Pour one out
Friday, Aug. 28 — It’s not a happy Friday – we’ve lost some legends this week.
Dolly Parton – an icon of country music, a true philanthropist, and the queen of my heart – passed away this week at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Barely a day later, Tim Curry – probably best known for his sexy turn as Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” but best known in my heart for playing Rooster in John Huston’s “Annie” – died, also at the age of 80. His cause of death has not been released, but he had been dealing with health complications for quite some time.
None of us really knew Dolly Parton or Tim Curry, but part of their magic was that they made us feel like we did. That’s evident in the frankly astounding amount of tributes I’ve seen to both of them in the past few days. The world lost a couple of good ones.
If you want more on Dolly or Tim, I loved this Vulture piece about the scope of Dolly’s goodness and legacy, and this one in the New York Times about Tim’s status as a fashion pioneer.
Without further ado … Action!
🫦 Speaking of Tim Curry, tonight’s “Rocky Horror” shadow cast performance at the Plaza Theatre is completely sold out, so the Plaza has added another screening of the film (sans shadow cast) for tomorrow night at 10:45 p.m. Get your tickets here.
Plaza Theatre is hosting their weekly rendition of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” tonight in his his honor. If you’re so inclined, go give him the send-off he deserves.
🍿 The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Pop Up Tour will return to Atlanta for the second year in a row at AMC Madison Yards from Oct 24-25.
🎥 Writer and creator Paul Jenkins, known for his work for the likes of companies like Marvel and DC, is launching an independent production company called Ten-6 Studios to produce Jenkins’ catalogue of original stories.
🍿 The 25th Urban Mediamakers Film Festival is currently accepting submissions for its Oct. 12-25 event. The submission deadline is Sept. 1.
🥤 The Coca-Cola Film Series announced that it will screen “Waiting to Exhale” in concert at the Fox Theatre on Nov. 6. Tickets are on sale now.
⚖️ California Attorney General Rob Bonta called off a potential settlement meeting with Paramount scheduled for earlier this week, accusing Paramount of leaking information about an earlier meeting to the press. Bonta and multiple other state AGs are suing Paramount over its possible acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
This week we’ve got a LOT to get through, so we’re taking a break from our Spotlight series this round. We’ve got three interviews with three very different filmmakers this week, as well as an interview with a local actor about her new film. Plus, three movie reviews, what’s playing in theaters, and some reading and listening recommendations for your lunch break.
Thanks for reading!
Sammie
🍃 Visit Atlanta’s newest outdoor public space this fall for free fitness classes, artisan markets, lunchtime events, live music + more. Midtown Green is located in the heart of the city at 98 14th St., near MARTA and deck parking. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Casper Kelly dives into the darkness of kids’ television with ‘Buddy’
🦄 With great popularity comes backlash – something Barney, the big purple dinosaur who graced our television screens throughout the 1990s, knew all too well. Recall the parody of the “I Love You” song that ended every episode of “Barney & Friends:”
“I hate you, you hate me, let’s get together and kill Barney.”
With his new film, Casper Kelly is diving into the collective psyche that made all of us hate a figure like Barney so much. “Buddy” stars Keegan-Michael Key as Buddy the Unicorn, a Barney-like figure who just wants the kids on his 90s-era TV show to love and respect him. And when they don’t, he acts out in violently erratic ways.
📺 I recently spoke with Casper about the film. Check out our conversation here.
Ready for a challenge that changes lives?
SPONSORED BY MAKE-A-WISH GEORGIA
⛰️ Join Make-A-Wish Georgia for the Trailblaze Challenge, Nov. 6-8 in North Georgia. This hike is designed for all levels, from novices to experienced outdoor enthusiasts.
Take on 22 miles in one day on the Bartram Trail, or choose the 13-mile option, all while raising funds to help grant life-changing wishes for local children battling critical illnesses. With training, fundraising tools, and support from an experienced hiking team, you’ll be ready to make a meaningful impact.
👉 Register for an information session today!
Bill Chen’s short film ‘Chicken’ covers difficult topic with sensitivity
🇿🇦 The first movie that made Bill Chen aware of what a filmmaker could achieve was Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood.”
“I was blown away that movies could be like that,” Chen said. “I think that probably had the most distinct impact on me of – someone created this, and they had a specific artistic sensibility that was unique to them.”
Chen spent the next few years trying to find his own artistic voice, and has found it with “Chicken.” The filmmaker’s new semi-autobiographical short film is nominated for Best International Film at this year’s BronzeLens Film Festival, and screens tomorrow at the Tara Theatre. The film follows Peter and Paul (played by twins Peter and Paul Mapfumo), two young brothers growing up in a rigid South African community. “Chicken” explores what happens to the brothers’ relationship when one of them is sexually assaulted by another child.
🎥 I spoke with Chen about the film ahead of the screening. Check out our conversation here.
🍃 Visit Atlanta’s newest outdoor public space this fall for free fitness classes, artisan markets, lunchtime events, live music + more. Midtown Green is located in the heart of the city at 98 14th St., near MARTA and deck parking. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Kent Jones’ ‘Late Fame’ looks for lost genius in a different New York
✍️ What it means to reclaim lost genius has always been something that’s interesting to filmmaker Kent Jones, from his days as a film critic to his current days as a working filmmaker. And that idea is all over his latest film, “Late Fame.”
Based on the novella by Austrian author Arthur Schnitzler, “Late Fame” features a screenplay by Samy Burch and stars Willem Dafoe as Ed Saxberger, a post office worker who lives quietly in Manhattan. Quietly, that is, until a wealthy, odd young man named Meyers (Edmund Donovan) approaches him on the street. It turns out that Meyers is a huge fan of “Way Past Go,” a book of poems that Ed published in the late ‘70s that quickly faded into obscurity. Meyers invites Ed to join his group – they, a little pretentiously, call themselves the Enthusiasm Society – which consists of a group of young, male writers and an eccentric actress named Gloria (Greta Lee).
What struck me about “Late Fame” was how artfully it explored the idea of trying to resurrect an artistic era long gone – an era that Jones is all too familiar with. Jones arrived in New York City around the same time that the fictional Saxberger would have, and has seen firsthand the way the city has changed over the years – something that’s beautifully reflected in “Late Fame.”
🌃 I spoke with Jones about the film, and you can find our conversation here.
Local actress Akira Jackson on the existential horror of ‘It Ends’
🌲 The first time actor Akira Jackson filmed “It Ends,” she was 19 years old. Now, promoting the film – which finally hits theaters in Atlanta this weekend – she’s 23.
Directed by Florida State University alum Alexander Ullom, “It Ends” follows Jackson, Phinehas Yoon, Noah Toth and Mitchell Cole as a group of friends who, during a roadtrip, end up on a two-lane highway that seemingly leads to nowhere.
For Jackson, the ride from making the film in Northwest, FL, to finally seeing it released wide has been a wild one. I recently spoke to the actor about how she learned about “It Ends” through Ullom’s former TA, her love for Keke Palmer, and more.
🛻 You can read our conversation here.
‘The Dog Stars’ is muddled thematically, but features strong performances
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🐕 In its first half hour, “The Dog Stars” – true to its name – spends a good bit of time showing us Jacob Elordi spending time with a dog.
After a deadly pandemic ravages the world, Hig (Elordi) and his trusted dog Jasper are some of the few remaining survivors. In the years since the plague, Hig – a former mechanic with a penchant for flying planes – has built a pretty nice life for Jasper and himself, all things considered. They go on supply runs together, keeping the plane yard where Hig lives with a grumpy ex-marine named Bangley (Josh Brolin), stocked. Jasper is never far from Hig’s feet, quickly obeying every command of come, or sit or stay. He sleeps with Hig. He goes fishing with Hig. When Hig brings a nearby Mennonite village some extra supplies, Jasper tags along, happy to get his daily ration of cuddles from all the kids.
For the first act of the film, this dog takes up a lot of screen time – which, unfortunately (at least for fans of DoesTheDogDie.com), is a pretty clear indicator that Jasper is not long for this world. But beyond that, the fact that “The Dog Stars” – a post-apocalyptic drama directed by Ridley Scott and based on the novel of the same name – is willing to settle into the type of languid pace we don’t normally see in Scott’s movies is somewhat surprising.
🌟 Read my full review here.
‘Coyote vs. Acme’ is an underdog story made real
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🐺 “Coyote vs. Acme” is a movie about corporate greed – a fact which makes its production history all that more poignant.
In 2018, Warner Bros. announced it would produce a film directed by Dave Green based on the 1990 New Yorker piece that imagines a world where Wile E. Coyote – that perpetually hungry, ne’er deterred little guy – sues the Acme Corporation for knowingly selling him faulty products, ruining his plans to catch and eat the elusive Road Runner. But, instead of releasing the finished film in 2023, Warner Bros. announced it would take a tax write-off of about $30 million. And so, the work of numerous artists and artisans was swallowed up by a greedy corporation.
Eventually, Ketchup Entertainment successfully bought the distribution rights to the film, which hits theaters this weekend. And, without meaning to, Warner Bros. handed the film an extra layer of meaning, stepping into the fictional Acme Corporation’s evil shoes. It’s a real David and Goliath story – and that story is part of what people have always latched onto when it comes to Wile E. Coyote. He’s an underdog who’s constantly thwarted by fate (or capitalism, in this case). But, he never gives up.
🧨 Read my full review here.
‘Colony’ lets its allegory take over its plot to disappointing effect
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🧟 At the beginning of “Colony,” Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) is stuck in a terrible predicament: Before she spends the next two hours on the run from zombies, she’ll have to rely on her ex-husband for a job.
While sitting at a tech conference, listening to the CEO of the biotech company Chains Bio talk about how humanity’s future lies in something called collective intelligence, Se-jeong is biting her tongue, less than enthused that she needs her ex’s help. Gyu-sung (Go Soo), her ex, tells her it’s her own fault she’s in this situation. Se-jeong previously worked in academia, and had no qualms calling out her dean for his bad behavior – even if it got her fired. But Gyu-sung doesn’t care that the dean was a jerk – he thinks she should have been able to grin and bear it.
“Colony” is a zombie movie from South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for his other film, “Train to Busan.” Both are zombie movies, and both feature social commentary, but “Colony” is a little mixed in its execution. It’s trying to make a point about how society – South Korean and otherwise – treats women who dare to bring to light the ills of men in power. But, while that allegory is admirable, it’s stretched a bit thin over the film’s actual plot. And the zombies, while interesting in theory, aren’t quite enough to distract from that fact.
💉 Read 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:
🛩️ “The Dog Stars”
🧨 “Coyote vs. Acme”
🧟 “Colony”
💊 “Idiots”
💭 “Dreams in Nightmares”
🦄 “Buddy”
🚘 “It Ends”
✍️ “Late Fame”
🇵🇸 “American Doctor” (pictured)
📱 “Finding Emily”
Special Events:
🤖 “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” 35th Anniversary @ The Plaza (Saturday-Wednesday)
🪄 “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” @ Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sunday-Wednesday)
Lights, Camera, Action!
📖 In 2025, Thomas King, the author behind the seminal work “The Inconvenient Indian,” found out that he was not of Cherokee descent – something he believed he was for 80 plus years. I really enjoyed this thoughtful and honest profile of King from Tommy Orange, tracking the story of King’s life and wrestling with questions of identity.
🎥 The “Blank Check” podcast has started a new series on the works of Martin Scorsese. They’ve gotten through a few films already, but you can join in with their episode on “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”
💄 On the very funny history podcast “Right Answers Mostly,” August is Marilyn Monroe Month! They just released episode three, which focuses on the height of Marilyn’s fame. Check it out here.
🖊️ Today’s Scene was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
