Margaret's May Nearly Monthly News!
Happy May! It's Memorial Day weekend here in the US, when we remember our fallen servicemembers with cemetery visits, cookouts, and all-day mattress sales.
This year, it’s also the day I kick-off a personal quest: to see as many movies as possible during a single AMC A-List billing period.
For those who are not familiar, A-List is a program run by AMC Theaters where subscribers can see up to three movies a week for a flat monthly rate. (There are some other perks too, but that’s the big draw.)
In 2024, I’ve averaged four films a month, which is definitely enough to get my $24.95 worth. But ever since I signed up in 2016, I’ve thought, “You know, one of these months I should really try to max this thing out.”
With Memorial Day being the unofficial start of summer movie season, and the 27th being the first day of my billing cycle, this seemed like the moment to make that dream come true. And because it’s also a Monday, and the AMC week re-sets on Friday, I can technically see fifteen movies between May 27th and June 26th. Pfew!
So wish me luck as I pursue the answer to burning questions such as:
Are there fifteen films out now that I want to see?
Will I still like movies a month from now?
How many other weird bingo-square items can I check off while I do this?
In the spirit of that last question, I'm kicking things off with a Memorial Day Triple Feature of The Fall Guy, Young Woman and the Sea, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
If you want to follow along, I’ll be blogging my cinema adventures on Bluesky (where my handle is @spyscribe) using the hashtag: #AMCmageddon.
There may also be mid-month newsletter updates, so don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already.
(Confession: While I don't stress too much about my mailing list numbers, we've been hovering at just under 100 subscribers for a while now, and I'd love it if this push gets us over that threshold. So if you know someone who might enjoy the nearly monthly news, please help spread the word!)
And with that, on to the news!
From my Desk
More work on the show I can't talk about yet, but work I did in 2022 is out in the world!
Barbie and Stacie to the Rescue is on (US) Netflix!
While I was not the original writer, I had a lot of fun helping to bring this special over the finish line, and I'm proud of how it turned out (along with my "additional material written by" credit).
What I'm Reading and Watching
A lot of food-themed things, apparently.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee is a deep dive into fortune cookies, American Chinese restaurants, and the people who have made both an intrinsic part of American culture. (If this is a topic of interest, I also recommend the documentary, The Search for General Tso.)
A long plane flight gave me time to also dive into Family Reservations by my friend Liza Palmer. Although I always enjoy Palmer’s writing, this contemporary King Lear story set inside a San Francisco restaurant empire shows real assurance that makes me extra excited to see where she takes her readers next.
On the TV side, I’m watching the anime series Delicious in Dungeon. (HT to friend Alasdair Stuart for the recommendation in his newsletter The Full Lid). Think of this show as Dungeons & Dragons meets Iron Chef: Monster. Ten episodes in, I'm completely hooked on these dorks and their epic adventures, both personal and culinary.
From the Cutting Room Floor of the Duolingo Dystopia
Lucy offers life advice.
Is this a job interview? Are there spies everywhere? And what do you mean, all my weaknesses?
And That's the Nearly Monthly News!
Questions? Comments? Movie recommendations? Drop me a line! Otherwise, I'll see you June!