"Sing Sing" Makes the Heart Sing (Sing) 💗

Actor and Playwright Colman Domingo nails his performance as a gentle convict making art and healing souls in a rough prison environment, plus other shows I’m watching.

🎞️ A short review of Sing Sing (now playing in theaters across the U.S.) is below, under the recommended shows and book. Quick Spoiler: It’s the best film I’ve seen in theaters all year.👇

• Pulse Check: The last episode of Lady in the Lake [Preview here] drops on Apple TV+ this week. Still enjoying Bad Monkey and am over halfway done with Average Joe on Netflix. I’m an equal-opportunity streamer lover.

🌎 3 Shows & A Book That Have Been Around The World and Aye Aye Aye

• Pam & Tommy [Trailer] on Hulu - Everything about the Pam Andersen and Tommy Lee romance epitomized ‘90s culture in all its reckless, over-the-top, self-destructive, and beautiful ways. And this show captures the ‘90s and its bizarrely fascinating era with smart humor and drama, in all its fishbowl glory. While the infamous sex tape scandal (and the amateur theft) is a big part of the story, it’s more than this. Lily James, a wonderful British actress, and Sebastian Stan, an actor of unknown origin (I jest) transform themselves entirely into Pam and Tommy. And [listen] to the Cardigans’ Love Fool, whose lead singer coincidentally bears a Scandi-resemblance to Pam, to get you in the mood.

  

• A Gentleman in Moscow [Trailer] on Showtime/Paramount+ - Adapted from the best-selling novel by acclaimed author Amor Towles, this Ewan MacGregor vehicle (he stars and produces), follows the fictitiousness account of a Russian count/nobleman, who has the misfortune of coming of age at the wrong time in Russian history (Is there ever a right time?). Stripped of all his rights, his home, and his family, under the brutality of the rise of Communism, he is forced to live under house arrest in a luxurious Moscow hotel for 30 years. This is a relationship-oriented show and one that poignantly pulls on the heartstrings. Universal themes of the fickleness of falling out of favor in the backdrop of the volatility of a society changing overnight make it all the more impactful - one day being in a position of power and the next living without and remaining true to who you are. Side Note Bonus: MacGregor’s real-life wife, actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays his love interest here (very different from their onscreen relationship in Fargo, Season 3), and their chemistry is playful and credible.

  

• School Spirits [Trailer] on Netflix. I never watched Riverdale or the updated Nancy Drew series with the Mad Men actress who played Sally, but I imagine School Spirits would fall into that genre of shows - dark, creepy, teenage angst involving a mystery on the right side of horror but not too edgy. This one stars Peyton List (last seen as Tori in Cobra Kai for Karate Kid fans (yes, that’s me) as a teenager who is stuck in purgatory with other murdered people at the high school from different decades (Think CBS’s Ghosts) trying to solve her murder. It’s fun and a good Summer, August show to get in the back-to-school mindset.

  

🔗For a list of ALL of the recently released shows I’m watching, check out [this post].

• Listening to this AUDIOBOOK while walking a dog and avoiding “The Geese Gang”: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir - Written by Griffin Dunne, famous actor/writer/director of Practical Magic [Review here], the nephew of Joan Didion, and son of Dominick Dunne, famed Vanity Fair writer under Tina Brown, the inspiration for Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. So it’s safe to say that Dunne grew up among Hollywood royalty and author stardom of the 50s and 60s, the likes of Truman Capote (who attended Dunne’s parent’s 10th wedding anniversary), and director Albert Hitchcock (who dined at the same Sunday restaurant), among others. Dunne’s is a charming and well-told tale narrated by a “normie” (translation: a relatable, grounded nice guy) about a surreal place and time. Like any good story, there’s a ton of heartache and tragedy. His sister, actress Dominique, was murdered by her violent ex in a highly publicized trial in the early ‘80s which saw her killer only getting 3 years in prison. I’m so loving this book and urge you all to listen.

  From Didion to Dunne in a “tell me you’re a writer without saying it” moment:

  “A writer is always selling someone out.”

  

Quick Tip: Netflix is now showing AMC shows known as the “AMC Collection” in the U.S. Per Vulture:

In August 2024, in the United States only, Netflix did something unusual: It launched the AMC Collection, a portal of not just the hits about meth dealers and zombies but also shows that were previously available only on AMC+.

I don’t know about you but for me, shows about “meth dealers” (Breaking Bad) and “zombies” (Walking Dead and all its spawned franchise spin-offs) are all the rage. Suppose you’re looking for other AMC fare, though. Well, there are shows about HOT witches like Mayfair and A Discovery of Witches which incidentally also does double duty hocking Lululemon leggings because witches are hella FIT, in case you didn’t get the memo, Disney (Hocus Pocus). I say this with a huge dose of snark. Apart from this, I highly recommend, Kevin Can F*ck Himself, Preacher, Dark Winds, and I just started Anne Rice’s TV adaptation of her beloved horror, Interview with a Vampire [Show] which, bloodlust aside, I’m digging.

Sing Sing Soars

Colman Domingo as Divine G, in “Sing Sing”

Film Description: Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.

The last time I saw Colman Domingo in the theater was in The Color Purple (2023), where he portrayed Mister, Celie's abusive husband. Throughout the film, Mister evolves into a less malevolent figure, largely due to Celie's influence on him. Domingo's compelling performance was such that, despite his character's cruelty, I found myself feeling a slight twinge of sympathy for him at the end. His ability to convey the complexity of Mister's character added depth to the narrative, highlighting the struggles that shape a person's actions.

This complexity and versatility are also evident in Domingo's performance in Sing Sing. In stark contrast to Mister, his role as Divine G is someone who embodies positivity and redemption. Here, he plays a man dedicated to making a difference in his community of fellow inmates through the Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) program, which he co-founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, but he’s not immune to dark moments, either. This character represents hope, growth, and the power of art to transform lives within the prison system.

Side Note: Many of the film’s actors are former prisoners. From USA Today: Save for a few professional actors, including Paul Raci (“The Sound of Metal”), the movie's cast is comprised almost entirely of formerly incarcerated men. Sean “Dino” Johnson served 15 years at Sing Sing on a drug-related charge and was released in 2004.”

One of the film's beautiful aspects, beyond its storytelling, is its commitment to showcasing prisoner rehabilitation and the profound impact of the arts, which opens the men's hearts to a range of emotions in a safe and vulnerable environment. It demonstrates point-of-fact how incarcerated individuals can be changed for the better with positive influences, and a sense of purpose fueling their lives.

On a funny note, I never would have guessed that a guy who looked like Colin Jost’s twin brother would be this film’s director, but I suppose that’s my unconscious bias for you:

BONUS BETH Film Stuff

JOIN my October film club where we’ll be watching and chatting about these romance films via chat. BUT FIRST, please make sure to upgrade your membership. This club will only be available to paid subscribers.

Bonus Fun Fact: Upgrading allows me to spend more of my day creating these posts and consuming even more content.

Hear me talk about films mostly from the ‘90s [Characters That Work/Subplots That Don't Series].

Let’s Discuss

• Are you watching any of the AMC shows on Netflix or do you plan to?

• Any new shows you’re watching and would recommend?

• Where were you in the ‘90s? What phase of human evolution, I mean, in the physical sense? A toddler, teen, fully-fledged adult? I was a teen and young adult, I guess.

• Have you seen Sing Sing and did it also make your “Top 2024 Film” list of one, even though it was released in 2023?

• Anyone else listening to “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan? I can’t get her song out of my head.

• Did you write a Sing Sing review? If so, please share it (the link) in the comments so others can read it.