Back to Running This Saturday

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So good to see you on this Saturday! School’s out for summer, which means my kid is sitting around on the couch these days playing his nerdy video games. Can’t believe his freshman year is already over. But my work continues, of course, so here we are.

Here’s what we reviewed this week on our Breakfast All Day YouTube channel and podcast. Give us a listen there and leave a few stars if you’re feeling generous! It helps other folks find us in the ether.

• BALLERINA. Ana de Armas stars in this spin-off movie from the “John Wick” universe as an assassin looking to avenge her father’s murder. It works best when it gets silly and playful in the fight sequences, but don’t you worry, the Baba Yaga himself shows up to bring the gravitas. In theaters.

• THE LIFE OF CHUCK. Alonso and I are very much in the minority on this feel-good drama, based on a Stephen King novella. Lots of critics are rhapsodizing about how magical it is, but we found it cloying and heavy-handed. Still, the Tom Hiddleston dance sequence is fun. In limited release this weekend before opening nationwide on June 13.

• MOUNTAINHEAD. If you miss “Succession,” you’ll enjoy this deliciously mean satire from that show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong. Four douchey tech bro billionaires get together at a gargantuan mansion for a weekend of debauchery while the world outside collapses into chaos. It’s a lot of fun, and it uses this opulent space very effectively. Streaming on HBO Max. (And if you’re curious about the Park City house where they shot it, here’s a great piece in Town & Country.)

• DOGMA. Kevin Smith’s most ambitious and star-studded film is back in theaters in a 4K restoration, so we rewatched it to see how we feel about it a quarter-century later. This movie was considered blasphemous and hugely controversial in 1999, even though it’s ultimately faith-affirming. Find out here whether “Dogma” is playing near you. And while you’re clicking on things, check out the always insightful Tim Grierson’s piece on the film.

• MOVIE NEWS LIVE! We’re trying to do these Friday livestreams as often as we can these days. and this time, we had a lot to talk about: Pedro Almodovar’s Christmas movie, Will Ferrell doing a Broadway musical of “Eurovision,” those $80 Galactus popcorn buckets and more. We always love seeing our people!

Over at Ebert this week, I reviewed the documentary “We Are Guardians,” about the battle to protect the Amazon rainforest from invaders who ravage it for profit. The film grabs you off the top with its immersive sound design before exploring this subject from a variety of perspectives: the Indigenous people fighting to save their land, the illegal loggers struggling to feed their own families, a Brazilian gentleman who bought up swaths of territory to keep them safe. If you care about the future of the planet, you’ll find this fascinating, and frustrating. Find out here if “We Are Guardians” is playing near you.

Also this week, we learned that Marc Maron is ending his groundbreaking WTF podcast this fall after 16 years. He announced this on an episode where John Mulaney was his guest, which would be an essential listen regardless of this big news. The two had an amusing and candid discussion about sobriety, among many other topics. Maron is such a great interviewer, partly because of his quick wit as a longtime comedian, but also because of his openness. He’s so in the moment with his guests and he really listens, which often takes the conversations in honest and unexpected directions. He’ll still be around all summer, and I’m so curious to see who shows up for these final episodes. Before everyone had a podcast, Marc Maron had a podcast, and he’s done it brilliantly.

June is Pride Month, which means Alonso is everywhere, talking about queer cinema and signing copies of his latest book, “Hollywood Pride.” Among the many cool things he’s doing is a day of programming on Turner Classic Movies (details above). But you can also find him in person at all these places. We’ll keep you updated on his events at our YouTube channel community page:

June 7: Victor/Victoria at Vidiots: https://vidiotsfoundation.org/purchase/2632330/

June 9: I Am Divine screening and Q&A at Look Cinema: https://www.lookcinemas.com/movie/1001/59817

June 14/21/28: Taking Pride at American Cinematheque: https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/taking-pride/

June 19: Queer Authors Panel at Pride Live!: https://hollywoodpartnership.com/do/pride-live-queer-authors-panel

That’s gonna do it for me for this week. As I mentioned at the top, I started running again for the first time since my surgery a month ago. And by “running,” I mean that I have running shoes on and I’m shuffling slightly faster than a walk. It is really hard to get back into shape when you’re a middle-aged lady who has chosen an inherently sedentary profession. But as I often say in a variety of contexts, putting on your shoes and getting out the door is half the battle, so I’m going to follow my own advice on this June Gloom morning and do just that.

Thank you so much for being here and sharing some of your time with me this weekend. If you’ve enjoyed my newsletter, I’d be honored if you’d pass it along to a family member or friend. Or if someone shared it with you, why not subscribe? Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.