Media Diary: July '26
Obscene amounts of UK-based small town crime shows and barely any films????
Imagine me opening my Letterboxd to confirm that I did, in fact, not watch that many films this month. And I sure didn’t. I am not proud of this. What happened was….I got a trial of Brit Box.
Watched
New
Pretty Lethal (2026, dir. Vicky Jewson)
Oh…….okay. Sure? 2 stars.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024, dir. Mohammad Rasoulof)
This was a really interesting experience. Aesthetically and narratively this felt like a few films in one? It started strong but I don’t know that I loved the ending? Or maybe I didn’t love how it came about? I wanted more? I do not quite know. Incredible performances, though! 3 stars.
Hadestown: The Musical (2026, dir. Brett Sullivan)
AHHHHHHHHHH SOBBED FROM START TO FINISH. I still can’t quite articulate how phenomenal this was. Will have much more to say. 5 stars.
New to Me
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013, dir. Jeff Barnaby)
Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs is phenomenal always. 3 stars.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975, dir. Peter Weir)
This had been on my list for ages and I felt the call. You can definitely see the impact this has had on modern movies like The Virgin Suicides and Midsommar. 3.5 stars.
The Insider (1999, dir. Michael Mann)
LISTEN…..I just don’t like Michael Mann movies? Granted, I haven’t rewatched Ali in years but I am nervous for when I do because every other Michael Mann movie is so incredibly boring to me.1 It always falls apart in the third act. Couldn’t even finish this. 1.5 stars.
Clockwatchers (1997, dir. Jill Sprecher)
Part of a Toni Collette triple-feature day. Left me weirdly emotional?? And I see where Office Space got a lot of inspiration………3 stars.
Rewatch
American Gangster (2007, dir. Ridley Scott)
We fell a bit behind on 52 Weeks of Denzel in our household so we’re trying to get back on track to finish all 52 films by January. 3 stars.
Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit (1993, dir. Bill Duke)
One of the greatest sequels in the history of film. THE greatest sequel title there has ever been. I love these movies. I thought all performances of “Joyful, Joyful” were supposed to be like that. 4.5 stars.
Primal Fear (1996, dir. Gregory Hoblit)
I was craving an afternoon courtroom drama and my spouse had never seen this! It definitely blew my mind when I was a kid and while it doesn’t still do that, it’s a solid Sunday afternoon movie. 3.5 stars.
Muriel’s Wedding (1994, dir. PJ Hogan)
I WILL LOVE THIS FILM FOREVER. 4.5 stars.
In Her Shoes (2005, dir. Curtis Hanson)
This movie will always have a special place in my heart and I don’t care if you think it’s corny!!!! 4 stars.
Knives Out (2019, dir. Rian Johnson)
I had not watched this since it came out and thought I’d see if it actually was good? Despite having to sit through some of that cast…..still fun! 3.5 stars.
12 Angry Men (1957, dir. Sidney Lumet)
Don’t you hate when a Classic Film is actually SO good? You know what I mean? Anyways, had not watched this in decades and I am sad to say that it still holds up!! Which is deeply depressing but it is an incredible film. AND I got to watch my spouse watch it for the first time. 5 stars.
Leap Year (2010, dir. Anand Tucker)
Where is Amy Adams’s Oscar, truly? Because she can do it all! 3 stars.
The Heat (2013, dir. Paul Feig)
Listen, is this movie kind of a mess and does it have some clowns in it? Yeah. But my bestfriend and I love this film and I own it so none of the clowns get $ from my watching!! Need Bullock & McCarthy back together in something, the chemistry is too good. 3.5 stars.
Spy (2015, dir. Paul Feig)
God forbid I have a McCarthy double feature!!! Why is Jason Statham so fucking funny in this movie? 3 stars.
Television
Simply couldn’t care about the last two episode of this most recent From season. Oops!
All of Shetland….and I stand by that.
Cape Fear is over and it was certainly time. That could’ve been 8 episodes instead of 10.
Gavin & Stacey — honestly….funnier than I expected because I find that man deeply irritating.
Ongoing:
RHOA — season is almost over. Shamea…mess. K. Michelle…mess. Kelli…annoying.
Living Single re-watch. Erika Alexander should have 932840932 Emmys for this program.
Gone (more Brit Box).
Project Runway — so what the fuck is going on with this program? I don’t know about y’all, but this season is already even more overproduced than the last. And why is Tyra there?? Sorry, but her comments are not useful! And every sneak peak reveals one influencer cameo after another. WHY. Having said all that, we keep watching because having a shared note with my long distance bff where we update our thoughts each week is very fun.
Listened
Not enough music because I’ve been watching UK television (and not leaving the house) but still have MUNA’s new album on a loop, plus the Hadestown OBCR and live West End recording.
Read
I am trying to finish some non-fiction that I started during my PhD and then had to abandon—Didn’t We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston by Gerrick D. Kennedy. (Fun anecdote: two of favourite pals saw this book somewhere and bought it for me not realizing I already had it. This has happened with these friends three times — to be loved is to be known).
Also in rotation is novella & short story collection All That’s Left To You by Ghassan Kanafani, translated by Jeremy Reed and May Jayyusi. Palestinian-owned, Massachusetts-based book publisher Interlink is a GREAT place to get books & other goodies.
Substack delights:
Yes, this includes Heat.