Watch + Play List | April 2024

Films, shows, tunes.

Apr 29, 2024

Hi hello! I just looked at last month’s Watch + Playlist, and I can’t believe I was excited for Aries season because, WOW, that was one of the most chaotic Aries seasons of recent memory. I spent a good portion of the month enduring intense brain fog (due to allergies, post-birthday depression, or maybe general existential dread, who knows?!), which caused a bit of writer’s block and is partially why you haven’t heard from me much this month. Anywho, I got some stuff queued up for May to make up for my absence. Below are some gems I watched in between a lot of sleeping and staring blankly at the wall:

FILMS

Talk To Me (2007)

This biographical film, directed by Kasi Lemmons, is about Washington, D.C., radio personality Petey Greene. Petey (played by Don Cheadle) is an ex-con who strong-arms tap-dancing radio executive Dewey Hughes ( Chiwetel Ejiofor) into giving him a job as an on-air personality, to the dismay of his boss (Martin Sheen). When the radio sees that Petey’s raw conversational approach gains more listeners, his career takes off, and Dewey eventually becomes his manager, steering him in a direction he never intended to go. Dewey projects his desire to acquire success by white standards onto Petey, who was happiest hosting a prison radio show. If you were a fan of Black Monday, Don Cheadle’s portrayal of Petey Greene feels a bit like Mo in a different font.

Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

Written, starring, produced, and directed by Robert Townsend, Hollywood Shuffle is a satirical semi-autobiographical film about Towsend’s experiences as a Black actor and being told by casting directors that he’s not “Black enough.” This film walked so American fiction could fly and has some similarities to Spike Lee’s film Bamboozled. The fact that this film was made at a time when there were even fewer Black directors than there are now and boldly called out Hollywood for its racism makes it way ahead of its time.

Jackie’s Back! (1999)

Tubi is the gift that keeps on giving because I’ve wanted to watch this film for years, and it’s finally available for streaming. Another Robert Townsend film (honestly, I feel like we don’t give him his flowers enough), Jackie’s Back! is a mockumentary starring the incomparable Jenifer Lewis as Jackie Washington, a former child star-turned-pop diva who is trying to make a comeback. It is a hilarious depiction of the narcissism of stardom. Jackie is painted as akin to a Michael Jackson-Stevie Wonder-Diana Ross type of legend, but money troubles and burnt bridges have her crawling back toward the limelight. As you can see from the cover art, the cast is stacked with celebrity cameos as they are interviewed about Jackie. It’s campy, it’s silly, it’s Jenifer Lewis! They truly don’t make comedies like this anymore.

Boys on The Side (1995)

Whoopi Goldberg hit a stride in the '90s; she played a wide array of character types that are rare to see Black women step into, even today. In this film, she plays Jane, a struggling musician who is ready to ditch New York for Los Angeles. She responds to a newspaper ad by Robin (Mary-Louise Parker), who is looking for someone to drive across the country with her (how 90s!). Jane meets Robin and decides in a matter of moments that Robin isn’t her kind of girl because she enjoys The Carpenters and Carole King1 but eventually takes the ride. On the way west, they stop over to visit Jane’s friend Holly (Drew Barrymore), who is in the middle of a fight with an abusive boyfriend that goes awry. This movie makes a point to differentiate itself from Thelma & Louise (released four years earlier) when Whoopi delivers the line, “I’m not driving off the cliff for you two.” Holly’s dire circumstances and Robin's heavy secret eventually bond the three into a sisterhood. This movie depicts what communal care can look like when romantic relationships are not the focal point of women’s lives (hence, the title). Still, temper your expectations because it was written and directed by men, so there are a ton of unnecessary insinuations that Jane, who is a lesbian, is secretly in love with one or both of her friends.

Woman Under The Influence (1974)

Many a cinephile have suggested that John Cassavetes's work is required watching, so I finally made my first plunge into his film catalog. Starring his wife, Gena Rowlands (who, as a millennial, I’ve only experienced as Older Allie Calhoun in The Notebook), it is a drama about a housewife (Mabel) whose unusual behavior causes her husband (Nick) to institutionalize her. When Nick is tasked with *gasps* taking care of his children on his own, it becomes evident that he is much more of an endangerment to his children than his wife ever was. When Mabel finally makes it out of the mental institution, it becomes clear that it’s her husband’s expectations of her are the catalyst for her unstable behavior. The film is called Woman Under The Influence, which could suggest an issue with addiction or mental health, but it’s clear the most damaging influence is, you guessed it, a man!

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché (2022)

Staying on the theme of women struggling with their mental health in the 1970s, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a documentary that follows the life of UK punk icon Poly Styrene, told by her daughter Celeste. Styrene was a half-Somali frontwoman of the band X-Ray Spex and used her music and image to subvert societal expectations, but not without a price. Through Poly’s journey, she struggles with bipolar disorder and attempts to find herself spiritually through the Hare Krishna movement. Her complexities cause issues in her relationship with her daughter. Poly was dynamic, complex, and a prophet. I’m not a fan of punk music, but watching this documentary gave me a deeper appreciation for the genre.

Unmothered (2020)

Unmothered follows Priyanka, a rebellious Indian-American college student who visits her family in India to spread her mother’s ashes. During her visit, she learns something about her mother that causes her to reframe her relationship with grief. This short film feels specific and authentic to the culture it depicts, with a universal theme that can resonate with anyone experiencing unexpected grief.

TV SHOWS

Dead Hot

I have not yet built up the mental fortitude to endure the stress of Baby Reindeer, but a comedic thriller was exactly what I needed. When Jess’ twin brother Peter goes missing, she trauma bonds with his boyfriend Elliot, and they become codependent BFFs and flatmates. Five years after Peter’s disappearance, a series of events unfold, leading Jess and Elliot to believe he may still be alive. It’s full of twists, turns, and cheeky British humor. If you’re looking for a quick binge-watch, this one is for you.

Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard

I only watch the all-Black version of Summer House because, duh. This show takes me back to an era of reality TV that felt less contrived. The Real World, and College Hill kind of reality TV where the cast felt like people, not personas and there wasn’t a need to commit white-collar crimes to keep up appearances. There is drama on this show, but most of it is so benign that it’s comical like Shanice having an emotional breakdown because Summer said she was the worst-dressed person in the house. It was a mean girl move on Summer’s part, but it doesn’t give me the kind of ick that falsely accusing someone of SA for screen time does.

PLAYLIST

This month’s playlist blends alternative R&B, amapiano, electronic, jazz fusion, soul, funk, and hip-hop music. It is sequenced beautifully if I do say so myself. It almost2 makes me miss my DJing days.