The Staying Inside May Media Guide
Here we are again. The words isolation, quarantine, mask, six feet, wash your hands, stay home, and many more are frustrating. Being tired of the news is normal. Being tired of normal life turning into a potential danger behind each breath and every stranger near you in normal. Being scared is normal. Being defiant is human nature. Any time someone tells a human they can’t do something there is a part of the brain that says, “just watch me.” I understand that. As my high school teachers can attest to, I was what some might call a rambunctious scoundrel (asshole).
I also now understand it is easy to figure out how to act in these times. It may be scary, tiresome, annoying, frustrating, and clearly I need a thesaurus but it is not complicated socially. Being considerate, patient, clean, and courteous to others shouldn’t ever be as much of a chore as a loud minority of folks are making it out to be. I hope everyone is staying safe the best they can and realizing that a virus isn’t something you can shoot, frighten, impress, oppress or cause to question itself.
Now onto some stuff to distract or deepen ourselves with, hopefully…
This is all I know about for now. Things are changing all the time and new things are being dropped. So keep an eye out and if you love anything you see let me know.
MOVIES AND TV
MAY 1ST
Deerskin - Virtual Theaters VOD
Written/Directed by Quentin Dupieux (Rubber)
Starring Jean Dujardin (The Artist, The Wolf of Wall Street), and Adele Haenel (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
One of my favorite movies of the year so far I got to see last year at a festival. It is absolutely a movie you have to be in on immediately. I could see some thinking it’s the stupidest thing they’ve seen and others laughing a lot. I liked it, but no guarantees. But if you like weird & funny stuff give it a shot.
All Day and a Night - Netflix movie
Written/Directed by Joe Robert Cole
Starring Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen TV show & Aquaman), and Ashton Sanders (Moonlight)
A prison drama about fathers and sons from a writer of Black Panther and American Crime Story.
Bull - VOD movie
Directed by Annie Silverstein
Starring Rob Morgan (Mudbound), Yolanda Ross
A old bullfighter and a young wayward teen run into each other and their lives change. No idea really. just taking what I’ve gathered. But it looks like a nice character study.
Hollywood - Netflix mini-series
Creator - Ryan Murphy
Starring Darren Criss (Glee & American Crime Story), Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Samara Weaving (Ready or Not)
Ryan Murphy shows are either pretty good or so annoying you can’t watch them. I don’t know which way this will go but I hope it’s the former. A group of characters trying to make it in tinsel town.
MAY 5TH
Arkansas - VOD movie
Directed by Clark Duke (Sex Drive, Hot Tub Time Machine)
Starring Clark Duke, Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, Michael K. Williams (The Wire), and Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill, Independence Day)
A southern crime film by a guy wanting to prove he isn’t just the funny sidekick in movies, and is a real director. The talent involved makes me want to watch it.
Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill - Netflix comedy special
MAY 7TH
Driveways - VOD movie
Directed by Andrew Ahn
Starring Hong Chau (Downsizing, Watchmen TV Show), Brian Dennehy (RIP, Tommy Boy)
Simple small movie about a boy developing a friendship with the retiree next door when he and his mom go to clean out her aunt’s old house. Read good things about this one.
MAY 8TH
How to Build a Girl - VOD movie
Directed by Coky Giedroyc
Starring Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart, Lady Bird), Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, RockNRolla), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Masters of Sex), Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), and Emma Thompson
An autobiography adapted by the author where Beanie Feldstein plays a very uncool teen who reinvents herself as a music writer. She will be sporting a British accent and red hair. Looking forward to seeing her carry a movie.
Valley Girl - VOD movie
Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Starring Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Judy Greer, Mae Whitman, Alicia Silverstone
Musical remake of the 80’s rom com. I think Jessica Rothe is one of the most talented actors working so I’ll be in for her.
Clementine - Virtual Theaters
Written/Directed by Lara Gallagher
Starring Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), and Otmara Marrero
A low budget indie slow burn thriller that sounds like it might be up my alley. A girl breaks into her ex’s lake house and meets a strange girl.
The Eddy - Netflix series
Two episodes directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land, First Man)
Starring Andre Holland (Moonlight, High Flying Bird), Joanna Kulig (Cold War), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give)
A French jazz club series isn’t something I knew I wanted but now that it’s here I am kind of excited. I’ll take anything Chazelle wants to direct.
Spaceship Earth - Hulu documentary & VOD
Directed by Matt Wolf
About 8 scientists who built a huge dome called Biosphere 2 that was a giant replica of the earths ecosystem in 1991 and what happened in there. Rumors of cult like weird behavior and now that we are all isolated this may be too close to home.
MAY 12TH
Capone - VOD movie
Directed by Josh Trank (Chronicle)
Starring Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini (Freaks & Geeks, Bloodline), Matt Dillon, and Kyle MacLachlan
Yes, Tom Hardy gets to do an accent and do what is essentially a psychological horror film about Al Capone’s final years with syphilis caused dementia. I’m fully in.
MAY 15TH
Fourteen - Virtual Theaters
Written/Directed by Dan Sallit
Starring Tallie Medel & Norma Kuhling
A drama about a woman’s ten year battle with drugs and mental illness and the stable friend who is there for her. I’ve read good things about this.
MAY 19TH
Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything - Netflix comedy special
MAY 22ND
The Lovebirds - Netflix movie
Directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick)
Starring Kumail Nanjani (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley), Issa Rae (Insecure), Paul Sparks (House of Cards, Boardwalk Empire)
Supposed to be a huge wide release last month has been bought by Netflix to be put out to be half paid attention to in your living room. The trailer was funny but I do worry this might be one of the classic “showed the funniest stuff in the trailer” movies.
The Trip to Greece - VOD movie
Directed by Michael Winterbottom
Starring Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon
The fourth movie in what is the most unlikely series of films full of impressions, wine, food, and bickering. I am going to watch all of these someday.
Homecoming (season 2) - Amazon Prime series
All Season 2 directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez (The Stanford Prison Experiment)
Starring Janelle Monae (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Chris Cooper (Adaptation, August: Osage County)
The first season was entirely directed by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail and now they pass it on to another director and star to continue this story of paranoia and soldiers who have been lied to by the government.
MAY 26TH
Premature - VOD movie
Directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
Starring Zora Howard & Joshua Boone
Coming of age music movie about Harlem and leaving for college. It has gotten good reviews.
MAY 29TH
Space Force - Netflix series
Created by Greg Daniels (The Office) & Steve Carell
Starring Steve Carell, John Malkovich, and Ben Schwartz (Sonic The Hedgehog, Parks & Rec)
Our big dumb orange boy says many dumb things and this is the first sitcom to capitalize on just one of them. A lot of hilarious people are involved and I hope it works.
The Vast of Night - Amazon Prime movie
Directed by Andrew Patterson
Starring Sierra McCormick & Jake Horowitz
Small budget mystery movie about late night 1950’s radio jockeys picking up a strange frequency. Heard good things out of Toronto International Film Festival last year and I am excited to check this one out.
Ramy (season 2) - Hulu series
Created by and Starring Ramy Youssef
A series I haven’t watched yet but comes highly recommended by anyone I’ve talked to that mentioned it. Looking forward to diving in sometime.
MUSIC
MAY 1ST
The Mother Stone by Caleb Landry Jones
Making A Door Less Open by Car Seat Headrest
Do You Wonder About Me? by Diet Cig
Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between by Man Man
MAY 8TH
Petals for Armor by Hayley Williams
MAY 15TH
Reunions by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Grae by Moses Sumney
Set My Heart by Perfume Genius
Van Weezer by Weezer
MAY 29TH
Imploding the Mirage by The Killers
Future Teenage Cave Artists by Deerhoof
That’s all I have for now.
See you in June.