Film Recommendation Newsletter

Saturday, Sept. 23th, 2023

Hello there! My name is Kevin. I am starting a biweekly movie recommendation newsletter here on Substack! We all love movies but also hate searching for something to watch. I plan to eliminate that frustrating part of the movie-watching experience. Everything on here will be available on at least one streaming service. I will include a free YouTube or Kanopy link if possible. I will focus on pieces of film history that have resonated with me.

I will be posting more newsletters every Saturday and Wednesday morning.

Six recommendations per newsletter, 12 total per week

• three films I recently enjoyed

• one random genre film (new genre each newsletter)

• one personal favorite

• one challenging but rewarding watch

The first three are free for every newsletter; the others are behind a $ 5-a-month paywall. I have seen over 600 films in the past 615 days, 371 in 2023 alone, so I have plenty to share!

Three films I watched and enjoyed recently:

• Juliet of the Spirits (1965) 

  Dir. by Federico Fellini 

  148 mins (MAX, Criterion Channel, YouTube)

Juliet of the Spirits is Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s first film in color and follows up his most iconic work, 8½. Fellini pioneered the neorealist genre with classics such as 8½, La Dolce Vida, Nights of Cabiria, La Strada, and many others. Juliet of the Spirits seems to separate Fellini from the neorealism genre he spearheaded. With Juliet

You follow Giulietta, who goes on a spiritual journey to determine if her husband is having an affair. Giulietta seeks services such as contacting spirits with a medium, being hypnotized, and hiring private detectives. These moments are enhanced with unpredictable camera movement, surreal dream sequences, and hallucinations. Combined with Nino Rota’s adorable score, these scenes create a wonderful and joyous atmosphere.

This is Fellini’s first film in color, and he didn’t shy away from using it. The set designs and costumes are vibrant and dazzling on the technicolor film stock. Juliet of the Spirits is my favorite Fellini for several reasons, but many because of Giulietta Masina. She was a common collaborator with Fellini, starring in three masterpieces: La Strada, The Nights of Cabiria, and Juliet of the Spirits. This is a wonderful introduction to Fellini if you’ve never seen one.

• My Brother’s Wedding (1983) (Criterion Channel, Kanopy)

  Dir. by Charles Burnett 

  81 mins

Pierce Mundy is borderline unemployed, cynical, and living with his mother in South Central Los Angeles. He agrees to be the best man at his brother Wendall’s wedding. Wendall is a very successful lawyer. Wendall and his wife frown upon Pierce for having different goals. Pierce is combative and irritable with customers working at his mother’s dry cleaning business. Pierce’s best friend, Soldier, is getting out of jail soon, and he wants to help Soldier but is obligated to be at Wendall’s wedding.

The camaraderie between Pierce and Soldier roughhousing on the sidewalk after not seeing each other for years is so beautiful. Pierce openly resents the lawyers and doctors of his family by trying to poke holes in their professions, which upsets them. Pierce is frustrated with his life and is taking it out on his family. When Soldier does things that upset Pierce’s mother, he must choose who to be loyal to. When Pierce later reads the Bible to his grandparents, it has one of the best juxtapositions I’ve ever seen using editing, which I will not spoil. What takes place in the sequences results in a soul-crushing decision that deeply offends Pierce’s family.

My Brother’s Wedding has so much depth for only 81 mins. Director Charles Burnett mainly focuses on many differences within the family and systemic racial oppression among African Americans. It’s tragic but unapologetic in its authenticity. 

• Bless Their Little Hearts (1983) (Criterion Channel, Mubi, Kanopy)

  Dir. by Billy Woodberry 

  85 mins 

Bless Their Little Hearts is a bleak but empathetic look at Charles Banks, an unemployed, depressed, and neglectful husband who cannot provide for his family. Banks is a Black man living in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in the early 1980s. It’s important to remember that Watts was a predominantly Black neighborhood by 1960. After World War II, Los Angeles was a haven for African-American soldiers who feared returning to their deep southern hometowns in 1960. The 1965 Watts riots were a tipping point for the community.

“An official investigation, prompted by Governor Pat Brown, found that the riot resulted from the Watts community's longstanding grievances and growing discontentment with high unemployment rates, substandard housing, and inadequate schools. Despite the reported findings of the gubernatorial commission, following the riot, city leaders and state officials failed to implement measures to improve the social and economic conditions of African Americans living in the Watts neighborhood.” - Civil Rights Digital Library, University of Georgia.

Twenty years later, the Banks family lives with the consequences of many facets they have no control over. Charles was not alone in his struggles. He would meet with neighbors to figure out ways to pay rent and put food on the table. Charles and his wife, Andais Banks, argue over money. Andais has to weep and beg Charles to stop cheating and find a job to provide money for the family—it’s devastating to watch. She does everything for the family while Charles is indulging himself in activities. This film is depressing but an essential piece of American independent neorealism. I’m so moved by Bless Their Little Hearts.