Finally Found My Way Home This Saturday

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Hello from home! We had such a blast in Montreal and Boston, but leaving always makes me appreciate even more how much I love it here in Southern California. Still, we crammed in a lot during just a handful of days in the 617.

Thursday was Art House Theater Day, as I mentioned in last week’s newsletter. Hopefully you found a way to get out and support your local independent movie house. I had the pleasure of visiting the West Newton Cinema in West Newton, Mass., not far from where we were staying with friends.

Manager Jesse Cerrotti was nice enough to invite me over to see all the big changes going on at the nearly 90-year-old establishment. The West Newton Cinema is a beloved fixture in the community, but it had fallen into disrepair. A group bought the six-screen theater in 2023, turned it into a non-profit, and has been revitalizing it ever since. They show everything from blockbusters to indies to documentaries; the day I was there, half the screens had Pedro Pascal on them, between “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Eddington” and “Materialists.” But they’ve also done special events, like a screening of the local baseball favorite “Eephus” with legendary Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee. Plus, they have terrific popcorn. You can find out more about their fundraising efforts here.

We also went kayaking in the Charles River on a 90-degree day — something none of us had ever done before — and it was a fantastically cool, different way to experience the city. We toured Berklee College of Music, an inspiring place that Nic fell in love with and now dreams of attending. (I look forward to the lemonade stand he’ll have to set up to help pay for it.) We wandered around Fenway Park, where concessions workers were preparing to go on strike just as the Sox were about to host the Dodgers for a three-game series. And we’d be remiss if we visited New England and didn’t find time for some lobster rolls.

But because I am me, I also worked. It doesn’t really feel like work, though, when I bring Nic with me to see a movie in another city. It feels more like a fun adventure. So we returned to the AMC Boston Common 19 — the same place where we saw “Oppenheimer” a couple of summers ago — for a press screening of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

It’s the best “Fantastic Four” movie yet, but that’s a low bar compared to the 2005 and 2015 versions. Alonso and I agree on that much, as well as on the sleek and stylish mid-century modern production design and costumes. This entire movie is like the chicest boutique hotel that I’d like to check into and live in forever. But we disagree as to how well the movie works as a whole: He thought it was lacking in character development, while I thought the interplay between these inadvertent superheroes was a lot of fun. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn co-star. Do you plan on seeing the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It’s already had a spectacular opening night on Thursday with over $24 million domestically.

We’ll get back to more of your regular programming on our Breakfast All Day YouTube channel and podcast when we’re both home again next week. That includes a review of “Happy Gilmore 2” on Netflix AND a look back at the original “Happy Gilmore” from 1996, which somehow we’d both managed to avoid until now. So keep an eye out for all of that.

Over at our Patreon, we (finally) recapped the season 2 finale of “Poker Face.” We’re a little late on it because we’ve both been running around, but we’d never let you down. As enjoyable as this season has been with guest stars including Cynthia Erivo, Giancarlo Esposito, John Mulaney and Melanie Lynskey, the final episode ends on a cliffhanger and a bit of a melancholy note. Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie is back on the run again, but this time she’s got a little scamp in tow: Lyonne’s real-life dog, a 15-year-old Maltipoo named Rootbeer. Peacock hasn’t announced a season 3 yet, but given the way season 2 ends — and the popularity of Rian Johnson’s show in general — it looks like we’re in store for more, and we’ll be there to recap.

I love seeing Athletic Brewing Co. offerings out in the wild, and I always make sure to order some when I do. As an ambassador for the non-alcoholic brewing company, it makes me proud, and it makes vacation feel even more festive. This delicious Run Wild IPA you see above appeared on the menu at Cask ‘n Flagon, a longtime sports bar across the street from Fenway Park. The Cask used to be a reliably divey place to drink cheap beer before a Sox game with a rowdy crowd. Now it’s a more respectable restaurant — they’ve got lobster mac and cheese! — and an improved drink selection, as you can see. If you’re interested in trying Athletic, or you already know you love it and would like to order some at a discount, take 20% off with my link and code CHRISTYL20. Hope you enjoy!

That’ll do it for me for this week. Quick reminder that if you’re a member of our Patreon at the Lunch Date level, our next online meet-up is this Monday, July 28 at Noon Pacific time. We talk about movies we’ve seen lately, our travels, work, whatever’s going on in our lives. It’s a good group, and I always look forward to our catch-ups. If you’d like to join us, you can find out more in the Membership tab.

Thank you so much for sharing part of your summer with me, whether you’ve been home or traveling as well. And if you’ve enjoyed my newsletter, I’d be honored if you’d pass it along to the movie fans in your life. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.