Hi All,
I’m exhausted!
Week one at the new job was fantastic but slightly overwhelming. I’m now orientated, trained, and… vaccinated! I’m going to be doing quite a bit of patient-facing work so it was critical to get that done ASAP.
Walking into MaRS — everyone was in a good mood. The whole place felt like a light at the end of a long tunnel and although everyone was wearing masks, you could just tell everyone was smiling. The wonderful folks at UHN were so helpful and the process was so simple that it was almost infuriating to know how hard it has been for everyone else to get their jabs. It could be so much better.
I’ve also been walking to work (two hour round trip) and my step count is ridiculous so I’ve been coming home each day and just crashing (we’re talking in bed by 9). I’m not used to it yet! I need to get my “work from the office” schedule and endurance back.
All that to say — this is going to be a really short newsletter.
Let’s get into it.
This week on the blog:
Nothing 🤷♀️. I’m zonked... and out of ideas. I haven’t watched anything recently that I’ve loved or felt inspired to write about. I’ll take your ideas if you’ve got a topic you want me to explore. As always — feel free to send me an email 💌
Things to watch this week:
So there are only two things that I want to point out as things to watch this week on the traditional streaming services and both are on Gem and both come out today.
First — CBC has pulled together an Asian Heritage collection and there are multiple things worth worthing in this collection but the one that’s getting the buzz is Bad Rap. It’s made by filmmaker Salima Koroma and stars the wonderful Awkwafina. This doc focuses on four Asian American rappers who “run into tough obstacles as they try to make it big in hip-hop, a genre rooted in black culture.” It looks phenomenal. It originally came out in 2016, but this is worth revisiting.
This is very on-brand for me, but my other doc pick from Gem is The Day Will and Kate Got Married. There has been a lot of fun “10 years since the wedding” coverage this week. Even their own video they put out yesterday was so lovely.
But that being said I have two unique plugs for things to watch this week.
1) I’d highly recommend checking out the virtual Hot Docs Festival that’s on now until May 9th. There is a doc for everyone and tickets are reasonably priced. You can see the full list and get ticket info here.
2) On Tuesday night (May 4th), Women in Film and Television Toronto is hosting the annual WIFT Showcase. I was on the jury this year and there are some excellent shorts on this year’s slate. You can learn more and get tickets here.
I’ve been feeling like there hasn’t been a ton of *new* stuff to watch and I wonder if we’re hitting the slump from a year ago when most productions shut down. The release schedule feels a bit out of whack — and I was surprised with how little there was to pick from this week. Is anyone else feeling this way or is it just me?
Other things to check out:
I loved The O.C. so much. I’ve re-watched the first season so many times. The soundtrack, the wardrobe, the cast — everything about this show feels definitive. I watch this show and it’s a time capsule for the mid 00s. I’m instantly there again. I remember “Hot Air” (my high school’s morning announcements) giving O.C. updates on Wednesdays after the show aired on Tuesday nights. To this day I think things are cool because this show told me they were (for example, Rooney). This week Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts) and Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper) launched a podcast, Welcome to The OC Bitches!. They’re going episode by episode rewatching the show, interviewing different cast members, crew, and fans and I’m very into it. Embrace your inner 00s teen and check out the pilot episode here.
In music, Billie Eilish is launching a new album and her first new song/music video from this cycle was just released. It’s called “Your Power” and I’m very into it.
I’m seeing a lot of buzz around Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin. She’s got a new music video for “Anyone Who Loves Me”and was on q with Tom Power this week talking about her music. I’m really enjoying her sound.
Pixar has a cute new movie coming out called Luca. The trailer looks like a lot of fun. I think it will be a relaxing watch when it comes out in June.
Also in trailers, we’ve got one a BBC show called The Pursuit of Love. Watch that here. Plus a trailer for the remake of West Side Story and a trailer for Netflix’s Sweet Tooth. There is a lot to look forward to!
Have a great weekend,
-Paula
📝📝📝 This newsletter was graciously edited by Emma Sakamoto 📝📝📝