Recommendations
The TV Guy(de)
By Peter Collier
The “You don’t have to take my advice, but you should” Advice Column
Episode Two. If this were a TV series, that is. The episode that begs the question, “does the writer have what it takes to follow up what was undoubtedly the funniest thing I have read all quarantine?”
The answer, folks: “duh.”
This week I’d like to start off with some unusual viewing options. Relax, I’m not talking about that web series your humble narrator created during this quarantine to “stay busy,” (it’s called Playing With Myself and it’s on my social media...Like/Comment/Subscribe!) I mean platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Now if you’re like me, you’re tired of seeing all the depressing headlines dominating the news these days. I have actually stopped watching the news entirely. Well, that’s not true. There is one news channel I will watch, SOME GOOD NEWS (SGN) WITH JOHN KRASINSKI (yeah, “Jim” from THE OFFICE). John highlights the good things happening in the world these days. Last week, he got the original cast of HAMILTON (shout out to LAByrinth’s Jasmine Cephas Jones!) together to perform the opening number from the show for a young girl who was no longer able to go see her favorite show, due to the current situation, live over a video chat. He and his wife, Emily Blunt, even promised to fly the girl to New York to see the show once this whole mess is over. For more heart warming stories like this, be sure to tune in Sundays on YouTube. OR, I’m sure a friend or relative will post the link to Facebook.
For more humorous content, I would recommend checking out LESLIE JORDAN’S INSTAGRAM (@thelesliejordan). Yes, Leslie Jordan from WILL & GRACE and AMERICAN HORROR STORY has an Instagram, and it is GOLD. He posts videos of himself doing anything and everything. He recently celebrated getting a million followers with a video and last week he posted a video of him watching porn while eating breakfast. Like I said, gold. I cannot stress this hard enough, we quarantine for people like him.
Now, if you’re not a sucker like me who already pays for HBO (I borrow other streaming services, so it balances out, okay?), you can now access it for free during the quarantine. Sigh. Shows like OZ (shout out to most of LAByrinth’s members), THE WIRE (shout out to even more LAByrinth members), and SOPRANOS (you get it at this point), are all available to stream for free.
Last week I mentioned one of my favorite streaming services, SHUDDER, for the horror genre junkies. Well they have released a new docu-series called CURSED FILMS which highlights classic film sets thought to be cursed or haunted. This is a “must -see” for any film nerds, especially fans of horror. I happily fit both those categories.
Last week also saw the finale of SCHITT’S CREEK. I am currently halfway through the series (and if you spoil it for me, I will find you and I will end you), but I have to say this is one of the smartest written shows delivered by one of the tightest ensembles out there. Highly recommended.
Now, one final thing I have to address. Last week I was met with many angry messages (I mean, they were more disagreeable, but for sake of a good story let’s say “angry”) after I harmlessly suggested that the best thing to watch right now is TIGER KING. While you think you may be right, you’re wrong. And you wanna know why you’re wrong?BECAUSE THEY RELEASED ANOTHER EPISODE THIS PAST SUNDAY. That’s right, on Easter. What better way to celebrate someone rising from the dead than with a series that is already finished (read: dead)?
Jokes aside, I don’t care what you watch. Just as long as you do. There are so many wonderful shows and movies out there by artists who are all out of work right now. Watch them. Support them. Ya know, my father sent me this quote the other day, and it couldn’t be more perfect to end with: “As you binge watch your thirteenth entire series on Netflix in two days, remember that in the darkest days, when everything else stopped, you turned to artists.”
Stay safe everybody.
Happy Viewing!
Peter
(@petercollierjr on Instagram/Twitter)
Photo credit: Molly Collier
The TV Guy(de)
By Peter Collier
The “You don’t have to take my advice, but you should” Advice Column
Let’s face it. We’re all stuck inside for the next…well, unforeseeable future. But if you’re like me, this isn’t much different from normal everyday life. Spending hours on the couch watching series after series on Netflix or Hulu or Polo or HBO. There are so many streaming services out there, you probably didn’t even realize I just made up “Polo.” (Jots this down, saves for later)
With all these streaming services, how can you make that difficult decision of what to spend the next few days, weeks, months (I won’t judge) watching?
That’s where I come in! That’s right, the guy with zero qualifications, except when it comes to sitting on his ass for hours on end watching television. Cool!
I think it is important to note this is just what I AM watching each week. If I wrote about everything out there, this pandemic would be over and we could all go back outside. Now, what to watch?
TIGER KING.
Alright folks thanks for reading my column. That’s all for now. See ya next week….
Seriously though, if you have not watched this show yet, stop reading and put it on IMMEDIATELY. This show is BONKERS. I loved it. I can’t even say anymore about it because I believe you should approach it with fresh eyes and NO expectations.
Now, if you’re one of the “cool cats and kittens” who already finished watching Tiger King, here are some other suggestions…
Netflix also dropped the third season of OZARK this week (shout out to LAByrinth Co members Trevor Long & Felix Solis!) and it’s terrific! I’ve only seen the first five minutes of this new season (seriously, it’s on in the background as I write this) but I can’t wait to see where it goes! MESSIAH, a wonderful new series (starring LAByrinth Artistic Director John Ortiz) unfortunately had to pull the plug on the second season due to the current world events. Why not show them some love and binge all ten episodes? Speaking of…CONTAGION! PANDEMIC! END TIMES FUN! Ha ha. No, I’m not being an alarmist. Those are three trending titles Netflix decided to drop right as this quarantine started. I see you, Netflix…and I raise you…
HULU! The middle child. The service that makes you go “Oh, that’s right!” I love this service. There are quite a few hidden gems on here. First, you can find just about every sitcom from the beginning of time on here. I like to sprinkle an episode of SEINFELD in when binging a series to remind myself I’m human. But there are also wonderful new shows like last year’s awards darling Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s other show KILLING EVE (the show runner of the most current season, Suzanne Heathcote, was a member of our very first Intensive Ensemble).
AMAZON. While they offer great shows like FLEABAG and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, I like to watch films here. Since going in to quarantine I have watched FIST OF FURY, SUPER 8, and in anticipation for the upcoming sequel, A QUIET PLACE (Part 1). You know, variety. I can’t forget to mention a beautiful film that unfortunately did not get as much attention as it should have, A24’s THE FAREWELL is also available here and is a must see.
For all you high rollers who can afford HBO, there are new seasons of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, WESTWORLD, and HIGH MAINTENANCE. Also, THE OUTSIDER (shout out to LAB’s Yul Vazquez!) and PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, are both brand new and two of my favorites this season.
That’s it, right? Nope! If you’re looking for feel good wholesome family movies and tv DISNEY+ has (literally) everything. Personally, THE MANDALORIAN (shout out to The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal!) was one of my favorite shows this season. Plus (pun intended), they offer every AVENGERS and STAR WARS film, which if you make your way through either of those franchises, this quarantine should just about be over.
If you’re looking for the exact opposite of DISNEY+, might I recommend SHUDDER? This is a streaming service for the horror genre fans like myself. They offer everything from classic horror to new original titles, “fresh off the slab.” I love this platform so much that if you want to watch anything on HERE, I will give you my own personal login info. Just slide into my DM’s.
If you are one of the few, the proud to have cable these days, AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD is nearing the end of their current season and last week they introduced a major character in the series, Princess, played by LAByrinth’s very own Paola Lazaro!
Finally, if you love going to the movies to see what’s currently out there, Universal Studios released their films currently in theaters, available On Demand. Titles like THE HUNT, EMMA, and THE INVISIBLE MAN are available to rent from the comfort of your own home. Make a night out of it! Schedule to watch at a certain time, make some pop corn, and rent a film to support them not getting proper theatrical runs .
All this to say there is enough content out there to last TEN pandemics. Hopefully that will NEVER be the case, but in seriousness, we’re going to be inside for awhile. Do what you need to do to stay sane and healthy and just relax. Once outside opens back up, we’re going to hit the ground running. So why not take this time to relax and de-stress and enjoy some art? Who knows? You might even see a LAByrinth member (or twenty) in all your binging!
Stay safe everybody.
Happy viewing!
Peter
(@petercollierjr)
Cassavetes Movie Recommendations
From Mel Nieves
I adore John Cassavetes. I am not a film historian or authority but I know what I know. I like what I like and I like John Cassavetes. He was cool without acting cool. He had style as an actor. His films are like no others. The actors in his films were electrifying, Peter Falk, Gene Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, John Marley. However, I must confess I don’t specifically know why. I like moments in his films. I don’t often like the whole of his films, but man there are moments and characters that I often go back to look over, like:
Cosmo Vitelli, in “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie”, drink in one hand, mic in the other, on stage looking at the empty dying crowd that is a reflection of his dying nightclub and dying way of life.
Nick Longhetti, in “A Woman Under The Influence” holding his mentally fragile wife, Mabel, so tightly, she’s his lifeboat, begging her to hold on, to come back to him, that he will take care of her.
Minnie in “Minnie and Moskowski”, complaining that the movies lead you on. That they make you believe in romance and love, but that in reality there aren’t any Clarke Gable’s in the real world.
I got to meet Lelia Goldoni, the lead of his first film, “Shadows” during my first visit to the Actors Studio and I was totally starstruck - I just wanted to pick her brain as to what it was like to work for him, study with him. Her words came out with such feeling when describing John Cassavetes. She spoke about his honesty, his kindness, his integrity and that his word was his bond, when he told you something he meant it. For instance she said that there were no contracts signed by the actors for the film Shadows, but he promised each and every actor in that film that before he saw a single penny of profit, they, the actors would be paid first and she said that through the years from time to time they all received checks in the mail.
I’ve read many books about John Cassavetes and have seen all his major works, but hearing Lelia Goldoni tell me that story about him made me fall in love with him even more deeply. I guess I do know why I adore him.
Suggested Links:
A Woman Under The Influence (many consider this his masterpiece) - https://youtu.be/RINU1ngwtQc
Opening Night - never officially released, many say it's a more honest version about show business and acting than All About Eve - https://youtu.be/TZ5Umr_NsjA
Faces - https://youtu.be/RmGGXUHvqs8
Shadows- (his debut as a director) created and inspired from a series of improvisational exercises with his acting students)
Minnie and Moskowitz - https://youtu.be/Bfat0RAHJik - Not your typical romantic movie but it has a beating heart like no other.
A Constant Forge - a beautiful insightful documentary on the life and career of John Cassavetes - https://youtu.be/Iwhmt1eeZ8A
John Cassavetes and The making of Husbands - https://youtu.be/AjlKVjRrk0Q
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - https://youtu.be/JzPZ9xEBzeQ
I'm almost Not Crazy - https://youtu.be/DFqBSl-6KWI
This is a documentary made late in John Cassavetes life when he was directing and writing LOVE STREAM which was produced by Cannon films.
