Come on in, guys!
Friday, May 22 — Happy Friday, everyone, and happy end of “Survivor 50” to all who celebrate (or mourn? It really depends).
The 50th season of “Survivor” has come to a close. Aubry Bracco – who once sent me a very nice message on my birthday – took home the $2 million prize on Wednesday (along with a very ugly car, no offense). Although she wasn’t my first choice for winner this season (I, like the rest of America, am ride or die for Cirie), I am very happy for her! She played well, she’s got the history – she’s more than deserving.
I will say, as a whole, I am … underwhelmed by 50. I don’t think the show ever fully took advantage of the cast it had, and (as is par for the course these days in “Survivor”) twists really overwhelmed the rest of the action. To me, New Era seasons of “Survivor” always feel like the cast is playing against production rather than playing against each other, which is far less entertaining. Season 51 will kick off what Jeff Probst is calling the “Open Era” – a title I still don’t really understand. Apparently, it means any twist or advantage that has ever come into play on “Survivor” over the course of 50 seasons can now happen at any given time. But …. hasn’t that always been true? I am perplexed. I will be seated, of course, but skeptically so!
Lastly, one of the big pieces of news coming out of Wednesday night’s finale was a massive live TV blunder. Probst accidentally spoiled the fact that contestant Rizo Velovic lost in the final four fire-making challenge before the show actually aired said fire challenge. It’s unclear what exactly happened, but the pessimistic side of me says this is the last live finale we’ll see for a long time. It’s fairly well-known at this point that Probst doesn’t really like them anyway (wild take from him), and I don’t think this mistake helped the matter. There’s are a few conspiracies rumbling around the internet that this “blunder” was on purpose – either with the aim of having an excuse to never do a live finale again or to make a viral moment. I don’t know if I’m completely conspiracy-pilled yet, but I could get there!
Anyway, please email me your “Survivor” thoughts, if you have them! This is all I think about these days. Without further ado!
👨🍳 The SCAD student-produced series “chefATL” received a 2026 Southeast Emmy Award.
🧑🏫 In other SCAD news, Rough Draft Atlanta partnered again with SCAD this year to help a journalism class source and write stories to be published with Rough Draft. This year’s theme was film, and we’ll be publishing stories online over the next month or so. To start us off, check out a couple of stories on the making of a music video and indie films in Georgia.
💓 The film series Soul Cinema Sundays is screening “The Five Heartbeats” in 35mm at the Plaza Theatre on June 14 in celebration of its 35th anniversary.
👑 In partnership with Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema, Out on Film is hosting a screening of “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” on June 2.
🍿 Local filmmaker Aaron Strand wrote a great piece for his Substack this week about the costs of rental fees for independent theaters. You can check that out here.
🤝 Paramount is aiming for a July 15 closing date for its Warner Bros. Discovery deal, perhaps as a way to close the deal before state attorneys general can make a bid to block it.
🔏 Netflix is in the process of building up an AI animation studio called INKubator.
🤖 And, in other AI news, Paul Schrader got dumped by an AI chatbot. I wish I were kidding.
This week’s newsletter has a couple of interviews with guests at this year’s MomoCon, which started yesterday and will continue throughout the holiday weekend. We’ve also got an interview with filmmaker and musician Boots Riley about his new film “I Love Boosters,” and one with horror filmmaker Natalie Erika James about her movie “Saccharine.” We’re gonna be switching out Spotlight for a new block until we get a little more into awards season, so be on the lookout for that. Plus, what’s playing at theaters this week and some reading and listening recommendations for your lunch break.
Thanks for reading!
Sammie
Getting back to visceral feeling with Boots Riley in ‘I Love Boosters’
👗 One of my favorite scenes in “I Love Boosters” happens very early on in the film’s runtime. Two boosters (shoplifters, with the intent of reselling their wares for profit), Corvette (Keke Palmer) and Sade (Naomi Ackie) are robbing a store. We watch them chitchat as they quickly file away clothes into what we assume are large bags, although it’s hard to see beyond the racks of monochrome clothing.
When Corvette and Sade finally leave, Sade carrying a comically overstuffed purse, we realize that Corvette never had a bag on her in the first place – instead, she’s stuffed the stolen contraband into her own clothes, waddling through the parking lot looking like a giant pink marshmallow – a true blue (or pink) Michelin Man.
There are a plethora of moments in “I Love Boosters,” the new film from filmmaker Boots Riley, that feel outlandish to the point of absurdity. But what tickles me about this moment is the relative smallness of it. It’s not the most outlandish thing you’ll see in the film (that award goes to whatever is going on with LaKeith Stanfield, which I won’t spoil for you here). But it delicately shapes the audience’s expectations of the world we’ve entered into – this is more like “Looney Tunes” than the real world. Anything can happen.
📽️ I was lucky enough to speak with Riley about the film ahead of its opening this weekend. More on that here.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🎨 You’ve seen Amy Sherald’s iconic portrait of Michelle Obama. Now, her largest exhibition to date comes to Atlanta, featuring rarely seen paintings and monumental portraits spanning nearly two decades.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime is now open, bringing one of the leading artists of her generation back to Georgia. Secure your tickets before it’s gone.
Can only make it in the evening? We’ve got you covered. The show stays open after hours every Friday. Grab a drink, snag an exclusive exhibition poster, and explore the galleries at your leisure.
Chats with MomoCon guests Sarah Madsen and Brian Colin
MomoCon, Atlanta’s annual celebration of all things gaming, comics, and anime, started yesterday and will run through Memorial Day weekend. I interviewed a couple of MomoCon guests ahead of the occasion.
🐉 I had the opportunity to speak with Brian Colin, a sculptor, graphic designer, and developer for tabletop roleplaying games. We talked about his early love for Dungeons & Dragons, his path to game developing professionally and more. Check it out here.
🎮 I also spoke with game designer and author Sarah Madsen, who has penned novels like “Weaver’s Folly” and written for video games and tabletop roleplaying games. We spoke about her creative process and the differences between composing for gaming adventures and books. You can check out that conversation here.
‘Saccharine’ director Natalie Erika James on the horrors of diet culture
⚖️ After years of the culture beginning to shift away from the idea that being skinny is the only way to be beautiful, lately I am inundated with social media posts that give me the sinking feeling that being exorbitantly thin is starting to come back into vogue.
“Saccharine,” a new horror film from writer/director Natalie Erika James, captures the terror of that feeling.
“Saccharine” follows Hana (Midori Francis), an exhausted med student who can’t seem to catch a break. She’s in love with the hot girl at her gym (Madeleine Madden) who barely knows she exists. She has a complicated, to say the least, relationship with her parents. And she’s struggling with disordered eating – specifically, binge eating. When she happens across a new weight loss pill that is in part made up of human ash, the ghost of the person Hana is ingesting shows up to haunt her.
🫁 “Saccharine” opens up in theaters this weekend. Ahead of the opening, I spoke to James about capturing the horror of diet culture on camera. Check out our conversation here.
‘Blue Film’ is an act of harrowing provocation
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
💻 Written and directed by Elliot Tuttle, “Blue Film” was causing controversy long before its theatrical release, and it’s understandable why.
The plot revolves around a Los Angeles camboy named Aaron Eagle (Kieron Moore) who takes an anonymous older client up on a deal for spending the night with him for $50,000. However, it turns out the anonymous client is Hank (Reed Birney), Aaron’s middle school teacher who was convicted for trying to sexually assault one of his students.
I don’t expect “Blue Film” to go over easily with audiences. It’s certainly a punishing watch, difficult to stomach in more ways than one. With it, though, Tuttle has achieved true provocation, forcing the audience to sit in the discomfort of watching a pedophile use every trick in the book to justify his returned presence into a former student’s life – forcing us to watch the boundaries between these two people dissolve until only unspeakable anger remains. While the dialogue can be a little stilted, the performances are riveting – one too vulnerable and one too deluded to stomach.
📹 Read my full review here.
‘Passenger’ hits a dead end
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🚘 Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought of running away – of quitting your job, breaking your lease, buying a van, and leaving it all behind. For anyone stuck in a rut, the nomadic lifestyle probably looks like a dream. But André Øvredal’s “Passenger” would have you think twice before hitting the open road.
After a terror-laden cold open, we meet Tyler (Jacob Scipio) and Maddie (Lou Llobell), two lovebirds who have just taken the van life plunge. For about six weeks, they have a great time, but Maddie – less adventurer, more homebody – quickly starts to feel like van life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That belief is strengthened when she and Tyler witness a gruesome car accident – one that leaves them bound to a supernatural entity called the Passenger intent on stalking them down every highway and backroad across America.
Setting a horror movie from the perspective of two van life newbies – naive interlopers into an intricate, tightknit nomadic culture – is a concept ripe for exploration. Unfortunately, beyond some well-deployed scares, “Passenger” gets too lost in its lore, ultimately setting off on a path to nowhere.
⛺ Check out my full review here.
At the Movies!
If you’re looking for a movie to see in theaters this week, here’s what you’ve got to look forward to!
Movies releasing this weekend:
💚 “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” (pictured)
📹 “Blue Film”
🚘 “Passenger”
👗 “I Love Boosters”
🍩 “Saccharine”
🤫 “Silent Friend”
🚨 “Wasteman”
Special Events:
🐺 “Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance” @ The Plaza (Friday-Wednesday)
🕶️ “They Live” in 4K @ The Plaza (Saturday-Wednesday)
🎨 “Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon” @ The Tara (Saturday-Sunday)
👠 “Legally Blonde” 25th Anniversary @ The Tara (Sunday-Wednesday)
🎤 “Sing Street” @ Landmark Midtown Art Cinema (Sunday-Wednesday)
What I’m watching … and reading … and listening to
Welcome to a new block for your enjoyment! We’ll kick back up Spotlight once we get into awards season later this year, but for now, I’m going to give little updates on what I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
🐴 Listening: It’s been three weeks, but I can’t get enough of Kacey Musgraves’ new album, “Middle of Nowhere.” Standout tracks include “Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy,” “Loneliest Girl,” and “Mexico Honey.” More cowbell, please!
🐮 Reading: I’ve been speeding through Caro Claire Burke’s novel “Yesteryear” about a tradwife influencer who wakes up to find she’s traveled back in time to the 19th century. I haven’t finished yet, but so far I find it to be a very compelling character study of a deeply, deeply miserable person. Natalie is not okay!
🐈 Watching: I watched Paul Schrader’s 1982 remake of the classic horror film “Cat People” the other day. It’s an incredible relic of the 80s – wild sexual politics and a plot that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense (“zookeeper cops” is a phrase I never thought I’d write, but it is pertinent to this film). At the same time, it’s eminently watchable and looks so cool I can hardly stand it. The 80s!
Lights, Camera, Action!
📽️ A new documentary about professor and Civil Rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois called “W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause” aired on GPB on May 19 as part of the PBS “American Masters” series. For GPB, Kristi York Wooten spoke with director Rita Coburn about the activist’s impact and his time in Atlanta. Check it out here.
🏝️ Not to harp too much on “Survivor” this newsletter, but in celebration of season 50 there have been think pieces galore populating my feeds. I had a great time dissecting (and in a lot of cases, politely disagreeing with) NPR’s ranking of every season of “Survivor” thus far. Justice for Micronesia, the best season of all time! Check out the full ranking here.
📺 The “Blank Check” podcast took on a Peter Weir classic last week. Along with guest J.D. Amato, they covered 1998’s “The Truman Show” in one of their most insightful episodes in a while, in my humble opinion. Take a listen here.
🖋️ Today’s Scene was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
