Abel Brainz Digest, Vol. 3 - May 23, 2023
Welcome back!
I hope your spirits are still up despite the May gray.
I've been on a slight re-watch kick, revisiting favorites that range in familiarity.
I watched Game Night with my wife last week. I hadn't seen it in a few years and then I recognized the good ol' streets of ATL, If you're down for some hilarity, and some damn fine performances, look no further.
I also rewatched one of my all time favorites, GoodFellas. Man, that trailer is incredible for so many reasons. Namely, the evolution of trailers from then to now. But it still grabs you! And I can come pretty close to quoting the entire movie for you. This movie is somehow only ranked 92 in AFI's top 100, but lists and art are subjective, which is why they're so fun. If you want to take a deep dive into the making of the film, this GQ article is amazing. Also, this interview between Jon Favreau and Martin Scorcese was so much fun. Click here to listen to Scrocese talk about violence in his movies. I can go on and on about the film, but I'll spare you the quotes. Maybe I'll devote a newsletter to it?
And third, but not least, I re-watched Big, starring Tom Hanks. This might be my favorite Tom Hanks movie. But much like De La Soul albums, which ever one I'm listening to/watching is my favorite. Click here for Mr. Hanks backing me up in terms of throwing all your plans out the window when you arrive on set.
It's my birthday on Friday!!
I'm not fishing for birthday wishes, I'm reminiscing and acknowledging how lucky I am to teach at Drama Inc., and Dad's Garage. I'm also VERY lucky that I get/got to work with all of you!
If you feel inclined, I would love to hear about what has stuck with you most about the class. And if you are somehow reading this and we haven't worked together... awkward... jk, jk. I'd still love to hear your thoughts on improv. One group I have never worked with, but would love to, is Improv Everywhere. I first heard of them maybe back in 2010. They're still doing stuff today and it's all hilarious, but most of all, it allows us to rediscover the connection we have to each other.
I love improv so much because of the connectedness. We connect with each other in scenes, we connect with the audience, and that connection is really rare. I think that might be why people are afraid of improv. The connection requires vulnerability and that's not a familiar thing for a lot of people. That isn't a knock on anyone. That's just how it is sometimes. And that makes me sad, but also hopeful, in that what we work on and talk about might make a little difference in the world.
Alright, that's enough sap. Since it's my birthday week, here's a random list of some of my favorite things to consume:
TED Talks (???)
If you enjoy randomness and TED talks, click here.
Why is this the first thing on the list???
It's random!!
Music-
In case you didn't know, I'm a big fan of Prince. Here's a playlist of a few of my favorites of his.
Also, here's a playlist of some of the stuff that has been on heavy rotation this year.
This is probably going to be a separate newsletter at some point.
Movies-
Maaaan, THIS is definitely going to be a separate newsletter at some point.
I can't even name a favorite, other than I love movies. I've always wanted to be a part of them.
One of my favorites is the Coen Bros.' The Big Lebowski. A cult sensation but originally a flop. It was the Coen's next movie after Fargo, and it did NOT live up to the hype. Doesn't matter why, because now it's a classic. Here's a fun video with all the f-bombs in Lebowski strewn together. Also, it's screening this weekend at The Plaza here in Atlanta.
This is another movie I can pretty much quote in its entirety. Speaking of which, here's a list of movies I often quote:
GoodFellas, When Harry Met Sally, Friday, Ghostbusters, Godfather (I & II), Beetlejuice, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Glengarry Glenross, Predator, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Die Hard, OG Star Wars Trilogy, Wayne's World, Back to the Future, Top Gun, Swingers,
Under the Radar faves: A Most Violent Year, Hell or High Water, Arrival, Away We Go, Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon
Books!
I mentioned What Happened To You? last week. I finished it and am on to the next read(s). Sometimes I have 2 or 3 on my bedside table, which is nuts.
I recently read and loved The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St.John Mandel. She wrote Station Eleven which was turned into an HBO series. Never read the book, but the show was really good. I also did not watch the trailer and kind of had no idea what the show was going to be about. So, if you want to go in fresh, DON"T click the Station Eleven hyperlink.
The Baseball 100 by Joe Poznaski is incredible if you're a baseball fan. I feel like non-baseball fans would also get a kick out of it.
Wow, that was a lot. Thanks for reading until the end.
I leave you with this quote to ponder-
"Relationships are the currency of change."
Much love to you all.
-Abel
P.S. I got my inspiration to do this newsletter from Austin Kleon. He wrote a book about it.