Happy New Year
January 6 is a somber anniversary but I started off the year with some solid productivity after ending last year with the slowest week of the year.
I’m the type that needs to keep busy but I also don’t like spending too much time in my apartment. I’ll be very busy starting next week with a trip to LA for the Critics Choice Awards followed by attending Sundance for the entirety of the festival. Outside of seeing movies at the festival, my favorite part in recent years is spending Shabbos during the opening weekend at the Sundance Shabbat Tent Lounge. I didn’t know about it in 2018 but after learning about it, I had the honor of eating Shabbos dinner with Dr. Ruth. Between the meals and Havdalah party, it’s a great way to network with other attendees.
When it comes to 2023 movies, I traditionally don’t start watching them until after the new year. This year was no exception as I held off on all film and TV screeners until after the new year. In fact, I spent my New Year’s Day watching a triple feature of 1776, Hamilton, and Babylon. One of these films is not like the year. I’ve also been binge-watching TV series and fitting Sundance screeners and anniversary viewings where I can. Meanwhile, TCM kicked off its Jewish Experience series on Thursday night so it’s allowed me to fill in some blind spots in viewing.