't just making the money to support the household, she had to parent her mom which left her without a supportive adult during a tumultuous time in her life. It's sad all around, a band-aid like a business venture can't fix that.
Wow! What a story. The mother sounds like a nightmare. I'm surprised Selena doesn't step in and reorganize. It's her rep, not her mother's. Celebrity start ups have a dismal track record.
I went to Lilith Fair in Atlanta in 1998 and I’m kind of amazed I can say I was at something so personally meaningful and culturally important.
Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah and then Holly McNarland on the second stage
Of course Sarah was amazing but at the time I was just as into Natalie Merchant and to sing along to Wonder and Kind and Generous with thousands of people who were just as enthralled and happy to be there was an experience I’d never had before.
Today’s concert ticket pricing making these kinds of experiences unavailable to so many is a real loss.
I saw Natalie Merchant with 10,000 Maniacs in 1993, love her solo work.
I saw 10,000 Maniacs in 1985. Totally unknown, we sat in amazement as Natalie twirled like a whirling dervish. NightFlight Cafe, Savannah, GA. They took off pretty quick. One of my best memories ever.
1985! I'm convinced I'm the oldest Squawker but maybe I have company unless you were but a child in 1985:) My husband is a huge REM fan and the former lovers/friendship between Natalie and Michael Stipe was a gossip treat back in the day.
I saw REM at University of South Carolina Student Union in 1982. They were not on anybody's radar. I'm pretty sure I'm the oldest person on the Squawker chats. I mean I saw The Commodores when they were the opening act at Pine Knob, Michigan (and Donna Summers was the main act). Funkadelics and Perliament in Ypsilanti, Michigan. STP in Phoenix 1997. I actually went to Howard Jones and Daryll Hall last year. Concerts are my memories, and I have so many good ones to choose from!
I'm still not conceding the Oldest Squawker just yet. My first concert was ACDC opening for Aerosmith in 1976 at Selland Arena in Fresno, CA. Moved to San Diego in 1981 and had access to a much wider range of artists and a new boyfriend that loved music and was willing to buy concert tickets. So many great concerts and good times. Married someone that is also a music lover so we're still attending concerts when we can.
First concerts for my 13th birthday - Steve Miller from my sister -and TODD RUNDGREN from my brother. Because they were 6 and 10 years older, I got an amazing musical upbringing. From Howard my brother: New York Dolls, Roxy Music, Moody Blues, Donovan, Bowie (I saw his Diamond Dogs show) and so much more. From my 6 year older sister Cassy: Fleetwood Mac (back in the Kiln House era), Steve Miller, Lou Reed. I consider myself damn lucky that I had them, and they had great taste.
I had the hugest crush on Steven Tyler when I was like 14 lol and had no idea he was the same age as my dad or that they were legends long before Permanent Vacation was released.
Loved @Sarah’s answer to JenC’s Q about the purpose of film festivals: “But at the end of the day, the one thing that unites all film festivals, big and small, marketplace or not, is that they are a place for cinephiles to come together and watch, talk about, and celebrate film.”
That’s exactly why I’ve been going to VIFF for the last 15 years with the same group of women. When I’m there I look around the packed theatre and I think wow, all of these people took time out of their busy lives to be here and wait in a long line because they love films and want to support all types of film makers. There are good humans here.
Loved the deep dive on international pop star political engagement and the reference to a prior chat (since I missed it!). Very much appreciate this perspective!
Thank you for this great mailbag, LG Team. I'm looking forward to the newsletter for which I whined at Lainey. 😁