Good morning 🐣

Somehow we’re already on the tenth newsletter — that’s well over two months of my weekly nonsense — and I want to thank you all for sticking around as long as you have. I know this is asking a lot, but I’d be over the moon if each of you would recommend Cinescape to one person you know. I’m so close to 100 subscribers and I need to feed that fleeting source of exhilaration.

Anyways here’s a taste of new releases coming out in June:

June 2

• “Surgery is the new sex.” Well I guess we’re just gonna dive right into things, huh? That line is whispered by Kristen Stewart’s character in the trailer for “Crimes of the Future” (in theaters) and it’s classic David Cronenberg, returning to his body horror roots that defined the first phase of his filmmaking career. (Think weird body transformations like Jeff Goldblum in “The Fly.”) Cronenberg reunites with Viggo Mortensen after working together on “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” and “A Dangerous Method.” Long live the new flesh. (Watch the red-band trailer on YouTube)

June 3

• Continuing the theme of body transformation, though grounded more firmly in reality, is season 2 of “Physical” (Apple TV+), the dark comedy/drama starring Rose Byrne as an aspiring ’80s aerobics instructor. The first season started a little rough (like most shows), but by the end it had settled into a groove that I’m looking forward to continuing. (Watch the trailer on YouTube)

June 17

• For more lighthearted fare, check out “Brian and Charles” (in theaters), a comedy about a lonely inventor in rural Wales building the most slapdash robot one could imagine. (Watch the trailer on YouTube)

• Emma Thompson plays a widow looking to spice things up in her boring life in the comedy “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” (Hulu), in which she hires a much younger sex worker played by Daryl McCormack (“Peaky Blinders”). Critics are calling it a refreshing and enlightening story about self-acceptance and genuine human connection. (Watch the trailer on YouTube)

June 28

• Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez trying to solve a murder in their Manhattan high-rise — if you haven’t watched “Only Murders in the Building” yet, what are you even doing? Catch up quick before season 2 debuts on Hulu. (Watch the trailer on YouTube)

Now watch this 👀

Gird yourselves; it’s election season again! Primary voting is next week, June 7, here in California and author Tom Perrotta has a new novel out to capitalize on the occasion: “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” (pre-order it here), a sequel to his earlier work, “Election” (you can buy that here), which itself was adapted into a movie by Alexander Payne (“Sideways”) back in 1999.

The movie “Election” (free on Kanopy through your local library; on demand; and streaming on Prime Video, Paramount+, and more) is a satire that follows four main characters:

• Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a high school history teacher in Nebraska;

• Tracy Flick (an absolutely amazing Reese Witherspoon), his overachieving student for whom he has total disdain and is running unopposed for student body president;

• Paul Metzler (Chris Klein from “American Pie”), the popular jock that Mr. McAllister encourages to enter the race; and

• Paul’s little sister, Tammy, who decides to run as that third-party spoiler (played by Jessica Campbell, who retired from acting soon after and passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 2020).

Tammy complains at the debate that “the same pathetic charade happens every year and everyone makes the same pathetic promises.” Her only promise is to dismantle the entire system and abolish student government. “Or don’t vote for me! Who cares? Don’t vote at all!” The crowd roars with approval.

This was back when adults were horrified by this kind of talk.

The school moves to suspend her, which only delights her more. But even more horrified than the adults is Tracy Flick, the ultimate personification of that student everyone remembers (it might have even been you!) — hand stretched all the way to the ceiling, body convulsing with the pride that you are literally the only one who knows the answer to the teacher’s question.

Her character came to define a certain type of woman in popular discourse. You know the one, the kind that nobody likes: the type that does everything a man does and then gets chastised for it. One that’s ambitious, focused, has her eye on the prize. Basic things we expect from a human but for some reason can’t tolerate in a woman. Hillary Clinton was especially compared to her throughout her career.

“She’s a real Tracy Flick.”

Of course those same people fail to realize that you probably wouldn’t want to be a Mr. McAllister either: someone who commits voter fraud, cheats on his wife, and blames a child for being taken advantage of by another teacher.

He and Tracy both keep talking about destiny as if they have no autonomy, but they are all making decisions here, poor ones, blaming other people for their problems and not taking responsibility. They really think they’re doing the Lord’s work here.

It’s a whole lot of nothing just to maintain the status quo.

Kind of like how there was that school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, only one week ago with 19 dead kids and there have been at least 17 mass shootings in the U.S. since then, not to mention non-mass shootings, and nothing’s gonna change.

Anyways, vote. Or better yet, run for office, even if it’s some small position like your local water district.

We need change.

Until next time! 👋

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