The Weekly Spill #22
brunette with bangs spills beans, heals broken nation
Happy Friday! How are we holding up? Personally, I am exhausted. I’m pushing through that to deliver you a Friday newsletter though. Don’t you feel so lucky? I know we all spent most of the week thinking about the Met Gala, but I already told you my thoughts on that. Now I am here to spill the beans on everything else I couldn’t stop thinking about this week.
All The President’s Men: As someone who loves a journalism movie, I have always known that I needed to watch All The President’s Men. Commonly listed as the greatest in the genre, it was a huge cultural blind spot for me. The film is, at least in my mind, also part of the Nora Ephron cinematic universe. So, all things considered, it’s baffling that it took me this long. I finally watched it, and breaking news (haha see what I did there?): this Academy Award winning movie from 1976 is really good.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. My eyes were glued to the screen watching people make phone calls as if this was a thriller. I kept thinking: should I get a physical newspaper subscription? This movie makes me want to take notes on a legal pad. It makes typing on a typewriter look sexy, and I think that’s a real testament to the power of the press. Final thought: I think journalism is potentially the best movie character profession.
Suffs The Musical: There are so many new Broadway shows this season, it has been overwhelming trying to keep up with them. I haven’t seen everything (I don’t want to see everything tbh), but I was really excited for Suffs. The musical tells the story of the fight for women’s suffrage, mainly in the years leading up to the passing and ratification of the 19th amendment. It is an incredible show, and it is my top pick for Best New Musical.
I laughed, I cried a few times. I’m very excited for the cast recording to come out because I loved the score, and I need to hear those songs again. The cast, made up entirely of women, is stacked with talent. I was blown away by these performances. Suffs is simply just really solid original musical theatre, and I want to go back and see it again.
Don’t just take my word for it though: the random old man sitting behind me came in making jokes, and by intermission was a feminist ready to take to the streets. He had just “never even thought about this stuff before.” We love an ally!
The Chromatica Ball Movie announcement: She really had everyone convinced that this wasn’t happening, and then out of nowhere she drops the announcement this week. To remind everyone, the Chromatica era started in 2020. The tour was in 2022. So mother is on her own schedule, obviously. She’s been busy being both Harley Quinn and a classy, jazzy, cabaret performer in Vegas. I will continue to stand by my claim that she should be in Cabaret on Broadway. Though maybe she dodged a bullet given the reviews of this production… Anyway, the tour movie! Finally! I can’t wait to watch this and relive the experience that was the Chromatica Ball.
Edith Head exhibition in Oklahoma: Tired of hearing about costume exhibitions yet? Amidst this week’s coverage of the Met Gala came the announcement of the largest ever retrospective to date of Edith Head’s work. It will feature 70 costumes, original sketches, and two screening rooms showcasing her work. The upcoming exhibition will open at the end of June in, you guessed it, fabulous Oklahoma City! That was harsh, but only because I’m jealous. Good for those Okhlahomans. I mean, you guys already got an entire Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, but still. Good for you. What do we need to do to get this queen an exhibition in New York? Side note: I almost hate to even put this out there, but I am shocked we haven’t gotten a biopic yet.
This New York Magazine headline: No, I haven’t been to see Oh, Mary yet. I haven’t been able to snag a ticket, and I feel very left out. Let’s not talk about that. This headline is amazing, congrats to whoever came up with this. It worked particularly well placed amongst the trash fire collection of actual political headlines on my newsfeed.
Travis Kelce’s Kentucky Derby outfit: Something about this man is just goofy to me, and that is why this outfit makes me laugh every time I think about it. He looks like the high school quarterback who is super excited to be in the drama department’s Spring production of Guys and Dolls. Sit down, he’s rocking the boat!
Anne Hathaway’s bangs in her new movie: I promise this is not an Anne Hathaway newsletter. It’s just that every week she keeps slaying, and I feel that I must report on it. That’s journalism, bby! I watched her new fanfiction-turned-romcom movie, The Idea of You, and I have been asked to share my thoughts. First, I think the title could have used a little workshopping. It’s strangely hard to remember. Second, this is a huge reminder that all movies, including romcoms (maybe especially romcoms), benefit greatly by having phenomenal actors in them. I think Anne Hathaway is the only reason that this movie works at all. She sells the shit out of it. She’s very good at her job. That is why she has an Oscar. Most importantly, her hair is amazing. An automatic addition to the brunette’s with chic bangs cinematic universe. Before you ask, yes, that is a real thing. I made a Letterboxd list for it. This movie isn’t for Harry Styles fangirls, it’s for people who need bang inspo to take to their hairdresser.
Now that we’ve gotten the important bang acknowledgment out of the way, let me tell you more about what I thought of the movie.
My idea for The Idea of You: From what I saw, people are pretty polarized on the movie. A hate it or love it sort of vibe. I thought it was… fine. Later, I had the thought that this whole story would have worked better had Anne Hathaway’s character been a man and the whole thing was gay. So this is my pitch to fix the movie: he owns this really successful art gallery and has a great group of friends and the teen daughter. The boyband guy became this teen heartthrob when he was really young, and hasn’t gotten the chance to explore his sexuality or figure himself out. Or maybe he has, but it’s not been public, idk. They can still meet at Coachella like in the current version. So they meet, they flirt, he comes to the art gallery and buys some homoerotic art. The conflict is that boy band guy’s job is to be a teen heartthrob, so he wants to keep it a secret. The older guy isn’t playing that game because he’s not going to go back in the closet for this kid. I don’t know, but it feels like a more compelling story to me. Did I fix the movie? Maybe.
Jack Schlossberg carrying the legacy of his family in a Grey Gardens type of way: Little bit obsessed. Love that so many people are confused by his trolling. A dream man. Immaculate vibes. Carry on, Mr. Diva.
Barbra’s Ozempic comment: I love her. No notes. Some people will only dream of being asked such a shady question by Barbra.
That’s the beans for this week. See all you divas next Friday!