It’s the fall equinox, it’s the 21st of September, and we’re daydreaming of all things autumnal.
May we offer you some Witchy Washi in this celebratory time????
If fall makes you yearn to be at the movies, you’re not alone. Fortunately, Maya Cade has created an incredible new resource for movie lovers: the Black Film Archive, “a living register of Black films… [that] showcases Black films made from 1915 to 1979 currently streaming.” From the LA Times profile of Cade and BFA:
Examining the notion that Black film, pre-Spike Lee, is a monolith of racial trauma rehashed in the Hollywood-approved canon of films is exactly the reason Cade spent more than a year compiling a list of approximately 250 Black films from streaming platforms like Tubi, Criterion and HBO Max, as well as YouTube and other public domain sites. The Black Film Archive brings the forgotten works of legends like Oscar Micheaux and Zora Neale Hurston to one place, sorted by decade, with links to where they’re streaming and descriptions of the films.
Heavens, we just can’t wait to be in front of a big screen watching a new Matrix Movie! Pop culture writer Amanda Mullen summed up a recent interview were Lana Wachowski reveals why she came back to the world-changing franchise after rejecting many big-money offers from studios.
On the movie-maker side, the major news this week is IATSE’s upcoming strike authorization vote as contract negotiations between the union and producers have stalled. One of the major contentions is a living wage for some of the lowest-paid workers in the film industry: a huge, huge deal and a very important fight that will make waves throughout the wider entertainment industry. Solidarity forever!!!
In things we are dying to read, we are delighted to inform y’all that you can now preorder an officially licensed Joan Jett comics anthology featuring our very own pal and personal hero, Jazzlyn Stone, as a contributor! Check it out and make us proud!
We sign off today with a merch collection that strikes the perfect balance between spoopy, shitposty, and nerdy: new Writers Are Metal AF shirts from Voidmerch! Start a conversation by stanning the bad boys of the previous centuries!
Until next time, take care and bundle up!