Reviving The Whetstone 9/20/25
The Whetstone
A weekly newsletter where Maddie Weiner hones her thoughts about media and culture. Movies, books, television, music, and more.
I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I did anything with this newsletter. Here’s what’s going on with me: I’m closing in on 3 years of working in the film industry, with my name in the credits of about 11 features and 7 shorts (some released, some not). In less than a month I’m going to be participating in the 502 Film Front Porch Film Lab with my LandLord co-producer Abi Van Andel, and I’m really excited about it. Plus, LandLord is going to start its festival run soon (so hopefully I’ll be able to share the local premiere date with you guys soon!) I thought about keeping this closer to the vest, but instead I’m just going to own it and hope it works out: I’m very seriously considering taking a break from working in film in order to focus on my own projects. Working on film sets is an incredible learning experience and, when the vibes on set are good, can you give a creative high like nothing else. But selling 14 hours of my life every weekday to projects and producers whom I don’t support and don’t believe in takes its toll. How can I write my screenplays with so little time off the clock? My filmmaking dream is precious to me, and it takes a toll on me to be surrounded by pessimistic prognostications about the future of the industry, by people who care more about box office returns than the artistic quality of a movie, by nepotism, by AI-lovers, by straight cis white men failing upwards. I slowly, painstakingly re-read The Artist’s Way this year and have determined that I need to create a more nurturing, fertile ground for my ideas to grow, and have decided to pretend I’m going back to school this fall/winter, crafting a film school syllabus just for myself (happy to share it with anyone who’s interested!)
Having said all that, I’m tentatively reviving this newsletter (with absolutely no promises of a regular schedule) because I’m also trying to avoid the poisonous, insidious influence of social media but I still want to engage with my friends and other film lovers online. If all goes to plan, and I don’t have to work the rest of the year, I’m hoping to be sending out newsletters a lot more often.
Today I just want to share some stuff I’ve been enjoying and also do a movie trailer round-up because I think movie trailer round-ups are super fun.
My brother shared with me Cameron Winter’s album 2024 album Heavy Metal - “Drinking Age” is a real standout that brings tears to my eyes every time. (Also, by the way, I’m in the process of switching from Spotify to Apple Music - Apple pays artists about twice as much as Spotify does, they have lossless playback, and even though Apple is just as evil as any other major company, Spotify recently made headlines for investing $700 million in an AI military startup.)
I’ve also been listening to Irish band M(h)aol’s new album Something Soft, which rips. Feminist punk music that has been keeping me sane on the movie shoot I’m currently on.
Just finished Gretchen Felker-Martin’s newest novel Black Flame a week or so ago. 100% not for the faint of heart, but if you like books about body horror, film history, queer history, and the occult, I can’t recommend it enough. Also, Felker-Martin is one of my favorite authors and she could really use support after being publicly condemned by Israel and fired from her new DC Comics series after some incredibly innocuous comments about Ch*rlie K*rk, whom she eulogized with truth and clarity.
Some film recs: I revisited Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames last weekend (so good, so punk rock), and watched Barton Fink for the first - but definitely not the last - time. Been thinking about John Goodman’s delivery of “You’re just a tourist with a typewriter, Barton. I live here,” every day since.
Movie Trailer Round-Up
That's all, folks! I'm planning on seeing The History of Sound and HIM this weekend, plus probably more! Thanks for reading!