Featured

You Should Remember This Podcast Will Quench Your Thirst For Old Hollywood Filmmaking And Its Stars

I was introduced to Mrs. Longworth through one of my favorite podcasts, WTF with Marc Maron. She came on to talk about her podcast, You Should Remember This, which focuses primarily on the 19th century of Hollywood filmmaking.

 

In their discussion, Marin was clearly fascinated with old Hollywood and that style of filmmaking, conversing about classic films in comparison to 21st century filmmaking. They discussed some of her podcast episodes, focusing heavily on the Sammy and Dino series, which Longworth used the biography Dino, written by Nick Tosches, as the primary source for. 

Longworth is knowledgeable in filmmaking and old Hollywood. She attended the Art Institute of Chicago, before completing her undergraduate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, then she earned a Master of Arts degree in Cinema Studies from New York University. Afterwards, she returned to Los Angeles, becoming an accomplished journalist, writing for New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, and HuffPost.  

Marc Marin does a conspicuous job of mentioning–multiple times–that she is married to filmmaker Rian Johnson. It may be his love of films but the feminist in me was giving him the side eye, if just for a second. Still, she has notable accomplishments on her own and a sharp and creative mind. 

With her podcast, You Should Remember This, Longworth educates her audience while maintaining a nostalgic interest in what she labels “the first century of Hollywood”. She strategically blends well-known actors, filmmakers, films, etc. with lesser known and forgotten stories of Tinseltown e. g., silent star Billie Dove, the Blacklist of the 1940s and 50s, and the success of the 1986 erotic thriller, 9 1/2 Weeks.

Karina Longworth is not a personality type (this is where listening speed improves enjoyment) but she more than makes up for that with her competence on the subject of Hollywood. She compels listeners to expand their interests beyond the infamous names associated with this time period, such as: Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra and invest their intrigue in stories about the NC-17 rating and how it influenced filmmaking and Louis B. Mayer’s rise and fall as studio head at MGM. 

I encourage you to give this podcast a listen and subscribe for Hollywood intrigue. For more info, click the link below:  

Seasons — You Must Remember This (youmustrememberthispodcast.com)

Featured

Can The Dead Revive What Not Dead Yet Calls Comedy

Gina Rodriguez’s new TV series, Not Dead Yet has all the makings of TV gold: a bankable star, unique yet relatable premise, and great writing. However, it fails to give an auspicious delivery of sitcom mastery. Not Dead Yet is about a newly single woman who is returning to journalism, to pay the bills that she was accustomed to her ex handling.

Nell Serrano has a special relationship with the dead people, whose obituaries she writes. We get to see those relationships form at her cubicle and home. Though it would be pointless to get attached to those characters, since they have changed with every episode, so far. Instead, a flashback episode, or however the writing team can incorporate more of Nell’s backstory, would be interesting for viewers curious about the ten-year work gap.

The last time we saw the Puerto Rican beauty, on the small screen, was when she starred as Jane Villanueva in Jane the Virgin back in 2019. Since then, she has moved away from young and virginal, female characters to single-female-dating, with class and talent. However, Not Dead Yet arrived on viewers To Be Watched schedules with the anticipation of a proven Emmy Nominated series. Unfortunately, thus far, it is not worthy of viewers’ attention.   

I was dying to put the cliche saying, “dead on arrival” in the title, but I digressed. You can’t stop me from putting it in the review. Not Dead Yet is dead on arrival even with a life jacket and ambulance following behind. Some critics say there is potential for resuscitation. Don’t hold your breath, only dead characters on the screen please. Okay, like a guest turned roommate, the cliches have worn out their welcome.

Not Dead Yet has all the makings of an exquisite recipe; why does it leave us dissatisfied? After watching the first four episodes, I can confirm that this series is inexplicably bland with delectable writing.

Gina Rodriguez stars as the obituary writer, who gets inspiration from the dead people themselves. The formula sounds like a broken rule: requiring a new supporting character for every episode; still, that does not explain why it fails. The main cast, for one, has zero chemistry. There is Lexi, the boss and daughter of the publisher, which is a playground for comedy with any accomplished writer; Sam, Nell’s best friend, who has a salty personality with sassy wit; and Nell herself, is begrudgingly single and ready to have someone pick up the tab. It’s insensible why jokes are absent or flat with this set up. With the laughter on hold, upon further review of dry comedy–not in a good way–one could mistake this series for a dramedy: hilarity for acquired taste.  

I have not come across a show about obituaries, which is why I am tolerant and forgiving of the epic failure of the two-episode premiere. I suspect this series may find its place—on the list of cancelled TV shows of 2023. If the producers don’t shake something up: either the main cast or storytelling structure, they are going to lose their excited audience quickly.

What works on the show is the idea of Nell being the only one able to hear and speak to the dead. What’s not working is Lauren Ash as a tame, Bitch boss. I’m not sure how she could not get into the role: could her awkward, teenage years have been artificially removed from her memory? Whatever the delay is, Ash needs to get out of sleep mode and into Bitch mode at godspeed.  

If and when this show fails, Gina Rodriguez, as the star and one of the executive producers, would take most of the blame. If she can get to the root of the anemic chemistry, in the table read, us viewers wouldn’t have to suffer through mediocre, sitcom acting that is not even on the level of a funny YouTuber with no budget for professional writers. 

Lastly, let me apologize. I called this show inexplicably bland when I knew all along what the problem was.  

Featured

Country Rock Superstar, Shania Twain Is Back, Kinda

We have loved Country music icon, Shania Twain for decades, ever since she and her ex-husband, Robert John “Mutt” Lange came on the Country music scene as a dynamic duo. She is known to go on a hiatus but this one may have been provoked by personal issues.

In the Netflix documentary, Not Just A Girl, Twain talked about losing her voice, after having numerous surgeries, misdiagnoses, and working with multiple doctors before getting the correct diagnosis of Lyme disease. During this period, she even considered quitting singing because of the difficulties but received encouragement from music legends like Lionel Ritchie and David Foster.

Fortunately for her fans, Shania Twain succumbed to the urge to get back on the horse–speaking of horses, it was a horseback riding accident that initiated the plentiful surgeries–and gift us, Queen of Me.

Her latest album, released on February 3rd, is more of the sound we know and love Shania for, which is satisfying, considering she no longer has her longtime writing and producing partner, Mutt Lange. Queen of Me has twelve new tracks–a mix of uptempo and ballads–that hint at the turmoil in her previous marriage, without getting too bitter and vengeful. This album is a grown woman’s Taylor Swift breakup album. Twain acknowledges the demise of her first marriage, takes some digs at her ex, but does not dwell on it, leaving her friends embarrassed for her.

Twain, or her record label, knew what they were doing when they limited this album to twelve tracks, with under forty minutes listening time: there’s enough music to satisfy your Country palette, while leaving you wanting more. She gives you different vibes without feeling like you’re on a dizzying, musical rollercoaster. Her writing is solid and the instrumentation blends in with the rest of her discography, leaving no one distinguishing between the Mutt Lange vs. post breakup, Shania Twain.

If I were to gripe about anything, it would be her voice. Of course, Shania was never trying to be Whitney Houston still, the voice we know and love is something–we the fans–have to memorialize. I know medical reasons attributed to the change, so I won’t harp on the Country diva, but it is notable. Although, the difference is not bad, she is raspier, and doesn’t have a strong enough voice for ballads but she pulls it off, in her own way.

I would recommend Queen of Me to long time Twain fans and music fans who are new to Shania Twain’s style of Country. I listened to this album on Hoopla but it is available, wherever you purchase and listen to music.

Featured

Audiobooks on Spotify

With the recent acquisition of Findaway, Spotify is gradually building a platform to attract readers as well as cater to their longtime base–music listeners. Audiobooks have been available on Spotify for a few years now however, you have to do some work to find them.

Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Fantasy and Sci-fi Book Club for older readers who love classics. They also have excerpts from new releases as well. If you are someone who hasn’t picked up a book since high school, this is the perfect place to start. All of their episodes are under an hour with some of them as short as three minutes long.

Awesome Audiobooks is another great choice for classic lovers. They have familiar ones like The Great Gatsby and the Sherlock Homes series. They even have A Christmas Carol which is appropriate for this time of year.

Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes with Janna is exactly what the title says. The host reviews audiobooks, in minutes. Janna reviews fiction and nonfiction but doesn’t give away all the details to take the fun and suspense out of reading the book yourself.

Tales To Terrify is another short fiction podcast with episodes that are under an hour. These are from less known authors but the stories are entertaining.

You also can type in different search words such as: audiobooks, fiction, classic literature, etc. to find audiobooks. Keep in mind, it is not like going to an audiobook site so finding what you are looking for will take time. Spotify has not made the experience easy just yet. I’m sure with the new acquisition and authors seeing this as another option to get their fiction out to readers, there will be improvements to come.

If you haven’t noticed from this list, Spotify could use some work when it comes to diverse voices and stories. This is a growing category that will take time to build, like anything else. However, if you see a genre that is missing, why not start a podcast of your own to be available on Spotify. This is not a sponsorship, but they do offer free podcasting through Anchor (owned by Spotify). You can try it out and see if it is something you want to do long-term before you start spending your own money on expensive equipment.

Featured

Skin of the Sea: Little Mermaid Retelling

A YA Fantasy about a Black mermaid; I was not asking for it but I’m glad Natasha Bowen thought to write it. This is a fast-paced, cinematic Little Mermaid retelling with rich descriptions of the sea and African mythology woven throughout.

Natasha Bowen is of Nigerian and Welsh descent and lives in England. I say this to say, she deals with prejudice and oppression of African people in a way that doesn’t victimize them even in their survival. With the stories I have been reading by Black American authors lately, it is disappointing how obsessed we are with race and the heavy-handed way WE Americans tend to force it into stories.

Bowen uses African mythology from the mid 1400s. There is a narrative with enslaved African people [influenced by the Portuguese who brought Africans to Europe and colonized islands] and violence around the slave trade but it is not explicit. The forbidden love storyline was great.

Fractals (repeated patterns) in hairstyles is used in a clever way. Bowen did her research. I had never heard of this but I appreciate learning while being entertained. The author’s note about fractals and how it was used by Africans is interesting as well.

I like that the flashback scenes are separated in another font. I read the physical book so I’m not sure how it looks in the ebook. I will say some words were repetitive and the African riddles, I just skipped over. For that reason, this might be one of those that is best as an audiobook read.

From the beginning, you learn that Simi [who was once a human and can revert back to one] is a mermaid who collects souls then prays to the gods for them to have a safe journey back home. She is told adamantly not to do anything else.

Then Simi comes across what she thinks is a soul but it turns out the boy, Kola is semi-conscious. Instead of leaving him alone she helps him convalesce before sending him back to the mainland.
It turns out this boy knows too much. This mistake might cost them both.

This is a great YA fantasy and age appropriate. The twist was original and unexpected. The ending makes me think the second book will explore the forbidden romance more. I’m so glad this is a duology. Can’t wait for the next book!

A Gothic Thriller with Family Secrets And Old Money: The Heiress By Rachel Hawkins

The Darnell family was built on lies and old money. You’re already suspicious of them because no one seems to earn their wealth laboriously. Somehow, their affluence rolls into the next generation’s slot with the ease that barely raises suspicion.

The Darnell family has lived in the North Carolina mountains for over a century. The family and the story’s setting, the author sensibly compares to the Biltmore estate and the Vanderbilt family. Rachel Hawkins gives reminders of the time period by linking Ruby to American presidents and other notable figures, without the reader feeling like they were being hand-held the whole time.

One gripe I have, is that it was confusing at times when it came to the female characters, especially when the Darnell family was introduced. There were a lot of female names and people mentioned. The details about the setting and time period are superb.

Camden’s reveal was hinted at early on so I was not all that surprised by the ending. Jules’ reveal was a little more shocking. However, Ben mentioning to Jules something about her doing what she was supposed to do, seemed to be left unanswered. Another loose end was the connection between those two (maybe I missed it) but it seemed like it never was followed up on.

I like the structure of the chapters. I can’t believe I never asked myself who was reading the letters. I assumed they were there for the reader, who knew. The three points of view, and the present and past tenses were great. I was always looking forward to getting back to Ruby’s letters though.

I also knew something was up, early on when Camden would refer to her as Ruby and he alluded to there being foul play with her death.

If you’re in the mood for a period piece from the 20th century with Gothic vibes, I would give this thriller a read. I liked the ending but I can see some readers feeling like there were too many reveals and too many twists. It kind of felt like Hawkins was trying too hard–just a little.

Can A Female Perspective Be The Answer To Reviving The Mafia Subgenre

It’s been over fifty years since The Godfather premiered in theaters, and Robert DeNiro gave an Oscar worthy performance in The Godfather Part II, for his role as Vito Corleone. Almost twenty years later, fans of mafia films received another “would be” classic, Goodfellas in 1990, becoming a favorite, along with its director Martin Scorsese, among Generation X and Millennials. One consensus among classic, mafia films, is their male hero(s) at the helm, and male toxicity propelling the stories.

Not that viewers are eager to see women in the criminal sense, it is a sexist perspective to assume that women are incapable of committing crimes of the mafia sort, are less appealing in those roles, and/or an audience would dislike a mafia film with a female mobster in the lead role or a female dominated cast of characters, which is insinuated when male leads have an overwhelming dominance in the subgenre.

Speaking of female-led mafia films, I recently saw Fresh Kills, starring Jennifer Esposito, Emily Bader, and Odessa A’ zion. This film is reminiscent of a Martin Scorsese film, with the exception of a female-centered story. In no way am I undercutting director Jennifer Esposito’s directing style, but at the risk of being presumptuous, his influence is present: the movie has a voice-over narrator, NY setting, and even a two-hour running time that moviegoers are accustomed to with Scorsese films.

Jennifer Esposito, as a director, pulls great performances out of her two screen daughters: Rose, and older sister, Connie. She has the acumen of a director with twenty years of experience, you can probably attribute to her acting career. As a director, she doesn’t always rely on dialogue to inform the audience, nor does she have her young women crying excessively when faced with adversity, which is a lazy, go-to move, too often used by male directors. She shows the different layers of her characters in realistic ways.

This film’s story arc is dominated by the female characters but don’t overlook Dominick Lombardozzi’s superb performance. He plays the family’s patriarch, Joe Larusso. His subtle performance as a mafia don works. Viewers are known to like their mafiaso characters depicted in a brash and overt way. In his portrayal, the moments where Larusso speaks no words, show him as a boss the most. It’s not always the guns, verbage, and violence, but the walk of a don, his smirk when he’s in handcuffs, his cocky pose in a courtroom; usually those in power have a quiet authority and–if they are smart–they choose a less conspicuous profile. Lombardozzi embodies the persona of a Paul Castellano archetype.

Fresh Kills tells the story of a mother, raising two daughters, with her mafia don husband in Long Island, NY. The tale begins in the late eighties then fast forwards to 1993. The Larusso’s appear to be the average, American, middle class family, with the exception of their mafia affiliation. However, as the girls get older, they get wise to their father’s mafia title and the loyalty their parents expect from them. Connie alludes to wholehearted loyalty while Rose is in evocative conflict with this expectation.

Thirty minutes into the film, I began asking myself whether it’s time to find another movie to watch; I was growing bored. At first, it felt like the camera lens was wandering, trying to catch entertainment as it happened. Then the story started to pick up. I could see where it was going. The story lacked focus until we see the dynamic between the sisters, as they entered their twenties. Rose and Connie grew into two different women, with distinct moral compasses, which made their domestic life and family wars vivid and tumultuous. The lesson Connie tries to teach Rose is the lesson she failed to learn herself.

This is not a typical mafia tale in that it focuses on female relationships between the mother and her daughters, and the “seemingly” loyal sister against the sister struggling with her identity within a family whose convictions don’t align with hers’. These relationships and the mafia ties that bind them, display a struggle so complex that it stifles a young woman’s identity.

Rose is the character whose development gets the most attention, pertaining to the writers room. Throughout the film, she is dragged around by her controlling sister, who is more vocal and somewhat of a badass. Though Connie has secrets of her own, and struggles with her identity, she is better at disguising her insecurities and disloyalty. Meanwhile, Rose doesn’t know how to tell the man she has been dating for years that she is not interested in the traditional trajectory expected of a woman and needs time for self-discovery.

Older sister Connie should not be idolized; we learn her identity, and fate, in the end. Until then, she portrays a front of confidence and control under pressure that Rose admires. Connie is the woman of two faces. She upheld a facade that even her own family believed. It also shows how the mafia lifestyle can destroy a family–not only by external forces, such as law enforcement, politicians, and legislation–but from the inside.

In the moments when the film focuses on too many relationships and dynamics, it is uninteresting, but when it zeroes in on the sisters, it has the potential to be in conversation with classics from the mafia subgenre. I would recommend this film, especially if you like mafia films but are tired of the same old vices glorified in the male-dominated stories.

Former BET CEO, Debra Lee Championed Black Excellence While Being Denied Her Professional Worth

“For the first ten years of our professional relationship, Bob and I were strictly colleagues. I considered him a mentor, a sponsor.” (Lee p. 172) In an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, Debra Lee admitted to an affair with founder and original CEO of Black Entertainment Television, Robert L. Johnson. 

I listened to Lee talk about contemplating leaving the company but knowing it would be inauspicious if she could not secure a recommendation from her former employer of several years. It would ostensibly set off red flags to potential employers. I rushed to the bookstore, purchased this memoir, and immediately dove in to uncover how the affair ended.

Like everyone else, I knew the BET lady as the person who would ceremoniously present awards. She did not have the celebrity that male CEOs sustained such as: Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Tyler Perry, through media and publicity. Male moguls tend to have an identity, separate from their mogul accomplishments. However, when it comes to female CEOs, first–where are they? Secondly, why do they receive unequal attention?

In Lee’s memoir, she talks about her male mentors, throughout her career, and how she never had a female mentor–nor were there female CEO’s that she could model herself after. She was becoming a mogul, from scratch, with almost no allies or champions, building momentum to her victorious rise. 

Inadvertently, she comments on some of her most tumultuous years in corporate America, which can attest to the unique struggles women face in the workplace. To address and ultimately correct them, would expose female employees to retaliation. Even with a law degree from Harvard, she could not overcome the predatory behavior that perpetuates across all industries.     

In reading her memoir, I learned that her story is a relatable and teachable one of corporate politics that young women, entering the workplace today, can learn from.

Debra Lee was hired at BET as general counsel in 1986, when the company was in its infancy and not yet publicly owned. By her own account, she was the legal department. Her boss, Bob Johnson stretched the word “general” to mean “comprehensive”. 

When she came on board, she recently married lawyer Randall Coleman, who is the father of her two children. They agreed to delay starting a family because of their demanding careers. A few years later, she became pregnant with their first child.

Lee states, “I was the first senior executive at the company to get pregnant.” (Lee p. 120) At that point, she wrote BET’s maternity leave policy, while planning to exercise that right. She continued to work aggressively–as general counsel, among other roles–until the morning her water broke. 

After having her baby boy, she remained active in her role as general counsel, while tending to her nursing baby. Maternity leave was a novel idea that CEO Bob Johnson had no intention of adhering to. 

According to Debra Lee, when she went on leave, her husband, who did not get paternity leave [this was the 1980s], was helping out at home along with their families.  There was no second person, in the company, to fill her role, in her absence. Clearly, there would be no reprieve from her professional duties, while maintaining on paper–that she was on maternity leave.

 

This disregard for a federal regulation was not one instance at the Black owned company. Founder, Bob Johnson is charismatic (Lee’s words, not mine) in a dangerously corporate way. When Lee met Johnson, she was contemplating splitting from Steptoe and Johnson law firm in DC, the firm she worked for after her federal clerkship for Judge Barrington Parker Sr. 

Lee was enticed by Johnson with the offer of general counsel. She got a taste of the work she would be doing, when she handled client work for BET, who was one of Steptoe and Johnson’s clients.  

It was as if the clouds parted and made way for this serendipitous step on her corporate ladder. She saw no reason to discuss salary before accepting the position. Johnson shouldn’t be accused of exploiting Lee in this situation. After all, she was a lawyer. Her poor judgment cost her an $18,000 pay cut. Upon meeting with her boss, she learned, with astonishment, that Johnson paid all of his executives the same flat salary–non-negotiable. 

This egalitarian pay system can be justified in a startup, which you could argue was the current situation. However, it continued for far too long in Lee’s career at BET. She eventually realized she was undervalued and looked to sever professional ties with the company for entrepreneurial efforts. 

Anyone starting a business can expect the venture to be tough, without family obligations. Having a new baby, and husband with a career of his own, would only add to the complications. It was understandable why Debra Lee wanted to make it work at BET, which explains her persistence in asking Johnson for a raise. His stance was clear on this matter, as she stated, “We all started at $50,000 and received the same yearly bonuses and salary increases.” (Lee p.141)

The culture at BET was male dominated and it didn’t help matters that her male colleagues were aware of her salary desires. Some even encouraged her to “just leave,” if she was unsatisfied. Although, this would have put the company in a vulnerable position had she acted on those provocations. 

Which leads me to Bob Johnson’s possibly strategic move to shift their professional relationship to a romantic one. Lee blurs the line between consensual and not, when reflecting on their romance. However, when reading her account, you can’t help but speculate Johnson’s predicament: knowing his general counsel was unsatisfied with her salary and considering leaving the company. He may have convinced Lee in 1986 to accept a $50,000 salary and his egalitarian pay system, that helped build his multi-million-dollar fortune. However, getting the next person to comply–in the 21st century–was unlikely.

 

Debra Lee firmly states that she and her boss had a strict, professional relationship for ten years. He hadn’t made a move and she filed it under, “Things Debra Would Never.” After he offered her the Chief Operating Officer position, he made no subtle attempts on his naive conquest. It’s unfortunate because the romance consequently left her questioning her achievements at the company, she devoted most of her professional life to.

Bob Johnson, who she counted as a mentor and friend, flexed his male toxicity all over her personal and professional life after they became sexually intimate. She details how Johnson would enforce his authority to remind her who’s CEO and who’s not, whenever she would get out of line. They would get into arguments during business trips, sometimes physical she admits, then he would leave her stranded, denying her access to his private jet to return home.

It was the fortune Johnson made, while denying Lee a meritable salary based on her achievements and seniority, that he used to scold her when she provoked his insecurities.

Again, this memoir is a cautionary tale that I encourage everyone to pick up and read.