The "Preliminary" Edition

Nov 19, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving, Readers!

West Coast Trip: Successful!

Jet Lag: Successful! Why was the one-hour time change more challenging than the three-hour time difference right just days after the clock-change? Unknown.

Thanksgiving: Anticipating Success!

If you have time and want to see some films, here are a few highly recommended:

In L.A., I did have the chance to go to the super-fun and star-studded premiere of Todd Haynes’ “May/December.” It was phenomenal. Deeply interesting, fun (in a weird way), weird (in a fun way), with performances by every member of the cast but particularly Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman but honestly…everybody. Real creepy! But not at all. You’ll have to see it in theaters this weekend or later, on Netflix.

The premiere screening was a cavalcade of friends, as well. I had the good fortune to make Todd’s first film, Poison, a first feature tour de force; and the next one, Safe, an actual masterpiece. I also went on to make Kids and Swoon with uber-producer extraordinaire Christine Vachon, who is Todd’s actual producer, in the sense that he will not make a movie with anyone else and she is among the only people who can get Todd’s movies made. Except for her producing partner, Pam Koffler, Small world. Also at the screening, “the kid from ‘Stranger Things.’ “ I’m sorry to call him that and I have full confidence he will find a bravura role that breaks him out of that moniker. Also at the screening, Will Ferrell! A producer on May/December and also the producer of my second recommendation:

Quiz Lady, currently streaming on Hulu. Like May/December it is a two-hander with two strong female leads. It is a road-trip buddy comedy; you get through a few bumps in the road and end up with a genius ending and, sounds dumb, but the best and funniest “what happens to…” freeze frames that end the film. Will Ferrell and Jason Schwartzman are super-super-duper perfect and funny. I don’t know Jason Schwartzman. And while I can’t claim to be besties or have gone to college with or to have set him up with his life partner on a blind date (all of which applies to Todd, Christine, and/or Pam, in various configurations), I do know Will from long ago because he was the superb and unforgettable and infinitely meme-able Jacobim Mugatu in ‘Zoolander,’ which I also (Executive) Produced.

ICYMI— light watches:

‘The Supermodels’— on Apple TV+ — I loved it because it was our heyday of my beloved VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards and they were literally supermodels. Like it was incredible, they were incredible. Just ridiculously chic and powerful and it was really apparent that their personal style drove their genius on the runways when they inhabited designers’ styles.

Curve Ball— literally!— I adored this special and easily accessible-by-non-baseball-fans docu about Yogi Berra, made by his grand-daughter. I wonder if I’m wrong and non-New Yorkers and non Sports fans and youngsters who didn’t live in the 70’s will like it or not but it was really good. So evocative!

I hope I’ve inspired some push in you to get you to see some fabulous content that’s out there. I will do my best to save up some series recommendations but I have been off that path for a bit. Movies and books are working for me right now.

And articles. Like the ones in this week’s edition of the LZSP, the most important news of the week about women in politics, business, the arts, fashion, sports and pop culture. Have fun and enjoy the Holiday.

Thank you to so many subscribers for sending me pieces from great, fresh and diverse sources. Keep sending me anything you think I need to see right here.

If you’re not already, subscribe:

Subscribed

See you next week —