It’s time for another edition of Your Weekly Watch! This week, I’ve got docs, I’ve got Black sci-fi, I’ve got Black travel, and if you’re an LA local, I’ve got the best way to watch a movie. Here we go:
Demascus
In this Tubi original series, the Afro-Future comes to life as a Black man in his 30s, Demascus, tries to heal from the grief of his mother’s death. A true dramedy, Demascus allows a Black man’s mental health crisis to launch him into other possible worlds through immersive virtual reality therapy. Think Black Mirror for Black people. Guest stars like Martin Lawrence and Janet Hubert bring the comedy, and the pilot is one of the funniest I’ve seen in awhile. The laughs wane as the season continues and the finale ends with a bit of a bait-and-switch that seems obvious in retrospect considering the low-stakes way that the pilot ends. Because this kind of ending is such a taboo in the sci-fi genre, I’m shocked the writers went there. But the love letter to Black motherhood, the exploration of Black male mental health and the genuine laughs keep you through to the end. Though Tubi rescued this long-shelved AMC series, it’s yet to be seen if the streamer will give them a season 2. AMC made a mistake dumping the series and hopefully Tubi will cash-in on its better judgment.
Demascus is streaming now on Tubi.
Songs from the Hole
One of my most anticipated films of the year is here! I’ve been following abolitionist and artist Richie Reseda, the film’s EP and composer, for years, so I knew that this documentary about how music saved his incarcerated friend would be powerful. I should’ve known that it would be abolition in motion. Directed by Contessa Gayles, who also did the excellent doc on Reseda, The Feminist on Cellblock Y, Songs from the Hole tells the story of artist JJ’88, a Black man who was imprisoned as a teen for murdering another teen and given more than a life sentence. After being put in the “hole,” or solitary confinement, he began writing songs to help him survive his crushing punishment, to forgive and to hope for forgiveness. Part documentary, part narrative, part visual album, Songs from the Hole is a gorgeous meditation on healing toxic masculinity and breaking generational cycles. It’s thoughtful, it’s searing, it’s painful, and, just like abolition itself, well worth the effort.
Stream Songs from the Hole on Netflix.
Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser
I was unprepared for the reality of the Biggest Loser. Though it was one of the biggest shows on TV while I was growing up, I never paid any attention to it. But I did know that the world hates fat people, and after watching the new Netflix docuseries exposé, I see why The Biggest Loser was so successful. It’s the perfect outlet for the hatred of fat bodies. Fat people made to punish their bodies, punish themselves for the world’s entertainment. They even had a spinoff for children! People almost died doing this show and as long as people were losing weight (temporarily) or no longer fat (temporarily) that was enough of a foundation upon which to build a financial empire.
I’m surprised to see all the comments suggesting that the docuseries is boring and nothing “that bad” happened. We really, really, hate fat people as a society. But what I saw in the show was a reckoning, not just for the most awful people involved—Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, creator David Broome and E.P. David Roth, to name a few—but for a society that has decided that fat people deserve whatever they get for being fat.
Though the series offers no real solutions, it’s interesting that it ends with a bashing of the GLP-1s people have turned to to quickly lose and keep off weight. Until we fix society’s hatred of fat people, there will always be people willing to do whatever it takes to be free, not just of fatness but of fatphobia.
Fit for TV is streaming now on Netflix.
Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross
I am a solo travel girl. As a travel writer, most of my trips are solo and for work. Though I enjoy family vacations and girls trips, I really enjoy doing what I want to do, when I want to do it. It’s peaceful. It’s fun. I enjoy my own company. So, when I saw the commercial for Tracee Ellis Ross’s new Tubi docuseries Solo about her traveling the world alone, I was in! My kinda content. Unfortunately, this is more Rich Person in Resorts than Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Tracee is charming and her confessionals about loneliness in her 50s, being unpartnered and coming to terms with not having children are the best parts of the show. But my appetite for rich people selling their unattainable lifestyle back to the rest of us as inspiration is non-existent.
I don’t want to see the world through its most luxurious resorts and whatever chauffeurs, desk clerks, shopkeepers and waiters she happens to interact with while there. I want to discover new parts of the world and the people who make it, not watch her sunbathe or take a resort cooking class. The thing about peaceful solo travel is that it can also be boring to watch someone else do it! I don’t want to see her crashing other American tourists’ dinners on camera as a sprinkle of spice either. You’re in Morocco! Meet some Moroccans who aren’t your day-laborers and aren’t trying to sell you something.
The title was the clue. This is a show about Tracee for Tracee and people who want to be like Tracee (rich with fancy clothes) when they grow up. It was never meant to be more than that. And it’s working! The series was so popular for Tubi that season 2 has already been ordered, so the structure of the show likely is what it is. And if it inspires women to know that life doesn’t end if you never get married or have children (and are also generationally rich and can travel the world), then fine. But I’ll need a more compelling reason to tune into a second season.
Solo is streaming now on Tubi.
Greenleaf
The OWN soap is leaving Netflix in September, so if you like colorism and church mess, hurrup!
Jurassic Park and Alabama Shakes at The Hollywood Bowl
If you are an L.A. resident or visitor and you’ve not been to the Bowl yet (or in awhile) what are you waiting for? The outdoor arena and public park just set the stage for two of the most incredible L.A. experiences I’ve ever had in my seven years as an Angeleno.
The first was watching Jurassic Park on a massive screen with one of the best orchestras in the world, the LA Phil, playing the iconic John Williams score live. Sure, you can stream the film at home on your nice TV, but watching it at the Bowl? I felt like I was eight years old again, seeing it for the first time, but this time sitting enraptured til the credits rolled instead of hiding from the scary parts in the bathroom.
Yes, it’s a fantastic movie that never gets old, despite how ancient the technology now looks. But it’s the community aspect that heightens the experience. Imagine: 18,000 superfans surrounding you, dressed up like characters from one of the best films of all time. As a Covid Competent girlie, I wear my mask in these kinds of crowds so I don’t miss a thing (except viral airbone diseases!). The shared vibration was palpable and made everything funnier, everything scarier, and gave every win more reason to cheer. We’re clapping when Sam Neil, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, B.D. Wong or Jeff Goldblum make their entrances or say an iconic line; we’re cheering when the T. Rex eats the right ones. And it reminds me why I love movies; why I love watching movies in a crowd of movie-lovers.
But the technical aspects of the Bowl make it an experience never to forget. I can only describe the sound in the Bowl as an explosion. Thanks to the acoustics of the shell-shaped stage and the perfection of the LA Phil, I felt like I was in the movie. It was only when I looked down from the screen at Dudamel’s invigorating conducting that I remembered the orchestra was playing live—it was that immersive of an experience. Reader, I wept. It was one of the most perfect summer nights I’ve had in this town.
Then came Alabama Shakes!
The next Wednesday, I went back to the Bowl to see Brittany Howard, lead singer of the Alabama Shakes, sing the song that got me through the Great Lockdown of 2020. Like everyone else in the world at that time, I was crashing out and catching up on shows like Fleabag (brilliant show!) which ended on a heart-wrenching yet hopeful note, thanks to the Alabama Shakes song “This Feeling.” I immediately made a playlist that I named Pandemix (ha) and put “This Feeling” at the top and played it on repeat for literal years.
Last Wednesday, let me tell you: Brittany’s mic was on, and she sounded exactly the same as her records. The clarity. The character. The depth. The range. Ms. Mamas has it all, and looked fantabulous in a metallic silver dress that announced her southern divatry before she even opened her mouth. Throughout the show, she masterfully switched between guitars while holding the crowd in her hand and never missing a beat. Standout performances were of course “This Feeling,” and her popular jam “Don’t Wanna Fight,” but I may have a new favorite song in “Over My Head.” She’s gonna give you a show and make you beg for an encore, as only the best divas can do.
Coming up at the Bowl!
If you’re ready to see some magic, there’s some more John Williams score performances with clips from Star Wars, Hook, E.T., Jaws, and more all weekend. You can bring your own food and alcohol too, so don’t worry about going broke!
Plus next week Charlie Wilson & Babyface next week. African artist Angèlique Kidjo & legendary cellist Yo-Yo-Ma; Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour and the Black Movie Soundtrack coming in September. Special thanks to the LA Phil & Hollywood Bowl for the press tickets and I’ll see y’all at the Bowl!
Stay watchin’
Brooke
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