Practice vs Process: Respect The Odds
I always believed it was possible: this strange yet wonderful creative life.
Many will enter and few will win.
(During Jordan’s era how many great NBA players played their heart and their guts out to repeatedly taste setbacks? Making it to the NBA is a good accomplishment: those are long odds. Yet that’s a goal; not the goal. There’s way more to do after you arrive. So much more. Making it is great but it’s not the end and only goal.)
I know the odds though I do not respect the odds. Which I suppose makes me odd.
Be odd and ignore the odds.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
Welcome to Haddonfield, Illinois: Halloween
So yeah SiriusXM has this horror channel Scream Radio whose programming includes popular mainstream hits (Thriller!), beloved sound effects and of course scary score music like the iconic Halloween theme song.
I drop by the channel every so often because tis the season. Today though I caught the beginning of Carpenter’s Halloween theme song. At first I was like oh hell no and I reached out to the dial but I paused before switching away.
Then I pulled my hand away.
Partly to face my fears: tis the season right?
But really I was driving and I’ve never heard that song while driving. Driving defines a lot of popular music: there’s something about that action of getting in your car even if you’re just driving to the dentist that makes a song truly pop. Especially in the Summer…windows down system up.
Sometimes when I hear a brand new song I think it’s fun but I wanna hear it while I’m driving. Driving is like melted cheese. I dunno why but it just makes it taste better. And road trips are of course synonymous with playlists.
So feeling as dumb as the big breasted chick in a tight white tank top going down to investigate that strange sound from the basement I left the Halloween theme song on.
Only I was driving through suburban neighborhoods. Through 2 school zones which meant slowing down. This chilled wind sailed through the trees plucking Fall tinted leaves so they swirled in the air in large sweeping circles like a drunk Superman. A young lady was out for a walk with her dog…it was all normal and yet so eerie…cruising. Driving slowly through the hood.
It felt way too menacing.
Fun Fact? “John Carpenter showed Halloween to an executive before it was finished. He showed the movie without the music. The executive didn’t find it to be scary at all. After the film was released, and she saw it, she changed her mind, an indication of how much Carpenter’s score adds to the film’s atmosphere.”
Nah man that was unsettling like eating slightly spoiled Subway. I now understand why a tagline for the 78 original was: “everyone is entitled to one good scare.” Indeed. Never doing that again even if it’s tis the season.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
A Child’s Play With His Father…
Watching live TV: My Dad came across Chucky TV show commercials…he’s never been a fan of magic or ventriloquism or horror. He sighed.
So I RSVPed this opportunity to make him feel better: “Oh: it’s not ventriloquism! Chucky is a doll imbued with the maniacal soul of a serial killer.”
A beat.
As we go through life we all have moments where we say things out loud we wish we could take back. Sometimes even as we’re saying em. I misread the situation…this was clearly NOT a teaching moment.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
Morning Tea: Captain Kirk Takes Up Social Media Space…
Mission Captain Kirk In Space!
Dave Chappelle!
The Black Phone! Brew a strong tea: yo!
The First Yo of The Day.
“We’re leaving together
But still it’s farewell
And maybe we’ll come back
To earth, who can tell?
I guess there is no one to blame
We’re leaving ground
Will things ever be the same again?
It’s The Final Countdown!”
Library People
The city is is opening so slooowly.
We need to pick this up. Let’s Go!
It doesn’t matter what people’s comfort levels are: let em stay home and grumble on Twitter.
Keep opening up especially for dynamic services such as the Toronto Public Library.
Let’s get this back on track. Starting this coming Sunday, October 17, many library branches will be open on Sundays from 1:30-5:00 pm.
Don’t Deny Others Pop Culture…Life?
Netflix trans employees plan to stage a walkout next week as per the Verge and Bloomberg (the company will also host activist Alok Vaid-Menon next week. I dunno what that is but I am not gonna Google it.) Why? Of course Dave Chappelle’s comedy (I’ll say it for those in the back: COMEDY) special The Closer.
(What happened to the 80s stance of shut up and change the channel?! Change the channel was a simple recognition that this TV show…comedy special was not made for me. Move along…nothing to see here.)
We did all this before: on March 6, 2020 Hachette workers walked out in protest of Woody Allen’s excellent memoir. (It still got published. Highly Recommended Reading.) That was wrong; this is no different.
Always stand by The Creators.
They’re the ones who endlessly bless us with pop culture and with life and happiness!
Captain Kirk Went To Space
William Shatner attempting to explain seeing Earth from space is called The Overview Effect.
“The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space.”
The more we all go to space the more we shift; the more we shift the more than that benefits environmental causes and dilutes the poison of Twitter. So grateful for the billionaire space race: fresh hope for humanity.
Shout out and much thanks to everyone who purchased something from Amazon to fund Jeff Bezos’ wealth and give us this freshtastic moment. Well Done; Well Won. Hope, yo! #SpaceIsThePlace
"I hope I never recover from this."
William Shatner reflects on his experience after landing back on Earth, calling the journey to space "the most profound experience I can imagine." https://t.co/XW55fkBwEQ pic.twitter.com/mHZistTrKi
— ABC News (@ABC) October 13, 2021
And yes I know it’s only 9 minutes but dude’s 90! We still don’t know the impact of seniors in space. Even if Space Cowboys came out 21 years ago. This is a good test; build on this data.
Plus you wanna hear a senior complain for hours: “I’m cold!”
“Are we there yet?”
“Where? I can’t see it where is the Earth?!”
That’s gotta be fun to go to space. Even briefly. William Shatner has led an incredible life. Even if you acknowledge T.J. Hooker.
Canada VS UBI
Canada needs to catch up on a lot of things.
UBI is just a good logical start.
What a waste of a recent election.
Huge news in Korea for the UBI movement. Canada's leaders need to catch up.https://t.co/jl3Vh0zTUS
— UBI Works ??? (@ubi_works) October 13, 2021
Is Clickbait All We’re Gonna Net from Kyrie Irving?!
We went through all of this with Kaepernick.
Many elaborate bloggers posing as journalists cranked out shallow referendums, lukewarm POVs, clickbait and utterly inferior writing. Kaepernick generated a pop culture hot mess that was loud on personality; short on facts an overwhelming obnoxious experience.
Now in 2021 Look how much utter junk Kyrie Irving has created: junk hashtags, junk posts, junk lies etc.
“Multiple sources with direct knowledge of Kyrie Irving’s decision have told The Athletic that Irving is not anti-vaccine and that his stance is that he is upset that people are losing their jobs due to vaccine mandates.”
So here we are. Kyrie Irving’s only responsibility is to his team: End of Story. Case Closed.
#SetTheVCR: The NHL??
The burgeoning Americana of the NHL makes it oddly compelling.
Why would anyone sit through a Calgary Flames game after this?!
Sports fans don’t pay for an #NHL game or an NBA game.
Now THIS is a pre-game intro ???#SeaKraken #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/pcdY53l2LR
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) October 13, 2021
#TrailerAlert: The Black Phone
Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill who gave us Sinister (and Doctor Strange!) have returned with The Black Phone.
This trailer looks good like food. It’s Joe Hill story adaptation…he’s a hack writer so hopefully Cargill improved the writing.
February 4, 2022 and I’m 100% IN.
(Ethan Hawke has had a strange career. A great one for sure but man the movies that dude decides to make are always worth a look. Brad Pitt has cranked out some strange movies (12 Monkeys etc.) but for the most part nobody is this good, this weird and this consistent as Ethan Hawke.) #FearPee
#SetTheVCR Meets New Book Alert: Welcome Netflix Book Club
I dunno who Uzo Aduba is so it’s hard to have any hope she’ll do a good job with Netflix Book Club.
Oprah’s totally obnoxious but at least she spoon feeds books to people. “Open Wide!”
If this gets more people reading and benefits good writers then this marketing propaganda is worth it.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
#SetTheVCR: April 26-May 02, 2021
It’s May if you can believe it. But thankfully here’s a whole pile of TV recommendations so you don’t hafta yell out “May Day!” when you can’t find anything.
Monday, April 26
Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days (8 p.m. / ABC)
ABC presents SESAME STREE: 50 YEARS OF SUNNY DAYS, a two-hour special on the legacy and impact of the beloved global phenomenon
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Sammy Suggestion: In Search of Darkness: Part II (Anytime / Shudder)
The follow-up to IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS, dives deeper into the practical-effects decade of ’80s horror movies with all-new interviews from genre icons and industry experts alongside the original cast.
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Big deep breath: Ready??! It’s All Happening: “Part II dives deeper into the fabled practical-effects decade of iconic and eclectic ‘80s horror movies that changed the course of film history. Packed with over four hours of brand-new interviews, including such legendary horror icons as Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill), Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead), and special-effects wizard Tom Savini (Friday the 13th), Part II features 15 new faces alongside 40-plus returning members of the original In Search of Darkness cast to delve into more fan-favorite titles of ‘80s horror, year-by-year, expanding its scope to cover more international releases and spotlighting horror-career retrospectives.” If you’re an 80s horror fan this is not to be missed: this documentary will have you leaving wanting gore!
Tuesday, April 27
Sammy Suggestion: Jiu Jitsu (Anytime / Netflix (Canada))
After the defeat of a celebrated war hero, an ancient order of fighters battles powerful space invaders as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
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Ruckus! Mayhem! Violence! And: Nicolas Cage with a sword. Jiu Jitsu also threw in a race of alien invaders as the flimsy 80s action movie plot: “Every six years, an ancient order of jiu-jitsu fighters joins forces to battle a vicious race of alien invaders. But when a celebrated war hero goes down in defeat, the fate of the planet and mankind hangs in the balance.” Whatever. This looks so dumb it’s gotta be fun: I’m 100% IN!
Wednesday, April 28
The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 4 (Anytime / Hulu)
Offred, one of the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.
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Sammy Suggestion: Headspace Guide To Sleep (Anytime / Netflix)
Learn how to sleep better with Headspace. Each episode unpacks misconceptions, offers friendly tips and concludes with a guided wind-down.
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Netflix and Chill! Headspace Guide To Sleep because babies don’t have insomnia. “Headspace Guide To Sleep offers a new facts and tips about sleep, backed by science.” Somewhere along the way people started doing this natural activity badly? Should be super helpful…well unless you live on Elm St.: One, Two, Freddy’s Coming For You.
Thursday, April 29
NFL Draft 2021 (8/7c PM / ESPN, NFL Network & ABC)
For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ABC will provide distinct prime-time presentations on days 1 and 2. ESPN will again offer the traditional draft telecast—a combination of X’s and O’s analysis, player highlights and storytelling—while ABC, featuring the eleven-time Sports Emmy Award-winning “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot” crew, will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft prospects.
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Let’s Be Real (8:30/7:30c PM / Fox)
Election-themed puppet special covering politics, pop culture and the 2020 election.
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Sammy Suggestion: Hot Docs 2021 (Anytime)
HOT DOCS Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market. Each year, the Festival presents a selection of approximately 200 cutting-edge documentaries from Canada and around the globe.
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Like SXSW before it and like Tribeca Film Festival after it; Hot Docs 2021 is all online: no in person screenings. This year Hot Docs runs from Thursday, April 29 and ends on Sunday, May 9. And unfortunately for Americans: “All films participating in Hot Docs Festival are geo-blocked to Canada.” So…what do we have from the giant selection? You got Edgar Wright’s doc on The Sparks Brothers (think Queen before Queen if you don’t know em), Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (which reflects on the children’s tv show origins and legacy), Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest (“Kim Cannon Arm attempts a world record by playing the 80s arcade game Gyruss for 100 hours straight”) and so much more. There’s international docs and docs from Toronto; you want it they got it. Prices, packages and the full selection are of course on their site. Doc it up this week.
Friday, April 30
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Anytime / Netflix)
A robot apocalypse put the brakes on their cross-country road trip. Now it’s up to the Mitchells — the world’s weirdest family — to save the human race.
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Sammy Suggestion: Without Remorse (Anytime / Prime Video)
An elite Navy SEAL (Michael B. Jordan) uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife in Without Remorse, the explosive origin story of action hero John Clark – one of the most popular characters in author Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe.
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Michael B. Jordan is yet again settling scores though this time his beef isn’t with Wakanda. Someone murdered his wife! I suspect it’s probably one of his rabid female fans; though the trailer suggests a large government conspiracy. Without Remorse was scheduled for a February 2021 theatrical release however Without Remorse it’s been dumped onto Prime Video. This is set in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe which is known as Ryanverse (a TV show I haven’t watched.) so yes it’s entirely possible for a Tom Clancy 48 Hrs version down the road. Rather than show the classic trailer I’ma go with Amazon’s Super Bowl ad which sorta kinda promoted Without Remorse.
Saturday, May 01
Sammy Suggestion: Tenet (8/7c PM HBO)
Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
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I saw Tenet on September 20, 2020. I didn’t expect that’d be my last movie for such a long time. Tenet requires more than 1 viewing so this is most helpful: it’ll be on Crave on May 7. With Inception Nolan clearly established the physics of that world (well dream world) so viewers knew what was possible (if they didn’t always know what was real.) With Tenet I don’t feel Nolan fully firmly established the physics or rather it was too complex so viewers end up doing calculus instead of enjoying a movie. In Star Trek I dunno what dilithium crystals are but I know when the ship is in trouble: you know? And at the end of the day it’s Nolan: you’re in or you’re out.
Sunday, May 02
The Nevers (9/8c PM / HBO & Crave)
Joss Whedon’s Nevers is described as “a science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.” August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people — mostly women — abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger.
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Sammy Suggestion: Things Heard & Seen (Anytime / Netflix)
A young woman discovers that both her husband and their new home harbor sinister secrets after they leave Manhattan for small-town life.
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Amanda Seyfried is the latest blonde chick to move into an Amityville Haunted House. That always goes well. To quote Elaine from Seinfeld and the basement: “Get Out!” F. Murray Abraham handles the exposition which is kinda what you want from a horror movie (him or Tony Todd!). And the big sister from Stanger Things shows up without pants so I can’t believe she got paid to work without pants. And those are the Things I’ve Heard And Seen in the trailer.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
188 | Courtney Paige (The Sinners)
My Summer Lair Chapter #188: If You Could Join A Clique Based On The 7 Deadly Sins: Which Sin Would You Be?
For this episode I bring you a Thriller!
First time writer and director though long term actress Courtney Paige introduces us to The Sinners.
Seven schoolgirls, part of a snooty clique (is there any other kind?) each named after one of The Deadly “Se7en” Sins. It’s harder than a Jawbreaker to get into that Mean Girls group.
And this isn’t just Girls Gone Wild this is Girls Gone Riled: The Craft of their cruel antics result in a young girl who goes milk carton missing which in a small religious town your basic Riverdale has ripples effects. Cruel Intentions (is there any other kind?) often do.
One by one each of the sins is permanently “absolved” by a mysterious masked killer (is there any other kind?). Want to Scream out who the killer is?
If you read between the line you’ll realize I said too much.
Here’s my conversation with director Courtney Paige about The Sinners current on many Video on Demand platforms…we also discuss the joy of doing social media for her dog. Ha! Oh and Sour Patch Kids (mmm). This is a delicious episode.
The Sinners @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Friday February 21, 2021 at 4pm EST
187 | Lesley Chilcott (Helter Skelter: An American Myth)
My Summer Lair Chapter #187: How Much Do You Know About Charles Manson vs How Much Do You Think You Know?
We’re going dark for this My Summer Lair episode so get ready: it’s gonna be like exploring a black hole as if it was a cave.
Helter Skelter: An American Myth is like The Last Dance but like for Charles Manson. And I know it’s a terrible comparison but it’s accurate: it is a sociological and anthropological dig. It is archeology to understand sociology.
Think about it: it’s been 4 years since we visited Charles Manson in prison in Fincher’s Mindhunter. And it’s been 2 years since we witnessed the twisted Tinsel Town Terror of the Manson Family in Tarantino’s fairy tale Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. And it’s been less than a year when Epix (in America) broadcast Helter Skelter: An American Myth on July 26, 2020.
That date was selected as it recognized it’s been 50 years since the grisly murder of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, and several others.
The 6 episode docuseries chronicles the Manson Family history, with the classic never-before-accessed interviews from former family members and journalists coupled with archival footage and newly-unearthed images. It’s stunning.
You know Lesley Chilcott as the producer on such documentaries as An Inconvenient Truth and it’s sequel as well as Waiting for Superman and It Might Get Loud: all fantastic work. This time for Helter Skelter she’s the executive producer and director behind this dramatic docuseries.
In Canada Helter Skelter premiered on February 11, 2021 on Hollywood Suite. Check the On Demand channel. Highly Recommended Viewing.
All this prompts the obvious question: this is past tense right? Something this dark couldn’t happen today right? That’s a good place to start my conversation with Lesley Chilcott.
Lesley Chicott @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Monday February 8, 2021 at 5pm EST
185 | Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman)
My Summer Lair Chapter #185: What Is Happening?!
Welcome to My Summer Lair and welcome to Spangler Springs. If the name Spangler ignites a spark it’s Harold Ramis’ character from Ghostbusters. In the horror-comedy style tone of that movie I present to you Psycho Goreman written and directed by Steven Kostanski.
In short: Psycho Goreman is an all splatter/comedy about two kids befriending a murderous, megalomaniacal ancient alien overlord that they dig up in their backyard in Spangler Springs. Yup: I know. Hence my question at the top: what is happening?!
In long: Psycho Goreman is a love letter to that classic video rental where you take it home not sure what you’ve got and when you push play you’re dropped into this fantastic world where nothing makes sense yet everything is so cool. This ain’t your mother’s Narnia. What is happening?!
As you’ll hear Steven say in a few minutes talking about Psycho Goreman and video rental stores: “It’s very much summing up all my favorite like sci-fi, horror, fantasy, kids, adventure movie tropes from all the different films that I’ve absorbed over the years.”
Truly this movie was so much fun; I’m particularly fond of the zombie cop…look out for him so this was a delight to talk to Steven about this hidden “gem.” That’ll make sense when you see the movie.
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